Becoming a mountain (2015) is the journey of Stephen Alter where he tries to recover from an accident that almost left him dead and takes a series of treks in the Himalayas. As he is physically healing, he also lives a journey of soul-healing as he tries to become one with the mountain and ultimately, becomes a mountain. Having spent a considerable amount of time in the lap of the Himalayas in Mussoorie, he considers it his home but what happens when he leaves home with marks on his body and soul to become a mountain?
About the author
Stephen Alter is the author of more than twenty books of fiction and non-fiction. He was born in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India and much of his writing focuses on the Himalayan region. WILD HIMALAYA: A Natural History of the Greatest Mountain Range on Earth (Aleph 2019), his most recent work of non-fiction, received the 2020 Banff Mountain Book Award in the Mountain Environment and Natural History category. Becoming a Mountain: Himalayan Journeys in Search of the Sacred and the Sublime (Aleph 2014) received the Kekoo Naoroji Award for Himalayan Literature. In The Jungles of the Night: A Novel about Jim Corbett (Aleph, 2016) is his latest work of fiction, which was shortlisted for the DSC South Asian Literature Award. Educated at Woodstock School and Wesleyan University, Alter has taught at the American University in Cairo, Egypt, where he was director of the writing program for seven years.
Premise of the book
The book starts with the account of the attack by some men when Alter and his wife were nearly asleep. It subsequently covers the spiritual journey that Alter embarks on after the incident to Bandarpunch, Nanda Devi and Kailash in Tibet. The book unveils the mystery around mountains, the folklores and how the mountain gods and goddesses are the saviours of lost souls who come in search of Nirvana, like Alter.
“Healing is a journey like any other, a slow, solitary quest leading towards a distant, unattainable summit. Yet, even before you arrive at an expected point of culmination, when you are finally well again, or when you find yourself at the top of a mountain, the story is just beginning.”
As quoted from “Becoming a mountain by Stephen Alter”
The brutal attack makes the author numb and motivates him to explore the deeper meaning of life. As he heals physically, he starts wandering across the mountain, first near Mussoorie, then far off. He quotes beautifully from Aitreya Brahmana where Lord Indra advises to wander, to remain happy, to get rid of the sins and to rise the fortune. He follows the same and gradually starts moving with his weak tendons in his legs.
Also read: A little post on Ruskin Bond, another author from Mussorie
Nanda Devi: The Goddess of benevolence and terror
His first major trip is to Nanda Devi. Though trekking on Nanda Devi is not permitted, you can still go near the peak, do a Darshan from near sight and seek her blessings. I have seen Nanda Devi from a distance, and she is distinct. You can recognize her from afar as she has symmetry, indicating perfection. Her shoulders are broad with a steep rise that resembles her face and being snow-clad, sunrise and sunset seem like they are trying to balance them on her. The morning and evening sun fill her with vermillion, adoring her as Shiva’s consort. She is worshipped throughout Uttarakhand as the goddess of maternity and cosmic passion. She is both forgiving and terrifying which makes her worshippers seek her blessing. A couple of lives have been lost in an attempt to scale her, owing to the fact that its summit is one of the steepest and it is a great elevation. During the cold war, sensors were mounted by the Indian Army to keep an eye on China’s activity which poses a threat of radioactive pollution today.
Experiencing tranquillity at Kailash
After this, the writer plans a trip to Kailash on his own.
“The happiness I seek is not euphoric joy or spiritual bliss, but the simple contentment that frees us from terror, anguish and anxiety. More than something that possesses us, it is the absence of sadness, a release from melancholy.”
As quoted from “Becoming a mountain by Stephen Alter”
I read an account of the journey to Kailash for the first time in this book. Alter has painted a beautiful picture of the roads leading to Kailash, the Kailash parvat and the Mansarovar lake. The beauty of Kailash has been beautifully captured by saint and poet Milarepa:
“I dreamed that in the vast North of the world
A majestic snow-clad mountain arose
Its white peak touching the sky
Around it turned the sun and moon.
Its light filled the whole of space
And its base covered the entire Earth.”
As quoted from “Becoming a mountain by Stephen Alter”
The vision of Kailash calms the anxiety of the author as he sits down to enjoy the serenity that the mountain offers. Being an atheist, he is less focussed on the folklore, he is focussed on the peace, the tranquillity and the moments of calm that hold the nerve of his experiences.
The book is beautifully written with references to stories, legends and folklore around the places that the author visits. The journey towards his spiritual enlightenment is so real and touching. The reverence I have towards mountains helped me connect with the book on a deeper level.
If you are up for some non-fiction, containing all the small details, you will surely like Becoming a Mountain: Himalayan Journeys in Search of the Sacred and the Sublime by Stephen Alter!