KASARAGOD-SWARGASHRAM 255
stayed with them for about three days and then, with
Bhavanishankerrao, he journeyed towards Jhansi.
In Jhansi they resided in the same Ram mandir which
he had occupied on previous occasions. All the old friends
crowded into the mandir to see Ramdas. Ramkinkar found
great happiness in serving the guests. Ramdas also met
Ramcharandas who was awaiting his arrival in Jhansi.
The one prominent feature of his stay in Jhansi on this
occasion was that lie ate food from the same plate with
friends drawn from different castes. Even brahmins joined
them in the promiscuous dinner. Ramkinkar, a brahman
by caste, at first mildly resented the onslaught on the age-
long custom, but in the end he yielded on account of his
high esteem and love for Ramdas.
After a short stay in Jhansi, Ramdas with Bhavani-
shankerrao and Ramcharandas departed for Hardwar.
Hardwar is at the foot of the Himalayas, a noted place of
pilgrimage for Hindus. Here, once in twelve years, a
mammoth gathering is held to commemorate the occasion
of the devas drinking the nectar procured from the churn-
ing of the ocean. The festival is called "Kumbhamela."
The party stopped at Hardwar for an hour or there-
abouts and then directed their steps upwards towards
Rishikesh which lay at a distance of about fourteen miles
from Hardwar. They travelled on foot. In the evening
they reached the banks of the Ganges in Rishikesh.
Crossing the river, where it was shallow, they came iipon a
vast sand bed which Ramdas selected as the most suitable
place for their night halt. It was at the edge of a range of
majestic heaven-kissing mountains. As night approached
cold winds swept over the sand bed on which they had
camped. There was a fallen tree close by. A fire was lit by
setting fire to a dry branch of this tree.
The wind developed into a gale which blew furiously,
carrying with it loose sand from the sufarce of the river bed.
The situation became quite ticklish, and Ramdas laughed