# 14, March 6, 2008- Massages and Messages or.. Could a Day be More Lovely?

Continuing the Story which began yesterday with my talk with Amir, I received a very clear message last night while asleep…not a dream like message, a spoken message: “Don’t go swimming at the Spa pool, BATHE IN THE GANGA and ask her to remove and wash away your fears!”.

So I awoke this morning
knowing that I would definitely go to bathe in the Ganga today, despite my fears of “where to go”, “what to wear”, “how cold will it be”, etc. But before going down for my massage, decided to just pick a card or two, and wound up pulling one from each of the two decks I have here with me…figuring I might get further reinforcement from the cards which might help me overcome the real fear I was feeling about what I knew I had to do today.

Well, the first card I picked was Archangel Raphael (one of the Archangels I ask to accompany me each day in my morning prayers and meditation), and the card says:

"I am helping you heal physical challenges in yourself and others. You are a healer, like me”.
Quite amazing…a big grin appeared on my face, knowing that I was certainly not alone in this venture and couldn’t have asked for better company.,

And then just for good measure, decided to pick from the other deck, and the card that came up was:
Sekhmet…which reads: “Be Strong”…” You are stronger than you think you are, and your strength assures a happy outcome”.

Even more amazing…

Then I happily headed down for my massage with Bablu and told him about my plan to go immerse myself in the Ganga after the massage and he said “How did you know to do it today?” Didn’t really understand the question but told him I received a message during the night that I must do it today. He said the message was directly from God because today is the best day in the whole year to bathe in the Ganga in Rishikesh as it is the once a year festival of Shiva (Shiva Aarti) today!

Well, nothing is my chance and a couple of other people I know who I met along the way, Indians, were all very excited for me that I was doing this the first time on this “most auspicious day”.

So, with all this lovely reinforcement and loving company, I set off for the Ganga at about 12 in the afternoon…gathering my faith and courage for the adventure.

(Just a quick aside: this was the fourth massage I’ve done with Bablu and we’ve got a kind of rapport going, and today he asked me if I know that my bones (I am paraphrasing, his English is very poor and this took some time to understand) are weak, lacking calcium and dry…and I must go to a doctor to find out what to do. I asked how he knew this (which is true, I have advancing oesteoporsis) and he said he can feel it when he massages me. I told him I do expensive bone density scans with fancy machines back home and they say the same thing!! He gave me good nutritional advice, which I already know, but was surprised that he knew this much about counseling his clients, and he was very happy to hear that I do panchakarma, eat the right foods etc. )
So, I had a nice fruit salad for breakfast and headed off with my longee and a towel, and went to the area where several people had told me I’d find a quiet beach, and they were right. You can see from the pictures…those are my clothes drying on the rock,






and you can see the place where I immersed myself, several times. It was quiet, private and intensely powerful.









The waters were icey cold. Fed by the mountain snows which have begun to melt. At first I gasped and thought I could not do it, but ever so slowly I dipped in up to and over my waist, and then threw waters over the rest of my body, including my head…And quickly got out, but after resting in the sun for a few minutes, I felt the need to do it again and did. Despite the numbing cold, I felt warmth spreading through my entire body as the first of my fears began to desolve, being washed away in the waters of this holy river. Quite a remarkable experience. Sat on the beach for awhile and plan to try and go each morning now…before breakfast.

Had a pleasant lunch…enjoyed Shiva Aarti Day which I was told by many is THE most auspicious day to immerse in the Ganga in Rishikesh. There will also be special celebrations this evening at the puja, but my stomach is a little “dodgy” so may remain close to my room. Will decide later this evening. After my relaxing meal I head home, com[pletely energized and this is also the first time the sun has not bothered me, and I have headache. I’ve taken to wearing my dupatta (scarf) on my head like the Indian ladies (kaffiyah style_ and that seems to do the trick. So 2 fears have gone. I can be out all day in the sun, immerse myself in ice-water, with no ill effects, even find a quiet beach all by myself and the last fear, being out along after dark will be confronted and conquered either today or tomorrow.

Then, when I get home, I will begin traveling to “unknown” places alone by car!!!

The next post will be a lovely video I made of the area around laxman Jhula, with the sounds and sights of the place. You can even see the lovely scene of a lady feeding the holy cow and blessing her (or perhaps asking for a blessing for herself) by touching the cow’s head.

Many things are falling to into place, and I think the timing for my return home is just perfect.

I am truly loved and blessed…always watched over and taken care of…truly no reason for any sort of fear to limit me.

Namaste
Jane

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MORE SOUNDS OF INDIA....PUJAS (RELIGIOUS CEREMONIES)

This first one is the Shiva Aarti held each day around 6 PM at the Shiva Ghat in Rishikesh. because of the length of the video, the final quality is not very good when resized to download, but it will give you some idea of the humble sacredness of this puja.

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Indian Journal 2006 #35-Aarti Puja Rishikesh Ghat

This afternoon Ilse and I decided to go for a walk, as it is now only really possible to be out after 4. But after 4 it is quite lovely, with warm weather but beautiful breezes. We spent hours walking and basically were on our way to the Shiva Puja in Swargashram (across Ram Jula). This puja, like the one in Hardiwar, takes place everyday of the year. But that is the only thing they have in common. I will do my best to describe this puja, using photographs as well, but the real "seeing" of this puja involves "hearing" as well, and so I've taken several short videos with sound, but will only be able to post them when I get home.

As I said, the only thing in common the two pujas have are that they are performed each day at 6 PM.

But beginning with the statue of Shiva,


which you remember in Hardiwar was over 30 meters high and surrounded by a fence...untouchable and hardly inviting to the average person...very pretentious. As was everything else about the puja...commercial, crowded, and not something I would ever want to go see again. Nothing really sacred or holy about the entire affair in general.

And then, beginning with the Shiva statue at the Rishikesh ghat, to the entire ceremony, the first word which came to mind was unpretentious. And honest, and "everyman's". You can see how lovely and peaceful the shiva statue is here, and more "human" size, and certainly touchable. People were sitting ON the statue.

Instead of thousands upon thousands of people, there were a few hundred. All dressed in new clean clothing and truly there for the ceremony (which is what puja means). The gathering was quiet and respectful...no frolicking in the Ganga, picnicking etc.
The closest thing I can compare it to, in its sincerity and sheer jubilence of worshipping spirit, would be a Black American Church with everyone singing Gospel along with the Church choir. And if you have that picture in mind, you will understanding how moving and lovely this puja truly was.




The Church choir was a group of young boys, all studying to be Hindu priets someone told me, but I am not sure, dressed in lovely yellow remnants with the white signs of Shiva worship painted on their forheads.
They lead the chanting and everyone present joined in with handclapping, swaying, raising of arms as if to say "Halleluja", smiles of joy on most faces, and spiritual concentration on the others.
The ceremony ended when little plates which had wicks to light on them from the central fire were passed around from hand to hand so that each person present could get a blessing directly from Shiva.
And each person took it in hand, made circular motions with the plate and gently passed it on to another person so that everyone present eventually got a plate of fire (including us!). I really wish the videos were available to you now.

I would gladly come back here again just to enjoy the moving music and chanting as well as the glowing faces of those who are truly "with" their god in the moment of prayer and worship.

And just as quietly as everyone converged for the puja, once it was over they dispersed just as quietly back home....quite lovely and inspiring. I hope the pictures do some justice to the experience.

And just to end a perfect evening, we had a lovely view of Rishikesh at night while having a snack of Naan for dinner before heading back to our rooms, inspired, happy and at peace.



Namaste
Jane
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