Dharbang River
The Dharbang is the lesser of the two main rivers of Ra-Khati, the other being the Gogrus River. Starting from a glacier in the Katakoro Shan, the river forms Lake Norasil in the heart of the land. From there it continues to the west until it joins the Gogrus river.
The Dharbang is one of the Thousand Sacred Sources of the Gaya and so is one of the routes pilgrims from the south travel. There are three sacred sites along the course of the river. Traveling upstream, the first holy spot is the junction of the Dharbang and Gogrus rivers. Here the waters of the two rivers form a gentle union known as “The Bed of Two Lovers.” The current here is a marked contrast from further upstream where both rivers become raging torrents. The water at the junction has a golden glow and special healing properties. Those who bathe in the icy flow are cured of all wounds, disease, and drained ability points. This is a property of the place. Water bottled or taken from here has special properties.
According to legend, the Great Teacher, founder of the Path, meditated at this spot for five weeks, neither eating nor sleeping. He gained the fifth key to enlightenment, bringing himself closer to ultimate harmony. At the end of his meditation, he ate a peach and cast the pit into the water. Since that time, the water here has been blessed.
From this junction, the Dharbang flows out of a canyon so steep-sided and jagged that it is impossible to follow the banks of the river to the next holy site, Norasil?. Travelers must detour along the Akundi River to reach the Lake of Dreams?. Here pilgrims camp on the shore, waiting for a vision to guide them further.
Only a few pilgrims reach the last stop on the Dharbang—its glacial source. High in the freezing mountains, this site is a difficult trek. Once they have attained the snowfield, the pilgrims must scrub themselves with snow, thus removing their outer selves. Most, at this point, return home or continue their pilgrimage to other places, but a few, guided by some vision, continue up the glacier and are never seen again. The pilgrims maintain that these few do not die because they are blessed.
