Saturday, August 30, 2014

Confused thoughts - Inspired by a Spider.

I was intending to wash the portico this morning and went towards the garden tap to turn it on. A delicately woven spider web covering the space between the Hibiscus and the ‘Paarijaata’ blocked my path. I noticed it just in time to avoid my face getting entangled in the web. If it had, we (me and the spider) would have ended up cursing each other and I do not know which way this cursing duel would have taken my thoughts. The light reflecting from the droplets of water festooning the web enabled me to notice it in time and retract. It was not there when I operated the tap last evening and the spider must have been busy through the night braving the pouring rain. A great job for such a small creature. (It is just below the leaf which is projecting out at the center of the frame - difficult to notice. You will have to click on the picture to enlarge it and see). I did not want to disturb the spider’s luncheon plans and managed to crawl under the net to turn on the tap.


The monsoon, which had taken its job easy this season, suddenly seems to have become duty conscious and has been trying to make up for the lapse. It has been pouring for a week now and has been a dampener, literally, during this Ganesha Chaturthi time. I had to go out in the pouring rain, squelching through the dirty market, a bag in one hand and the umbrella in the other, to buy coconuts, betel leaves, five types of fruits and five types of flowers, as also a number of other items required for the festival. Even with both the hands occupied, one with the bag and the other with the umbrella, I could get the things into the bag as the vendors obligingly put the things in, but had difficulty taking out my wallet and paying them. I managed somehow by shifting the umbrella to my arm pit and freeing a hand but after buying the coconuts the bag became very heavy and this exercise was not possible.  I had to turn around and offer my butt to the betel leaf vendor to take out the wallet from my hip pocket and extract his money. Fortunately the vendor was a male. If it were a female, my wise act might have made me spend the festival in the lock up of the local police station.

My religion demands that I go through these difficulties, worship the gods to please them, in general be ‘good’ and follow my ‘Dharma’ (set of duties, laws, conduct and virtues  - or the right way of living) so that I will be able to be born as a better individual in my next life. Follow the same principle, be better in the next life and be born again as an even better individual. If I manage to repeat this again and again, maintaining my standards all the time, for god knows how many cycles, I will be able to be out of this “punarapi jananam, punarapi maraNam, punarapi janani jathare shayanam” loop (being born and dead again and again) and ultimately attain ‘Moksha’. (be a liberated Soul)

I envy the spider. It has no such worries. It seems to be oblivious to the necessity of aspiring for ‘Moksha’ in the future, or the festival, the pouring rain, its conduct and everything else in its present life. It has been capable of weaving a net in pouring rain, has done it and is now staying serenely suspended at the center and waiting for the breakfast/lunch to be served. (Assuming that the web is not damaged by fools passing through it). No shopping, no cooking, no pooja, nothing. Just a bit of hard work. No other distractions and compulsions like me. Just gulp whatever gets into the net and stay calm till some other creature is stupid enough to fall in. In case, before something else falls into the web, you fall in the sight of a bird, you go in one gulp and there is no more need even to weave a web!

I was rushing through these thoughts on perceiving the spider sitting like a saint at the center of its web when my mind suddenly said “hey, wait”. When I waited and slowed down I realized that according to my religion I probably was a spider myself once!  I had been good spider and had followed my spidery ‘Dharma’ to the letter and so was born as a higher being. May be a fish or a frog. After being a good fish or frog I was promoted possibly as a bird. Then maybe I was a cat, rabbit, deer or most likely a donkey. I must have remained a good donkey - not kicking any one, not rolling in the garbage, not braying loud and probably must have carried my load without a grudge - and so have now ended up as Raghunandan. The human donkey. Now, instead of going up the ladder, if I feel that a spider’s life is better and want to be a spider again, I will have to undo whatever I have done till now and be ‘bad’ for many lives so that I can be born as a spider once more.  

Not a bad idea actually. But there is some difficulty. I have finished almost three fourths of my present life and have been living life like a good human donkey - not kicking any one, not shouting at any one, not rolling in the garbage (or doing whatever is equivalent of rolling in the garbage - for a human) and carrying my load without grudge. Now, this behavior has got impregnated in my being. The time left is too short to learn to kick and roll in garbage and go down the ladder. I can only hope to start my journey back to being a spider from my next life. But then I will have to come back to being Raghunandan once again, be bad and then continue going backwards. It may still be worth it. But science puts a spanner into the works. It says that behaving good or bad is not in my hands but in my genes. If I am born again with good behavior genes in me,  I may never be able to get back to the spider stage at all. This life, at least I am capable of having bad thoughts. God knows what happens in the next life. I am confused. I do not know what to aspire for. I hope I am not confusing you.



