There and Back Again.. !!

Hmm.. I have been thinking from sometime where to start? It doesnt happen often when i don’t realise where to start what to say. But alas i got the hold of the Horse’s mouth.

So There and back again. I am going back to the place which inspires me the most. The place i have visited on all the important occasions of my really mumbling, quiescent life.

Tommorow as the clock ticks 5, as the sun gets into a countdown to show itself and as the cock wakes up, I will be on the gas to Nathdwara (Shrinathji).

Going there, waiting in a long echelon of devotees, fighting to have the first glance of the LORD, and actually feeling we are something in this whole lively place called EARTH. Its a Blissful experiance i must say. The environment there is blaringly Peaceful. I don’t know whether you would understand it.

Nathdwara is also in my “Most awaited visiting places” because I get the oppurtunity to enhance on my collection of Keychains(The Story needs justice so next time) and
ofcourse the Fafda kadhi of the place. The Hot Morning Mint Tea followed by melting ‘Poha’ nd finally the Fafda. This is known as FOOD PARADISE….

Chai Garam !!!

You won’t understand until you experience it. My friend who fully opposes my view says the place is so fussy and crowded, you barely need space to breathe. Maybe, thats right. But i always wonder when i go there, “Why would more than 10,000 people come everyday just to see the half a millennium old deity’s statue.” Well the answer lies in this vivid experience of mine.

“The devotees were just waiting for the slightest glint of movement of the silver made door. All stacked in the Moti mahal. It suddenly opened. A roar erupted,”BOL JAI SHRI GIRIRAJ DHARAN KI JAI !!! and the caravan plundered the floors to enter the room to try and manage to barely if possible get a view of HIM.” There a business man was carrying his Grandson on his shoulders, shouted out the name of the deity. Everyone joined. After that the names echoed the whole place with different names of the deity which would even send sensations through the white marbled linings. After this HE himself is forced to give his Darshan one more time after the partitions is closed. THIS IS THE LOVE & FAITH THE DEVOTEES BRING…”

My Call with Nature…

The Shadow and the Transfinite river in the backdrop...

“It is only a step from boredom to disillusionment, which leads to natural self pity, which in turn leads to Chaos…”

I heard this quote somewhere and don’t care to remember where. Well my End of semester vacations have really turned out to be a Madonna with a cold, sneezing all way through, not getting that chicken soup and above all the soul feels let down. They have really been a spoil sport.. Too long.. Too Void.. Too lazy..

So here I was on a ride to relaxation. The other day when my uncle asked me “Chap, I am going for a meditation and Satsang trip with my friends to an Ashram on the banks of Narmada. Not likely your taste but, care to hop in ? ”. I was more than happy to oblidge. Not for meditation or satsang but a change. We were on a peregrination to a riverside village Charnod.

Of all the experiences I would like to recount my experience of the river.

‘For the first time in my life I had seen something as clear as this… Flowing like wind through the patches of grass.. like the Mane of the Horse in wind.. like clouds that traverse through the astronomical sky. The waves as if mountains formed for a fraction of a second and each chasing the other… So real and yet so virtual.. You could imagine the water gulping air in each of its stride.. and the white foam strewing off into clarity.

As I put my hand into the water, it sensed my occlusion, having a sixth sense as such it changed its itinerary and climbed over and swirved around the arm. Its Turbulence and enthusiasm unwavered. I then put my left feet into the water, “Gosh!! It was cool. How could it keep its cool under a shining sun. By the time I unraveled the question by my logic, my gaze fell on the vortex created at the end of my toe. It seemed so small and yet unfazed by my size. On the other side of the bank I saw women scrubing utensils, beating clothes. Some of them doing the rituals, others douching and first timers trying out different swimming styles. It seemed amusing and at the same time I felt a sudden sensation of Admiration for the river. In that few moments I had probably learned the most puzzling and Byzantine of lessons Nature has in store for us..

I Had Got more than I had asked for.. ” ’