THE STORY OF PILGRIMAGE

Why people come to the Himalayas ? What moves them to be
there ? These are some of the questions which are raised by the
inquisitive pilgrims, trekkers and avowed mountaineers. To my
mind, there are two reasons : firstly to see the unseen, breath
fresh air and be finally free, and secondly, to pay homage to
the Gods and Goddesses who are supposed to dwell over the
unapproachable and inaccessible snow-capped summits which
when viewed from a distance inspire devotion and reverence.
These men who want to see the unseen and are constantly in
search of the true, the good and always seek the unclimbable,
Himalayas hold irresistible charm for them. The svarga or
heaven of the Hindus has been located here and in fact, pro-
bably this search for the heaven inspired the Pandavas to pro-
ceed on "Maha-Prasthan" interesting details about which are
available in the epical poem of Mahabharata. Every year, sco-
res of pilgrims still try to find the traces of this great pilg-
rimage.
Ved Vyasa, the composer of Mahabharata lived at Mana.
He surveyed the entire Uttarakhand either physically or scan-
ned the interiors of Himalaya through his mystic power, the
minutest details about which have been given in the Skandpu-