I have just returned from an ‘out of this world’ trip
travelling from Delhi across Northern India to trek to the Gangotri glacier –
the source of the Ganges, 4000 metres up in the Himalayas, close to the border
of China.
Starting at sunrise every day, it was 10 days of full on
amazing experiences – a real assault on all the senses. From very hot, steamy
and incredibly noisy Delhi to camping at altitude in minus temperatures and
snow in the serene mountains. Of course then there was the inevitable Delhi
belly and a little bit of altitude sickness, however it all seemed worth it, for
India is a fascinating country.
On the way back from the mountains we stopped off in the
foothills of the Himalayas to stay at a place called Rishikesh – known as the ‘yoga capital of
the world’ and a popular place for Hindu pilgrims to visit. Whilst we were there we visited the
now abandoned Maharishi Mahesh yogi’s Ashram where the Beatles studied
meditation in 1968. The Ashram has been almost taken over by the forest
undergrowth, but the beautiful simplicity of the architecture still remains,
along with some rather stunning murals known as ‘The Beatles Cathedral Gallery',
painted by a community art's project on the walls of the tumbling down
buildings.
