A Sacred Wind

One of the most remarkable aspects of Rishikesh is the wind. During the amrit vela, or ambrosial hours between four and six am when meditation and prayer is considered most potent, the wind becomes very intense. Every night my door shakes on its hinges as the gusts swirl off the Himalayas and down into the Ganga valley. If you stand by the river, the wind is so intense it feels like it will knock you off your feet. Once the sun rises, however, the wind is gone. During the day there is no hint of a breeze as you sweat under the hot sun. Why does wind howl down the Ganges during the early morning and at no other time? Is there an energetic effect of all the meditation and prayer practiced by the sadhus and yogis here? Is it spirits and devas rising in the amrit vela to practice their own form of worship? Is there an enlightened being in a cave in the Himalayas whose morning sadhana is so intense the wind howls down out of his cave and into the valley? Is the wind sent by Shiva the destroyer himself to blow down the Ganga and carry away negative vibrations? I’d like to think the wind is calling us to worship, waking us up with her song and her caress, reminding us to rise up and dedicate the day to the Creator. She carries away negativity and brings blessings from the ancient mountains that so many saints have called home. Stand on the banks of Mata Ganga with me before the dawn and feel the wind and the water carry our prayers to the One.