The word Parikrama has in its root the word ‘krama’ which means steps. The prefix ‘Pari’ connotes rounding up or enveloping something. So Parikrama means taking a round by way of steps, that is on foot. There are certain conventional norms for doing the Parikrama. One should ideally travel without any money and with minimum belongings, which one should carry oneself. One should receive food as Bhiksha (alms given out of reverence) by the local people or ‘Annakshetras’ -food-prasada giving centres set up by Mahatmas, devotees, or villagers / local communities. Throughout the conventional Parikrama one walks keeping the Narmada on the right. One cannot cross the the river throughout the Parikrama. One should not go into very deep water. One can start from place with a simple worship and carrying some Narmada-jal throughout the journey. One should try to walk as close to the banks as possible even when there are no roads and try to keep Mother-Narmada (simply known as ‘Maiyya’ or “Mai’ in the region) in sight to the extent practically possible. Before retiring for the day one should do a simple worship. There are large number of Parikramavasis who walk barefoot and also pennilessly, relying completely on the ‘Maiyya.’
Upon reaching the sea one crosses from the southern banks to the opposite side at the Gulf of Cambay (Khambat) in Bharuch district of Gujarat where Narmada forms an estuary and becomes about 40 km wide at the spot where it is considered to have been united with the sea. This is called the ‘Reva Sangam’ and a simple worship is done by the Parkammavasi at this place from the boat itself – midway of the two banks. Upon the completion of the Parikrama one has to visit Omkareshwar and worship the deity with the Narmada-jal one carried throughout the Parikrama. Then only the Parikrama is said to be completed.
The traditional ‘Narmada Parikrama’ was completed in an exact span of three years, three months and thirteen days with three annual four-month periods of repose during the rainy season known as ‘Chaturmaas,’ during which time the Parikramavasi settled at one place and engaged in study and spiritual practices. But in modern times people complete the Parikrama in varying periods of time, from four to five months (which would be quickest) to the traditionally prescribed duration.
There are other variants of this conventional and most performed form of Narmada Parikrama. One is the Jalehri Parikrama where one does not cross the sea and walks back on the same bank – doing this on both the banks, thus travelling a double distance. Even a more exacting form is one in which a person does not even cross a tributary and circumambulating that too. This is certain to take several years, and the suggested duration is that of twelve years. There are a few who do a ‘Dandawat Parikrama’ – prostrating at each step, getting up and again prostrating. One can easily imagine that it is a highly strenuous ‘Sankalpa’ (resolution) taken by some. Even at the best speed this can easily take five years or so. Some people remain in perpetual Parikrama. Some elderly people leave their homes never to return and perform Parikrama and when their physical abilities give away, they station themselves at some place living on ‘bhiksha’ by devotees and wait to shed their mortal coil on the ground they hold most sacred. Thus the traditional Indian ideal of ‘Vanaprastha’ is very much present in the Narmadakhand.
It is also quite common that one does Parikrama as a thanksgiving to the adorable Maiyya after the fulfilment of one’s wish for which one had been praying to her. So there are people who perform Parikrama after being blessed with a progeny or being cured of some painful ailment, or any other ordinary worldly problem. To all the people living in Narmadakhand, they have easy access to a divine court, where all pleas, secular or spirirual, are heard and resolved, that is the ever-present, ever-flowing, ever-enchanting Narmada Maiyya.
There are some lighter variants of Parikrama too. One could complete the Parikrama in instalments, doing some patch at one time and another at a different time and likewise till the whole circuit is completed. This is called the ‘Khand-Parikrama.’ It is common among people who cannot take long leave from their work and other responsibilities.
Then there is the practice of ‘Panch-Kroshi Yatra’ wherein people walk for five days in a given area, walking through both the banks and crossing the river twice and returning to the point of start. The name suggests that it would have meant walking five Kosas (15 km). Now in practice it means walking for five days – though one usually walks around five kosas every day.
In recent times people also tour the circuit in buses and private vehicles, stopping at various spots and soaking the spirit of the area. This usually takes less than a month or so. It is not uncommon to see persons doing Parikrama in two-wheelers or even bicycles. The whole idea is that doing something is better than doing nothing and is sure to bring some Grace and elevate one’s mind to a higher level.
