Vashishta Cave and temple--extraordinary experience. We were told the cave used to be more than 20km but because of earthquakes etc over the past 3-4 thousand years, it is now much smaller. Much much smaller. Has served as sort of a hostel for wandering saints for millennia and the vibrations are there to prove it.
Next we walked down to the beach to put our feet in Ganges again. The water was crystal clear, and coming straight down from the mountains here.
Then to the Jesus cave up on the bank again. This is one of the caves, as the story goes, that Jesus stayed in during his lost years (12-30 yrs old) when he is believed to have studied and taught in India.
Going cave to river to cave we of course encountered the requisite cows and spent some time feeding them out of our hands. Cool tongues and very gentle.
We had passed on our drive a sign that said "Kriya Yoga Ashram" so of course we wanted to to stop on our way back. Set up by followers of Sri Yuketeswar. I finally found the biography of Lahiri Mahasaya that I have wanted for so many years (but had been unwilling to pay $75 to the buy from Amazon.) We were received warmly and invited to meditate in their chapel.
We stopped in the main part of Rishishek, went to an iconic restaurant across the foot bridge and discovered that all the shops and cafes were on strike. Swamiji has been working with India's officials as a mediator, to clean up the Ganges and Yamuna rivers. The plan agreed upon would require the shop keepers along the banks to relocate at government expense into a greener setting. The shop keepers don't want change. So we had ice cream for lunch.
At the end of our walk along the Ganges, we arrived at the ashram the Beatles used to stay at, now in ruins. Beautiful setting.
And to end the day, Jyosna who of course knew Swamiji (from Pittsburgh way back when) arranged for us to attend the Aarti with Parmarth Niketan group in VIP sitting. We were able to circle the butter lamps and participate in the Aarti as much as we wanted to. And afterwards we were invited back to the ashram for private darshan and satsanga with Swami Chitananda Saraswati. Very loving and powerful presence.
Next we walked down to the beach to put our feet in Ganges again. The water was crystal clear, and coming straight down from the mountains here.
Then to the Jesus cave up on the bank again. This is one of the caves, as the story goes, that Jesus stayed in during his lost years (12-30 yrs old) when he is believed to have studied and taught in India.
Going cave to river to cave we of course encountered the requisite cows and spent some time feeding them out of our hands. Cool tongues and very gentle.
We had passed on our drive a sign that said "Kriya Yoga Ashram" so of course we wanted to to stop on our way back. Set up by followers of Sri Yuketeswar. I finally found the biography of Lahiri Mahasaya that I have wanted for so many years (but had been unwilling to pay $75 to the buy from Amazon.) We were received warmly and invited to meditate in their chapel.
We stopped in the main part of Rishishek, went to an iconic restaurant across the foot bridge and discovered that all the shops and cafes were on strike. Swamiji has been working with India's officials as a mediator, to clean up the Ganges and Yamuna rivers. The plan agreed upon would require the shop keepers along the banks to relocate at government expense into a greener setting. The shop keepers don't want change. So we had ice cream for lunch.
At the end of our walk along the Ganges, we arrived at the ashram the Beatles used to stay at, now in ruins. Beautiful setting.
And to end the day, Jyosna who of course knew Swamiji (from Pittsburgh way back when) arranged for us to attend the Aarti with Parmarth Niketan group in VIP sitting. We were able to circle the butter lamps and participate in the Aarti as much as we wanted to. And afterwards we were invited back to the ashram for private darshan and satsanga with Swami Chitananda Saraswati. Very loving and powerful presence.
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