It is a week since I returned from the trip to Badarinath. I had many things in my mind which I intended putting on print. One week is gone and so have most of the matters that I was intending to post. Now I feel that there was’nt anything that was worth typing down. Few thoughts still remain.
All these years our movement have been only between the states of Goa and Karnataka, my work place and native place, wandering into the neighbouring maharashtra and tamilnadu where my brother and sister reside, once in a while. This trip gave a chance to atleast pass through MP,UP, haryana, uttaraanchal, rajasthan, gujaraat and Delhi.

Spent 5-10 minuts in many major railway stations. Was glad to see plenty of trains connecting all parts of our country. Every train had 3-4 general compartments which carried more passengers than all the remaining compartments put together. That’s the way it has been always, but looking at the plight of those passengers felt guilty travelling AC 3 tier.

I was glad to see vast improvement in the way food was being served on the trains. Neat packages of main course with little packets of salt, pickle, jam etc etc and even a plastic tumbler full of water well packaged. Felt sad to see the empty packets being heaped in the vestibule connecting the compartments, before being dumped on to the track between the stations.

Travelled by road from Delhi to Badarinath. One need to have a lot of imagination to call it a road. It is a major road in uttaranchal. I heard that vehicular traffic is not allowed on the road between 8pm and 6am. So you know how it is. If I were the CM of Uttaranchal I would have ordered closure of the road for five years- for repairs, giving a nice chance for the opposition to politicise the issue and pull me down.

We were forced to halt overnight in a small township called Joshimath because of a land slide further ahead. We stayed in a hotel on the main road. I woke up very early as there was a lot of commotion out side. It was still 4 am. I found a number of students in neat uniforms moving around with lot of excitement. I was wondering what was going on when I realised it was 15th of August. Almost all the students from various schools were collecting on the road for a march towards the place where the Independence day was to be celebrated. They were very neatly dressed, looking very happy and excited to be there. They were arriving at the spot from various paths coming up and down the hilly terrain. All of them invariably entered the temple closeby, came out and touched the feet of the teachers who were standing in groups, before falling in line and marching off. The scene impressed me very much. I present some pictures I clicked of Independence day in Joshimath. My relative, Wing commander Srinath, who was with us, made it a point to attend the flag hoisting ceremony held in front of the hotel, along with his children while we hung around the balcony with tea cups in hand. All these made me feel that we haven’t lost everything yet.

The holy shrine of Badarinath is like any other piligrim center. One temple, with overflowing faith and the surroundings with overflowing filth. I was touched by the first one while despising the next. You have the magnificient hills with mist hanging around, river Alakananda flowing rapidly in the valley, small and serene temple overlooking the valley, Lord Badarinath in the form of saligram stone, hot water spring right next to the icecold Alakananda and all these spoilt by the shabby constructions and petty shops and tea stalls surrounding it.

“Worship that entity which people revere with affection, even though they never see it” is the crude translation of the first verse in Mankuthimmana kagga by Sri.DVG. I prostrated before lord Bdarinath and felt good.

Felt relieved to be back in Delhi after traversing through the same road but with more land slides and traffic jams than what we experienced during onward journey. Halted at Hrishikesh and Haridwar, two famous places which are enroute. Wondered at the faith people still have in the river Ganga. Thousands collect for aarati by the side of the river in the evening at Haridwar giving the local people an opportunity for doing brisk business and further dirtying the surroundings.

Saw Delhi after 25 years. I went there for the interview. I had seen only the railway station, my friend’s house and the UPSC office. Made it a point to see the usual spots of Delhi this time. Nothing worth mentioning about.
Was very much impressed by the Aksharadham temple. The neat and orderly way the activities are conducted and the way the toilets are located and maintained is unbelievable. I do not have an aesthetic eye. I appreciate the beauty and grandeur but praise the mundane, more.

Goa is excited about Ganesh chathurthi. People in service are happy as they get two days holidays. Business class is happy as the biggest salesman lord Ganesha is helping them out in filling the pockets. Children are happy as they have a week’s vacation and parents are too busy to bother them about homework and studies.
Dentists sit in empty clinics as chaturthi is a reason for people to postpone dental treatment. For that matter, in Goa, chathurthi comes in handy to avoid/postpone anything from two days to a week.

Have to end this post on a sad note. The family of the tailor bird – four hatchlings- disappeared overnight. The nest is empty today. The culprit could be the snake, rat or the crow. The forlorn parents hovered around the nest whole day and left. That’s the nature. I believe it is the fate of almost 80%-90% offsprings in the wild, but was hoping our hatchlings form the rest. It was not so. Can’t help feeling sad.