MY EXPERIENCES WITH GOD – VAISHNO DEVI MA SHOWS HER PRESENCE

Rajkumari Sharma Tankha

There are many ways the God makes HIS presence felt. There are some specific instances that are clearly etched in my mind happened long back.

We got married in October 1996

Everyone in my family is a devotee of Vaishno Devi. Back in early 1980s, when dad was posted in Udhampur,  we used visit the Vaishno Devi mandir quite frequently. Later, even after we moved out of Udhampur, we would visit the devi temple as and when we could. Slowly, the frequency of visits reduced but the faith remained.

Before my marriage in 1996, I had vowed to Vasihno Devi that I will visit the shrine with my husband after the wedding. So, early one morning in May 1997, we reached my eldest sister Nirmal Sharma, who lives in Jammu.

We decided to leave for the temple shrine the same night. Walking the 13km uphill from Katra to temple would be comfortable during the night as compared to May sun. My younger nephew, Tarun aka Sunny, around 13 years of age then, decided to accompany us. An active little boy he was forever ready to visit the Vasihno Devi temple – he still is.

So, we took a bus from Jammu and reached Katra in an hour or so. And then began the onward walk by foot. Now, as a child I had always walked bare feet to the temple. And this is what I decided on this time as well. The initial walk was easy, but slowly it started taking a toll on my feet. The road was kuchcha at places, and full of rubble at others. At that time hardly a small portion was well laid and cemented – most of it being rough and full of small pebbles which hurt the feet badly. Plus, as night advanced, it became cold which added to my discomfort.

Oh, I shall never come here again – was one thought that crossed my mind. Feeling guilty at having such a thought, I quickly moved away from it and started talking to Sunny and Saurabh to change my attention from my feet.

We reached the temple in the early morning hours, and after some difficulty – expected because there was a lot of rush – did the darshan of mata Vaishno Devi and began our return walk. Walking back was easy. We were chatting and moving at a leisurely pace. We were somewhere before the Hathimat-tha when Saurabh stopped at the roadside kiosks to buy some chips or peanuts packets even as I and sunny kept walking down.

About 10 minutes had passed but Saurabh had not reached us. He was walking slowly since this was his first visit to the shrine, and even otherwise he is not used to walking long distances. I looked back to buck him up, but didn’t see him. Thinking that he must be at the shop, chatting with the shopkeeper, I walked back up. But Saurabh was not there either. I asked the shopkeeper about him, and he said, “vo to usee samay chale gaye they”.

I was surprised – there was no way he could have moved ahead of us. Neither I nor Sunny noticed him. And why would be moving ahead alone? Moreover, he couldn’t walk fast as he had pain in his feet and legs.

May be shopkeeper doesn’t know!

We stopped our downward journey and stood there, hoping that Saurabh will meet us soon. But to no avail.

As time passed I started getting worried. The sun was moving up the sky, it would soon be noon, and the earth below would turn into a hot plate. We had decided to complete our return walk by noon. But there was no sign of Saurabh.

We then started asking all the other pilgrims if they had seen my husband, describing his appearance and clothes he was wearing. Not a single person had seen him. That was shocking since Saurabh is quite an attractive looking man who stands out in a crowd. You cannot miss noticing him even in a huge crowd.

All kinds of negative thoughts started coming to my mind – the kiosk shopkeeper did something to him, maybe he fell into the deep forested valley on the side, may be some Kashmiri militant adbucted him… I sat myself on the roadside as tears welled up my eyes. A helpless Sunny started consoling me, “Massi, let me go up and down  and find Mausaji. He will be fine. Don’t worry.” I could not let Sunny move away from me, he was a child after all. What if I lose him too. How will I face my didi & jijaji.

“May be your husband has already reached Addkuwari, you walk down and reach there. May be he is searching for you there,” suggested one pilgrim. “At the Addkuwari you can approach the cops to make a public announcement,” said another.

I could not move even one step in either direction. I was glued to that place. This is the place where I saw Saurabh last.

Time passed and it was soon afternoon. By now, my mind had stopped working. “Where is Saurabh, God; Where do I find him; Tell me where is he,” I kept asking, amid crying. There was no answer from anywhere.

Seeing me sitting and crying there, people would stop ask me the matter, and say, “Don’t worry. Mata rani is there. Nothing will happen to your husband.” I was wondering why was Mata Rani not helping me. What had I done, when suddenly what I had said during the climb up came to me like a flash of light – I will never come here again, is what I had said. “Sorry, Ma. Please forgive me. I had uttered a wrong thing. Please forgive. Get my husband back to me. I will come again, I don’t know when, but will never say never again. Sorry Ma”.

I kept saying and crying, and then I heard Sunny, “Massi, Mausaji”.

I looked at him, he was looking at the road on the upper side, that same road which we had scanned several times.

I saw Saurabh there. We literally ran up. Hugged him. He was surprised.

“Why are you crying,” he asked.

“Where were you,” I questioned back.

“I was here only, looking for you,” he answered.

I told him everything. He was more surprised, since he was exactly on the same spot.

THIS is how VAISHNO DEVI showed me HER presence.

THIS is how God shows HIMSELF up.

We thanked Vaishno Devi profusely, me seeking forgiveness for what I had remarked out of exhaustion earlier. I told her I shall visit the shrine as and when it’s possible.

We visited Vaishno Devi shrine again in 2011.

More coming soon

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