Friday, July 31, 2015

Kumbha Mela: The Celestial Carnival Of Divinity And Faith!!!


There is Nothing In The Outside World That is Not In Inside!!! 
I have already written about my perception and understanding of Kumbha Mela before though I have never been to it so far. But I must say that was how I felt about KumbhaMela till last Sunday.
On Sunday (26th July 2015) I had an opportunity to attend the screening of “Conversation at Kumbha Mela” – a documentary film on Kumbha Mela at Allahbad in 2013 at Nehru Centre, Worli - prepared and organized by Anugraha.
It was truly amazing. I had never thought the feeling would be so different. I had my own observation about Kumbha Mela. But the documentary is really instructive, informative and  enlightening!!
 Any spiritual or religious venture has its foundation on FAITH. It begins with Faith and ends in Faith as well. So also the mystifying Kumbha Mela.



 I knew that Kumbha Mela is known as “the world's most massive act of faith” but the question never arrived in my mind was how was it possible. I mean what short of power of magnetism the “Mysterious Kumbha” has that draws millions and millions of people who arrive there boarding overcrowded buses, trains or any means of transport with meager belongings and heavy bundles to settle for few days of life in any corner of the holy land, only to assimilate themselves in “ocean of humans” and to take a dip in the holy rivers.
 No advertisement, no grand preparation by the administrative bodies, no sufficiency of hygiene and sanitation, no availability of proper medications in case of a major health break up, also not enough security and safety  and no luxury of life. Still the Kumbha Mela gathers human droplets to form an oceanic sight.  The magical automation of life inside the Kumbha Mela would leave you astounded while looking at the human veritable river with wave after wave that flows onto the banks of the river and assimilate in it.
 With what looks to be “not so equipped and resourced” administrative authorities to monitor the “largest congregation of religious gathering in the World” makes Kumbha Mela not less than a “spiritual adventure” of its kind.



Is that only faith!! Or an invisible blanket of a celestial power that makes such a grand divine event possible!! I think here it narrows the crevice between the Theist – Believer of God and Atheist – Non believer of God.
Kumbha Mela is of course the holiest religious Pilgrimage for the Hindus. And Pilgrimage is essentially a part of every religion. But what boggles the mind is the “the colossal number of devotee” who come to this sanctified event with such an incredible faith. Faith forms the most significant force that makes Kumbha Mela possible. "The unwavering conviction, faith and trust in something sublime, something uplifting" might be the boosting force behind such a gathering...!!!
It is the power of faith that can part a river, move mountains, and endure the hardships that come bundled up for being an integral part of Kumbh Mela, a congregation of millions, gathered together to be freed from the vicious earthly cycle of life and death and move towards a heavenly realm, which knows no suffering or pain.
It's the mythological history of India and the sacred religious texts that bind us carnal souls to an eternal hope - things will be better, without the ever-imminent fear of them getting worse that cripples us here.
"An eternal life free of sins" is the promise that comes attached with the magnificent event of Kumbh Mela. It's a promise to which millions want to be bound with, and it is this promise that has made Kumbh Mela what it is today.

No matter what attracts people to this gathering. It could be just Faith to submit oneself to the mystery of Kumbha or the Curiosity to explore the spirit of jamboree. In any case one learns the best lessons of “essence of Human life”. 
Being a droplet in the Human Ocean makes one to realize the tiny existence of oneself in the Universe. That takes away the ego, pride and superciliousness and arrogance….the evils of human life.
I learnt about something very interesting is the “Kinchit daan” (little charity) that is performed here by the devotees where people do charity in the form of various food materials like rice, pulses, vegetables… etc and other things as well.
The symbolic meaning of “Kinchit Daan” is no matter how much material wealth one acquires, it would always remain kinchit (small). One who doise a charity of one ruee and one who dose a charity of 1 billion…both are said as “kinchit”. The lesson is “charity is a responsibility”.
Total submission before the divinity, altruistic and selfless service to the mankind and being in UNITY among the souls….that enlightens the human life. It brings peace, balance and happiness in life. That is the most spiritual take away from Kumbha Mela.

May be that is why Kumbha Mela itself is  termed as the “University of spirituality” that opens for about two months in one place in every twelve year.  

