In India God is really omni-present in form of numerous roadside temples and small temple like creations and even vermillion coated stone symbols, many times in open. So one has ample opportunities to be religious and keep bowing and doing namaskars whenever one passes these numerous places of worship. The bow becomes more pronounced if its the exam, crucial meeting or an interview you are going to. I observed more of such faith in Bombay and it runs across the religion.... so many times you can find a Muslim revering Saibaba or a Hindu crossing his chest. Good that India is a secular and multi faith country.
Here, in the Arab land also, God is omni-present but then, we humans have your God and my God. So in that respect I do miss my God. Well, lemme correct myself... I am always with the God .... maybe what I miss is India.
More of this missing happens when its a festival and you guys back home keep messaging what all goodies you are eating or enjoying. Mahashivratri is one such day where I used to fast by eating more. On Sunday I was bit down thinking that this will be a real fasting day and without witnessing all that festive environment. All the ladies dressed up going to the temples with pooja parapharnelia, temples all lit up and blaring jumbled up aartis. But then the local God and my God surely must have had some communication and I was blessed with ample portions of dry fruit Kheers, sabu dana khichadis, fruits et al. And top it up a grand audience that Shivji gave me, albeit late at night.
Here, in the Arab land also, God is omni-present but then, we humans have your God and my God. So in that respect I do miss my God. Well, lemme correct myself... I am always with the God .... maybe what I miss is India.
More of this missing happens when its a festival and you guys back home keep messaging what all goodies you are eating or enjoying. Mahashivratri is one such day where I used to fast by eating more. On Sunday I was bit down thinking that this will be a real fasting day and without witnessing all that festive environment. All the ladies dressed up going to the temples with pooja parapharnelia, temples all lit up and blaring jumbled up aartis. But then the local God and my God surely must have had some communication and I was blessed with ample portions of dry fruit Kheers, sabu dana khichadis, fruits et al. And top it up a grand audience that Shivji gave me, albeit late at night.
Shiv Temple is the oldest of temple here and is located in the old town of Muscat near to the royal palace. I did not know where exactly the temple is and at 10 PM my enquiries with taxi wallahs ended up abruptly in Chennai like Hindi illeh session. Fortunately stumbled on three Indian who also were going there and I safely and economically landed up at the temple. Did I say I missed India...... I will retract the statement. It was just like India.... huge crowds from half a km distance and magnificiently lit up spires. Fortunately did not worry about leaving shoes outside. Inside was a south indian atmosphere as Tamil group was conducting the Rudra chanting till midnight. The temple is managed by Gujarati community and after having good and emotional meeting with my God had sumptuous filling of prasad of dry fruit barfi and thandai. They forgot to mix Shivji's favourite bhang in that.
Colourful silk, heads full of flowers, boisterous kids and gossip groups all was there and I felt I would cry of happiness. I think when you are out of India you take extra efforts to look like an Indian. And before dispersal around midnight they struck Om Jai Jagdish Hare it was the grand finale.
Fortunately bumped into a colleague and God's little mercy took care of my return voyage on DDU basis.
It was really a gratifying day and one of my most memorable Maha Shivratris. While walking back to the colleague's car, I was very satisfied to see all the prasad plates and disposable plastic glasses all littered around the temple area merrily flying and rolling in the cool breeze. So Indialike...... isnt it!
4 comments:
Well. Thats how it is. God is a concept by which we measure our pain.
The more pain the more we despise God's will... the less pain the more we love God.
I may be an atheist but atheist is a strong word. I do believe in GOD more so when I find myself in the midst of a trouble.
GOD is indeed funny. Atleast to me. I have been to many a temples across India but have hardly found that magic which really takes you high. May be he plays game with me..sometime we both meet at the same temple sometime we don't.
GOD is a concept by which we measure our pain. yes it is. and I say it again. GOD is a concept by which we measure our pain.
so now guess my name.
I dont have to be Omiscient to know that this is you Abhi! Anh why else can be a greater pain than you! ;-)
If you go to temples to FIND him then obviously you gonna miss finding him. He is like a child- more you run after him more he will run away. Sit still and he will come running and embrace you.
If you want to find him to experience magic he will disappoint you. You have to go to him with as much faith and guillability a child has that the child never knows that it is the magic which has happened. Cliche it might sound but still faith does wonders. And that wonder is magic. In Calvin's innocence Hobbes comes alive. Dont stifle your innocence and you will create magic. I can understand that too much of ritual does kill the feeling. If one does not get the result in any experiment may be the process needs a relook. Unless he tries enough he cant say the theory is wrong. Can he!
Pain and pleasure are external manifestation of the same thing. More you are comfortable with yourself better you deal with pain and able you are to handle pleasure. One needs to find onself first coz as someone said God is inside you.
How I love to give you pain and now I can justify it as a pious act as God is a concept by which we measure our pain.
You need too hard kicks and all ur rebel without a cause theories will vaporise. What say you?
I was swooned. I need a cigarette now.
Boss I am not the revolutionary kind and I never intended to rebel. But the good thing is that when you speak with such stupidity the whole world comes over you and start preaching. Faith. Yes I do have this 5 letter word in my dict. The song by George Harrison of Sergent Peppers Album says it all.
We were talking - about the space between us all
And the people - who hide themselves behind a wall of illusion
Never glimpse the truth - then it's far too late when they pass
away
We were talking - about the love we all could share
When we find it - to try our best to hold it there - with our
love
With our love we could save the world - if they only knew
Try to realise it's all within yourself - no-one else can make
you change
And to see you're really only very small
And life flows on within you and without you.
We were talking - about the love that's gone so cold
And the people who gain the world and lose their soul
They don't know, they can't see - are you one of them ?
When you've seen beyond yourself
then you may find peace of mind is waiting there
And the time will come when you see we're all one
And life flows on within you and without you.
So the real GOD is WE.
The way we live the way we persue the PURPOSE. We become one with GOD.
Did I say anything different?
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