Walking in Clouds by Kavitha Yaga Buggana

Author:Kavitha Yaga Buggana
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: null
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers India
Published: 2018-01-20T16:00:00+00:00

Dipping, Cleansing

Lake Manasarovar, Tibet,

Altitude ~ 4,600 metres

ACCORDING TO HINDU MYTHOLOGY, divine beings had once appealed to Brahma, the Lord of Creation, for a place to ritually cleanse themselves before praying to Shiva, in nearby Kailash. Brahma then used the force of his Manas (consciousness) and willed the Sarovar (lake) into reality. The lake is believed to be of such purity that anyone who takes a dip in it will wash away a lifetime of sins. Heavenly beings, it is said, have been descending into the lake at night as lights gliding down from the sky. Every year there are reported sightings of strange lights hovering over Lake Manasarovar in the hours before dawn. People believe these lights to be divine beings.

In Buddhist mythology too, Lake Manasarovar is a holy place. It is where Maya, the Buddha’s mother, bathed before conceiving him. Buddhists believe this lake to be the physical manifestation of Lake Anottata, the Lake at the Centre of the World, or the Lake without Heat, in which one dip can wash away the heat of sin forever. Myths aside, I cannot wait to see the Lake.

When we reach Manasarovar it is past noon. The morning sun has dimmed and is hiding behind the clouds. After I climb out of the jeep, I hang back a bit from the group and its excited chatter. I see dull, blue-grey water covering the lake, scrawny copper-brown grass lining the shore, and stark grey and red mountains standing between us and the gloomy sky.

Where are the long-necked swans gliding serenely on the lake? Where are the green reeds and grasses swaying in the breeze? The landscape is surreal, like the imaginary world of a dystopian science fiction novel. After having feasted my eyes on the beauty of the salt-water Lake of the Anti-Gods – Rakshas Tal – the freshwater Lake of the Gods seems uninspiring and eerie. Swallowing my disappointment, I hurry to the campsite where our tents are being set up by Chhiring and his team.

‘Kavi! Manasarovar!’ Pallu says, her face glowing.

‘Yup.’ I try to smile.

‘You know, I wasn’t sure we would actually make it,’ Pallu says.

By the time you reach a certain age, you know what you are, and you know what you’re not. One thing I know is that Pallu and I are not the persisting kind; we’re the kind of people who go with the flow. But not this time. Despite the passage of time, failed attempts, and our husbands’ concerns, we kept the idea of this trip alive. We made it happen. The destination is important, but the journey to get there and the persistence in the face of setbacks are important, too.

‘It is amazing, Pallu! We’re actually here. In Manas.’

‘The water of Lake Rakshas Tal looks different,’ I tell Chhiring. ‘It’s blue. Here, the waters look grey.’

He says it is just the light. The two lakes are connected by the Ganga Chu channel and the same water fills them both. When the channel is full, it means things are good for Tibet.

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