By Murli Menon

After having travelled down the Mekong from its supply in Tibet by China, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam to the South China Sea in 2006, it had been certainly one of my objectives since 1995 to journey down the Holy Ganges. I lastly achieved my aim in 2010 by a mixture of inventive visualisation, ZeNLP meditation and auto-suggestion mixed with a strict vegan weight loss plan. Common train, fasting and a non secular connection to nature helped me to create significant coincidences, which guided me each minute throughout my lengthy and arduous journey by North India in essentially the most extreme of winters!

Having my brick Nikon and netbook with a two-hour battery life enabled me to doc my journey because it occurred, thereby giving me the luxurious of clicking greater than 5000 excessive decision footage alongside the best way!

My journey plan was in depth to say the least. I deliberate to journey 5,000 KM throughout India, spanning ten states and cities like New Delhi, Kolkata, Bhubaneshwar, Hyderabad and Pune. My actual route is elucidated beneath:

I deliberate to raft down the Ganges from Kaudiyala to Rishikesh whereas additionally going to the Kumbh mela in Haridwar, and journey to Kolkata by Allahabad, Varanasi, and Jasidih. From Kolkata I deliberate to go to the Sunderbans Tiger Reserve the place the Holy Ganges meets the Bay of Bengal. I’d journey by boat on every vacation spot on the banks of the river. Being a vegan, who lives on fruits, nuts, seeds, grains and greens, I photographed all 100 per cent vegan road meals and put it on my weblog for fellow vegans who need to comply with in my footsteps. Being a vegan additionally meant surviving the tough North Indian winter wearing sambhalpuri kurtas, a khadi scarf, and a light-weight artificial jacket. I wanted to discover the pure wonders at every of the locations I stayed at and doc them in my weblog. I’ve simply returned after finishing my journey from Kaudiyala to Jharkhali.

A number of the most enjoyable moments of my journey have been skilled whereas river rafting down the Ganges, boating at Allahabad, climbing the Chitrakoot mountain in Jasidih (Jharkhand), or throughout the sundown cruise at Jharkhali in Sunderbans, whereas on a speedboat on the Chilka lake in Orissa. Trekking contained in the Srisailam Tiger Reserve in Andhra Pradesh was additionally a pleasure. I might make time to take a leisurely dip within the Ganges, Krishna and Godavari throughout this journey. The posh of with the ability to take limitless excessive decision digital pictures, meant each dawn and sundown was captured. Each chicken throughout my journey was clicked and greater than 4,000 excessive decision footage are safely backed up in my pen drive, two laptops and netbook.

The journey from Ahmedabad to Haridwar was uneventful apart from the attractive sundown clicked over the hills of Mount Abu. The prepare was crowded with devotees continuing to Haridwar for the Kumbh Mela in order to succeed in earlier than 14th January, which was essentially the most auspicious day to take a dip within the Holy Ganges since 1998. By a significant coincidence, at Haridwar station I met three younger women, every from England, Netherlands and USA, who have been in search of instructions to go to Rishikesh! Quickly, all 4 of us have been in a taxi to Rishikesh. The journey took us by the outer fringes of the Rajaji Nationwide Park, the place we might sight some stump-tailed macaques! After checking-in on the Garhwal Mandal visitor home at Rishikesh, we proceeded to Kaudiyala to finish the fun of river rafting whereas returning to Rishikesh. Physique browsing whereas hanging on to the raft within the ice-cold waters of the river in mid-January was a bone-chilling expertise.

