Read this before you set out to see God

101 Pilgrimages
Outlook

“It breaks one’s heart to visit Vrindavan today. With its feet mired in a thoroughly defiled Yamuna, the dust and dirt of quotidian existence and the everywhere-piled garbage, something in this town still tries to reach its arms towards transcendence…” That, in essence, could well sum up the state of most of the pilgrim spots of the country and 101 Pilgrimages, brought out by Outlook Traveller, gives them as they are.

It may not be an exhaustive or definitive list of all the pilgrim sites. But the 101 that have been chosen are described in a comprehensive manner, without glossing over the unpalatable details. Take this other description: “Four hundred years back Akbar and Jahangir could go hunting in the forests around Mathura but today the place is a highway town with more spare-parts shops than character.” And to think this is the birthplace of Krishna! While near-hysterical rituals are observed on his birthday, no one has thought of restoring the place, where he was born, to its pastoral charm. Instead of wielding trishuls, why don’t the fanatics pick up brooms instead and give these once-charming towns a thorough spring-cleaning? And, perhaps, our ministry for tourism could take a leaf out of Stratford-upon-Avon’s tourism department to do something more concrete in preserving our heritage than merely coining snappy slogans to lure tourists in.

Thankfully, there are the exceptions. Pondicherry — “with the sea just a playful gust away”, Gaumukh —“an enormous cross-section of compacted ice”, Kochi — “gateway to God’s own country”, Sringeri — ‘a joy for the eyes and balm for the soul’… 

Pristine pure or filthy, the devout still flock to centres of worship and 101 Pilgrimages with its detailed information on travel options, boarding and eating facilities to suit varied budgets, is an invaluable guide to planning one’s trip. The book even gives you tips on which days and hours of the week it is easier to get a darshan of the gods, with warnings to steer clear of misleading pandas. Evocative tales from mythology are combined with ground reality. Invaluable also are the tariff rates and advice on what clothing one should take along.

Though written by a team of writers, the compilation is marked by a consistently lively style. One can open the book at random and enjoy whatever one’s eye chances upon, even if one has no intention to travel to any of these hallowed centres of divinity.  “The city (Ujjain),” writes Aditya Malaviya, “seems to be populated in equal measure by sadhus on one hand and cows on the other. You spend most of your time on the road dodging both!” While Aditi Bhaduri bemoans, “ Allahabad could do with a good scrubbing and better infrastructure…the banks of the Sangam are littered with shorn hair, paper, decaying flowers, coconut and all kinds of rubbish,” Jaya Madhavan’s comparison of Chennai with Madras is delightfully perceptive: “Chennai is about stately garden houses giving way to match-box apartments,” she writes. While “Madras is…entirely in the mind. It’s a study in contrasts as rich as the one you will find on her favourite Kanjeevaram sari.”

All in all, an excellent read for the armchair traveller; and very handy companion for the energetic kind who venture out looking for spiritual repasts.