Destiny; the unknown force that makes things flow the way they are meant to. The force that governs all actions and reactions of this world. Till a certain age in life, I didn't believe in such an unearthly force. Its was only when I started seeing the world the way I see it now, I could feel its existence. Everything happens for a reason. Destiny applies for those that don't.
Back when I was a kid, the festival of Ganeshotsav, which generally comes amidst a spam of other Hindu festivals somewhere in September, used to be one of my favorites. To me, now its just a bunch of people who get an idol home for a couple of days, pretend to be its slaves and celebrate when they drown their deity in a nearby lake or sea. (which, honestly, doesn't makes sense. If you love the deity, why send him back? and if you don't, why bring him home in the first place?)
But things were different when I was a kid. Ganeshotsav was just another reason to stay away from school and celebrate. We didn't have Ganapati at our home; however, our neighbors did! Being the energetic jolly kid, I was always around their home, helping and (lazily) assisting them in ways fit for a 8~9 year old kid. I remember waking up early in the morning to get the deity home, on the first day. The part that had always been a mystery to me was the Visarjan. Since they did it late at night and because I was a child, restricted by a curfew time (unlike now), I never got to see it. I had seen it a million times on television but digital media cannot compare to a first hand, real life experience. Later on, as I turned towards the final few years of my teenage, my interest for the whole affair started to die out, for more reasons than I can remember. Ever so often, I used to see the Visarjan part on television; never bothered watching it till the end, either.
So after skipping college and spending the day inside my room like a self-grounded eHermit, my grandfather asked me to take a stroll and catch some fresh air at around 20:30. Granny recommended me to leave after dinner and so I was walking out the door at around 21:30. Called up a friend and as it turned out, he had just got home from a family outing and intended to study. Decided not to bother him. There was no point in calling the other friend since it would mean violating his curfew. The silver lining over this dark cloud being, I get some solo time to myself and think about things, in general.
I was at one of my most preferred spots - on the Mulund east-west flyover, watching trains go by. When suddenly I wanted water. No, I wasn't thirsty. I just wanted to see water. Lots and lots of water! I wished it rained. But judging by the weather, I knew it wasn't about to rain anytime soon. But still, I wanted water. Lots and lots of water!
It was about 21:45 when I decided, 'meh, screw it. I'm going to a place FILLED with water. RIGHT NOW!' Getting your folks used to the fact that you are a night bug IS a difficult thing, but an extended curfew DOES have its benefits. Tonight, I utilized it! Took a train northwards to the not-so-friendly suburb of Thane (that we prefer to call 'The Village') (my friends and family from the village are SO gonna kill me if they read this part) A little walk from the bustling railway junction later, I was at Talav Pali (Masunda Lake). Despite being around 10'oclock it was moderately crowded but by Indian standards, it wasn't enough to be called a crowd. The thing I found most enticing about the lake was how the buildings and lights were reflecting clearly in the stagnant water. It was so soothing to watch that I decided to blow my cover and act like the tourist I was and pull out my cell phone and take snaps.
This next picture is of a theater named Gadkari Rangayatan, where they hold plays, mostly Marathi ones. Personally, I'm not much interested in plays, let aside Marathi ones. But for some odd reason, today, I felt like watching one! Too bad there was none playing at that time, otherwise I might have given it a shot. Although, a few minutes later, it DID seem like a horribly bad idea. (since I get to see one everyday at home; free of cost)
Random impulses, I feel, are a part of what destiny holds for you. If its within my bounds, I prefer to act according to these instead of defying what's in store for me.Be it good or bad. When I was standing over the flyover and had the impulse to see water, LOTS AND LOTS OF WATER, I knew that on my way home tonight, something was bound to have happened... and it did.
As my eyes uninterestedly scanned the areas, a huge truck caught my attention. It was open and had lots people standing on the rear along with an idol of a familiar deity. 'In February?', was what my head asked first. But then it hit me that there HAD been decorations in my neighborhood as well for the same. Because it was an everyday thing for me, I had ended up completely ignoring its existence! As the driver took a shabby turn towards the lake, I realized what they were here for. The ritual I had missed all my childhood, that had been later buried under the chaos of my mind - The Visarjan!
So I kept an eye on the truck and paced faster, so that I wouldn't lose sight of it. When it stopped, I caught up and sat by a spot at the edge where they had places to sit, not too far from the truck. Amidst the Paan spitting douchebags, guys holding pinkies with other guys and hyperactive Saffies, I seemed like a complete mismatch. Despite the unnerving feeling, I decided to stick around, just to see how things go. So after checking out the place a bit, they said prayers. Apologies for the bad picture quality, night mode just isn't good enough on my phone's camera.
and after a long wait, they boarded the idol onto a motor boat, all done manually! Off went the little ship to the middle of the lake and the few people on it said farewell to their deity.
It was almost 23:30 when I left the lake and looked back upon this incident, on my way home. I wondered if I would remember this special moment, that randomly came and passed by, in years to come. That's why I decided to post this on the blog.
