The radiant smile and deep belly laughter of Rama Nand, also affectionately referred to as "Babaji", is as noticeable as his great white beard. We were already half way through the dinner he had invited me for when I realised who he was.
For those of you who have been to Kathmandu, Varanasi or Delhi, you may have come across Pilgrims Books, a haven of esoteric knowledge and peace amongst bustling polluted streets. Nearly 30 years earlier, from rather modest beginnings, this man who now sat before me, sold a small collection of books from the sidewalks of Varanasi. Then he opened a small shop that could only accommodate one person at a time. "It represented the presence of God, the presence of the one always there", Rama Nand joked as the room filled with his giant laughter.
By 1984 a shop opened in Kathmandu and the printing and publishing of books has taken place in Delhi for over 20 years. One can find genres that range from the metaphysical to travel to older collectible texts.
Rama Nand gave me a tour of his apartment which was littered with materials that he had collected over the years, some hundreds of years old. It was clear that this "Babaji" was in fact a book junkie of sorts!
Earlier I asked him why, despite the fact that he wore the robes of a holy man, did the locals of Delhi refer to him as a Baba? "Perhaps they can see that my relation with all things in the world is reflected in my work and my conversation." Though later he humbly added, "Still I feel I know nothing."
What is clear to me is that "Babaji Rama Nand Book Junkie of the World", lives the words that he collects, prints and sells and he is less of a Pilgrim than he is the destination itself.
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