It was cacophony in the car. It always is! Sometimes I really wonder why we bothered getting car seats for the kids in India. Most often it's quite an ordeal making them sit in their seats belted and is a long boring ritual every time that ends in my impatiently declaring they can go free. I end up being the drama queen for nothing!
We were heading to Thirupparankundram. Akin to many Maduraites I too have fond memories of running around the huge temple, getting lost in the crowd on Tuesday evenings, feeding the temple elephant for a blessing touch in return!
The children were enjoying themselves. I sorely miss the childhood bliss of not letting situations or places determine my behaviour. A long corridor, a steep wide flight of stairs and there we were at six feet distance from the idol of Lord Muruga. We intently watched the sacred spear being bathed in rose water, honey, tender coconut water and milk. For some reason, the milk from the abhishekam tastes divine, I know not why! The priest dabbed a generous amount of sandalwood paste on the spear and restored it beside the rightful owner while I hushed my son who grinned and declared to his sister that the spear was having a bath! Peels of laughter followed while my daughter was preparing to respond with an equally amusing observation.
Down the stairs again and I hurried to pay a special visit to Juradevar. Vested interest or whatever, we needed his blessings with the frequent travel and insane weather changes.
I was taken aback by a sudden gush of air. It was a welcome change from the crowd near the sanctum especially with all the climbing up and down. When I recovered, I saw a short old man wielding a highly disproportionate large fan made of peacock feathers. He swayed it from side to side with utmost sincerity occasionally challenging his equilibrium, every time someone went past him. I could see he was very content with the monetary token of thanks that my son had just offered him. With the brother ahead, the sister rightfully marched and demanded her chance. She quickly went up to him.
Neat stripes of viboodhi on his forehead and a warm smile on his face constantly, the man bent down to thank her while I stood beside. As I turned to walk ahead, my father told me that the gentleman had been fanning devotees from when I was three. I almost froze. I turned to look at him again and we walked back to him.
My father explained to him that he had been seeing him the last three decades. The man was touched. He was only so glad he was being spoken to. He quickly called all of us and offered the viboodhi from his recent temple visits. I still kept observing him. A contented look, divinity, immense faith in the Lord and no complaints about having to tirelessly fan the hundreds of people passing by, with zilch expectation - truly rare!
Minutes later, we then learnt that he doesn't miss any kumbabishekam in the state. He deems it his duty to be present in any temple where the kumbabishekam happens. I don't know if he has a family or if all his belongings would fit into a backpack. It didn't bother me more than his simplicity did. He seemed like someone out of the race. In his own manner, out of the league, I'd like to say. He seemed unfazed by the world around him. He was the king of his fan and he served the Lord by serving the Lord's devotees. I could well put him on a pedestal amidst shopkeepers outside selling overpriced flowers and offerings and devotees haggling with them. Unfortunately, there is a price tag with faith and devotion. It comes with ifs and thens and with mental mutual deals. Not that there's anything wrong with that! It's just the way some of us pray! Can we pray unconditionally? That's the question that popped when I heard about him.
As he blessed my kids, I felt blessed. I was so glad that my children have the opportunity to experience the niceties that were an integral part of my childhood. Sometimes, you see God in strangers and in their deeds. The gentleman was a reminder that he was in a place where I’d probably need a lifetime to strive to be in. Contented, spiritual, selfless with unconditional faith in God. I felt a tinge of shame that I had to realize that after a man older than my father, struggling to lift a fan almost twice his size, fanned me, my kids and a million others who wouldn't even miss him.
It was certainly not just a gush of air.
Suja superb!'Certainly not just a gust of air'! Touching!! I know this man very very well. The same statistics hold good for me too..from three years and appa had the habit of going every tuesday. Initially I loved the cool air on my face in the bullet ride I got. Then after that it was for listening to songs and enjoying a peaceful conversation with appa in the car! Its in these long drives that he will speak without looking at his watch in his soft tone which otherwise is very loud!:)Well though the Thiruparagundram Murugan is my favourite, the drive with appa is what I recall always when i go there to do the milk abhishekam even today! All the little conversations and the little things I bought and which walls I dropped my Viboothi etc. That place is more than a temple for me!
ReplyDeleteLoved every bit about the man with his fan and I have a MILLION times thought on those lines too!To be off the race and remain contented can be very beautiful! Just like Prahalad to call it a 'bath'. Now I will always remember that joke when I watch it!:)
Very nice post...growing up in Mdu, I guess many of us have special temples and even more special memories attached to them!
ReplyDeleteIts so true what you say about the children having the opportunity to experience the niceties that were an integral part of your childhood.
ReplyDeleteWhen they get older, it'll be so much harder to drag them to temples and try to get them to understand the special meaning certain people/places hold in your heart. I was whisked away to Singapore at age 4 and now, in my (post)-teenage years, I'm being dragged around to places that meant something to my parents. But I find it hard to make any connection/meaning out of them in the way my parents do. In my teen years, every bit of me was skeptical and I largely opposed to their choice of holiday destinations (temples, villages, mountains, lakes, and oh, did I mention temples?).
Now that I'm past the teen-angst-phase, I create my own perceptions of these places through my (post)-teen eyes, albeit different from what I might have perceived as a kid. As a kid I would've probably been more open, more innocent, just taking in all the sights and sounds without judging anything or anyone. At age 21, if I were in Prahlad's place, I would've probably spent the next 10 minutes having an intense internal conflict about whether our religion really insists on milk/fruits/chandanam abhishegams to please to gods, or whether its our people who have interpreted it that way, why they think this is the proper thing for a proper Hindu to do, whether they care a hang about the food and water scarcity in other parts of the world.... and you get the drift. We'll leave that for another post :P.
Its so much harder not to be judgmental when you're older isn't it? Gone are the teenage days, but the fact remains that I still groan when my parents insist on visiting a dozen temples each trip. I find it hard to appreciate such holidays. Like you say, these places bring back memories and experiences that they fondly remember. These are practices my parents were subject to when they were kids themselves, and because of that, now its habitual. Perceptions you create of these niceties as a kid, mostly continue to remain "nice" even when you're grown up don't they?
Travel a lot with the kids while they're still amusing themselves with innocent thoughts. Take them to places you want them to see. Let them take in the sights and sounds just as they are, and there's a higher chance they'll grow up to love unconditionally and visit these places, simply for what they are.
Thanks girls!
ReplyDeleteSruthy, couldn't agree more! This deserves a separate post altogether!!
It's more likely that niceties will seem nice(!) to kids when they're experienced at the same age as the parents I guess!
Nonetheless, a great point of view at an opportune moment for me!
http://kavismusings.blogspot.com/2009/07/drives-part-ii.html
ReplyDeleteI guess these people are present at all temples ! Or is it the same person ?
I have often wondered, what drives them ? When the modern generation with instant gratification as a staple requirement...what drives these men ? What are they made of ?
I really wonder !
On another note, wonderful post ! Captures the meaning and the essence. lovely narration !