Hanuman Mandir

A Trip to Badrinath in 1994.  From the July 9, 1998 Newsletter                                          

        It is only after a series of many towns of Chamoli, Pirahi, Pipalkoti, Helang, Joshimath, you encounter Vishnu Prayag, where Alaknanda meets her first tributary called Dhauliganga.   The very white complexion of the two streams is noticeable to the bare eyes.   It is only after Govindghat, Pandukeshwar, and Hanuman Chatti, where Hanuman, the ultimate 11th Rudra, guards the house of Vishnu, you reach Devadarshani.   It is a remarkable trough of hills, where Badri Vishal beacons all the tired souls.   By the time we reached on that cold night at the height of 11,000 feet, it was already 6.30 PM.   It was getting dark rapidly.   After putting our belongings at Shri Shri Mohanananda Sewa Samiti cottage, we rushed to the shrine.   It ! is holy and inviting.   The Arati was on and after it was over, we were asked to go to the sanctum door to receive the teerth (sacred water) and the holy leaves of Tualsi plant.   Lord Vishnu was now being put to sleep.   God is not a different one, but very much like us, is the constant theme of Hindu worship.   He must wake up, have breakfast, luncheon, afternoon siesta, hold evening court, have dinner and, finally, be put to sleep.   We went around the shrine.   The head priest asked us to come the next morning at 5.30 a.m.   After a meal, we retired to sleep early.   The next morning, I got up with the sounds of 'Suprabhatam' coming from the shrine.   I freshened up and rushed to the shrine alone as all others were still groggy.   I went in from the side door and was seated by the priest with an older mahatma, who was there sitting on the wooden chests facing the deity.   Today I think that was the most memorable and magical meeting with a real holy personality.   Could it be that he was Hanuman himself?   He was old, lean and thin with a stubble of a beard and moustache.   He was wearing simple hand washed c! lothes, and was with a blanket, a little staff, and a red pouch with the rosary for reciting the name of Ram.   He was constantly uttering the name of Ram.   Soon we were joined by Sheelja and later on by the other members of the family, who sat to the right of this mahatma on the wooden chests.   And, when they were asked to leave, the mahatma forbade the head priest.   Soon the royal treatment of Lord Vishnu began with familiar mantras from Vishnusahastranama and Purusha-suktam.    God was woken up, bathed, offered the madhuparka, sandal paste, dresses, the ornaments, and so forth.   While this was going on, all! the things, such as the water, Tulasi leaves, the madhuparka etc., were brought to this mahatma and he gave these to others.   Since I was to his left, he gave these to me before anybody else.   This madhuparka was nectar like, and I had not till then, and have not since then tasted such a soothing, healing, and sublime teerth.   But while he was pouring it to others, I noticed it to be of milk complexion.   Thinking that it was a different thing, I touched the mahatma and signaled him to give that to me again.   He very kindly gave the madhuparka, the second time, and I was amazed to se! e that it was colorless.   I did not have much time to question the gravity of this experience.   Soon the Yajurveda chanting began and sandal paste was brought in to the mahatma.   He very gently placed it on my palm and I then gave that to Santosh etc.   I was also chanting Ram Ram.   All the crowns etc. were placed on the deity.   Santosh was worried about time and wanting to leave, this mahatma signaled by his fingers that there were 11 minutes more before the ceremony was going to end.   Soon the end came.   When I headed for the door, he pulled me over and pointed towards the threshol! d of the sanctum door to bow and receive the final blessings of Tulasi leaves etc.   It was at this time when I offered to give him something, he refused.   And when I bent to touch his feet, he held me halfway.   I went up to the sanctum door and when turned to have a last look of this divine soul, I did not see him anywhere.   It was at this point, it dawned on me, that he was Hanuman himself, that the change of color of the teerth from water to milk was a confirmation of what Dada and Uma Datt Shukla had witnessed in the company of Baba Neem Karauli Maharaj, and that the water of the river Ganges was nothing but milk and nectar.   Others may take it to be my hallucination, but how can I deny the vividness of it.   Soon afterwards we headed back to Hardwar, only to be wonderfully fed at Joshimath by the family of Shyamu Bhaiyya, the brother of Piyush Khattri.