One of the first things you notice about India is the striking juxtaposition of the past and the present, giving one a strange feeling of being in multiple worlds simultaneously. One moment you are sipping coffee at a Starbucks, or walking through air-conditioned malls where English seems to be the only language of communication, and in a couple of hours, you are driving by the countryside and are stopped by a large herd of cows crossing the road, or witnessing a procession with larger-than-life deities and a riot of colors and sounds.
Past and present flow and co-exist seamlessly as if neither had any substantial reality, when underneath all seeming appearances, they are tied together by a God-centered culture that has preserved the highest of spiritual teachings and is constantly morphing to adapt to changing times.
The 4 of us – Shanti, Lakshmi, Nivedita, and myself – arrived in India on Friday, September 2nd at various times during the night. Our time in India started with a day in Delhi, cherishing our joyous reunion with the Ananda family there and enjoying the company of friends, old and new.
The Indian experience did not truly begin until the next day though when we took a short flight to a town in the foothills of the mountains and commenced our 7-hour drive to the base of Babaji’s cave above Ranikhet. We were now far away from the incessant traffic, noise, and pollution that were inescapable in Delhi. Village after village, scene after scene, we soaked in every bit of the Indian heartland with our eyes and our hearts.
The group outside Kainchi ashram
On the way, we stopped at Kainchi, a small village in the Himalayas where the great saint Neem Karoli Baba spent most of his life. None of us were prepared for what we were about to experience in the one hour we spent in the small temple campus built around the place where the saint lived.
The land was sacred, and his presence palpable. We read the holy hymn, Hanuman Chalisa in his honor. As we sat next to the chanters singing at the temple entrance, tears streamed down our cheeks. It was as if a gush of wind, with all its might, had flung open the doors of our hearts leading us to an experience that we had not imagined. Words seemed superfluous. We were transported to a place of pure feeling that transcended all cultural barriers.
Right around sunset, we reached our destination after a long and exhausting drive – a beautiful resort nestled in the forests at the base of Babaji’s cave. One might say we had already covered part of the hiking distance to the cave as we drove the last stretch through an almost unpaved road, to reach the resort that was well past the official trailhead.
It was divine providence that led us to this place. It was not where we had initially made the reservation to stay. But circumstances drove us to change and instead pick this place… or I should say, Babaji took an active interest in our planning and made sure we landed at this resort. Only after reaching there did we learn that the place is owned and run by a devotee couple from Delhi who visit here twice a month. It is very new – just about three months old!
The man, a dedicated kriyaban and YSS member for over 20 years, was looking for a way to step out of his corporate career and serve Master. Based on the guidance of a senior YSS monk and an inspiration that came to him at Babaji’s cave, he purchased and started developing this property as a retreat to serve devotees that come to the cave. The property is on the original trail that Lahiri must have walked in 1861 to get to the cave. It is in fact right on the sacred Dronagiri mountain where the cave is located. The cave is a mere 45 mins hike from here.
Our rooms at the resort
Bidding goodbye to our gracious host
The river Gogash, where Babaji asked Lahiri to bathe before receiving kriya could be heard loudly from our rooms, and the water used in the property is directly drawn from the river – so we were showering in river Gogash during our stay here, just as Lahiri did!
He also shared with us that ten years ago, he, along with a senior YSS monk and other devotees, had uncovered the original trail that Lahiri Mahasaya must have walked in 1861 from Ranikhet to the cave. This trail is over 45 km long and is to be done in a single day through forests and pastures. The group did the hike during the 150th anniversary Lahiri’s initiation in 12 hrs and ended at Babaji’s cave in the evening. He plans to revive and guide others on this hike, which was personally quite exciting for me to hear!
We were treated to delicious home-made food, prepared lovingly with vegetables from the organic garden on the property. Every morning and evening we meditated with the couple at the resort’s meditation temple. How master brings all of us brothers and sisters together, only he knows!
The hike to Babaji’s cave can be considered easy to moderate, with some incline and switchbacks. We washed ourselves in River Gogash on our way up, to honor Lahiri’s purification ritual. The stillness was surreal in our blissful hour-long meditation inside the cave. At the end of the hour, 3 Indian women entered the cave and joined us. Their smiles reflected the joy of their souls.
They were part of a 10-person group from YSS in Kolkata on pilgrimage. As the group gathered outside the cave, we all joined in joyful chanting. Only a couple of people could communicate in broken English – but most of them knew the words to the chant “O God Beautiful” – we spontaneously erupted into song and dance, celebrating the one large family of Master’s that we were all part of.
Our host at the resort had packed a large lunch for the 4 of us. So large that we could share with the group of Indian pilgrims and yet we all ate to our heart’s content. It was a miracle to behold – all the food was consumed, and no one left hungry. As we entered our resort late afternoon, the skies burst open into a loud thunderstorm. A few minutes late and we would have been soaking wet along with our bags. Clearly, we were in the bubble of Babaji’s watchful protection!
The cave entrance
Our group outside the cave