Funny, how you act on a random impulse and things turn out in ways you could have never imagined. A wish that I bore back then, fulfilled so many years later.
Well thanks for reading till the very end. ^_^
Nem,
signing off :D
Back when I was a kid, the festival of Ganeshotsav, which generally comes amidst a spam of other Hindu festivals somewhere in September, used to be one of my favorites. To me, now its just a bunch of people who get an idol home for a couple of days, pretend to be its slaves and celebrate when they drown their deity in a nearby lake or sea. (which, honestly, doesn't makes sense. If you love the deity, why send him back? and if you don't, why bring him home in the first place?)
But things were different when I was a kid. Ganeshotsav was just another reason to stay away from school and celebrate. We didn't have Ganapati at our home; however, our neighbors did! Being the energetic jolly kid, I was always around their home, helping and (lazily) assisting them in ways fit for a 8~9 year old kid. I remember waking up early in the morning to get the deity home, on the first day. The part that had always been a mystery to me was the Visarjan. Since they did it late at night and because I was a child, restricted by a curfew time (unlike now), I never got to see it. I had seen it a million times on television but digital media cannot compare to a first hand, real life experience. Later on, as I turned towards the final few years of my teenage, my interest for the whole affair started to die out, for more reasons than I can remember. Ever so often, I used to see the Visarjan part on television; never bothered watching it till the end, either.
So after skipping college and spending the day inside my room like a self-grounded eHermit, my grandfather asked me to take a stroll and catch some fresh air at around 20:30. Granny recommended me to leave after dinner and so I was walking out the door at around 21:30. Called up a friend and as it turned out, he had just got home from a family outing and intended to study. Decided not to bother him. There was no point in calling the other friend since it would mean violating his curfew. The silver lining over this dark cloud being, I get some solo time to myself and think about things, in general.
I was at one of my most preferred spots - on the Mulund east-west flyover, watching trains go by. When suddenly I wanted water. No, I wasn't thirsty. I just wanted to see water. Lots and lots of water! I wished it rained. But judging by the weather, I knew it wasn't about to rain anytime soon. But still, I wanted water. Lots and lots of water!
It was about 21:45 when I decided, 'meh, screw it. I'm going to a place FILLED with water. RIGHT NOW!' Getting your folks used to the fact that you are a night bug IS a difficult thing, but an extended curfew DOES have its benefits. Tonight, I utilized it! Took a train northwards to the not-so-friendly suburb of Thane (that we prefer to call 'The Village') (my friends and family from the village are SO gonna kill me if they read this part) A little walk from the bustling railway junction later, I was at Talav Pali (Masunda Lake). Despite being around 10'oclock it was moderately crowded but by Indian standards, it wasn't enough to be called a crowd. The thing I found most enticing about the lake was how the buildings and lights were reflecting clearly in the stagnant water. It was so soothing to watch that I decided to blow my cover and act like the tourist I was and pull out my cell phone and take snaps.
This next picture is of a theater named Gadkari Rangayatan, where they hold plays, mostly Marathi ones. Personally, I'm not much interested in plays, let aside Marathi ones. But for some odd reason, today, I felt like watching one! Too bad there was none playing at that time, otherwise I might have given it a shot. Although, a few minutes later, it DID seem like a horribly bad idea. (since I get to see one everyday at home; free of cost)
Random impulses, I feel, are a part of what destiny holds for you. If its within my bounds, I prefer to act according to these instead of defying what's in store for me.Be it good or bad. When I was standing over the flyover and had the impulse to see water, LOTS AND LOTS OF WATER, I knew that on my way home tonight, something was bound to have happened... and it did.
As my eyes uninterestedly scanned the areas, a huge truck caught my attention. It was open and had lots people standing on the rear along with an idol of a familiar deity. 'In February?', was what my head asked first. But then it hit me that there HAD been decorations in my neighborhood as well for the same. Because it was an everyday thing for me, I had ended up completely ignoring its existence! As the driver took a shabby turn towards the lake, I realized what they were here for. The ritual I had missed all my childhood, that had been later buried under the chaos of my mind - The Visarjan!
So I kept an eye on the truck and paced faster, so that I wouldn't lose sight of it. When it stopped, I caught up and sat by a spot at the edge where they had places to sit, not too far from the truck. Amidst the Paan spitting douchebags, guys holding pinkies with other guys and hyperactive Saffies, I seemed like a complete mismatch. Despite the unnerving feeling, I decided to stick around, just to see how things go. So after checking out the place a bit, they said prayers. Apologies for the bad picture quality, night mode just isn't good enough on my phone's camera.
and after a long wait, they boarded the idol onto a motor boat, all done manually! Off went the little ship to the middle of the lake and the few people on it said farewell to their deity.
It was almost 23:30 when I left the lake and looked back upon this incident, on my way home. I wondered if I would remember this special moment, that randomly came and passed by, in years to come. That's why I decided to post this on the blog.
Funny, how you act on a random impulse and things turn out in ways you could have never imagined. A wish that I bore back then, fulfilled so many years later.
Well thanks for reading till the very end. ^_^
Nem,
signing off :D
