Some trivia inspired by my recent trip to a heaven called Pachmarhi (Heaven for me being a place where I can become a monkey, a mountain goat and a buffalo by rotation)
Its not that your friend is bad. Its that she's so bad, she makes me want to put my finger through my eye into my brain and swirl it around.
- F.R.I.E.N.D.S, Episode 206
(someone at Central Perk describing Phoebe's singing)
My sentiments exactly, when I hear those sadistic deaf brutes, also known as drivers, honking away at helpless or worse, non-existent traffic. One of them did it all the way from IIT to the railway station, making sure that everyone for miles around knew the IIT bus was passing through. The journey is bad enough, without you having to lip read what your friend sitting right next to you is saying, 'cos you dare not remove your fingers from your ears. Another one did it inside a national park which had explicit instructions about not using horns! This one was a more refined kind of torture. His horn was actually a switch which he'd turn on and then forget to turn off. Even the slightest bend in the road was negotiated with a blaring horn. So much for national parks being animals' home and us being guests!
***
Don't get me wrong. I LOVE digital cameras. No trip is ever complete without at least one around. Even planning to buy one myself. But sometimes, I get the feeling that it all becomes a little too much. Hotel, click, bridge, click, someone fell, click, sunset, click, walking, click, eating, click. We get so busy recording memories, we stop making them.
***
This year has been a year of visiting temples. I've gone to way over my average yearly quota of them. But I'm yet to see a temple that actually inspires God in me. The crowd, the noise, the rituals! The only thought is my mind when I enter one is - when will I get out? One temple that comes close to my ideal is the Lotus temple in New Delhi. The vastness, the silence, the beauty! The only thing that spoils the effect is rows and rows of chairs meant for people to sit. A little too systematic and earthly to mesh with the divine!
7 comments:
I saw much more of the buffalo, actually...
Something similar to the Stockholm syndrome... we actually started jiving to that blaring horn after a bit.
...
Hear hear! Finally!!! I hope everyone reads this. If only your blog was more popular. :P
...
You know, we (we=?) were contrasting temples and churches the other day. Churches allow me to pray the way I would like to pray. In contemplation, silence all around me. A chance to repent and make amends. Temples on the other hand, seem to promote a sense of duty and obligation. You need to go through all those mandatory steps in the temple and then you can leave. And then you can say 'I've worshipped you for today, God, done my duty. Now it's your turn - turn his 256MB card into a 32MB one' :P
Digital cameras actually get into the way! You are more focussed on getting the angles right so that *others* admire 'em, rather than enjoying the moment.
That said, any more snaps of the trip? :)
You want silence and peace, try visiting a monastery, they would come close to the Lotus Temple I guess
Arjun: Buffalo is what i enjoy being the most. The next temple/church/monastry i go to, i'm going to pray that i become one in my next janam!
I felt the same way when i was in the church. But then, Anjali said you should see the church when there is a mass/ service (thats when most people come there, anyway). I guess the most effective place of worship would be where you can be alone with Him.
Pooja: Though i've never been near one, a monastry sounds perfect. The lesser the rituals, the better!
As for photos, there are about 500 of them! I can start a "snap of the day" service if anyone is interested :P
I absolutely hate the digi cam!!!
People spend more time looking at the place through the camera lens than with their naked eyes just to get a perfect snap.
Someone I know actually is trying to record every special moment he/she(it) lives. That means clicking food, (he/she/it) dressing up and doing poojas/aratis in front of major tourist spots ( statue of liberty, empire state, etc). Excuse me folks I have to puke.
Ok I feel much better now.
On a tangent, I am so out of touch with PSPL. Sheetal, Vinaya, Pooja, Harsh watsup? lets chat sometimes people. Looong time.
Rohan: People almost clicked a snap of a guy doing just that !!!
Yeah, really long time! Got google talk?
Oops! Did not mean to tell you like this (on thie blog, i mean).
I guess we're all guilty of making you the resident cameraman. 32MB card is a great idea.
Post a Comment