Nepal

I was staying at a yoga centre situated at the foot of Sarangkot mountain close to Pokhara, Nepal land. Asanga my yoga teacher wakens me at 6am as the family are taking me to the Temple of Manakamana, about 3 hours (98 km) drive away. All 9 of us pile into his car including his mother, wife, Manu (Nepal Yoga Trek) and 4 children in the boot! Off we go. Being a passenger in a car in Nepal is worse than being on a roller coaster, but we eventually get there in one piece. I am amazed to find that we go up in a cable car. A very modern cable car, like the ones in the Austrian Alps. This I can’t believe. Asanga wants to pay for me, but as I am a tourist it costs a lot more for me so I pay for myself.

When we arrive at the Temple, the views are stunning. The Himalayas are all round us. It’s like we are in the clouds. Manakamana is the Goddess of Wish-fullness. Durga, Asanga, Ama ( Asanga’s mother) and the children buy their offerings for the temple. But Manu brings me further up. We climb up more steps till I really feel that I am on top of the World. I stand there in wonder and awe. I look all around me, I keep looking. I am looking down at the clouds; tops of some of the smaller mountains (hills?) are sticking through the clouds. All around me are Nepalese families having picnics, having fun. I feel privileged to be in this holy special place. Manu and I go back down to the Temple. The others have come out so Manu takes off his shoes and goes into worship. I talk to Durga who is Asanga’s wife. She is crying and shaking. She said the feeling in the Temple was very powerful. The goddess was there, with her. I gave Durga a big hug. It’s all I could do, I was speechless. I did notice that I was the only foreigner there while we were there. It is a wonderful place to visit, halfway between Kathmandu and Pokhara.

On the way back, we stop and I buy the kids crisps, bananas, tangerines. I get all the wrappers and put them into a plastic bag to get rid of in Pokhara. When we arrive back at the track to the yoga centre (Asanga keeps his car in a garage half way down as there is no road access to the Sadhana Yoga); Ama is carrying some of the offerings (coconuts) so I offer to carry them for her. She signals that we must swap bags; she will take my bag of rubbish. So I give it to her. She crossed the track and throws the rubbish bag and all into the field. Once again I am speechless.

http://www.sadhana-asanga-yoga.com/contact.htm
http://www.nepalyogatrek.com/index.php

Thursday 17th February 2011. Jane O’Neill

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