Slice of Religion

A slice of religion
India is a country where faith is the single most important pot of gold that every person carries, and that faith is for god. Mutual understanding and well being have always take the back side. So when the decision of visiting into Lord Krishna’s abode came to the forefront, that too on Christmas day, I had mixed feelings. Not that I was not captivated by that idea and wanted to earn some free-flowing ‘punya’ for myself but all the different theologies that come together in that time period is what make it totally absurd. ‘will the darshan be possible at that time?...what am I going to pray for?...how heavy is it going to be on the mind?...its Sunday, why don’t relax at home?..though all these questions did suspend, as a Brahmin myself and a firm believer in sacrifice, remorse and salvation, I agreed. Like the ice cream parlour serving all kinds of tastes like chocolate, strawberry, tutti- frutti, butterscotch etc. , faith in our country comes in that many flavours, you can either stay at home with your august rituals, have a char dham yatra, visit a religious place and get encamped for a heavy donation that is realistic on the pockets and self-satisfactory and compelling in its own sense. My father, ascending from a high order of the pious kind, is a firm believer of Hinduism and every element incorporating and re-incorporating that very bit of sense. Along the 100 mile route, questions and answers gripped me, how these people at the side of the highway without proper educational or sanitary facilities or a perpetual dream, still exist and manage to keep a smile on their face. That always rejuvenates my faith in god. Such a wonderful creation or stern determination cannot be fathomed by human hands alone. A silent but undoubtedly strong force exists above us. It is fostered even more by elders like my nani and my dearest mother, travelling with a small sized child-like incarnation of the supreme lord fondly recognised as Gopal. Rampant...