Lost & found
A trip to a holy land undertaken to dip yourself in the holy Ganges and wash all your sins away as per Mom’s version (she seems to be growing old finally to be able to talk like this without laughing).
A trip to a never-seen-before land to dip yourself in the fast flowing Ganges and have a good time in the water was my version.
The two coincided in the form of our Haridwar trip last weekend.
How did it go?
Eye opening. Question raising.
How can a place so venerated be so dirty?
How can people spit in (not to mention do everything else besides) and drink up the same water with equanimity?
How can a government be aware of the potential of a place as a tourist attraction and then do nothing to maintain it?
How can people spend thousands on traveling to a particular spot to bathe in the river and not spare a few thoughts and pennies to keeping it clean?
How come I the non-believer in all that’s expected to be believed without question land up in the same river and then as I prance about in the water suddenly feel the urge to look up at the sun and pray?
Mind you not pray for anything in particular, just pray. As in say my trinity of prayers (one each taught by my grandma’s and one from my alma mater) and be filled with awe.
To say the truth it was an unique experience to walk into the water, feel the current pulling at you as you struggle to stay upright (not knowing how to swim added the dimension of risk) and then suddenly the chaos behind you ceases to exist as you lose yourself to the wonderful feeling of being one with nature, with the universe.
Then you turn back and the image of the thronging multitudes rush at you, jolt you out of the sweet daydream, bring you physically and mentally back to land.
And you find that nothing has changed, the place is just as dirty, the people just as disturbing, the water just as muddy.
In the span of a few seconds you lose and find yourself and in that evanescent moment have a glimpse of god’s universe.
A trip to a never-seen-before land to dip yourself in the fast flowing Ganges and have a good time in the water was my version.
The two coincided in the form of our Haridwar trip last weekend.
How did it go?
Eye opening. Question raising.
How can a place so venerated be so dirty?
How can people spit in (not to mention do everything else besides) and drink up the same water with equanimity?
How can a government be aware of the potential of a place as a tourist attraction and then do nothing to maintain it?
How can people spend thousands on traveling to a particular spot to bathe in the river and not spare a few thoughts and pennies to keeping it clean?
How come I the non-believer in all that’s expected to be believed without question land up in the same river and then as I prance about in the water suddenly feel the urge to look up at the sun and pray?
Mind you not pray for anything in particular, just pray. As in say my trinity of prayers (one each taught by my grandma’s and one from my alma mater) and be filled with awe.
To say the truth it was an unique experience to walk into the water, feel the current pulling at you as you struggle to stay upright (not knowing how to swim added the dimension of risk) and then suddenly the chaos behind you ceases to exist as you lose yourself to the wonderful feeling of being one with nature, with the universe.
Then you turn back and the image of the thronging multitudes rush at you, jolt you out of the sweet daydream, bring you physically and mentally back to land.
And you find that nothing has changed, the place is just as dirty, the people just as disturbing, the water just as muddy.
In the span of a few seconds you lose and find yourself and in that evanescent moment have a glimpse of god’s universe.
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