Sat Tal Visit

(June 16^th to 20^th June, 2007)

My visit to Sat Tal came about through an unexpected quarters.During summer Delhi becomes so hot that one feels difficult to work without air-conditioning or air-cooling infrastructure with uninterrupted power supply. The best alternative is to go to hills to escape the heat. Of course, at that time finding a suitable accommodation is itself a difficult task.

The NRI gentleman, Mr. S B Tandon for whom I work in Delhi had paid a visit to Ramgarh and Nainital in the month of March, 2007.During his short stay in the above two places he enjoyed the weather so much that he again asked me to plan for another trip to the hills in June. But this time we could not find accommodation at Nainital Guest house (run by Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Delhi) as it was full. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise.For quite some time the dental doctor who treats Mr. Tandon had been telling us about a resort his wife was managing.We were also given a brochure of that Resort.The pictures and the infrastructure in place made a good appeal to us.But in due course we forgot about it.Now that we were looking for a place in the hills nearby this contact came in handy.The cost of the trip and other related expenses were borne by Vivo-Forto (Life Force) an NGO conceptualized and started by Mr. Tandon.

I contacted the lady in-charge and finalized our dates in June, 2007.The charges were moderate and the place inviting given the exclusive facility that would be at our disposal.Howeverour expectation was not very high.Believe me after reaching there and staying for two nights I must admit it surpassed all our stretchable imaginations.It is a wonderful place for a quiet outing.

Our program was first to reach Bareilly and stay for the night there.Next morning we arranged to have meeting with the educationists of Bareilly at the Hotel Diplomat Residency followed by a Press Conference and lunch. After finishing the lunch immediately we were to leave Bareilly for Sat Tal via Kathgodam, Bhimtal. It was decided that we would stay at Sat Tal for 2 nights and leave for Bareilly on 19^th and on 20^th June leave for Delhi. I also planned to carry my Telescope to the hills to see the night sky.

We were also joined by Harkawaljit Singh from Jullandhar city (I will refer to him as Johny). So we were 3 people from Delhi and from Bareilly 3 more to join for the Sat Tal Trip.So we needed a strong and big car and an Innova suited our purpose.On 16^th June after lunch we left for Bareilly.This big car being very comfortable with Air Conditioning, we could discuss a lot of business while travelling. We reached Bareilly around 9.30 in the evening. Over a cup of tea we discussed about next days press conference and arrangements for receiving Dr. Naseem from the Station. After finishing out dinner with our host we left for hotel.We opted for a hotel accommodation because we were told there could be power failure at night for few hours and our NRI gentleman did not want to take chance. This Hotel Diplomat Residency is in the heart of Bareilly and is very well maintained and had good air-conditioning facility with standby power back up even to run ACs.

We invited Dr. Naseem from Banaras Hindu University (BHU) to talk on Historicity of Krishna. Dr. Naseem being a reader in Ancient History in BHU had studied Vedas, Upanishads and other scriptures along with Koran. After we lodged ourselves comfortably, the question was who would go to receive Dr. Naseem from the Railway station.His train from Varanasi was due to arrive around 12.30 a.m. As I did not know Dr. Naseem by face, neither the driver so Mr. Tandon offered himself to go to Station to receive him as he knew him by person.

Johny and I opted for a separate room. Next day morning when we peeped into the room where Mr. Tandon and Dr. Naseem were to stay, we found them in deep sleep.So we went out for a walk.After half an hour when we came back from walk, they were still sleeping.We surmised that they might have reached the hotel in the early morning so they needed more sleep. In the meantime we had a cup of tea.Our meeting was scheduled to start at 9.30 a.m. so we woke them up around 8.30 a.m.

We were ready by 9 Oclock and immediately thereafter participants started trickling in.In the meantime I had a talk with Dr. Naseem with regard to teachings of Krishna and how Bhagwad Gita has been a source of great inspiration for millions of people in India and abroad.The break fast was being served while we continued our discussion.There were a lot of cut fruits in the break-fast in addition to bread-toast, fruit juice.This menu was decided by Mr. Tandon as he prefers healthy diet to oily and spicy one. Mr. Ravindra Tandon with his wife Rama ji also joined us in the breakfast. We invited all who were present to join in the breakfast.

