A friend across the skies!

the full moon casts a halo around itself..
smiling to the Earth he says, " look at me! i shine for you!"
While she turns to gaze at him,
he dances in the clouds and he blows them away like soapy bubbles ,
regaining his position , he sends away the borrowed ray of light ,
leaving himself in the shadows

The wild flowers of Kaas Patar

the past few stories have been godly
but here's something truly divine
for nature is the master-stroke of creation
yes we too are nature, even though seemingly distant
we endeavour to reach the source both in body and spirit
building spacecrafts and airplanes touching galaxies and skies
playing demi- gods

it was in January 2010 on my to Sunderbans- the world's largest delta
a place of sublime beauty and simplicity
when i was told about another destination beckoning to be explored
the Kaas Patar- a laterite plateau which is a temporary abode to some stunning varieties of wild flowers
the flowers form carpets of pink, violet, white and yellow
(resembling the moors of Europe though reflecting many myraid colors)
only shortly after the rains for a couple or weeks or months at the maximum

the quaint Kaas Lake on the plateau is a delight
with a plethora of endangered and rare flowers
surrounded by floral carpets of purple and white

what makes Kaas an even more enchanting place to visit
is that the plateau is nestled among the Sahyadri Ghaats, meandering rivers below,
and the monsoon skies spraying some mystical hues
the folds of the mountains revealing the craft of the Master Potter
moulding the earth and splashing colors, whimsically

well, if you come to Kaas Patar,
you are bewildered by nature's imagination
and aesthetic sense
vast, vibrant and free

Sweet September

The last time I wrote on this blog was on Krishna's birthday
i have been disconnected because of internet cuts, laptop breakdowns
being away on a wanderlust or simply because of my indolence
but here i am writing again to share my beautiful experiences last month

the elephant god is the raja of every nook of the city of Mumbai
the much revered elephantine idol at Lalbaug is but symbolic
the deafening sounds of the drums could take you into a trance
the God of wisdom does like to have a ball too

Lord Ganesha comes to the city for ten days
an energy bright as light and love
blinding the devotee. His love transcends caste, religion, status
the lord comes every year to remind us of this love

well the reason I'm penning this as an impressionable experience
as it was the first time in 27 years that Lord Ganesha came to my place
two days in September; those 2 days changed the meaning of Ganesh festival

those were two days of vibrating energy
as i sat in meditation in the morning before the guests would come visiting
i revebrated like an atom, dancing in the nucleus of divine energy!
i felt his unmistakable presence

the days were busy, guests poured in to visit
there were lots of sweets made at home
Ganesha's favourite modaks and ladoos
the fragrance of orchids and marigold lingered
the scent of incense rose in the air
we played the enchanting aarti every evening

alas, came the moment to say good bye
we drove towards the sea to immerse the idol
all along the way people were carrying Ganesha
in a car, truck or rickshaw ,screaming 'Ganpati Bappa Morya'
each with energy and sincere devotion
giving him an invitation, saying see you next year

as we reached the Juhu Beach, bustling with people
chanting, burning incense, praying to the lord
talking to him one last time before letting him go
the air was ethereal

enriched by his presence and also fearing to lose him
we saw him go in the muddy waters,
our throats felt dry, the wise teasing eyes of our friend
seemed to say 'its never for only one and a half days'!