 “I am unraveling the mysteries of Kumbh Mela by participating in the #TheKumbhMelaExperience activity at BlogAdda in association withAnugraha

(Images: Sources Google and http://thekumbhmelaexperience.com/)

Sunday, July 26, 2015

A Day In The Life Of A Rag Picker...



When Innocence Childhood Humanity is Crushed
By Poverty Illiteracy Population Growth
Hunger hard luck Dance on Fate
And a merciless call of destiny
To carry heavy gunny bags
On their tiny Aching backs
To fill with trampled Scraps
With Barefoot and wounded hands
As If They are thrown
To garbage as trash
To Pick up the
Rags


Childhood should be blessed with A SCHOOL BAG on its back and not at all Wounded with A GARBAGE BAG!!!




This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.
Images-courtesy Google Image 



WOW!!! This poem won the WOW Badge!!


Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Kumbha Mela: An Unique Celebration Of Unity In Diversity!!!




You are not a drop in the ocean.
You are the entire ocean, in a drop ~ Rumi

The very mention of “Kumbha” more clearly “KumbhaMela” had always been bit scary and frightening to me in my babyhood days. You know…those stories of My Granny had always a missing girl in Kumbh Mela who was distanced from her parents only to face the hell of the world. Nobody was there to take care of her. Also she was not able to find her parents after leaving their hands in the “Kumbha Mela”.
 And finally one fine day by God’s grace her parents find out her and she was back to her home. She learnt a lesson that she would never leave the hands of her parents again in any other gathering.  The moral of the story was never go away from your parents while in a crowd or congregation.
May be the whole idea of My granny was to teach me how to remain with parents and never go anywhere without them and sometime may be inculcating the Faith For the God almighty in me but I was also developing fear towards the “Kumbha Mela”. I used to quickly identify myself with the missing girl. And the very thought of it and the “Kumbha Mela” would be enough to give me a “Goosebumps” as it appeared to me as a place where little girls may part away from their parents.




Well, the horror remained till my teenage. First it became a laughing factor for me following the bollywood dialogues “Kumbh ke Mele Main Bichade Hue Do Bhai” (the two brothers who were separated in Kumbh Mela).
Also after that the fear and apprehensions got converted into intense dislike following the horrifying nasty look (I’m sorry but honestly I used to feel like that
)  of Aghori babas and Naga Sadhus in pictures in any article or every print materials available on “Kumbha Mela”.
I used to wander, to be religious why one needs to look so much ghastly horrible! So in my entire college days I was never interested in learning about “Kumbha Mela” and its significance.


It was only in 2010 when the Maha Kumbha Mela was held in Haridwar and my Parents-in-Laws (Mother in law and Father In law) visited the same, I got some positive inclination towards it.
It is also an interesting story that left us with an amusing memory. That time we were staying at Delhi while my in laws decided to visit the Kumbha Mela. They came from Odisha, visited the same at Haridwar while completely in touch with us through phone. As that time my son wasn’t well, so we couldn’t join them.
One fine day their phone became unreachable while we learnt about the stampede in the news. We were horrified. After much enquiry in vein, we thought might be something wrong had happened with them.
OMG!! Without losing a moment we headed for Haridwar. On reaching there we enquired about them in the Hotels they were staying and every possible place where they could be. But left with no clue about them. Kumbha Mela was almost over by that time. So there was no such dense crowd.




In night as we returned to our Hotel, a phone from an unknown number came. OMG!! It was my Father in Law. He said they had already left Haridwar and that time he was calling from Puri. In our culture, it is believed that, after bathing in Ganga (Ganga Snana), one should first Visit Lord Jagannath then only can go to home. That is the rteligious process which we were not aware. As they lost the mobile, so they couldn’t inform us about their program of leaving Haridwar.Thank God!!
 That was my first visit to Haridwar and my first dip in sacred River Ganga though not witnessing the “Kumbha Mela”. But the residue of preparation was testimony of the immense nature of “Kumbha Mela”.

