Chotiwala's gift

Rishikesh is a spiritual resort, like Benares and Bhubaneshwar, but up the Ganges a ways and considerably upscale. The Beatles visited it a few times in 1968 and liked it very much. So did I.



The second day of our stay the plan was to bathe in the river, but the weather was uncooperative. It rained most of the day, but that didn't stop some of the people we met there. And I managed to have my dip too.

There's a well-known restaurant in Rishikesh where we had several meals. It's called Chotiwala's, and Chotiwala sits at its entrance. Actually there are two Chotiwalas. One is real and the other is made of plaster. They're hard to tell apart.

The night before the planned Ganges bath I dreamed Chotiwala gave me a mantra. It was very long and I was surprised that I was able to memorize it easily. He directed me to go down to the river and immerse myself. I went out to the middle and let myself sink to the bottom reciting the mantra as I went down. I had to stay down there until I finished it, which was a long time. Fortunately it was a dream, so I could do it. I woke up as I broke through the surface into the air again.

That evening the rain stopped and Roxanne and I walked down to the river's edge. The sunlight was lovely



and the stones were out in their full glory. No wonder John Lennon wrote "The Happy Rishikesh Song" !