Time Travel

Like many writers, it happened to me that when today in the morning I wanted to write something, I couldn't. The paper was right under my arm, and I was fully prepared to fill it with feelings. The pen was set in rest, but the mind was all wrenched.

I went up the house terrace to get into the zone where I can chew upon a thought before it can be given to writing. Sitting alone in that morning, when skies were dripping wet droplets of dew from its greying bluish hue, I was scaling the whole of roof from left, right, and center. I drew a chair and sat with a notebook on my lap. I was looking to latch on something... like an idea. Like a thought worth paying attention to, an inspiration worth writing about. Something with which I can satisfy myself. But I found nothing.

I wanted to come out of this dilemma. The dilemma of this hazy dullness of displeasure, where I am constantly looking in the search for a subject.

So, I brought out my scooter and drove around to see something worth inspiring. I drove on roads I've never driven before. But none of it added to the cause. 

At last, I came down to a park; let out my slippers and walked barefoot on the wet untrimmed grass and then in the muddy unearthed soil, which perhaps was dug by dogs. I sat on a bench and saw the skyline, which was absolutely clear, shining. The clouds were grey from water they were carrying. The weather was such lazy and romantic that it reminded me of my childhood days, when I would go to visit my Nani and Mama-Maami in Chaubatia, Ranikhet, in summers for holidays with my mother and brother. In that moment, images came out running from a celluloid and awakened the wonder-child in me.

I was seeing my younger-self gaping from heights of the mountains to their very trench, while the bus is crisscrossing with other automobiles to get through the narrow cuts-and-passages of the highways. Standing there, one thing led to the other and a whole motion picture started running about things like how my brother and I would fight for the window seat to catch a glimpse of a crispy early morning in the roadside forest, or of the clouds hovering below us as the bus would go further upward. 

On these roads, sometimes the bus would stop before these temples to pay their respect and to seek blessings from the gods for a safe journey. During these stoppages, generally a pujari (priest) would embark the bus carrying vermilion and holy fire in a plate. This resembled a gesture of good fortune or blessings for the safe journey. In monsoon, a variety of drums and instruments were used in praying seasons to keep the gods happy.

All these memories brought me back in time and all of it happened just by going to a park. Wonderful, isn't it? And in the end, I had an excellent piece.

Open your eyes of wonder

Two weeks after my trip to Agra, this time I was heading to Uttarakhand - a land where my parents and their ancestors were born. The train in which I was traveling, a thought catches me and SWOOSH... I was thinking - how wonderful is this thought of realizing the universe working all around us. 

 

Modern Science explains, since Big-Bang, the Universe or the Space as we know it continues to expand to till date. And with this expansion, the galaxies and our Solar System is entering further deep into the space. In this perspective, the planet on which we exist, is like a giant sphere that has water in 3/4 portion and land in one-fourth. And whether you live on North Pole or South Pole, or located on the Equator, you never fall-off the Earth into the space. There is water that flows and wind, that blows quietly. More to wonder, from Himalayas to Grand Canyon, it has all this much, of which you and I too are a part of - move, 24x7, with the moving of planet Earth in the space. And all this time, when I, you or anyone else eat, drink and sleep, or takes a train, or does anything; the laws and forces of this planet remains undisturbed, unperturbed. But at the same time, the planet itself goes more and more deeper into the space and travel unknown to its depths. 

 

So, I was sitting in the train and I realize this one particular thing: when the whole eternity is moving in time, I am sitting in this train that runs on two parallel tracks and is considerably risky to derailment or meet with an accident especially when it's going so fast. Yet it never fall off-tracks unless any outside factors are involved.

At the same time, I ponder in awe - the Universe is expanding. We are entering deeper and deeper in the space and yet how sitting so quietly, unaware and untouched from any of this. Isn't it kind of scary and ingenious too, that we are constantly moving into the space and yet how unaware of it? That we are time traveling and yet how unknown to this? And at this point your eyes of wonder open. Every crap-natured thought we think of - i.e. ego, politics, race, religion, success or wealth - all sorts of things, disappear. Our differences disappear. Our arguments sink and appear dwarf. In that moment, I felt great of to be alive to see through this nature of truth.

