My Romance with the Himalayas

In My Romance with the Himalayas, Madhuri Mandava recounts: "While the initial years were to learn mountaineering, they later culminated in spiritual quests to attain enlightenment. I have faced numerous avalanches, hail storms, landslides, gotten lost on glaciers (almost died), leapt across gorges, walked on tree trunks in lieu of bridges, been bitten by giant mosquitoes, felt leeches suck my blood, struggled with little food -- sometimes just a piece of jaggery (brown sugar) that I sucked on for hours -- faced cold and bitter winds, was close to frostbite, and so much more -- but my love for the rivers and mountains was so deep. I was a fearless wanderer."My Romance with the Himalayas captures the first phase of her journey towards spiritual truth, wherein her love of the Himalayas and struggles against the wondrous, at times, terrifying, forces of nature, led her to experience awe, spiritual elevation, and the beginnings of mystical surrender to the greater forces of the universe.Again, Mandava says it best: "While in the pristine Himalayas, feeling blissful, serene and intoxicated with beauty, I can experience every breath in silence with each step I take. In the never-ending scenery with ferocious flowing rivers like the Ganges, Mandakini, and Alaknanda, I lose myself in nature as it engraves and etches itself in my memory forever so that I recall every moment. I feel submerged in its divinity as I realize how small I am when I look at snow-capped mountains. I don't feel the need for company, much less listening to other people chit chat. It's not the place for crowds and words, unless they are spoken by nature."We follow the 18 year-old Madhuri to the source of the Ganges, across treacherous Gangotri Glacier on the border of China, through desolate spaces where her team loses its bearings and is forced to turn back. We see her, older and more skilled, befriending locals in the lower Himalayas, trekking to Mount Kailash -- which is holy to Bon, Buddhist, Hindu and Jain religions - where she endures difficult, primitive conditions. Along the way, through many treks, she is inspired by holy men and women, performs penance, meditates, and deepens her sense of the spiritual in the presence of the Himalayas.Throughout, all is documented with magnificent photos - and a rich explication of the Hindu lore that suffuses the Himalayas with meaning. As in all romances, she endures moments of doubt and struggle, but most of all, beauty shines through.