Indians have a saying for those who give a spirited chase to their goals “hath dho ke peeche …” This is what occurred to me on a rainy day and hence the title.
In Haridwar, I observe the Ganges getting dirtier due to community bathing by men who flaunt their obscene, old, torn H shaped attires (if you know what I mean). In Pondicherry where people find peace, I get upset for not being allowed to appreciate a tree in Auroville for the lack of time at hand. In Rishikesh, I remember the tasty food by Chotiwalas more than anything.
In Kukke Subramanya, I pay more attention to celebrity pictures of those who visited for Kaal Sarpa Dosha including Sachin. And in McLeodganj, I meditate at the roadside market which sells accessories and antiques. Sadly that’s me !
My Spiritual Journey
Parents and grandparents introduced me to the temples and pujas, but true credit goes to my ‘nose’ which threw so many tantrums post surgery that I got slipped into the world of spiritual solace. Coming across those doctors who make faces like you will die the next day and prescribe hundreds of tests for simple problems is the first step towards spirituality.
For most problems, complaining to God in Amitabh Bachchan style does provide some relief. But unlike Amitabh Bachchan who went to the temple towards the end in Deewar, I say temple temple here I come, with my own wishlist every time.
Of all, it is Lord Shiva who I have related to since childhood. Anytime I’ve been denied the due, instead of catching the collar of bosses, boyfriends and mom-in-laws, I’ve run to Lord Shiva. It’s only for my own health that I had to look beyond Shiva temples. I’m not the one who really believes that God is accessible in temples and can be moved by pujas only, but I like our culture which makes it easier for the girl to gain brownie points with in-laws and in turn please her home hero too . That’s a different spiritual level altogether.
I was happily surprised since I hadn’t even uttered my wish.
On a serious note, my quest for solutions to my insignificant health issues has introduced me to many a good things and great souls. Reiki, pyramid meditation, kriya yoga, numerology, Louise Hay’s ‘heal your life‘ (courtesy my friend Shalini), Yogananda’s ‘Autobiography of a yogi’, writings by James Redfield and Brian Weiss.
PS. – Top 10 spiritual tours in India
- Chardham yatra- Rishikesh, Yamnotri, guptkashi, uttarkashi, kedarnath, badrinath, Haridwar
- Vaishnodevi & Amarnath in Jammu & Kashmir
- Rishikesh, Haridwar, Varanasi , Sarnath, Bodh gaya.
- Dakhineshwar in Kolkata.
- Golden Temple Amritsar
- Shirdi in Maharashtra
- Somnath and Dwarka in Gujarat
- Mcleodganj in Dharamshala
- Tirupati, Srikalahasti, Sabrimala and Kukke Subramania in South India
- Mathura Vrindavan Gokul
- Omkareshwar, Mahakaleshwar in MP
- Ajmer
Homa, great writing, never knew about this talent, keep posting its always fulfilling to do things we like than doing what we need to do
Hooma, really good one…Also I want to say about the road side shop snap…its a good click. Keep writing like this….loved this one…:-)
@ Siddhartha- Thank you so much for the appreciation.Have also joined a course in which I get to learn photography too.I keep looking at your pics for the composition.Damn nice!
@ Sanjukta- Thanks a lot.Happy that you liked the blog and the pic.
what an interesting read Hooma! oh my gosh i could not stop laughing about somethings that you wrote lol..and i could connect to what you meant – i do have lot of contradictions in my mind too and always confused 😉 keep it going girl!
@ Deaa- Glad that you could relate yourself to what I've written.Thanks a ton..
Well well well – a great read. Never knew you were endowed with this talent. Spirituality is like evolution – it comes but when/how, we dont know – there is no set pattern/time for it. Also, during difficult times we relate more to this – how adversity brings out best (in some caes worst) from within. Quoting Kabir here: Dukh main simran sab karen, sukh main kare naa koi! Jo sukh main simran karen, to dukh kaahe kaa hoi!!
Wow, so nice.