A Funny Story

I was waiting at a stall to seek my share of Puchkas from the vendor, while he was busy in attending me and some other customers. So I was waiting, when a man with his wife and kid come in. As he was busy in attending us, this family stood waiting. The man had the child sitting on his shoulder and the man was singing freely, enjoying without being bothered about anyone around. And on his face, it was apparent that he is having a good time. But I did not understand what badgered the wife in something as harmless as a song that she shut-up the man with a single blow of sarcasm.

"Is it important to be a singer here?" - she said and immediately the man goes off. I, who was seeing this from a distance, burst out with laughter so hard that I almost choked on the Gol-Gappa and coughed. It was in that awkward moment I suspect, they had caught me.

However, the man then asked the child, how did you get this injury, Beta. But before the kid could answer, the woman punched the man on the hand hard enough that I heard it; and the kid responded...

Umm... Papa main gir gaya tha. (Father, I fell-off). By this time, I had paid for my plate. So I grabbed my helmet, and took-off with a sheepish grin.

COME AGAIN FOR LOVE

I was here back then, I am here still today,
In this world…
Things were changing then, things are changing now
What has changed, continues changing, even now.
As the change is the eternal law.
This grinding in the soil, the tides in the water,
Is like the part of some great design

If yesterday was a history and future is a mystery,
Why waste time in worries unnecessary.
This blow in the air, this nomadic sky, the song in the rains,

Is like a whisper, calling us together for a dance,
As bees around blossoms, or birds in the sky,
And fish in water.
They want us to come together, closer,
And become one, with the existence,
Be the existence.

I want to fly like a bird, fall like the rain,
And rise like the sun, 
I want to live without regret,
Fear or good or bad. I want to live remorseless, 
Holding hands, wrapping arms, around you. 
Will you come and live this dream with me, together?
And come again for love?

Pieces from the Diary

Just today, I was talking to a friend. She's a journalist, and I was reading her blog. I was telling her how well she writes and also that that she should try writing her personal experiences and share it online because in news-writing, the scope of creativity is limited, and the story needs to be backed by facts and figures. This reminds me that I myself haven't shared any of my write-ups lately. And hence, this blog was conceived. Though I wrote it 2-3 months ago in my journal, I'm putting it online for some of you to read it...

Day-1

Something beautiful I felt this evening while coming back home. Standing by the door, in the Metro, I was gazing at the skies. I had the headphones plugged in and an instrumental piece in Shubha Mudgal's voice was playing on. In the sound, 'Omiya' - the song from Meera Nair's "Kamasutra: A tale of love", I experienced a state of bliss. I felt a sudden bloom of lotus flower at the center of my chest. My heart started dancing with all those lovely women sitting in the Metro. My gaze was soft like a lamp lighting in the quite. I had a vision, in which I saw that I was some kind of a light that is scattering in the universe. And every being and every life on the planet, with their own light came together to join me in the celebrations of lights. All that time I felt as if my face was glowing from its own radiance. What I felt was a bliss that was very satisfying, full of bewilderment, and life nurturing.



Day-2
The next day again I experienced something very similar to my last day's experience. However, with a little difference. I was in the Metro, walking, when I felt a bowl of water in the center of my chest. And that bowl is vast and deep, like an ocean of water. Water that is Still, Flawless, and Pure. And whichever way I was going, everything that was coming before or crossed me was submerging into that Water-Bowl, irrespective of their type, size, or any other point of distinction. And everything that submerged into it became still, became silent, as if they were in deep meditation. 

Galta Gate: A lone expedition [Part-II]

A few minutes later, I took a bus from Transport Nagar to Galta Gate. I disembarked in the outskirt of Jaipur. But I had no directions to go forward, so at this, I was dependent on the locals. I saw a family who seemed to me be going to the temple. I asked them for directions but the good Samritans instead invited me to come with them. The woman in the family told me that the pilgrimage for the temple starts from the other side of the road. I looked across to see and found a structure bearing a red-flag staffed on its rooftop, stand firm atop of hill. The sight of the hill, barely a two-three hundred meters in height, disappointed me and I was thinking how petite this adventure is going to be. Despite this, I continued.

