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Dec 13, 2008

I will remember my short visit to the village of Gorur for a single moment. Call it inspiration, beauty, unfettered joy or simply a passing picture. As I walked through this village, passing quietly its little streets, observing quietly the repetitive chores of village folks, I came across a scene that is difficult to forget even as I write these words hours later.

To say “came across” is perhaps not the right phrase. It is to acknowledge that finite and perceptible space of time between seeing, registering the object seen and responding to it. It is to acknowledge the distinct phases of a causal response, between receiving and giving. What happened to me was quite different. Everything occurred in an instant. Joy came in an instant. There was no thought process in the chain of events. Perception was indisguishable from the response. It was as if the heart had longed for this moment and when it came, recognized it in an instant.
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Dec 6, 2008

Brindavan is Sri Sathya Baba’s ashram in Whitefield. I had heard much of this place from various sources. There is a college and a hostel for boys. The hospital is renowned for its excellent medical facilities. It is said that this hospital has no cash counter. They run exclusively on donations. They do not charge a single paisa for their services. There are critics amongst us who claim that most donors do it for the sole purpose of tax avoidance.

The architecture is nothing spectacular but it serves its purpose well. Since the Baba was in Puttaparthi, Brindavan was deserted. Except for the boys - dressed in clean white shirts and pants - walking to college at nine this morning, the place was lifeless. How is one to find spirituality in this place?
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Having free time with nothing to do prompted me to surf through the list of posts and I was surprised to see that I had not written about few places that are worth mentioning. Topping the list was Hampi.

HAMPI, the seat of the famed VIJAYANAGARA empire was the capital of the largest empire in post-mogul India, covering several states. The empire reigned supreme under Krishnadevaraya, the Emperor. The destruction of Vijayanagar by marauding Moghul invaders was sudden, shocking and absolute. They reduced the city to ruins .

About the place

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I have this thing about travelling and long drives. Ever since I can remember, I always wanted to drive… not the sprints…but the marathon! I have been fortunate enough to do this a bit in different places across the world, but never managed a real long one in India. No, Mumbai to Pune does not count as a long drive in my book, not even Mumbai to Murud.

Driving from Mumbai to Bangalore has been on cards for some time now.  We just relocated to Bangalore, and as luck would have it my driver gave me a parting present….. an accident, which meant the car was in the garage for a few weeks just when the packers had descended on us! In essence, I had to go back to Mumbai and get the car! Remember what Shahrukh said in Om Shanti Om, if you want something bad the entire universe conspires to get it to you… well you were bang on SRK.
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