It was an excellent sleep on the day we reached Kasi. Sleeping on the lap of mother Ganga with the care of Kasi Viswanathar and Kasi Visalakshi, what more you need to have a peaceful sleep. Having immersed safely the Veni Madhavar brought from Rameswaram at Prayagai, the sleep was probably more peaceful.
Right in the morning at 6:30 we had Vijay, the guide deputed by Sekar Sastrigal knocking the doors of our room. Here I should tell about Balananda Teerthashramam. It is an excellent no-frills traditional building, which is really huge with plenty of rooms. Few closed places are dusty, but all places used by people were clean. There was a lady dhobi who came to collect our clothes for washing. I was thrilled by the possibility of our clothes washed with Ganga water. What a bhagyam...!
Morning we went to Ganga through the nearby (5 to 10 minutes from Balananda Ashram) Shivala Ghat. My Mom also came apart from my wife, kids and MIL. I had the Blessings of Him where my Mom was able to hold my hands and have Holy Dip in Ganga...! What a Blessing. The same person whom we were scared due to hip surgery, is here bending down to have Ganga Snanam...! Definitely Pithrus are looking at us and Blessing us...!
She peacefully completed the Ganga Snanam and was helped by Vijay, our guide, back to Ashram. Myself and the kids were excited and never felt like coming out. Since we had the sankalpam around 10 am, we were forced to come out of our snanam. We later dressed in traditional attire and went to a place near Sankara Madam for sankalpam. Sekar Sastrigal had informed us that there would be around thirty brahmins who will be present to bless us a Happy and Successful Kasi Yatra. I was amazed at the possibility of thirty Kasi Brahmins blessing all of us for our Kasi Yatra...!
When we entered the hall, there were already quite a few Brahamanas and our sankalpam started. All the stars and Gothrams of all of us, myself, Mom, Wife, Kids and MIL were asked and recited accordingly. Now, I was getting used to tell "Uththarae Parswe, sadapthae, varthamanae..." the north of Vindhyas sankalpam.
The brahmanas crowd started increasing and Sekar Sastrigal was on the top of his voice to tell the mantras. The Holy Vedas getting into our ears, we were thrilled, I'm sure it was making some goodness for our system, which no logic could prove. Then there was the Guru of Sekar Sastrigal, who told certain specific mantras for our wellbeing and for good Kasi Yatra.
After providing due respects to all the Brahamanas we set off to Manikarnigha Ghat on boat. We climbed the steps to reach Sakkara Theertham, which was across the road and needed to climb down. This teertham is the place where where Lord Shiva's third eye touched upon and Goddess Parvathi's Karnika dropped into (that was my understanding from my little Hindi knowledge, heard from guide Vijay). We did 'Prokshanam' of this chakkara theertham and brought some theertham back in a vessel to the boat to sprinkle on the kids.
We again had a bath at Manikarnigha ghat. Kids enjoyed this too...! The steps here are very very very slippery and one is advised utmost caution while getting down. I sat down for the last two visible steps and had a good bath. The pandas are always around you to do something or the other and later demand money. Here too, a person helped me take water and wanted some money when I got into the boat. Point is, in Kasi you never feel like telling a 'No' to anyone asking for alms...! You naturally tend to give them, without questioning...! I strictly followed Sekar Sastrigal's advice on this front.
In the evening, I was describing my Mom about the brahmanas at Sankalpam and told around thirty had come. Sekar Sastrigal, who came there told that it was not thirty, but fifty eight to be precise...! I was amazed. Brahmanas representing Rig, Yaju, Sama and Atharvana Vedham were there. Additionally, under Yajur, two sets of people with Krishna-Yajur and Sukla-Yajur were there he informed. He told all the Vedhas were recited for Happy and Successful Kasi Yatra...! I was moved...! Time and again, His Care is proven...!
Then we moved on to have a darshan of Ganga Maha Aarathi. We never knew the further surprises that Ganga Maa had for us, with mixed bags...!
(To be continued...!)
Pranams
Ram
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