No one has a cell phone signal. No one. Gradually we realize we are inside a bubble imposed by the security concerns related to political unrest in this remote northeast corner of India. That means no internet service either. No email. No blogging. Perhaps the gods are suggesting these few days are really for pilgrimage and nothing else.

Our hotel is a few blocks away from the Brahmaputra River, fresh out of the Himalayas and Tibet, and I feel like we are greeting an old friend from a pilgrimage to Tibet. The Brahmaputra originates in the vicinity of Mt. Kailash, 900 miles west of Lhasa, and flows all along the backside of the Himalayas along the suture between the Indian and Asian tectonic plates before cutting around the corner of the Himalayas and flowing through Assam, watering Bangladesh, and joining Gangaji and the Bay of Bengal.

 

 

Panditji is a walking Puranic encyclopedia, so naturally there is a story about Brahmaputra (son of Brahma). Lord Brahma asked Sage Parashurama to lead the river to the sea. But when they reached Kamakhya, Parashurama was overcome by sweet memories of the time he spend here, sat down to pay his respects to the Goddess, and lost track of time in samadhi.

 Brahmaputra waited, and waited, and waited; but the poor river! Its nature is to flow! So finally, Brahmaputra went on without Parashurama. When Parashurama realized what had happened he cursed the river for not obeying, saying, “since you have violated Brahma’s instructions, your water will be useless for spiritual purposes.”

Brahmaputra cried and threw himself at Parashurama’s feet asking for forgiveness. Parashurama’s heart stirred with compassion, and he modified the curse with a blessing: “Your banks will always be green, you will not suffer from a shortage of water, and people living on your banks will never go hungry.”

 Then the Divine Mother appeared and added, “On my child’s (Parashurama) birthday, you will be as sacred as Gangaji, and a bath in your waters on that day will equal 365 baths in Gangaji.”

 It’s not the time for bathing, so we are content to appreciate the beauty of the river, and look forward to a boat ride.