By 10 Oclock all the expected participants joined us.Dr. Naseem was given the first opportunity to talk on the subject Historicity of Krishna.Here I would like to give in brief the salient points of his scholarly exposition.

vThe main basis of historicity of Krishna is Mahabharata. The Mahabharata war was an historical event. Krishna had played a major role in it.

vThe Mahabharata war is taken as evidence to determine the date of Krishna. It is a very important war in the Indian history but its date is uncertain.

vAccording to the Indian tradition when Parikshit ascended to the throne Dwapar age came to an end and Kaliyug and Kali Sambat Started. Aryabhatta (C. 5^th century AD.) says that Kaliyug started in C. 3102 B.C. ((Majumdar 1979 : 7).

vMahabharata war took place in C. 3102 BC

At the end he concluded saying that a person by name Krishna did exist during the Mahabharata era.

There were a number of reporters present who interviewed Dr. Naseem not only on the subject matter but as well his comparative study of Islam and Hindu Scriptures.

This meeting was followed by a sumptuous lunch where all the guests and journalists present were invited to join in.

As soon as we could clear all the dues with the Hotel, we headed towards Sat Tal.Now we were six people in the car plus driver. AtHaldwani we stopped for a while to buy some fruits and Mr. Tandon, Dr. Naseem and Ravindra ji got down to find fruits of their choice.They bought lot litchis, apricots and plums and we had plenty of them. I was advised to give a ring to the care taker of the guest house as soon as we reached Haldwani but I forgot it then. .When we were crossing Kathgodam, I remembered about it and informed them.

By the time we hit the mountain path the breeze became cold and we stopped the air conditioner in the car and opened the windows.The breeze was so soothing that very soon everyone felt relaxed except Ramaji who felt a dizzy sensation and vomited.We stopped for a while till she felt normal. After about an hour of driving we crossed Bhimtal from here we took a left turn towards Bhowali.After about 3 km there is another left turn going down towards Sat Tal.On approaching Sat Tal, the first lake to welcome you is Nal Damyanti followed by the Panna lake and a little ahead are the three lakes by the names of Ram, Laxman and Sita. The best time to be here is either in the month of March or April when the trees are loaded with lemons and the aroma fills the air or in September to November when the trees start turning rustic spreading a panoramic view across the forests.

When we reached Sat Tal the person who was waiting for us in a jeep came and introduced himself.He advised us to keep our car in a parking lot there itself as the road to the Guest house was quite steep and rough.But our driver insisted that whatever may be the road condition, he would be able to negotiate it successfully.Really speaking, it was a very difficult steep road and we all were so scared on the way that our car may skid down below.The car could reach just below the guest house.Thanks to the driver that he could make it.But it is advisable that one should leave the car in a safe parking lot below and take the guest house jeep instead to be on the safe side.

Once having reached the guest house what drew my immediate attention was the wide grassy lawn.It was about 6.30 p.m. when we reached there. I took out the telescope immediately and placed it on the lawn.There the crescent moon was faintly out and I focused on it.In the meantime, tea/coffee was served and rooms were allotted to us.This Resort is located at a height of 1500 meter and the Sat Tal lake is down below at 1370 meter height.

In the month of June when we visited this place it was no less beautiful. The new leafs were just coming out in Oak trees and the weather was perfect - not very cold nor warm but pleasant throughout the day and nights became little enjoyably cold. The most fabulous site was the night sky.It was so clear on both nights that millions of starts could be seen even through naked eyes.On the second night there was an interesting celestial phenomenon.The planet Venus slowly went behind the Crescent moon and we could see clearly through our telescope. The planet Jupiter with its 4 satellite moons, Saturn with its rings could also been seen.All members of our group and other staff of the Resort, our driver all enjoyed this spectacle.

In the evening around 7.30 we all sat in the drawing room and over a few cups of tea and some fried stuff we discussed the issue of religious fanaticism that is dividing our society. Each one thinks that his/her faith is the supreme and that is the only way to know what you call Allah/God and others are infidels and deserve killing. Who is responsible for this the religious books or the followers? Are they interpreting the books to suit their parochial needs or the religious books itself carry such virus. We wanted to listen to Dr. Naseem what he had to say. He was of the view that Koran does not have such directives on the other hand it talks about harmony, brotherhood, peace etc. He said that only the radical followers are misinterpreting Koran and creating such divisions. Mr. Tandon was of the view that we should go beyond all these books and develop a universal outlook in day-to-day living ignoring the religious division but live as human beings. From a rational point of view if we scrutinize all these books we will find many objectionable quotations in such books.So without going into who is right or who is wrong, it would be wise to go beyond such limited knowledge that these books contain.What we know today, these writers did not know.The progress we have made in respect of neurology, psychology, biology and other sources of knowledge cannot be a comparison with those middle age people who had no exposure to scientific knowledge and human evolution. The meeting concluded around 8.45 a.m. with a promise of meeting again after dinner.

