Kedarnath: The land of Shiva

by Priya Gupta (India)

I didn't expect to find India

It was a spiritual trip more than it was an escape from the scorching weather. My parents somehow convinced me to travel across the mountains to the beautiful valley of Kedarnath, famously known as the land of Lord Shiva. The velley like any other valley in the region was cold and beautiful but there was something unsettling that could be felt as soon as I step my foot on the ground. The temperature was lower than the layers of clothing on my body and I could feel the chills it give in my spine. It was late at night and we headed to our rooms to sleep. Only to wake up and see not the most beautiful sunrise but to feel at peace, only to feel the wind slowly brush my hair and make my gums dry everytime I smiled. I would shut my eyes looking at the mountains to capture the serenity and also prevent my eveys from drying too quickly. My cousin hugs me to find out that my heart is beating faster than the trumpet on a punjabi wedding. It's funny how I felt higher than the burj khalifa in that moment. In that fraction of a second, I felt relieved. I felt at peace. I felt my self connecting with myself. It was a momentary distraction from life and I was happy. I was just happy, in that very moment. It was a fun ride after that. We visited the last town of the country and savoured the hottest dumplings and noodles. On the way back home, we made a stop at Rishikesh for some adventure and rafted in the Ganges. Whilst we got off the raft into the river, the fear of drowning was overpowered by the joy of dying something I loved doing. It wouldn't be wrong to say that this trip will always be the highlight of my spiritual awakening.