I will take some time and try to think clearly. As of now, going back to being a spider seems to be a good idea. Have anything helpful to suggest? 

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Trek To Virdi Falls


I do not know what made my swimming group, ‘The Early Birds’, decide up on a trek, soon after the white water rafting trip. As I have mentioned earlier they usually need one or two outings somewhere dim and cool to rehydrate and regain energy. But sometimes they are unpredictable. I received a message saying that we have decided to go on a trek to the Virdi falls, near Virdi village, a drive of about an hour and a half from Ponda. From the village the falls is anywhere between one and a half to two and a half hours by walk, depending up on how many times you lose your way.  We lost our way twice, and managed to reach the falls in two and a half hours in spite of our navigator’s best efforts to make us go round and round in the forest crossing and re crossing the stream.

To reach Virdi village (for those interested in doing so) you turn left at Keri just after the Sattari bazaar and go for another 8-10 kilometers, asking directions from whoever you find on the way. You may park your vehicle in front of the temple at the end of the asphalted road and start walking next to the stream. It is advisable to snatch a stout stick from the fire wood stack in front of one of the houses on the way. You may return the stick after the trek. The track actually is the path taken by the excess water when the stream overflows. Assuming that you enjoy walking through clear water, sludge, thorny overgrowth and slippery rocks you will have an enjoyable trek amidst lush greenery. All of us have at least one cut/bruise on the body to prove our treking but, for you, my dear arm chair trekker, I have made it easy. Just follow the pictures and you reach the falls.

Enjoy the lush greenery of the Sahyadri range, dense vegetation and the clear streams without bothering about slipping and breaking a bone, stepping on a snake (king cobras like the place too) or a sudden down pour which may raise the water level in the stream by a foot or two and increase the force manifolds. There are a minimum of three crossings. You may cross it four or five times if the path you expected on the left bank is actually on the right.  After reaching the falls on this post, if you feel like making it on your own feet - I am here to guide you just as our guide guided us. 


Shifting the weight to the legs and getting ready
Marching on the main street - Virdi village
The trek begins through the stream - just ankle deep, easy. 
Out of the stream - on to the jungle path
Enjoy the jungle
Pose for  a picture- smiling - and not knowing what is in store
Reach the stream again. The navigator feels that we have to cross here. But he is not sure. Go ahead anyway and check how 'easy' it is to cross what looks like just knee deep water. 
 
Crossed the stream. Now duck if you don't like scratches on your face and keep going. And be on the look out for the path.
Where is the damn path? I swear it was here two years ago. Did the stream shift its course? Let us go back and check on the other side.

But the other side seems to be worse. And slippery. But let us keep going. You follow the stream, you have to find the falls. common sense.

Eureka, there is a path here! Not much of a path,
But the falls is visible from here! Forward march!
But watch your step. One wrong step and there may not be any more marching!
A slippery boulder to step on and an even more slippery boulder to support yourself when you slip. This is where I earned my bruises.
The falls at last.

Time to forget the thorny shrubbery, slippery boulders, squishy paths and enjoy the invigorating splash!
The return is simpler. We know where and how to cross and even have time and mood to sit, relax and enjoy the surroundings
Enjoy not just the surroundings but a tasty sandwich in the beautiful surroundings.
And then it is just another hour's walk and you are back in your dirty civilisation!




















Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Large Green Barbet

I was in the middle of my breakfast - 2nd Dosa to be specific - when my wife excitedly pointed out of the kitchen window and said “see, there is a bird there. Barbet, Coppersmith or something, on the guava tree”. I left my plate, ran to the window and found this Large Green Barbet sitting on a branch quite close to us and contemplating on the next move. It sat there for quite some time selecting a fruit, eating it and in the process provided poses which even my shaky (and greasy) hands and obsolete camera could capture. (For those whose eyes are worse than mine - the bird is in the center of the frame)


It looked at the fruit right in front of it, which would have given me a great chance, but decided against it and went for one hidden from my view, even though it had to exert itself to eat it. 
Bending all the way down and eating the fruit.
 
Halfway through, felt that the day was going well and  paused to give a profile pose - left

Then a profile pose - right 

And looked inquiringly - straight ahead.

Thought that the other side of the fruit may taste better, turned back 
Went all the way down not caring about exposing its underbelly 
 and had flown away by the time I went out for an even better view.