History and Tradition of Kumbha Mela:
Indeed, the Kumbh Mela is one of the oldest traditions of Hinduism. It is believed to be the largest congregation of devotees in the world on earth. The reason for which it is observed has its origin in the ancient episode of “Sagar Manthan” (Churning Of Ocean) described in the Holy Vedic Texts.


As per the legend, after the joint venture of churning the ocean by both Devas and Asuras  (Gods and Demons) at last “Amrit - the nectar of immortality” was obtained contained in a Kumbh (Pitcher). However the ownership of the same was a matter of discord between two parties that was followed by a fight. During the brawl, it is believed that drops of nectar fall on four places. Prayag (Allahabad), Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik.


Kumbha Mela 2015 flag Hoisting Ceremony at Nashik.


 Interestingly these four places are geographically situated in the banks of Four Holy Rivers and one mysterious river.  The Ganges (Ganga) at Haridwar, the Godavari at Nashik, the convergence (Tribeni or Sangam) of the Ganges and the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati at Allahabad, and the Shipra at Ujjain are the sacred rivers which are worshipped during the Kumbh Mela.


Since then, it is believed that bathing in the holy waters of sacred rivers in these places, (Kumbh Snan) during this virtuous carnival washes away sins, cleanses the soul and leads to Moksha - the liberation.
It is held every third year at one of the above four places in rotation depending upon the position of the planet Jupiter and the Sun according to the India Astrology. Thus the Kumbh Mela is held at each of these four places every twelfth year.

Religious significance of Kumbha Mela:


All religions believe that the destiny of mankind is determined by the celestial war that goes on between good and evil. All festivals, in essence, are a celebration of the victory of good over evil. Kumbha Mela is one of the most significant festivals that people often observe very religiously. It makes them feel as if the “drop Of Nectar” dissolved in water of these rivers would enter into them kill all the sins done so far (knowingly or unknowingly) as the antibiotic kills the germs and cleanses the body.



The stunning and extravagant flaunt of faith In KumbhaMela has always been a dot of magnetism to the inquisitiveness of alien travelers from times immemorial. It is believed that the famous 7th century Chinese traveler Hiuen-Tsang was possibly the first person to mention Kumbh Mela in his diary.
Hiuen-Tsang had given an eyewitness account of the Kumbh Mela a  coverage of  how during the Hindu month of Magha (January-February), half a million people had gathered on the banks of the river Ganges at Allahabad to observe a commemoration that lasted 75 days.


He had written about the pilgrims to the fair assembled along with their king, his ministers, scholars, philosophers and sages. The king had donated huge amounts of gold, silver and jewels in charity to acquire good merit and to assure his place in heaven. Hiuen-Tsang’s testimony indicates that the Kumbh Mela was already quite popular in the 7th century as well.

Spiritual Significance of Kumbha Mela:
Spirituality is often different to different people. But common thing is getting closure to the Almighty – The ultimate source of energy is spirituality.

I personally feel Kumbha Mela represents the “Unity in Diversity” among the different followers of different religions. It goes perfectly with the philosophy of Sanatana Dharma. Often we equate Religion and Dharma. But both of them are fundamentally different. Religion is often monotheistic believe (following one set of rules or God)  while Dharma accommodates or holds together all believes in one place (Dhara eti – Dharmah!!). The Culture of Sanatana Dharma is all about accommodating all those monotheistic believers or religions such as Saivas (Follower of Lord Shiva), Vaishnavs (Follower of Lord Vishnu) …etc. That’s why it is called Eternal as it is a culture that has a room for every human irrespective of their belief system (Co-habitation and Co- existence being the founding principle to ensure Unity) And Kumbha Mela is the meeting point of all those believers. It propagates Unity, brotherhood shedding the difference among humans and their beliefs. May be that’s the symbolic meaning of the holy bath. Shed the difference, feel Human!!



Kumbha means a “pitcher,” which represents the human body or human life. It is made of clay and extremely fragile. It should be baked in the fire of yoga and good karmas (which are often difficult to do) and filled with nectar-like love and devotion. Then only we can celebrate the KumbhaMela in daily life.
Yes, it is required to have KumbhaMela in daily life. When Kumbha (HUMAN BODY) will fill up with nectar like unconditional love, devotion, service and humanity towards the creation the world will be a much better place.


