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In my younger days when I was a student under a venerable Vedanta
teacher, the Vedic references to the sun rising in the south and setting in
the north or rising in the west and setting in the east, and then being the
golden colour "Hiranmaya" etc., were explained away by
mythological interpretations. When I became a teacher in my turn and had a
number of English educated gentlemen under me with some knowledge of
Astronomy and Geography , these traditional interpretations did not satisfy
their intellect and I had to furnish a rational explanation. And in my
search for it, in the nineties Sriman Tilak’s
"Arctic Home in the Vedas" (click here for Tilak’s life story) came to
me as a Godsend. The more I read the book, the more I desired to visit the
Arctic regions myself.
Later, in my manuscript work for various Libraries in India, as I came
upon many references to sacrifices held "from one night to one hundred
continuous nights" which puzzled me, I decided to go farther north and
investigate the facts, the true conception of which has been lost on us who
have been for centuries living in the Tropics. The records of these
scientific expeditions, to the Polar regions, undertaken by Nansen, Peary,
Amundsen and others, only increased my desire to visit the Arctic Circle,
but it was not until recently that I was free to carry out my wishes. I was
forced to suspend my heavy manuscript work as I developed eye-trouble two
years back and it was then I made a vow that should I be cured soon, I
would make a pilgrimage to the Surya, where he has no rising or setting for
six months and chant his mantra for a few days. My prayers were granted and
I took the earliest opportunity to visit Mahameru. By the grace of Surya my
vow was fulfilled with success and safety. I hope my impressions and my
experience will be of interest and help to others who wish to make a
pilgrimage to Mahameru, which is also referred to as "Uttara Kuru and
Dhruva".
It is now very easy to travel without infringing the code of orthodoxy.
Only the accompaniment of "Sravya"
(wealth) is needed. The whole earth has been surveyed and the land, sea and
air routes have all been marked. Not many years ago even pilgrimages to
places like Benares, were looked upon as most difficult of accomplishment.
And "Kasi Yatra" meant perhaps parting for ever. The ancients
classified pilgrimages into three kinds, the "Bhuprasatara",
i.e., visiting holy places in the plains, the "Kailasaprastara",
i.e., visiting the Himalayas, and lastly the "Meruprastara",
i.e., visiting the Polar and Arctic regions. The first two Prastaras have
become quite common and easy with modern facilitation of travel and
development of locomotion. Until recent years it was not easy to go to the
Arctic regions and many a scientist gave up his life in exploring those
regions. But now there are all facilties to visit those places either by
rail or motor or steamer or even by air, by easy stages, across Central
Asia where our Rishis migrated from the north. It is to be hoped that more
of our countrymen would take advantage of modern conditions and travel,
that would dispel much ignorance and help them learn the truth about the
home of our forefathers (Nah Purve
Pitarah).
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