The Magic in the Mantra

A little-known song written by John Lennon, “The Happy Rishikesh Song,” says “The magic in the mantra will give you the answer.” The Beatles are said to have opened up the West to Eastern philosophy and religion with their visit to the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Rishikesh in 1968. This past weekend, four of us interns went to Rishikesh on a whim.

Rishikesh is set at the base of the Himalayan foothills along the Ganga (in English, Ganges), and is named after Lord Vishnu, “Lord of the Senses.” With its location on the Ganga, Rishikesh is considered by Hindus to be a holy city. It is 100% vegetarian, as decreed by law. Many people, including the Beatles, travel to Rishikesh to meditate, practice yoga (in fact, the presence of so many yoga centers in Rishikesh is the direct result of tourism), or bathe in the Ganga. In fact, their stay in Rishikesh was one of their most productive songwriting periods.

The whole trip is only between two and three hours from Navdanya. Going there cost us each 15 Rupees for the bus to Dehradun, 78 Rupees for the bus to Rishikesh, and 40 Rupees to get to the hotel area. It was a little more expensive returning because we opted for an auto into Dehradun for coffee and then out to Navdanya for our class on composting. Each of us paid only 300 Rupees for two nights in two rooms on top of the hotel, with a beautiful view of the mountains and the surrounding city.

Our stay in Rishikesh included an Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga session with a very talented yogi, an Ayurvedic massage, a toe-dip in the Ganga, and some excellent Western food!

During our yoga session I tried a half-lotus vinyasa (flow-based yoga) movement, and was impressed with how well I do. Like so many things I’ve done here, this has added another goal to my list for when I return home. I’m definitely a long way from a successful half-lotus vinyasa movement, but it is definitely possible. I tried a few other things, but didn’t do nearly as well – my balance is definitely lacking.

My first ever massage was also a wonderful experience. I opted for an hour-long full-body Ayurvedic massage. Ayurveda is a traditional system of medicine in Hinduism based on the five elements (earth, water, fire, air, and space) and balance that stresses herbal remedies. Though there are some problems with modern practices of Ayurvedic medicine, traditional medicinal practices have shown a lot of results from the herbs and other substances used. My massage was simply a full-body massage that included oil.

Dipping my feet in the Ganga was a wonderful experience. Though I didn’t experience any sort of profound religious moment, it was nice to have water run between my toes, which have mostly been snuggled inside multiple pairs of socks for the past few weeks.

While we were hanging out on the ghat (the stairs that go down to the river), a few people set up for and performed some sort of religious ritual that included music played through a loudspeaker, singing, incense, and movement. I also saw a couple women performing some sort of individual ritual right where the ghat meets the Ganga. One woman seemed to be ceremoniously throwing some trash in the river. I don’t understand that tradition, but as I said then, I will do my best not to judge – especially since I do not understand.

The setting at the base of the Himalayas was quite possibly my favorite part. Oh, if only Indiana were not so flat! Though I generally love waterways, something about those mountains took much of my attention away from the Ganga. I was sad to leave, which was mostly focused on the mountains. Though on clear days, Navdanya has a slight glimpse of the distant Himalayan foothills, being right next to them is something magical.