Though the Narmada Parikrama has been going on for many a millennia, in the modern times saints like Sri Kamal Bharati ji and his successor Sri Gaurishankar ji popularised its practice. They took huge groups of Sadhus with them, almost like a caravan, carrying tents and accompanied by horses, and elephants who too served their functions. Their ‘Jamat’ (congregation) had its flags and emblems too. At each place they stopped there were devotional gatherings having Bhajans and Kirtans.
Extant Accounts on the Narmada Parikrama
The present-day reader has the benefit of at least having a vicarious delight of this arduous act of devotion because of several accounts available in many languages where the Parikramavasis have documented their experiences. One of the popular early chronicles was done by a young Bengali, Shailendra Narayan Ghoshal Shastri, who honouring his deceased father’s wish embarked upon this mission in the early 1950s. He had first visited Amarkantak on instructions of his father and later returned to do the Parikrama, as suggested by his father before the latter’s death. His Bengali work ‘Tapobhoomi Narmada’ is in five volumes and has been very popular in Bengal, and also available on Hindi translation. At the time he did his Parikrama many regions had deep forests and the perils of the wilderness were ever hovering. One simply had no clue what one’s lot had in store. He describes lots of interesting interactions with Mahatmas and Yogis of the Narmadakhand. Being a Vedic scholar of considerable authority, his works are interspersed with many legends and tales from the ancient books. His books have made significant contribution to the awareness regarding the tradition and practice of ‘Narmada Parikrama’ in Bengal.
In Gujarati, Swami Narmadanandaji’s work is well-known. He was a disciple of Sri Rang Avadhoot Maharaj, who himself was a disciple of the great saint Swami Vasudevananda Saraswati, also known as Tembe Swami, highly revered in the Narmadakhand. Two other books – one of Swami Mayananda called ‘Narmada Panchang’ and another by Shri Dayashankar Dubey had also played the function of source-books for some later accounts. One such version describing in brief the importance of most places / ghats and Teerthas (places that are mentioned in some of the Puranas) is by renowned Sanskrit scholar Shri Prabhudatta Brahmachari. Shri Prabhudattaji had his ashrama near Prayag and in 1977 did a vehicle Parikrama with a big group in bus and four-wheelers taking 26 days to complete the circuit. In a way he pioneered the idea of a vehicle Parikrama. A similar book is ‘Narmada Pradakshina’ by Swami Omkarananda Giri and details the importance of nearly 500 Teerthas and ghats. A popular contemporary handbook for Parikramavasis is by Swami Atmakrishna of Tilakwada in Gujarat. This is particularly useful as it has incorporated in detail the changes in the geography of the region and therefore the paths due to construction of various dams. It gives options in various segments of the Parikrama circuit of going through roads as well as ‘Pagdandis’ close to the river and indicates the relative ease and difficulty of all the choices. Several accounts of Parikrama have been written in Marathi too.
A very popular three volume work in Hindi as well as Gujarati is by Shri Amritlal Vegad, a Professor of Art in Jabalpur. Trained in Tagore’s University Santiniketan under the eminent artist Nandalal Bose, he undertook ‘Pada-Yatras’ on the Narmada cirxuit and later even some of her tributaries for nearly three decades. His works have a high literary value and have received prestigious honours like the Sahitya Akademi Award, Shikhar Samman etc. He has also done numerous sketches and collages depicting both nature and people in the Narmadakhand.
One thing common in all accounts of Narmada Parikrama is that it is undoubtedly the most transfiguring experience of the lives of those who undertake this rigourous Tapasya. One becomes a new person after this. The Parikramavasis also emphasise that they unmistakably felt the invisible hand of Mother Narmada guiding, protecting, and nourishing them, and supplying them with whatever they really needed, oftentimes surpassing their expectations and in most incredible ways. Also to be noted is the fact that language is not at all a constraint in undertaking the Parikrama; indeed hundreds of persons who do not speak a single sentence of Hindi (the lingua franca of Central India) fluently, are able to venture upon this without any difficulty on that account. The Narmadakhand has saints and ascetics (known as ‘Mahatmas’ in the region) from whole of India who have settled in their kutis (small huts) or Ashramas. One can find such Mahatmas who hailed from southern Indian states, Bengal or even a few westerners too – there have been ascetics living in the region in recent times of diverse European origins, like Greek, French, and German.
▶Next Chapter: The Eastern Narmadakhand : From Amarkantak to Bhedaghat