Bliss, in his omnipresence

Pious presence just ahead of dawn

(తెలుగు అనువాదము)
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It’s about 03:30 in the morning. Silence has taken over the streets on which there’s a grand 5-6 people, perhaps I’m very early. Sparing some tip to the driver, I headed towards the main entrance. It’s my first time here and on top I’m wearing an unusual attire ‘Mundu’ (a traditional single piece cloth made of fine silk and thin golden threads). The small traditional pond, lotus leaves scattered from place to place, reflections of the temple lights nudging between those leaves, men and women walking in their most traditional attire, the golden temple arch in the background. It’s one of those magical sights that fill our hearts with ecstasy.
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Only traditional attire is allowed inside the temple, so the festive mood sets in at the ‘Dvarakosthaka’ itself (the main entrance). I’m in Kerala, place that’s commonly referred to as god’s own country; And who lives in God’s own country other than fairies? Their dancing hair darker than the midnight skies, symbolic Kerala knot to tie the hair to the hind, colourful flowers entertaining that knot, fragrant sandalwood mark on their foreheads, light cream colour sarees of finest quality woven with golden borders, and elegance scintillating in the hazy presence of those oil lamps – who can it be but traditional Kerala women? Men in their mundu are no less. But it is the genial smile that seems common across everyone. It’s the same smile we get with a grin – when we realise we have a pleasant surprise in waiting. One cannot but appreciate the taste of our ancestors. Did they live such beautiful lives? Where has all this richness gone? Reluctantly, I parked these questions for later, to indulge in the sanctity of that very moment.
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The hanging lamps of Kerala (Thooku Vilakku) are very famous and they are all around me. It seems these lamps know exactly how much light to emit. Exactly so to boast the remarkable sculptures of animals and other symbols on the pillars, the intricate carvings on the ceilings, the history unwritten on the walls and what not. I used every moment of waiting in the queue to soak in this unparalel  beauty. Couple of turns lead the queue to ‘Ganadhipati’, the elephant god. It’s customary in Indian culture to pray him first. Soon after comes the inner chamber of the temple, where the main deity resides. The very presence of the idol in such delightful ambience is a feast to our eyes and soul. Referred in historic scriptures as early as 500BCE, I could only guess the likely millennia old rituals that I am about to witness. The deity is sculpted to such absolute perfection, I see the gentle grin on his face; perhaps a sign he is accepting our prayers. Roses and lilies used for decoration, the holy Tulasi (Basil leaves) garlands that add further harmony to the ambience, layers of incense that invigorate our soul, the drums that amplify the mood, the dedication evident in the chanting of the priests, prayers vocalized to such perfection, and the echo coming back from the outer walls – as if they don’t want to miss the bliss in this moment.
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Around me are one of the most polite police I’ve ever seen – organising the queues, elderly reciting the prayers in their own languages, kids eagerly awaiting the next rituals, wives praying for their husbands’ safety, husbands praying for their wives’ happiness, elderly praying for their retirement, youth praying for their future, kids praying for their holidays and so on. They are all different in their origins, languages, colours, castes, wishes and ways… But, what is strikingly similar is the devotion in their prayers, kindness in their eyes, politeness in their words and passion in their love for someone. I feel so blessed to be at this moment of bliss. It is the same feeling we get gazing at Pietà in the Vatican, touching the western wall in Jerusalem, sitting under the Maha Bodhi tree in Gaya, walking thru the arches of Fushimi-Inari in Kyoto, meditating in the Himalayas, or other places of such spiritual vivacity.
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We are all special in that we are all equal in this journey seeking answers. There is this term “Sanatana Dharma”. It refers to the eternal laws of life that we all need to respect; like honesty, kindness, patience, self-control, purity of thought and goodwill towards others. When we undress the social and situational costumes of religion, caste, gender, race etc., we are all the same. An unpretentious species of animals trying to figure out what we are, where we came from and where we are heading to.
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Once we acknowledge this, we can control bleeding our energy and time on all those trivial fights; and help our navigation towards that state of a passionate self. Where our thoughts are clear, actions stronger, and success everlasting – in any field we are passionate about.