The year was 1290 . A crowd had gathered around a clearing, where broken down pillars marked the presence of an ancient temple, now long gone. A young boy, just 14 years old, leaned against one of those pillars, deep in thought. Then, he began speaking, and the crowd fell silent, listening to his every word. He spoke without any notes, translating the Bhagavat Gita, from Sanskrit, which only the pundits knew, to the language everyone in the village knew and spoke – a variety of Prakrit which developed into the Marathi language. Even as he spoke, one of the men in the audience realized how momentous this event was, and how important this composition would be. He began writing down the words the young boy spoke, and this composition was named by its author and composer, the Bhavartha Deepika – the enlightening meaning (of the Bhagavat Gita). Now, the ancient, holy text, was no longer restricted to the pundits, but accessible to all, understood easily by them, composed as it was, in their...
A young
soldier, carrying
supplies to a remote outpost, is lost. It is wartime, and with the bad weather
and difficult terrain, it is clear he is no more, but his body isn’t found. This,
while a sad occurrence, is not really news.
A few
days later, a
colleague has a dream, directing him to where the body lies. The body is indeed
found at the exact spot mentioned in the dream, and the story now becomes news!
The soldier’s body is cremated with full honours, but the story doesn’t end
there. A few weeks later, as the war continues, another soldier has a dream, in
which his dead colleague warns him of an impending attack by the enemy. The platoon
sets out with its doubts, just in case, and the enemy is taken by surprise. The
doubts vanish, and the young soldier is now a hero. His warnings continue, and ring
true; and even the enemy begins to see his shadow on the borders, and he now
makes the transition from hero to saint. His colleagues build a shrine for him,
and thousands of people make the difficult journey to gain the blessing of the
young patriot. Thus do heroes become divine, and legends are made.
This is
the story of
young Major Harbhajan Singh, a soldier with the Indian Army, who met his end at
the age of 26, while posted at the Nathu-La pass in Sikkim in 1967. The shrine
dedicated to him is located about 60 Km from Gangtok, near the site where his
body was found. For the convenience of visitors, another shrine has been built
at a lower altitude, so that people don’t have to travel this far.
The old
temple, as the
original shrine is called, is a replica of the bunker the young soldier lived
in, along with his colleagues. This shrine is like a museum to his memory,
preserving most of his personal belongings, such as his clothes, his
photographs, beddings, etc. Thousands of devout make the long journey to ask
for his blessings and pray for their wishes to come true. It is believed that
water kept in the shrine overnight and drunk the next day, has the capacity to
cure all illness.
I was
most fascinated
by the story, as it illustrates the power of faith and belief, and the ease
with which we accept miracles and legends. The bulk of the visitors at the
shrine are army men, from regiments across India. Their faith in their
colleague is complete, and there is no room for doubt in their minds. Each regiment
on duty takes its turn to maintain the shrine, and duties are assigned
accordingly. The army itself helps take the story ahead, by keeping his memory
alive, by treating him as an active soldier, paying his family his salary, and even
booking tickets for his return home each year! A few of his colleagues make the
journey home every year, ensuring that the seat reserved for him goes empty,
and is not allotted to anyone else!
 |
| Soldiers pay homage to their departed colleague at the site where his body was found |
Even more
interesting is
the fact that even the Chinese Army accepts his presence. Chinese soldiers are
said to talk of a lone soldier patrolling the border, of whom only a shadow is
seen! A chair is set aside for him during the weekly flag meetings at Nathu La,
even after all these years!
 |
| Bells line the path leading to the Old Baba Mandir |
The temple
site is
picturesque, surrounded by the snow clad mountains and the Kanchenjunga in the
distance. The long road journey is however tiring, and both, Samhith and I were
tired and sick. While Samhith chose to rest in the car, I trudged up the
stairs, curious about the soldier – saint. As someone who loves stories,
especially myths and legends, the story couldn’t have been more interesting. The
transition from human to hero to saint, and eventually God – we see that all
the time in our myths and stories. Here was an example of just how it happens,
in the present day, and the idea was fascinating.
The shrine
was packed to
the brim with people, all eagerly writing down their wishes on a piece of
paper, or prostrating before his photograph, wishing for their problems to be
solved. I can appreciate the story of a man whose soul refuses to rest, and
continues the duty he wished to perform alive. However, I cannot understand the
idea of always looking for a short cut, or looking for saints and Gods to solve
our problems. We can look to them for inspiration, but the solution has to be
our own. They can show us the way, we have to live our life ourselves. The young
soldier finds a way to do his duty, even after death. Can’t we find our own
way, while we are still alive?
Information:
- Location: The Old Baba Mandir is about 60 Km, on the route to Nathu-La. The new temple is near the Menmecho lake, about 40 Km from Gangtok.
- How to Reach: You can combine a visit to the temple along with a trip to Nathu-La and Tsomgo Lake.
- Permits: The route to Nathu La requires an inner line permit. There are no additinal permits required for the new temple. For the old temple, you have to take permission from the Army Check post on the way.
very interesting indeed
ReplyDeleteI like your additional comments. They are on-point. Blind faith is impossible to explain, to my way of thinking, at least. Nevertheless, the retelling of the soldier's story has merit. Thank you! In March 1966 I visited nearby (relatively speaking ;) Darjeeling and happened to meet by sheer luck and happenstance another hero. I was tramping around town and passed by Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. And who was standing out front, saying goodbyes to a visitor. I glad-handed him and asked for a photo, which I am happy to share... another real life hero, who hasn't been sainted or treated in the same venerated way, but is perhaps so deserving... Shri Norgay Tensing. His handshake was like palming a small block of granite was my lasting impression. His demeanor was of a man at peace with himself. He was a true-life Hero and Gentleman in my humble opinion... and is worthwhile making pilgrimages to pay homage to for his exemplary life achievements.
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