Satisfied that all five of the Panch Kedar temple visits and
treks had gone smoothly, we slept soundly and woke up naturally, without
setting an alarm. We had tea at a local tea stall.
Hot water was available in the bathroom, and everyone took
advantage of it. I enjoyed a leisurely bath, taking more time than usual.
As you may recall, Kanni Swami had advised us to pack lightly
for some of the treks. We had purchased two extra bags during the trip, but now
it was time to consolidate our belongings into the one large bag and backpack
we had brought. After bathing and repacking, we went out and surprisingly found
a good cup of strong coffee at another local restaurant.
Bidding farewell to this place, we boarded the bus and began
our drive for the day. We stopped at Hotel Sarvaheet for breakfast. After
breakfast, the hotel owner allowed us to hold a small ceremony where the
trekkers thanked the guide (Kanni Swami) and the driver (Uday Singh) for their
support and presented them with a small token of our appreciation. Anup
acknowledged the grit and determination of the trekkers in successfully
completing the challenging trek and presented certificates to everyone.
Earlier, when loading my luggage onto the bus, I offered my
trek shoes to Uday, asking if he could use them. He examined them carefully and
thanked me after confirming that I indeed intended to give him the shoes.
After a hearty breakfast, everyone agreed that a full lunch
was unnecessary. Uday Singh took advantage of this decision and drove
exceptionally well. With only two breaks—one for a breathtaking view and
another for tea or coffee—Uday drove continuously until we reached Rishikesh, a
distance of approximately 200 kilometers.
At one point, when the bus stopped at a village named after
Agastya Muni due to traffic congestion, Swami spotted a sweet shop filled with
various sweets. He quickly jumped out of the bus, visited the shop, and
returned with a cup for each of us, containing a large gulab jamun and
rosogolla.
Upon reaching Rishikesh, Swami, Sumathi, and Shridhar got off
at Hotel Shiv Mahal (where we had stayed on our way there). Dada got off at the
interstate bus terminal to board another bus to Delhi and then onward to
Kolkata by Rajdhani Express. Vishagan, Ramesh, Vaidy, and I got off at a point
on this side of the Ganga River and walked across the Janaki Bridge to the
other side.
We reached Parmarth Niketan, where Ramesh had arranged
accommodations. After checking in and dropping off our luggage, we immediately
went to participate in the Ganga Aarti.
After witnessing the blissful Aarti, we walked to Hotel
Prasadam for some chaat and tea. Swami and others had promised to join us at
the restaurant for dinner, which was still an hour and a half away. I decided
to return to our rooms to update my notes for the past three days. By 8:30 PM,
we went back to the restaurant to join Swami and others for dinner. We struck
up a conversation with a person seated at the next table and were surprised to
learn that he was the owner of the restaurant. He was discussing the latest
technology they had adopted to serve the devotees.
A good dinner calls for a good walk. With the Ganga River just
a stone's throw away, we spent some time on its banks, reminiscing about the
trip. After escorting Swami and others to Ram Jhula, from where they would
cross over to Shiva Vilas at Tapovan, we returned to the banks of the Ganga and
spontaneously sat down for a meditation session.
We returned to our rooms by 11 PM, changed our clothes, and
settled down for another peaceful night's sleep.
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