May be the Kumbha Mela symbolically represents the “Meeting point of Virtues to fill up the divinity into the Kumbha – the Body”  !! 



I am unraveling the mysteries of Kumbh Mela by participating in the #TheKumbhMelaExperience activity at BlogAdda in association withAnugraha

Images - courtsey Google Images

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Rain Drops, Fun and Flood Gates of Nostalgia!!



Haiku!!
Rain Drops and Flood Gates of Nostalgia!!
Drip Drip Drip musical Raindrops
Rain pawns Paper boats Puddles colorful Umbrellas  
Rainwater Fun Floodgates of Nostalgia. 


With rains we all have our own memory lane. We all grow along with the rain filling out the scrapbook of our life with colorful drizzly memories so passionately collected over the years somewhat innocently and sometime unknowingly.




I never knew when I started loving rains so much. Every time it would always take me with a nostalgic ride to those beautiful moments. The quiescent memoirs become vivid with the falling drops from heaven as if they are transformed into self illuminating objects. And the curve on my face would get wider without my notice as I trail deep into the fantasy land with a divine melody that would hold my soul and heart together.
But this time (I thought) the journey would be different. Call it nature’s fallacy or human’s erroneous belief the initial delay of monsoon was somewhat striking the mind more than heart.




The panic of possible draught was somewhat making me more realistic. I was in fact praying to the intransigent rain God to shade his anger and have some mercy of forgiveness to the ignorant but adamant humans and bless the earth with his precipices.
Finally Monsoon came as it was destined to come how hard it may try to remain missing at all.



On a leisurely showery afternoon as my eyes struck through the window with the drip, drip, drip, falling rain drops, I felt as if even the rain drops were eager to fall down on the earth.




 Is it a homecoming for them…I wondered!!

The sheer drops were looking like competing among themselves to reach the ground first and become a lookalike of a pawn (chess) for a while before sliding into the ground.
It reminded me numerous war games with these rainy pawns that I had played with my siblings and friends. Little did I know then that the drops these are but today they appeared as if they are connecting earth with the heavens??



 I could remember my delightful gestures and twinkling eyes looking at the increase level of Rivers, ponds and other water bodies with every shower of rain, but today I understood that the fullness that comes with rains is the supremacy of blessings in life.


Looking at the puddles my glances were automatically pointed out to my static feet that were once wildly stomping in puddles, clapping around, splattering water and playing in the mud completely drenched with high spirit of delightfulness. Now I understand that happiness comes with limitlessness and freedom….sometime going untamed.


The dancing peacocks to the melody of pitter patter raindrops
Magical aura of rain kissed emerald vista of beauty of mother earth
Under the canvas of white and grey vapors
The dim fading sunlight dribble through the hazy clouds
The rhythm of downpour on the cradle of hills,
The whistling farmer ploughing on the fields  
The dripping droplets from the green leaves…
All remind me those days of fun and blissful time.
With rain..it makes me feel that the child in me is still alive
Neither the Rain changed itself nor did the soul in me ever grow up!! 



Sunday, July 19, 2015

If we can See That Invisible Tag: Fragile, Handle with Care!!


Let’s start with…The story Of Baggage:

We are all baggage on the conveyor belt
Listen to Our tale
And how we make our Journey
While Our Masters Seat into the
Luxurious ambiance of airplane

From the peak of check in,
In loading and unloading,
At destination…at last waiting to be claimed
We go through numerous nightmares
Trial torment and pain

Amusingly some of us carry a tag
That say, “Fragile, Handle with Care"
But From our understanding…You know
At airport lounge we saw,
In reality nobody cares!!


That many baggages on the belt
After landing, carry bruises,
Some have broken handles,
Some are unzipped, some are frayed
Some look fine… Of course
But the upshot of the next journey
Somewhat…Unknown


Who wants to feel like a fragile package?
Or Look Like a Delicate lot?
That shipped from one place to another
And handled by as many unknown hands?


And often we are treated same
We carry that tag or not
And go through those ordeals
Again and Again with every trip
But For baggage…We have no choices
To alter our destiny!!
But we really wonder
Why Humans threat their clan as Baggage
And why they seem to be So Choice less??


