Part 1 in Devansh Series
The Mantri sisters have been thrown into a familiar yet unfamiliar world of devas, asuras, devansh, and age-old enmity. When faced with a choice, they have to follow into a mission to the lands of the enemy. Will they prove...
Music for the chapter: Killin it by Natania and Mikey McCleary from Four More Shots Please Season 2
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Nature is always full of surprises. You think you have seen all the wonders of the world but exactly in that moment, Nature manages to surprise you in ways that you haven't imagine. Nature has always been called feminine in our culture because of its beauty and mysteries. Just as one can't completely understand femininity, one can completely understand nature. That is its beauty. The bounty of it which is unending. The Tapovan valley had the kind of flowers that I had never seen. The valley's beauty was to such an extent that it made me exclaim. It was just a place of such serenity. There was no place for city dwellers here. Calm, peace and relaxation filled the place.
Three of us got out of the jeep. I took off my sunglasses and admired the beauty. Gorgeous mountains in the background. Flowers and plantations. Two tributaries of two rivers flew through the valley. Leaving a large lake in its path. One probably meets with Alaknanda River quite ahead of Badrinath and the other meets Mandakini. A large waterfall near it. The forest was untouched by humans. As if nature thrived in the absence of anyone threatening. The birds sang and chirped around.
Sona took a few pictures of the place with her camera. The scene was too beautiful not to be stored away in memory forever. She had always been great with art things. Photography, Painting, Sketching, Dancing, Music and Travelling.
Little ahead was a stone entrance. It reminded me of the entrance at the Sanchi's Stupa. Ahead of it was a large pillar.
"Pick up your things, kids," Nani told us. We picked up our things. I managed to carry some of my bags and suitcases on my skateboard. The rest of my bags and one suitcase, I dragged with me on the way. The path was not cemented smooth but it wasn't heavily rocky either. So, I managed to get my skateboard to pass ahead.
I stopped before the pillar. The levels had different carvings. The top held Dharma chakra being upheld by a lion, an elephant, a horse, and a bull. The level below it had four goals of life carved. Dharma at the top. Kama, Artha, and Moksha on the next line together. Below it was written a verse.
On the level beneath it was the carving of the scene of dev-asura sangram. The devas and asuras fighting in battle. Indra on top of Airavata, leading them all. Below that was a huge oil lamp surrounded by four small pillars. Below it, several red-colored threads were tied with few objects hung on the threads. Some rings, some seashells, some carved stone, and other things. I noted that names were carved on those objects.
"Every time a Devansh perishes in battle, in their memory their token along with a red thread is tied here by their siblings. It reminds the Gurukul of all the devansh that fought for the cause of right and laid down their lives in the battle against the asuras." Nana explained to me.
