Jepu had just finished chanting ``Saha na vavatu'' to start the evening proceedings seeking cooperation and coordination from all the fellow yatris. Hesitantly Ananthu, a lady pilgrim, started a sloka on Lord Shiva. Yet another recited ``Brahma murari Surakshita Lingam''. Somebody else recited his experience while trekking to a pilgrim spot on the banks of the Narmada.

``Kitcha, is it alright if I recite a verse in praise of Lord Krishna?'' It was Akshay Patel, an elderly Gujarati from Mumbai who had come along with his wife. Kitcha looked around. A pilgrim next to mesaid, ``Wonder whether it would be appropriate. After all, we are on our way to Kailash and Mansarovar, the abode of Shivji.''

Then I remembered an oft repeated couplet which is even a part of the Sandhya. ``Aakasaat patitam toyam yada gatchati saagaram/Sarva devo namaskaraha Kesavam prati gatchati.'' (The water, in the form of rain, comes from the sky but reaches the ocean, finally. Similarly every bit of prayer to any of the Gods reaches one Almighty.)

I told the gathering what I thought was the meaning of the couplet. Isn't the Almighty one irrespective of different religions? I personally thought that it should not matter whether the prayer was to any one God in particular. All it mattered was that we should be together invoking the Lord Almighty. Didn't Dr Radhakrishan say that all religions lead to one destiny? Bhat Kaka, aged 62, and one of the fellow yatris, nodded his head.

We gathered every evening. It was a gathering of like-minded people from various parts of India. The aim wasto undertake a trek, a holy trek from India to Tibet to visit Kailash, the abode of Shiva and site of the great Mansarovar Lake from where many sacred rivers originate. We were also to circumambulate both the religious sites. We had to trek many kilometres over rough and hilly terrain -- that too without oxygen while crossing the Dolma Pass at 19,500 feet above sea level.

To start with, we had to understand each other within a short period of 30 days. That itself was a sacred pilgrimage, I personally thought. So that was the basic reason for the evening assemblies.

Rajan and Verma started chanting and we all joined them. Who wouldn't like to attain moksha after death? Is anyone assuring us of heaven? Bhajagovindam by Adi Sankaracharya tells us to chant God's name all the time so that even at the time of death one takes His name to attain His abode. The Gita asks us keep Him in our mind all the time so that it becomes second nature to think of God and reach heaven. The company of good peoplehelps abolish desires and greed. That helps a person attain jeevan mukti even when he is alive.

We had the company of good people. The MEA had done the selection of various yatris who desired a visit to God's abode. That, in a way, was the grouping by His order. The aim was one. To achieve what normally is not possible. The prayer helped us achieve mukti at an altitude closer to God and far away from home. We completed the parikramas of Mt Kailash and the holy lake Mansarovar. We were like the water from various sources reaching the sea.