We Humans!!!
No matter how tough one asserts to be,
It just takes one odd turn in life

And one becomes terribly frail and fragile
At times...The most strongly and sturdily attired
Are most easily breakable within and inside
But with humans, the problem is that
We don’t carry that Visible Tag
“Fragile, Handle with Care”
May be that’s the reason
Why we hurt hastily other
And sometime get awfully hurt
Torn, ragged and tattered!!!


Like Baggage...we are also stuffs
In the LIFE – The Conveyor belt
But with a difference…
In dual roles to play...We are
“The baggage and the janitor”

If we can read that invisible tag
“Fragile, Handle with Care”
Labeled in every human
The world will be a much beautiful place
With a symphony of Love and Admire
Far and Wide…Everywhere!!

It is sad that often we treat ourselves as individuals of emotions WHILE others as creatures of logic. Wouldn’t the vice - versa make more contented equations??

 Let’s see the hidden tag on each human we deal with and read the eternal caption
That says, “Fragile, Handle with Care Please"
Words and Hearts should be handled with Care for...... Words when Spoken and Hearts when Broken are the Hardest things to Repair!



This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda.
Picture- Courtesy Google!!




Friday, July 17, 2015

Lord Jagannath:He Is Above Any Verses..!!



He is above any verses, as He is the Ultimate Verse!
He above any Glorification, as he is the Ultimate Glory in Himself!!
He is above any Syllables as He is the Ultimate expression Of Universe!!!
He is above any Truth or Justification as He is The Only Truth of Universe!!!
He Is The Lord Of Lords
Lord Jagannath!!!




Jagannatha Swami Nayana Patha Gami Bhaba Tume..........






Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Music Is My Life:Music to the soul is what a water bath is to the body!!!





As a kid I heard elders saying “Music Can Move Mountains” ….not particularly remember exactly when.  But surely I fell in love with Music from that instant (may be the first impulse being “the innocent curiosity” (OHhh!!!…How biiiig must be the Music is!!!”)

Well… over the years Music has been the best thing in my life. In fact it will be difficult for me to explain if “I have been a part of Music or Music is a Big part of me”…however both ways the fact remains the same.

From those babyhood days of purity, I remember…I used to wake up to the sounds of “Mandir Ki Ghanti” followed by the morning chanting of the verses (Mantras)  that used to come through a loud speaker something around 4.30 am in the morning. May be that was my first exposure to any kind of music. I was almost addicted to those rhythms so much that I would wake up automatically by that time.

With flow of time things changed. From Radio to Tape Recorder to VCR to TV and now smart phones. Ipods or you tubes…the sources of music changed but my passion for it never changed…..in fact with flow of time it only grew up exponentially.

Music has been a constant companion of my life. In any stage…as a stressed student for exams or an anxious schoolgirl for results, a thrilled teenager for future imaginings or a disgruntled adolescent for fretful apprehensions, as an elated would be bride to an excited expecting mother…almost all the emotions of my life, I have been living through the music.
Happiness or dimness, euphoria or despair….music has always been the soul of me…a big part of me!!!



When you are unhappy, then music is good because it smoothens your heart, heals your emotions and uplifts you….Kahlil Gibran

These days…Life is really tough. I’m no less than a multitasking human machine…yeah...Human machine. So many things to be done at a time… the reality of life today.  Take an X-ray of my mind and I’m sure u will not find the demarcation line between different things. That’s the real problem why often I feel as if I’m robbed of all my energy. Things are so much intermingled that it leaves me almost exhaust sometime. Then I look for my fuel to get back to life with renewed energy and thrill. And The Fuel of my life…Music helps me always to do so.

                        

When life sulk...I always have different play list of songs for different moods and emotions. For getting back to life with a “Tazgy ki Ehsaas” with a TAAZGI KA DHAMAKA my play list depends upon the fact “what made me tired, lost, brood and drained of my energy”

Depending upon the situation I get connected to the different songs. Let me share at least one for every situation.

