मृत्यु

मृत्यु-

जाने वाले का अंतिम आभास

शोकाकुल पर सतत आघात 

Niagra Falls

Like all the tourists entering the USA, Niagara falls was on my to-go list.
And on one of the days when Mr. was practicing for his Driving Test, we decided to take a long route - all the way to one of the most beautiful scenic attractions- Niagara falls. 

The New York side of the falls was about 400 miles from our place, an approx. 7.5 hrs. drive without breaks. Considering the relatively new experience behind the wheels and the difference in driving rules from India, we decided to go easy. We had a good night's sleep the day before, had breakfast and packed sandwiches for lunch. Then picked the rental car around 12 and started on our first long drive trip from Manhattan. We took plenty of breaks and finally reached our hotel in Rochester around 8 PM.


It was a Sunday in September so the weather was fine but the crowd at the falls was crazy!
I realized during the scores of road trips that we have done since, that there will be an overwhelming no. of Desi crowds at tourist places, especially if it is a long weekend or American holiday break. Crazy Number! So, we now avoid these holidays especially with a toddler because the whole experience will just go waste while waiting and finding a good spot without people photo-bombing all around.

Kids definitely don't have that patience!

Anyway, since we had driven all the way, the excitement of the first long trip kept me going through the scorching heat of 2.5 hrs. waiting in line for the tickets and then to the actual starting point of the boats that take you for the round to see the falls from close distance.

At one point, my stamina gave up and I fainted. Well, almost. Husband talked to the security person and requested for us to chip back in the queue once I felt fine. He agreed but there went those 20 mins of our very packed day. As soon as I felt a little better we joined the line and waited for our turn to hop on the boat. Even before that, the view from that small walk to the elevator that takes you down to the fall was so refreshing that there was no sign of fatigue from a long day!

Then came the boat and the journey to one of the greatest natural wonders of the world started. The feel of water on your face from the fall makes it the experience of another world. It felt like I was floating in water clouds. The sound of the falls helps lower the noise (excitement filled) of the crowd around you . You must capture the view and its enormity inside you, not just in the cameras. 

I even saw the first super clear rainbow of my life!

We finished the maid of the mist trail and headed back to the elevator.
Took a few pictures on our way back and covered a few nearby places from the trip adviser list.

It was getting dark and I was getting super hungry for the meal-food. Snacks, though we still had plenty left, couldn't fix my craving for a real meal. So we hit the road and were back to our room in about an hour. As soon as I touched the bed, I realized how tired I was!! There was no energy or excitement left to explore food at that time. We just ordered dinner from the room service menu and called it a day.

ज़ख्म

वक़्त -
मरहम है सबसे बड़ा
सुनते आये हमेशा से
कहा भी कई बार
कइयों से

फिर खुद जी कर जाना

वक़्त-
भरता नहीं हर ज़ख्म
कई बार बस
सीखा देता है जीना
पुरानों के साथ
जब हमें झेलने होते है

नए ज़ख्म !

अयोध्या

 

 

The honorable Supreme Court of India has now given the verdict on the much awaited Ayodhya Ram JanmBhumi case. And, as believed by millions of Hindus worldwide, the court has declared that the disputed site was indeed a Temple, destructing which another structure was erected and was called Babari Masjid.

This structure was again destroyed in Dec, 1992 in an attempt to reclaim the original Temple site.

Proceeding through the hierarchy of Indian judiciary, the case has been finally given a conclusion after 27 long years of countless hearings and apparent detailed study of history and geography by the personnel involved.

I don't intend to dissect this very sensitive topic/verdict. Although, it does bring lots of emotions and memories back. My heart and eyes can tell.

This topic strikes a personal chord with me as the very first memory that I can recall is the image of my father performing aarti(prayer with diya) wearing crisp white dhoti and later walking in khadau(wooden slippers) on an unpaved road. Another glimpse, I remember, is of a couple of monkeys running close to where we were setting up our bedding for the night and pulling the stop cork from our khaki air-pillow!

Maa tells me this place was Ayodhya, where my parents took me when I was around 2.5 years old!

Today as I turn another year older, I reflect on the happy moments of my life, the places I have visited and the influences that have shaped me as a person.

( I am sure all of us, at least once, have tried to recall the earliest clear memory from our life; haven't you?)

Naturally, one of my most treasured memories is the glimpse of this first travel/pilgrimage experience cum historic site visit.

Now, I am not a very religious person. Ritualistic, even less.

Still, today I lit a Diya not just for its aesthetics but also for the beautiful memories it connects me to.

 🙏🏼