Going upwards, what greeted me is an overwhelming sight of hundreds of macaques sitting in groups – grooming, pilfering and running after one another. By the time I reached on top, I realised that what I saw at the bottom of the hill was just a shack made for monks and sadhus to rest and that the actual temple was twice the distance, we have walked. This made me a little concerned because up until now we have been walking on a pukka road, but after the hill, a dramatic change in terrain has made the route weary. In some places, the slopes were sharp enough to give you an unnerving cry. By the time I reached the temple, I was shaking because of an acquired muscle tension during climbing.

Galta Gate is built in a string-like sequence from end to end with two separate openings. The string can be parted into five sections, where the first section accommodates a small temple room and an open bath area in which the monkeys dive out from distant heights. The second section features two giant baths, one each for men and women. In the third section, there is a huge courtyard that gives an open space to pilgrims to see the gigantic presence of the Aravali’s that can be seen from inside the temple. The courtyard also acts a bridge and connects the first and second section with fourth and fifth section, wherein, the main temples and an open garden are positioned.

Women bath in Galta Gate. Photo Courtsey: Google Images

The temple surroundings were calm and inviting. I walked for some time in the courtyard to feel the majestic presence of the mighty range, which encircles the temple for years as if like protecting it. The temple staff told me to pay Rs. 500 if I want to click pictures inside the temple premises and draw the sign board before me.   I did not pay and so we agreed upon not to click any picture inside the temple area. For filmmakers, the shrine board charges Rs. 1000 each. Interestingly, the temple also features a 400-year old Diya – an oil lamp, which is continue to be light up since then.

Galta Gate: A lone expedition [Part-I]

That Sunday, sitting idle in my room I was thinking to go out and visit someplace. I had cleaned my week’s laundry and was arranging it before giving it for iron. I called some friends from the office to ask if any of them would like to go out for a little sight-seeing. Nobody seemed to be interested, which was completely understandable on their part. After all, we all had office in the next day. My roommate was already on vacation to see his hometown; whereas I, on the other side, had no week-off(s) to visit some place. I needed to get out, but I wasn’t sure where. In confusion, I pulled out my laptop to Google the nearest places around.

I was staying at Raja Park in Jaipur, which is considered to be an upmarket area in town. Though I had been in the city for more than six months, I did not travel much because of constant work pressure. Leaving aside a few trips here and there, and a maiden visit to the Jaipur Literature Fest 2014, I had not seen most of the places Jaipur is famous for. I typed on Google and a long list of places came on screen. I filtered my search and narrowed down places that were closed to Raja Park. Eureka! The next moment I was clear in my head. I was going to see the centuries old temple inside the Aravali Hills, i.e. Galtaji.

The clock was ticking half past four; I packed my gear, took my camera and in next fifteen minutes I was ready to go. Both, the temple and these hills are well known in Rajasthan because of their own reasons. While the Aravali is famous for its geographical existence; the temple, on the other hand, rose to fame after the production of a documentary series called Monkey Thieves by National Geography Channel.

The camel cart owner, in Jaipur 

So, I reached the bus stand hoping to catch a bus to Galta Gate, but that didn't happen. At the bus stand, I realised that no bus was going straight to Galta Gate; I was wrong. People at the bus stand told me that first I go to Transport Nagar, and from there I can get a direct bus for Galtaji. But how shall I reach Transport Nagar, I wondered, until I saw this Camel cart going in the same direction. I asked the man riding the cart to drop me in the way. He agreed. I jumped on and together we went. On the way, we start chatting, while I was filming him. I asked him what does he do for work. He told me he transports timber logs that are used in building constructions. For each consignment, he said, he gets hundred bucks, and on an average he makes Rs. 15000/- a month. The man told me, he has three daughters and two sons, a wife and his parents at home and yet, how happy he is despite his meagre family income. It made me wonder that why can we all not be happy like him. I thought, how nice it would have if people could actually learn to be happy like him, despite their circumstances. More then half of our problems would have been solved automatically.

On reaching Transport Nagar, I thanked him, took his picture and said goodbye.


TO BE CONTINUED...