Breathless!!
The body is the musical instrument; the soul is its player. It exists even after the body is destroyed, writes Steven J Rosen


Ever since I heard this song, it’s been in my all time favorite play list. Particularly this one helps me when I suffer from an aching mind with an equally painful body because of the stress that arises from the “hassle of daily core”. Almost every day I listen to this song. It just enters into every nerve of me and rejuvenates me from inside to get back to life.With this song i can say "when life sulk, music rocks"

 Awaara Bhanwara - Sapnay (HD)


This song actually defines me to some extent and how I normally connect to the different source of music!!

Let me say...I never knew when I became a “Kaansen” if not a “Tansen” with the flow of time for Music!! All I want to say is: It's a breath to the life... In the wind passing through me... I hear music!! I hear Music In murmuring of leaves... In the songs of birds... In the waves of sea... In a smile of a child... In the care of my mum... In the shine of sun... In the twinkling of stars... In the sounds of frogs...In the runs of butterfly ....In the colors of rainbow... In the drops of rain...In the dance of peacock...  Music!!

Daru Desi: Cocktail



Imagine those days when we feel lonely (may be temporarily) and nothing seems to excite us. This one is one of my favorites especially when I feel low missing my friends, pals and those days of fun and funky delightful moments. It makes me nostalgic and invigorates the soul. Then with a fresh mind  to get back to the life again!!

Khwabon Ke Parinday: Zindegi Na Milegi Dobaraa



 Zindegy Na Milegi Dobara…is always a movie that is close to my heart. Almost all songs are my favorites. But this one is special because it has a inbuilt sparkle that helps to rekindle the flame of life. Nothing kills u more than the hopelessness. This song helps me revive myself and get ready for the next best thing in life.

Banke Titli Dil Uda: Chennai Express 



Ohh!! This one is a very sweet song. I don’t need to be restless to listen this one. However it helps me glide through a different world, a world of self adoration, dreams and appreciating the beauty of life. More or less it works as that of an extra energy potion that helps me to think beyond life.

Barso Re Megha Megha:Guru


I’m a great admirer of rain and monsoon. I mean with the drip drip…drizzle I feel like as if all my desolation of life wash away. I can’t explain how earnestly I wait for the Rainfall – the shower of blessing every time.The rain drops with flood gates of nostalgia gets the best dancer from me. I dance as if no one is around me. This song often connects me to rain in monsoon as well as in the absence of it. That’s the magic of this song. Not only it compels me to dance to its tune but also It provides me that extra power of imagination, I often need as an aspiring writer.

Beat It:


A person is defined by the fights he/she undertakes in life. Results define the fight but fight defines the person. Sometime, when I meet with my weakness, my ugly moments and my obstacles of life, it makes me almost shrink. It feels like as if I’m at the dead end. I cannot beat the difficult situation. That time this one helps me to get an automatic combat strategy to deal with the adversities and limitations of my life.

Never Say Never:



One day I found this one in my Son’s play list. But I took no time to include it in my favorite play list.

As a human I also feel dejected and done sometime. Certain things make me feel as if I have to stop trying. I feel myself low, less resourced and weak to achieve something or outperform the struggle. After listening to this song, I immediately get freshness in my thought. I get back to life redeemed with lots of energy and vigor with an elevated mental strength!

Khwaja Mere Khwaja



One of the sensual pleasures without vice is music. Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life. This sufy song literally takes my soul to connect with Almighty – The source of all Energy. They say... Music is the highest form of meditation and for this song helps me to meditate and get totally surrendered to the Lord of Universe.

You know…heart and soul sometime becomes charge less. We breathe but we are not alive. Happens…it happens with everyone at some point of time. For me the above song from my favorite A.R Rehman helps me to alienate those moments of hopelessness and intense feeling of losing something valuable in life. It not only revitalizes my soul and heart but also fills it with new thoughts, dreams and strength.



For me the Universe is full with Music. Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life, bringing peace and abolishing strife.

Music is one of the greatest creations of human kind in the course of history. It is creativity in a pure and undiluted form and format. Music plays a vital role in our daily life. It is a way of expressing our feelings and emotions. Music is a way to escape life, which gives us relief in pain and helps us to reduce the stress of the daily routine. It helps us to calm down, an event excites us.


(Images - Courtesy google)