Shiva in the Swiss Alps – Grindelwald

Last night I watched the most resplendent sunset on the mighty Mount Eiger in the Swiss alps. As darkness descended on Grindelwald- a dreamy alpine village, a fluorescent blue grey light lit up the three peaks of the  Eiger, Fiescherhorner and Mettenberg mountains. I sat on the balcony of my picturesque hotel room at Bodwin transfixed by what appeared to be a miracle of nature.

As the whole valley slowly drowned into a sea of silent darkness those three peaks shone on brightly as though illuminating some unseen holy trinity. A translucent glow emanated from those peaks as they glistened in the night sky. I watched them for a long time, my gaze transfixed as though magnetized by their immense beauty.

The silver grey halo morphed into a three dimensional light and for a moment I felt as though I was witnessing the abode of Lord Shiva. I don’t know how it happened but it was unmistakable, a kind of knowing or a connected-ness to that perception. I knew I was seeing Lord Shiva on the Eiger Peak. Faith they say can move mountains, but on this magical night, a mountain was shaping my faith. Was it an inner seeing, i can’t really say but i do know that i experienced his presence on that icy blue haven.

At first i couldn’t decide whether it was my imagination or if  Shiva was really manifesting through the peaks of that illuminated mountain. I was excited, joyful, overwhelmed and awestruck all at once. How was it possible, that a valley floating in darkness, spangled frugally by lights in far away homes that resembled divas lit at the feet of a deity, upheld these majestic peaks as though some cosmic conspiracy had contrived to place spotlights to illuminate them? I watched that magical moment stretch into hours.

Like a child enamored by a new toy my gaze remained transfixed, not wanting to break away from my joy for even a moment lest I miss some of the magic, even though it was late into the night and I had an early start the next morning. My mind bargained with my spirit and i eventually turned bed-wards, on the condition that the curtains remain drawn back so I could continue to stare at those peaks as i lay in bed, until asleep conquered my joy.

Something woke me up and I rushed to the balcony, but now those peaks were lost to the dark cosmic womb. The show was over, and as they say, if you really want a glimpse of spirit, you must be as watchful as the villager who waits for the only bus that travels that way. Sad and unabashed about my greed for wanting a little more of God’s magic, I dragged my disappointed feet to my bed, with one question still heeding an answer. Did I truly experience Shiva that night?

While my husband rationalized that experience in terms of the sun’s trajectory in the northern hemisphere, I chose to ignore logic in favor of intuition, for in my heart I knew that faith the size of a mustard seed had indeed moved mountains. I know that the Eiger had spoken to me last night, albeit in a language that only the soul understands.