As soon as we came out from the room into open air, the beauty of the crescent moon and the planet Venus in the sky worked like a magic spell.Our telescope added a new dimension to our sky viewing.We freely walked around the Resort in the moonlit night enjoying the natures beauty. I also played a few round of table tennis game with Johny. By 9.30 we went for dinner. We were served freshly cooked vegetables, daal, chapatti, sweet preparation, pickles and fruits. I finished my dinner fast as I wanted to view the sky through telescope.

Around 10 Oclock Mr. Tandon, Dr. Naseem again sat for discussion and Ravindra ji and Rama ji excused themselves from the discussion and went to their room.I was also exempted from sitting with them.I got myself busy in setting up the Telescope and one by one all came and peeped through the telescope.I continued watching the sky till 11.15 and then went to bed.

Next morning i.e., 18^th June we all had tea together. We discussed about the place where this Resort is located.Let me describe a little about this place.From the Sat Tal lake level, it would be 150 meter higher overlooking the lake.All around you can see greenery.There were few other guest houses were there at an upper level and some are being built.This resort is also expanding by building a few more cottages.The best part of this location is it is extremely quiet, weather remains pleasant throughout the year (except in winter it gets really cold).It also offers a panoramic view of the mountains around. The accommodation is of cottage type and bathrooms are well fitted with all necessary articles.Its cleanliness is superb and you have hot water supply all the time. Myself, Ravindra ji and Ramaji went out to see other guest houses around there.Ravindra ji also carried his camera to take a few snaps. If you are a writer, meditator or a voracious reader this place is ideal for you.

We came back and after a wash sat for break-fast.The weather was little cloudy but now and then the sun was visible.We continued our discussion over break-fast mainly on the subject How religious fanaticism is hurting the humanity Dr. Naseem was of the view that books like Koran or Hadith do not really encourage divisive forces but it is followers who interpret such scriptures to suit their need.Mr. Ravindra ji was also of the opinion that sacred books like Bhagwad Gita or Vedas do inspire people to lead a peaceful and moral life.It should be likewise in respect of other books. Mr. Tandon cited the instances of Aurangzebs killing of two sons of Guru Govind Singh because they refused to convert into Islam and other atrocities perpetrated by Muslim emperors. Hindus are indebted to Guru Gobind singh for his valiant fight against the muslim aggressors that put a stop to conversion.Auragzed was an ideal muslim and being respected by the Indian muslim community. For Hindus he is a hated one.There must have been some support he derived from the Koran to perpetuate his atrocities over infidels.This is what troubles me.It was not only Aurangzeb, there are many who came to invade India did the same thing.So do you mean to say all these people (knowledgeable ones) misinterpreted Koran and behaved as they liked?If you read through Indian History you will find there are galore of such instances.Even if you look at the present scenario, you see how Islam has been radicalized by the fundamentalists and they too derive their inspirations from the Koran?Unless the whole world is converted into Islam they would not be at peace.Is this a sane religion?I have my doubts.

Dr. Naseem agreed that there have been atrocities by Islam but so also done by the followers of Christ. What you see presently, the radicalization of islam, is done by a few fanatical elements of Muslims.They do not represent the whole of Islamic world.They are to be contained and isolated so that the majority muslims can live in peace.

To lighten the mood now and then we had some jokes and Mr. Tandon sang a universal song : We are God, Om, Allah, Christ, Krishna Mohammad By the time we temporarily put a stop to our discussion it was 11.00 Oclock.Myself and Johny Bhai again played a few rounds of Table Tennis.Dr. Naseem and Ravindra ji also joined with us.So we had two games in doubles. After that we were free and we decided to go down to Sat Tal Lake after tea at four.Ravindraji, Rama ji and myself went for a walk to a near by temple.We saw some of the wild plants that grow there in plenty looked like Alovera. On scrutiny we found it was not so but they do resembled Alovera. We went back to resort and relaxed for a while before having our lunch.

