Reading - Thirteen Months In The Himalayas

Thirteen Months in the Himalayas by Om Swami

Thirteen Months In The Himalayas is the continuation of Om Swami’s first book If Truth Be Told: A Monk’s Memoir. I read them one after another, and they fit together perfectly. If Truth Be Told is about how Om swami decides to renounce the world, while Thirteen Months In The Himalayas shows what that choice looked like in practice. This post is not about the first book ( that deserves its own blog ), but I will mention a few things along the way. And just to be clear, this is not a summary or a formal review. What follows is simply what I felt while reading, the parts that touched me, the questions that lingered, and the insights that stayed.

About The Author

Om Swami is a monk who renounced a multimillion-dollar business empire to retreat into the Himalayas. This book is a record of his thirteen months of solitude and sadhana, where he immersed himself in meditation in search of truth; his truth. Before picking up this book, I already knew about Om Swami from YouTube and reels. When I found out he is also an author, I was curious enough to start with this memoir, If Truth Be Told. That book traces his journey into monastic life, but this book goes deeper.

What Stood Out To Me

In the first book, there is a line that stuck me deeply.

“First, you must earn something; only then are you eligible to renounce it. When you have nothing, what is there to renounce?”

That thought stayed with me because it shows that renunciation is not about escape; it is about letting go after truly having something to give up.Reading this book felt different. Each chapter is a new experience, a new question, a new insight. At the start, Om swami quotes from Ramcharitmanas:

“I have no virtues, it is all lord’s splendour”.

For me, that line alone feels like a teaching. It reminded me that the qualities we glorify in ourselves are not really ours; they are a reflection of something greater.

A Personal Connection

There were moments when I found myself questioning: Why did he do this? Why not take another path? Is it even possible? Truth? But as I read on, those questions began to turn inward. They weren’t about him anymore; they were about me. This book made me feel like I was walking behind him, unknowingly following the same obstacles he once crossed. When someone describes struggles you have faced yourself, it creates an invisible bond. I can’t claim to feel exactly what Swamiji felt, but his words made me reflect on my own doubts, fears, and small revelations. At times, his words felt like a mirror. He inspires me. Reading him is like looking into clear water; you don’t just see the water, you see your own reflection.

Small Doubts

Some parts of the book left me thoughtful, especially when Swamiji described the mystical sound he heard during meditation. I have to be honest: I haven’t walked that path of sadhana myself, so I can’t claim it’s impossible. It may well have happened exactly as he described. But since I haven’t experienced anything like that, there is a part of my mind that hesitates, that refuses to accept it fully. At the same time, another part of me simply considers it as a possibility. Maybe one day, with my own practice. I will know.

My Takeaways

What I carry from this book is not so much the details of Swamiji’s sadhana, but the sense of possibility. It made me believe that such a journey is not out of reach. It doesn’t matter how or when; what matters is the sincerity of the call to the Divine Mother. She knows when you call, and that is enough. This book reminded me that truth is personal. Each of us has to find our own. It may take time, it may demand sacrifices, but when you reach it, it will be worth it.

Note
There are many things in this book that I have not written about here. Not because they aren’t important, but because they aren’t mine to share in this way. Some experiences are meant to be read directly, in the author’s words, not through my retelling. If you want to truly understand the depth of Thirteen Months in the Himalayas truly, you will need to read it yourself. This is where my reflection ends. The journey, the insights, and the silence, those are yours to discover when you read it.

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