Stories by Arpit

The summers had just set in the month of Chaitra in year of 599 BC. However, the harshness of summer had not yet stepped in the kingdom of Braham-kund-gram , which was situated in the northern part of Bharat Kshetra , in the middle of in the vast Jambudwip .  On the east of the kingdom stood the Bhramankund-Nagar and on the west stood the Kshatriyakund-Nagar , the capital of the kingdom which was blessed by the saints and unstained by sins. The fourteen dreams of Queen Trishala The streets of the capital city lay quiet and the huge gates built into the massive walls that surrounded the city had been shuttered for the night.  Sentries stationed in towers along the perimeter of the fortress maintained vigil from across the surrounding moat. In the centre of the city stood the magnificent royal palace, nestled in a bed of splendid temples, gardens and lakes. The massive palace overlooked the Gnat-khand-van gardens on the east and Bahushal-van gardens on the west.  

“I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisance’s to him.” The chaturmas of 2011 at Canning Street sangh was blessed by Param Pujya Muniraj Shri Shilchandra vijayji Maharaja, the disciple of Param Pujya Acharyadev Shrimadvijay Jaggatchandra Surishwarji Maharaja.  Having heard instances of the strict charitra and austerity that gurudev practiced, I was keen to meet pujyashri in person. I didn’t know that I would get an opportunity real soon which would transform my life forever.    Param Pujya Acharyadev Shrimadvijay Jaggatchandra Surishwarji Maharaja with Param Pujya 'gurudev' shri Shilchandra Vijayji Maharaja Being called in to meet Pujyashri with respect to a programme which was to be conducted under his holy presence , I eagerly listened to gurudev’s guidance on the same. The way through which pujyashri explained each and every minute thing in detail, I observed the huge

(For Part 1 click here - Sikkim Sojourn - Part 1 ) The sun shone brightly now, with the lake looking more ethereal than ever. Enchanted by the grandiose Gurudongmar, we did not wish to leave the place despite the sub zero temperatures accompanied by breathing problems and altitude sickness. The raw beauty of the lake with its pristine waters, serene atmosphere, fluttering prayer flags and the clear blue skies made me feel so ecstatic. Is this a dream? With great despair we climbed back into our car for the descent back to Lachen. I was so smitten by the beauty of Gurudongmar that the breathing issues did not bother me much at the lake, but now on the way back, I started feeling very uncomfortable and had to breathe through my mouth to compensate my oxygen intake. In the midst of pleasure and pain, our car started jerking and screeched to a halt. I guessed, the tyre had been punctured and the driver would replace it with the spare one so there was nothing to worry.

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart" -Helen Keller. For Sikkim this is a fact, because though one can see the beauty of Sikkim and even touch its enchanting mounts and valleys, flora and fauna, but there is no Sikkim in that. Sikkim lies in a feeling - a feeling of natural beauty casting its magical spell on its visitors, a feeling of loftiness which the majestic Kanchenjunga instills, a feeling of mystery and tranquility that its monasteries and isolated caverns echo in! Bewitching valleys Although my visit to Sikkim was visualized by the constant nagging by my wanderlust friend Pooja, a few Instagram pictures had already inspired me to visit this magical land. Enticed by the prospects of visiting the famed Gurudongmar Lake, we zeroed in on our itinerary covering the road less traveled. Travelling during the peak season in the midst of the Holi festival, we found ourselves having