Again on the lunch table Mr. Tandon initiated discussion on what Vivo-Forto could do to reach out to the 6 billion of people.The following points emerged from the discussion:

vTo create an umbrella organization to bring together all the universal minded societies, organizations, famous people who favor universal thinking;

vConducting lectures in university and college level;

vPromoting the book Wisest being of the world;

vPromoting all religion T-Shrits;

vBrain storming sessions of Neurologists, Psychiatrists &Neurotheologists and finding a system of universal meditation that could be practiced by all irrespective of religious, geographical divisions.

By the time our discussion ended it was 3 p.m. and we all needed little before we were to go the Sat Tal.

At 4.00p.m. we had tea and myself, Ravindra ji, Rama ji, Dr. Naseem we slowly trekked down.Mr. Tandon also slowly followed.It was a steep down. Mr. Tandon went back to the Resort as he did not want to take any risk. We continued walking.I almost ran down to the lake side.There were many tourists who were enjoying boat rides.After some time Dr. Naseem, Ravindra ji and Ramaji also reached and we took a walk along the lake and started ascending.It was so steep that we had to rest after every few yards of walking.Any way we reached our Resort by 6.30 p.m. and we had hot coffee to ward off our fatigue. The sun was going down bringing down the curtain for another day. Of course the night sky was opening up with its millions of stars. One closes the other one opens, this is the wonderful phenomena of the nature.

I put up the Telescope once again.Todays moon was brighter than yesterday.We could see the mountains and the dark portion of the moon through the telescope and everyone enjoyed it. Mr. Tandon and Dr. Naseem again sat for discussion and I was exempted from it.Johny played for some time with Dartboard.Around 8 Oclock an interesting phenomena was about to take place.That was the Venus was slowly going behind the moon.As it was not a full moon, but a little more than Crescent, it had a large dark area.As slowly the Venus went behind it became invisible.For people with naked eye found that the Venus has vanished suddenly without any apparent cause.But we saw through telescope how it went behind the dark area of the moon.I called all the people to watch it and they all enjoyed this rare event in the sky.

We had our dinner at 9.30 p.m. and we only discussed about next days program. We liked the place so much that we wanted to stay for one more day.But it was not to be as Dr. Naseems ticket was booked from Bareilly on 19^th evening so we all had to forego the please of staying there for one more day. It was planned that we leave around 10 in the morning next day after having heavy brunch.There was also an alternative plan and that was the car could take Dr. Naseem, Ravindra ji and Rama ji to Bareilly and come back before evening and we that is myself, Mr. Tandon and Johny stay on.We leave on 20^th morning and directly go the Delhi.But this plan fell through.

On 19^th morning after tea I went out alone into the jungle to look for the birds that I knew are in plenty in Sat Tal area.I could spot Blue Magpie, Parakeet, Bulbul and Woodpecker.I myself enjoy being alone in the hills watching the nature.After some time Johny and the driver also came and we took a long detour through the bushes.Around 11 Oclock we had our brunch and our luggage was kept in the car and we settled all the dues and took a few snaps with the resort staff.Saying good bye to the staff and the beautiful place we started our return journey.Very soon we reached Haldwani and bought some fruits for all.The journey was comfortable till we reached the outskirt of Bareilly where one of rear tires became flat.We had to stop and got it repaired.But it took away our precious 2 hours. So we directly went to station to drop Dr. Naseem and said good bye to him and reached our hosts house at Bareilly around 6.45 p.m.

After a fresh cup of tea we refreshed ourselves and went for a walk to the nearby garden.The garden was full of mango and jackfruit trees laden with mangoes and Jackfruits. It was a site to be seen. In cities you do not come across such big orchard but it is a delighting moments for me to watch trees full of fruits.I requested for 2 kilos of mangoes of Langra varieties and Johny took a full crate of mangoes. These fresh mangoes were really of great quality its smell and taste are wonderful.

Ravindra ji collected the two Hindi newspapers of June 18^th wherein a big coverage of our meeting was given.It was satisfying to see that Dr. Naseems picture with a write-up on the program was covered by the two newspapers. We kept the newspapers for our reference. On dinner table we decided to start for Delhi just after tea so that we reach Delhi by lunch time.But it did not work out that way.We could start around 9 Oclock.We reached Sri Aurobindo Ashram, New Delhi around 4.30 p.m with stopovers in two places for break-fast and lunch.

On 21^st June evening, Mr. Tandon left for U.S.A.