Kathy, Kristen and Naomi, who have been instructing English in China, have been travelling to Rishikesh for a break. After returning to Rishikesh, I headed to Haridwar for the Kumbh Mela. Lakhs of pilgrims from throughout India had gathered for a as soon as in a lifetime expertise. Taking a dip within the freezing waters of the Holy Ganges at 4 AM in mid-January, jogged my memory of my dip at Lake Mansarovar in Tibet! Nevertheless, it was a boon to my immune system as all my cells obtained rejuvenated after swimming within the placid waters of this mighty river. It absolutely is without doubt one of the strongest experiences to find the facility of mom nature. Exploring the impromptu meals stalls on the Kumbh as a meals detective, trying to find 100% vegan delicacies (meals which doesn’t include any product of animal origin and even traces of any animal product) was one other goal of my travels for my forthcoming e-book “ZeNLP-The Energy of Veganism.”

The food-stalls on the Kumbh had idlis and dosas jostling for area with samosas, dhoklas, and theplas.

The consequences of the extreme winter have been compounded by the chilly winds and slight drizzle that appeared to pervade Rishikesh and Haridwar in January. Warming up close to group bonfires and sipping sizzling ginger juice (as a strict vegan I don’t drink tea, espresso or eat sugar as a consequence of probabilities of adulteration of those commodities by merchandise of animal origin). Additionally, I don’t eat any manufacturing unit manufactured food-stuffs, bought throughout grocery store cabinets. As a strict vegan, I keep away from all foodstuffs containing caffeine, chlorine, fluorine, nicotine and iodine. I desire to eat recent fruits, greens, seeds, nuts and grains! I by no means eat solids after sundown however as an alternative follow water fasting! Neighborhood bonfires, are a really perfect socialising venue to seek out out concerning the newest occasions and to know the instructions to succeed in the hawkers who promote essentially the most scrumptious road meals on the town.

Rafting down the quickly flowing river from Kaudiyala to Rishikesh within the wee hours of the morning — shrouded in mist and fog and caressed by a light-weight drizzle — was a memorable expertise. The spotlight of the journey was leaping into the ice-cold waters after reaching Rishikesh. The frenzy of adrenaline as one scurried to the security of the shore in search of the heat of the embers, whereas the physique overcame its numbness after a thrill a minute rafting expertise, is tough to explain in phrases. A great evening’s sleep below a thick cotton quilt, was sufficient to rejuvenate one’s aching muscle mass and numb fingers for the subsequent journey.

The journey from Rishikesh to Haridwar was like transferring with a caravan. 1000’s of pilgrims strolling barefoot to succeed in Haridwar on January 14. Alongside the best way, I met peasants from Bhagalpur, Rabaris from Gujarat, Bauls from West Bengal, villagers from Andhra Pradesh, sadhus from Uttar Pradesh, and gypsies promoting the whole lot from sandalwood-paste to vermillion. It was a “mela” in the actual sense of the phrase! Many of the pilgrims braved the results of the chilly by sleeping open air. Many ingenuous devotees slept on the shores of the river to keep away from the early morning rush!

After reaching Haridwar, one wakes up at midnight to organize for the trek to the ghats for a dip earlier than the gang begins to pour in. This can be very chilly and visibility is restricted to the primary three steps one takes. Nevertheless, one trudges alongside the slim path to succeed in the holy river earlier than daybreak and take a rejuvenating tub within the rapids as the primary rays of the solar strike the earth. Probably the most thrilling a part of the expertise is the sensation of numbness within the fingers which makes buttoning one’s kurta an achievement in itself! On the ghats, pink-coloured ghagras of the rabari girls vied for consideration with saffron Rajasthani turbans which have been a hanging distinction to the sadhus smeared in gray ash. It was a free for all with everybody for himself. Hawkers promoting towels had a subject day. I deliberate to journey from Haridwar to Allahabad to finish the subsequent part of my analysis on vegan Indian road meals.

Murli Menon, is a journey author, stress administration advisor and author-based at Ahmedabad, India. He’s the creator of “ZeNLP-Studying by tales” printed by The Written Phrase Publications, “ZeNLP-the energy to succeed” printed by Sage publications and “ZeNLP-the energy to calm down” by New Daybreak Press. He might be reached at zenlp@rediffmail.com