Excerpts from A pilgrimage to Kailas Manasarovar - An Odyssey in Tibet by Tarun Vijay At the feet of Shiva
I had first written this book in Hindi. Our present Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Leader of the Opposition then. It was due to his determined efforts during his tenure as India's External Affairs Minister in 1977 that it became possible for Indians to once again travel to Kailas Manasrovar. That is why; I thought it to be apt that he released the book. He read the entire book, was overjoyed by what he saw and read, and then told me: "This should come out in English. Then only will your yatra be complete." I was astounded to hear this because he was in the vanguard of those leaders who were the most vocal votaries of Hindi in India. But his logic was that the English edition would reach out to a much wider readership; in Hindi, however, it would get to only a limited number of readers. He took a pledge from me that I would definitely bring the book out in English. Now I have fulfilled my promise to Shri Atalji. This book has already come out in Gujarati and Marathi. Its editions in other Indian and foreign languages are in the offing. To me, his special massage for this edition constitutes the culmination of this book's own devoted and determined pilgrimage from conception to publication. I have been the privileged beneficiary of the affection and blessings of His Highness King Birendra of Nepal. He had given a special felicitatory message for the Hindi edition. Now, in a rare gesture, he has made his blessings for the English edition more special and precious for me by personally signing the royal message. No words can adequately express my gratitude to him, who personifies the majesty of the world's only Hindu Kingdom. Shri Rajju Bhaiyya gave me the support of a father. Shri L.K. Advaniji and Shri Sudershanji went on removing my recurring indifference. They kept wiping every tear lest I, wandering in the desert sands of difficulties, lost all hope of finding any water. Yet, I must admit that this book would not have seen the light of the day had Shri Ramesh Chandra Jain of Germany not frequently pressurized me and chided me, had he not pushed me along alternatively by getting angry or by filling me with fear induced by his sudden and long spells of silence. Shri Brahmadev Upadhyaya gifted me with a brother's love and the proximity of a saint full of blessings. Even after all was done, this book would still have not come out in its English avataar had its translator not entered my mind and captured the color and nuances of the original Hindi text. I shall always be indebted to Shri Sudhakar Raje for his cooperation in this task. My brother Dr. Kunwar Rajendra made some changes and gave several suggestions. When he came to India on a short holiday, he spent most of his time on the book. Shri Rohit Kumar gave up his normal work in the press and spent days on end editing and revising this book. My friend Shri T.C.A. Rangachari read the book and offered invaluable suggestions. My friendship with him started with the enquiries about Kailas Yatra way back in 1976, when I was a school student and he was a freshly recruited officer in the Indian Foreign Service. It is another matter that we met each other only after eighteen years. Sonika Gupta is hard working and talented. The way she translated the Hindi text, improved upon the translation, and the skills she displayed in overhauling whole portions of the text to suit new situations, is truly commendable. As for Shri Sudesh Pal Kumar, it is difficult for me to say anything _ except that there is more of his contribution in this book than mine. It is truly his book. My heartfelt gratitude is due to Late Shri Madan Lal Agarwala, Shri Jugal Kishor Jaithalia, Shri P.D.Chitlangia, Shri Bimal Lath and Shri Gauri Shankar Kayan. Without their help the beginning won't have begun. Kailas Mansarovar has the same revered place in Tibet's manas as it has in the minds of the Hindus, Budhists and the adherents of other Eastern faiths. In Tibet, both Shiva and Buddha are enshrined with equal piety. Shri Nobutsuna Watanabe has presented this fact in touching beauty in the cover picture of this book. I consider even my discovery of this picture by Watanabe to be a benefaction of Lord Shiva. I am indebted to Shri Robert Jackson of Time, Shri Kalsang Gyari and Prof. Pema Gyalpo for their timely help and to Dr. Lokesh Chandra, scholar par excellence and Smt. Mahua Sujit Dhar who provided important references and photographs. How do I say thanks to my colleagues in Panchjanya, the weekly I work for! Difficult, yes, difficult. My father Late Shri R.M. Pawsey was a source of inspiration and a great strength to all of us in the family. He made me sit for hours to work on the book, but before even the Hindi edition could be printed, he left for his heavenly abode. His memories are spread in every bit of the all editions of the book. I dedicate this book to my mother, Shrimati Rajrani. She saw a lot of happiness in her early days. Thereafter, it was only struggle. All her children today are well placed and successful. But in spite of having everything, she, like Manasarovar, is away from all, detached from all, and loneliest of all. Those who wish to drink the holy waters of Manasarovar and to have the true experience of Kailas have no alternative but to go there themselves. That is how it is with my mother. I beseech myself at the feet of Almighty Shiva that this book become a good guide to the pilgrims to Kailas Manasarovar, and a giver of benediction and bliss to those who cannot go there. My son Ritwik and daughter Shambhavi, who is a gift of Lord Shambhu (Shiva), are both devotees of the Lord of the Mountain and the Lake. Their pranks and their curiosity in the subject of my book both gave me strength. I have no doubt that, one day, they too will accomplish the pilgrimage to Kailas Manasarovar. And, dear readers, I hope that, one day, more and more of you too will perform this pilgrimage of a lifetime. Om Namah Shivaya! Tarun Vijay |