Do not nag him, let him drive; Be careful, the fall is deep; Life is short, don't make it shorter; and other great sayings

I know this looks like two blog post in a row, but it’s really not. Just keep reading.

Today was amazing. We drove up to Badrinath and the journey took us closer and closer to the Himalayas. The drive itself was quite spectacular. The natural beauty that I saw eclipsed anything I had ever seen before. I wish you all could have seen the mountains jutting out of the ground and the gushing river we drove alongside. It was breathtaking. I have some pictures, but they don’t really have the same quality that the real thing does. All I have to say is, if you’re in India you should go to Badrinath.
On our way to Badrinath we stopped in Joshimath, which is the area where the original shankaracharya gained enlightenment. We were able to go to the cave underneath the Banyan tree where the shankaracharya gained enlightenment and have a little meditation. Following the meditation we got back on the road and finished our drive to Badrinath. Badrinath itself is quite spectacular. Imagine a little village in a valley surrounded by huge mountains with snow covered peaks that seem to touch the sky. Within the center of this village is a river that seems to split the village in half. Within the village there is an ancient temple that is a must-see-once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage spot for Hindus. The actual temple is very nice and it is quite the sight to see so many pilgrims visiting such a remote space just to be able to pray at a somewhat holier place. Also, just outside the temple is a natural hot spring. It was pretty cool looking and there were a lot of people enjoying the warmth. In the evening we were able to experience another aarti. This one was a little different than the last two I went to. This one was inside the temple and we had to pay for it. It only lasted a total of ten minutes and it felt a little rushed, but as one of my colleges said, “A blessing is a blessing.” So that pretty much concluded my day at Badrinath. It was a nice day and I’m glad I was able to make it to this place.

(The title is taken from certain signage along the road we drove up to Badrinath).