Pilgrimage

It's very customary with certain people at certain places, for newly married couples to go to some holy shrine to seek divine blessings for their happy married life. It's a usual sight at such places to find newly wedded couples paying obeisance to the deity. Nimmi and Barun had also headed for pilgrimage to holy shrine of Lord Shiva soon after their marriage. It was during the time of Amarnath Yatra which is pilgrimage to Holy shrine of God Shiva. Amarnath yatra in Kashmir is an annual affair in the months of July and August- the monsoon months with unpredictable heavy rains and storms any time during that period. The final culmination of pilgrimage is on full moon night in the month of August. This shrine is again connected with storytelling but that story telling is of divine nature. Anybody having knowledge of Hindu religion knows the importance of this pilgrimage. Let it be clear to those who do not have much knowledge of Hindu religion that Holy Amarnath is one of the most sacred shrines of devotees of Lord Shiva, The Ultimate Creator, Nurture and Destroyer of the universe. Here in Holy Amarnath shrine, Lord Shiva had told His Consort goddess Parvati the story of universe. 

Situated in Himalayas over a height of about 14000 feet, Amarnath Yatra is a very sacred pilgrimage for Hindus from all over the world. Nimmi and Barun, as newly wedded couple, had gone for the pilgrimage to this sacred shrine. This pilgrimage moves in groups whether on foot or horses because of tough terrain and unpredictable weather so that no one is lost in the way. Nimmi and Barun were also in the group. In the last stretch of pilgrimage, they found the weather very pleasant and conducive. So, without telling anybody around, both of them habitual adventurers, starting walking towards the Holy shrine on their own. Suddenly the weather took a turn, and it became ferocious. First it started with high velocity winds then rains and then it started snowing heavily. Soon a heavy snowstorm covered the whole area, and they lost their way. It was a tedious climb and climb with no respite from snowstorm and no shelter in the vicinity. The day light was replaced by total darkness with thick clouds and heavy snowfall. Nothing was visible. In poor visibility they were just lost the way with no help around. The thick fog had engulfed all the surroundings which gave hostile look making it very scary. 

Nimmi, a staunch devotee of Ma Vaishno, the virgin form of goddess Parvati, did not lose faith in Supreme Power. She remained confident of God’s judgement. Both she and Barun kept their wits and were praying for some miraculous help. Their prayers were answered when suddenly from nowhere, piercing through dense fog, a child appeared with two pairs of specific mountain footwear, made of straws, in his hands. Smilingly, he gave them that footwear. He told them to wear on the plea that wearing such footwear would make their journey in tough terrain easier. He asked them about their destination. They told him about their pilgrimage to the Holy Shrine of Lord Shiva. He smiled and asked them to follow him. Wearing that straw footwear, given by that child, Barun and Nimmi felt comfortable and started following him. He put them on the right track, which was till then, lost to them and which now looked not very far from the Holy shrine. Soon the search party looking for missing persons in the group also reached there and took them to safe comfortable zone. Heaving a sigh of relief, Barun and Nimmi looked around for the little boy who had rescued and guided them on the right path, but he was not to be seen anywhere. He had just disappeared after bringing them to safer place. Nimmi and Barun completed their pilgrimage very comfortably and returned home safely. 

Nimmi always believed it was Lord Shiva himself who in the form of a child had come to bless them, rescue them and put them on right track. Both of them, Barun and Nimmi, were highly emancipated people with complete faith in Supreme Power. The belief in Supreme Power remained unshaken. Blessed with a healthy child afterwards and who regularly coaxed Nimmi to sing lullaby or tell her some story before sleeping. Nimmi made this experience of her life as a bedtime story for her child. He would be amused at the way Nimmi would narrate the incident thoroughly with matching voice expressions. The child simply loved it and made her tell the same story again and again. The divine experience was ever fresh in her mind, and she also enjoyed reliving those moments again and again whenever she narrated the story to her child. ls. Nimmi's child for whom his mother was the best storyteller, also felt very happy that his parents survived that ordeal and their pilgrimage had happy ending.

           -----------------------------