Kailash Yatra

After finishing the Annapurna Circuit in 2024, I wondered what would come next. A Kailash Yatra was one idea. I had already planned hikes for 2025, with some downtime to welcome our first granddaughter, so 2026 seemed like the perfect year.

A yatra is a pilgrimage. We are all pilgrims, spiritual beings on a human journey.

Beyond the hiking, I felt a separate urge to go to Kailash, and I wanted to go in memory of my mother.

I floated the idea with a few close friends, and most of them signed up. I needed at least 10 people. After due diligence, we chose the Om Namah Sivaya (ONS) group. News spread, and the team grew to 20. We decided to travel via Tibet to see the Potala Palace and other monasteries. Half the team planned the three-day parikrama around Kailash, while the others would visit Mansarovar and do some shorter hikes.

We would start on September 14, 2026, from Kathmandu. The WhatsApp group buzzed with questions and information. Tickets were booked, Chinese visas obtained. All set.

Then the terrible floods hit Nepal on 26th August. So many people were lost, including many yatris. The question came immediately: cancel, or go and take a chance? We went back and forth. Some of us thought that if Kailash didn't happen, we could still see Tibet and Nepal, especially those who had never visited. Four people dropped out, citing uncertainty and family reasons. We were now a team of 16.

On September 14, we all met at our hotel in Kathmandu, then spent the day at Swayambhunath Stupa and Durbar Square. On the morning of September 15, my brother called to tell me that our father had been taken to the ICU. He promised to update me once he had spoken with the doctor. The plan for that day was a Rudrabhishek puja followed by a visit to Pashupatinath Temple, and I stayed in touch with my brother the whole time. After talking it over with my wife, we decided the situation was serious enough to cancel our plans and return to Bhubaneswar, where my father was. When we told the team, they understood. Many of them had come to know my father during his visits to the USA. I am especially thankful to Ramchandraji of ONS for his kindness and support at such a difficult moment.

The next morning, we flew back to India, and the other 14 continued to Lhasa.

It was the best decision I could have made. I arrived on the 16th and went straight to the hospital to bring my father home. He stayed at home, and we had a few days together. On the 21st, we had to rush him back. He passed away in the ambulance on the way, and I was with him.

We all know the story of Ganesha and Kartikeya. Shiva challenged his sons to circle the world three times, and the first back would win. Kartikeya sped off on his peacock. Ganesha, whose vehicle was a small mouse, couldn't compete on speed. Instead, he walked around his parents three times, saying, "My father is my world." And he won.

I did not make it to Kailash, but because of Kailash, I was able to be with my father at the end. I normally don't visit India in September. The yatra gave me a reason to come in August, to care for him and then to stay by his side until his last breath. I believe this was Lord Shiva's blessing. Like Ganesha, I had my own Kailash to circle, and it was not the mountain. It was my father.

I was on my way to Prayagraj to immerse his ashes in the Ganga and perform the final rites. While waiting at the airport, I wrote a poem to reflect. In 2015, when my mother passed away, I had written one too. Here they are, side by side

My 14 friends who went were blessed with an amazing sight of Mount Kailash. One of them wrote:

" What an extraordinary journey it was, and what a divine darshan of Kailash we were blessed to experience. I truly felt that Kailash was calling us, guiding us, and paving our way. The beautiful sunny days, the breathtaking landscapes, and the sights that were beyond anything we could have imagined made this journey feel truly blessed."

Sometimes you plant a tree and enjoy its fruit. Sometimes you plant it for others to enjoy. I'm so glad the effort led to a successful trip for everyone who made it, and I'm happy for them. As for me, the desire to go remains, and I hope Lord Shiva will bless me again as he did this time.

Har Har Mahadev!