Just below the Mt. Kailash – there is
vast rough land spread out like the moon desert dusty soil some 40 miles
before you reach the Mt. Kailash. Afte 20 days long trek through the
Uttaranachal state we crossed the 18,000 Lepulekh Pass and descended
below to the Tibetan soil across the 20 miles Non-men’s land. Having
walked the ardous journey of the Himalayan plateau, we were dredging on
the harsh and dried but dusty cold soil overlooking the high peak of Mt.
Kailash. We arrived at the make-shift two tented base camp on the west
coast of the huge crystal clear blue water legendary lake Manasarovar.
Just around the afternoon sun god was fast disappering behind the high
peaks of Himalaya.
From the childhood I had heard the glorious mythical stories about the
Manasarovar that was situated at the Lord Shiva’s abode where the
nymphonic beauties led by the princess of King of Himalaya, Gauri or
Parvati , on a divine mission of Brahma, roamed around in sincere effort
of seducing Lord Shiva, and where the legendry golden swans play love
fights while eating the red and white lotus petals. At last I was
standing in front of the vast span of my childhood dream the heavenly
lake…..
Tired but still rejuvenated with the scenic beauty spread out in front
of us- I entered the tent and changed into swimming trunk and rushed
into the freezing cold water. A dozen of co-yatris were sprinkling
themselves with the holy waters sitting at the sand-bank not, avoiding
the touch of the waters. But I foolhardy jumped into the water and swam
into the deep some fifteen laps, and tried to sink deep to fathom the
depth of the unfathomable lake. As I dived into the womb of Manasarovar,
hardly a few feet – my body started shaking with freezing sensation and
I pushed myself out of the water but still I was to swim back to fifteen
strokes to the shore…how I know not .
Shere will to live and not to die in that heavenly abode of Parvati,
somehow I managed to swim but a few steps off the beach but exhausted I
dug my hands into the cold sand and somehow dragged my freezing body up
on the bank.. profusely rubbing my body and I ran into the tent and
rubbed my body dried and closed myself inside my heavy sleeping-beg.
Realising my folly that how close I was to my frozen death….At 14,000’
in the deep Manasarovar - where was there no any equipment to rescue
and/or provide any first aid to a frozen dead body.
Next day we were on the parikrama around the Mt. Kailash. For the next
three days, we were on the great heavenly journey where once 5000 years
ago the Five Pandava brothers had gone to their final resting full of
remorse for killing brethern in the Great Mahabharata battle of
Kurukshetra. And on returning from the Kailashji, we arrived again to
the bank of the great lake for the night halt.
As it happened that afternoon, a tall Chinese official of the Foreign
Ministry turned up to our last camp to enquire our well-being. He was
stationed in the area for a couple of years and though a good swimmer of
the mighty Chinese river Yangste, he had not dared to enter the
Manasarovar.
The young Chinese officer enquired if anyone of us Indian had bathed in
the great lake because a dip in the lake supposed to be of great merit.
“Oh, yes, not bathing, our Prof. Sharma had in fact swam in the lake”,
boasted some of my Indian co-yatris.
“Not possible, I challenge anyone to swim here.. yes, I can swim as I
had swam in the frozen Yangste many times,” claime the Chinese friend.
Hindi-China, Hindi-Chine entire Indian team encored…But I was dead
scared to take off my clothes for this two nation chauvinistic swimming
competition. But the China friend had already taken off his clothes and
was now challenging the short old professor (52) from the mainland of
India..
Now, there was no backing down for me. I remembered of Gandhi’s call
1942, against the mighty Raj: “do or die” and how that old man Gandhi
when challenged, had stood up before the empire.
I recited Gita: “ karmanya eva adhikaraste”….And lo, and behold, the old
professor joined the tall China Man in the splashing blue waters of the
mighty Manasarovar.
Both of us touched the sand and sat down ready in the racing posture.
The entire Indian team praying for India’s victory and one, two, three…
I blindly jumped in the frozen waters and once again moved my arms as
vigoriously as I could, all the time muttering Shivo-hum, shivo-hum…
And within a few span of time – that must have felt like the ages,
returning from the abode of Yamraj, I swam back to the shore, my body
almost frozen and out of breath. But what I see the China Man sitting on
the cold sand and rubbing his big body. The Indians cheering me…The
competitor did jump in the water but quickly returned to the shore
refusing to risk to swim in that cold and unknown waters. Have I broken
any swimming record ? Have I qualified for the Gunness book? I never
know. But that evening together with the Chinese officer we celebrated
Hindi-China Friendship at the shore of the Great Lake Manasarovar
