यानि कानि च पापानि जन्मान्तरकृतानि च ।
तानि सर्वाणि नश्यन्ति प्रदक्षिणायां पदे पदे ।।
(Whatever sins one might have committed over the lifetimes, all of them will get destroyed by steps of the Parikrama.)
लब्धं यैर्नैर्मदातोयं ये च कुर्युः प्रदक्षिणम्।
ये पिवन्ति जलं तत्र ते पुण्या नात्र संशयः ।।
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 offered with reverence) by the local people or ‘Annakshetras’ – centres offering food-Prasada – usually 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 river during any stage of the Parikrama. One should not go into very deep water. One can start from any place with a simple worship and carry some Narmada-jal throughout the journey. One should try to walk as close to the bank 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 bank to the northern 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 regarded as 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 – that is midway of the two banks. Upon the completion of the Parikrama one has to visit Omkareshwar and offer to Mahadeva, the Narmada-jal one carried during the Parikrama. It is only after this that the Parikrama is regarded as complete.
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 each year 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 usually be the quickest) to the traditionally prescribed duration. It is usually the Sadhus (ascetics) or Vanaprasthis (those retired from their familial and worldly responsibility) who do the Parikrama in the traditionally prescribed duration that takes more than three years.
Even those who complete the Parikrama within a year do not generally walk during the months of Chaturmaas – they usually start their Parikrama after Vijaya Dashami or even later, often on the Devuthni Ekadashi (Kartik Shukla Ekadashi) once the rains have subsided and the muddy paths have also dried up. They would usually complete the Parikrama before the rains, that is end of the summers, and in fact in most cases even before the time the summer heat has become too scorching for one to walk.
There are other variants of this conventiona 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 twice the distance of the normal Parikrama. Even a more exacting form (though very rare and almost non-existent in these times) is one in which a person does not even cross even a tributary and circumambulates 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 those who attempt it. Even at the best speed this can easily take five years or so. Some people remain in perpetual Parikrama, starting another round after finishing or never moving out of the Parikrama circuit. Some elderly people leave their homes for performing Parikrama, never to return, and when their physical abilities wither 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. One can observe that Narmadakhand is one such region where the age-old traditional Indian ideal of ‘Vanaprastha’ is very much present and practised.
It is also quite common that one does Parikrama as a an expression of gratitude to the adorable Maiyya after one’s wish is fulfilled for which one had been praying to her. So there are people who perform Parikrama after being blessed with a progeny or when one’s near and dear one is cured of some painful ailment, or any such worldly problem. To all the people living in Narmadakhand, they have easy access to a divine court – the ever-present, ever-flowing, ever-enchanting Narmada Maiyya – where even the most mundane pleas are heard and answered to.
There are some lighter variants of Parikrama too. One may complete the Parikrama in parts, 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. A very common practice, though it is not Parikrama, is that 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 (a traditional unit of distance). Now in practice it means walking for five days – wherein one usually walks around fifteen kilometres each day. There are also people who do a Dandawat walk to a prominent ghat in their region arduously covering a distance of several miles, accompanied by some others who support the Sadhaka by singing the glories of the Mother.
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 around a fortnight 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.
Available Accounts on the Narmada Parikrama
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 and devotees 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, they were welcomed by the local people, and all engaged in Bhajans and Kirtans.
The present-day reader has the benefit of at least having a vicarious delight of this arduous act of devotion because of several accounts extant in many languages where 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’, a five-volume work, has been very popular in Bengal, and also available in Hindi translation. At the time of his Parikrama the region had dense 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 texts. 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 whole kf 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 work that derived a lot of information from the above two works and described the importance of most places / ghats and Teerthas (places that are mentioned in some of the Puranas) is titled ‘Narmada Darshan’ was authored by the renowned Sanskrit scholar Shri Prabhudatta Brahmachari who had his ashram at Jhusi near Prayag. In 1977 he did Parikrama with a big group in a bus and four-wheelers taking 26 days to complete the circuit. In a way he pioneered, or at any rate legitimised the idea of the Parikrama by vehicle. A similar book that draws considerably on ‘Narmada Darshan’ is ‘Narmada Pradakshina’ by Swami Omkarananda Giri and details the importance of nearly 500 Teerthas and ghats on the Narmada circuit.
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 presents options in various segments of the Parikrama circuit of going through roads as well as ‘Pagdandis’ (footpaths) close to the river and indicates the relative ease and difficulty of all the choices.
A highly popular three volume work (both in Hindi and Gujarati) is by Shri Amritlal Vegad, who was a Jabalpur-based Professor of Art based. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award for this work. His writings are of high literary merit and can be read as an engaging travelogue as well as insightful social commentary on the communities living on the banks of Narmada.
Several accounts of Parikrama have been written in Marathi too. Among these the popular ones in recent times has been by Pujya Mataji Bharati Thakur (which has translations in Hindi as well as English) and Shri Kunthe. Besides these days many Parikramavasis write blogs relating their experiences
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 is no longer the same person after this. The Parikramavasis also emphasise that they unmistakably feel the invisible hand of Mother Narmada guiding, protecting, and nourishing them, and supplying them with whatever they really needed, oftentimes surpassing their expectations in most incredible ways. Also to be noted is the fact that language does not pose any challenge in undertaking the Parikrama; indeed hundreds of persons who do not speak a single sentence of Hindi (the lingua franca of Central India) are able to venture upon this great austerity 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 ashrams. 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, Austrian and German. The Mother-essence of Narmada calls and gives shelter to its children from far and wide.
▶Next Chapter: Narmada through Legends and History