Rest in Peace

I came across a corpse yesterday.

You may be wondering what is so unusual about seeing a dead body these days. People die and there is nothing new about it…

 Well, why I mention this incident specifically is because this was not any ordinary dead body that was laid to rest in a satin lined, wooden, decorated coffin. Neither was this a body which was swathed in white and respectfully surrounded by mourning friends and relatives,  awaiting its last rites so that the soul could peacefully pass on to the netherworld. No flowers… no tears… this was just a corpse on the street.

The pathetic death of the unknown man must have occurred at an unknown time. It was lying adjacent to a filthy ditch on the side of a busy road. At first glance, I mistook it for that of a drunk lying totally sozzled, without a care in the world. (There is a bar which caters to the ‘common’ man nearby and such sights are frequent). But the presence of a small crowd of curious people around the body as well three policemen with totally uninterested faces, trying to act unduly important rather confirmed my suspicion and I knew for certain that I had come across a corpse.

You know, I strongly believe that however refined we are, there is this base nature within each one of us which is attracted towards the grotesque. I was reminded of a childhood incident during a long ago summer vacation when a rich old lady was found murdered in our village. Those were the days when murder was very uncommon. We (I and my cousin) were totally excited about it and seeing the neighboring children rush off to the spot which was some distance off, we begged our elders for permission to go and see the body. But small children from decent families are absolutely forbidden to have any such adventure and as expected, our request was turned down accompanied with quite a bit of harsh words. It was another thing that they spoke about the murder in hushed tones among themselves, which made it all the more unbearable for  my cousin who managed to  give them the slip and make off to visit the spot of the murder. I still remember my excitement mingled with fear at the vivid description he gave me (in secret) about the corpse…

Well… to come back to my present story, that base instinct which overpowered my senses at that particular moment, compelled me to take a quick peek at the lifeless body lying on the roadside. For a moment, it was as though I was looking at a weary, sick, sleeping man with the word ‘alcoholic’ stamped all over him. He would have been in his late 40’s, had a heavily suntanned, bony structure, and his weary face sported an unkempt beard. Dressed in a cheap, pink polyester shirt and a dhothi that had seen better days, he looked like one of those umpteen people whom you pass by on the road with utterly defeated looks on their faces…

After the preliminary enquiry conducted by a dozen policemen for about an hour, during which the whole road got blocked with curious onlookers, impatient vehicles , three police jeeps and an old, derelict ambulance, the corpse was unceremoniously taken away to the Govt. hospital morgue to await relatives who would perhaps be traced out by the police…

It seems the owner of the nearby bar confirmed the fact that he was a ‘regular’ in their premises and was also suffering from TB. I guess that is a deadly combination. Back home, as I narrated the incident to my family, I must confess that I really was not surprised by their matter-of-fact reaction (non-reaction, rather). I guess death has definitely lost its charm for the living…

The festival of Karthika… Nostalgia unfolded…

Once a year, the small earthen lamps that were stored away carefully in a rusty old tin on top of a shelf in our store room gets a new lease of life thanks to the festival of Karthika that has a special significance mainly due to the lighted up lamps that adorn the courtyard of houses, filling them with an inviting golden glow at dusk.

As a predictable ritual, my mother washes these earthen lamps collected over a period of time and sun dries them for the evening ritual.  Oil for the lamps and wick cut to proper size are readied simultaneously and as dusk arrives, the lamps are ready to be lit.

It was up to the youngsters of the house(myself and my sister)  to arrange these  lamps at suitable places… in geometric designs on the courtyard, lined atop the compound wall, on either side of the steps leading up to the house, on window ledges, and where ever possible. The children of our non-Hindu neighbor too would assist us in lighting the lamps and it was total fun trying to shield the small flickering flames from the sudden gust of wind which mercilessly blew about this time of the season and relight them which was of absolutely no use as we just couldn’t compete with the wind. My mother used to make a sweet to be offered as ‘prasadam’ which we all used to sit and relish. I would say the whole process was one of family and neighborly bonding and as far as I was concerned, it had less of a religious significance.

Today, once again, a Karthika has dawned on us. My mother still prepares the earthen lamps and I along with my son would definitely light up our courtyard. The glow of these tiny flickering lamps would fill up our home and definitely find a place in my facebook page, but I feel the lack of a vital element that used to be the life force of such festivities in the yesteryears. In general, the enthusiasm seems to have toned down considerably as everything feels more of a chore than an event to be looked forward to. Perhaps it is the absence of the members of the family who are elsewhere living their own lives, perhaps it is our unwillingness to step away from our rigid daily schedules that rule our lives, or perhaps it is the general decline of our values and traditions… I don’t know.

All the while we light the lamps, my son would be thinking of tomorrow’s chemistry pre-model exam, impatient to get back to his studies; I would be wondering as to the night’s dinner dish that is yet to be made and the various jobs  that I need to do before calling it a day; my mother perhaps would be wanting to complete the whole ‘procedure’ before her favorite reality show, Idea Star Singer starts… I guess it is just the strong breeze that would remain the same, blowing out the tiny flickering flames one by one…

Sabarimala 2013 – A ‘Green’ Pilgrimage

Another mandala season has arrived, bringing with it cold, crisp, foggy mornings complete with the energetic cries of ‘Swamiye Saranamayyappa’ by ardent devotees. Kerala seems all geared up to meet the massive inflow of about 2.5 crores of devotees flowing into Sabarimala from all parts of the country.

One heartening piece of news which makes this season different from previous years is the fact that the State govt, acting under the orders of the honorable High Court, has issued a complete ban of plastic and other non-biodegradable materials in Sabarimala, with the intention of protecting the fragile ecosystem of this divine place of pilgrimage. Infact, several voluntary organizations had already undertaken a massive cleanup operation on the trekking path as well as the Sannidhanam recently, thus making it free from all accumulated plastic debri and other litter. This is a tiny step towards keeping Sabarimala clean and green, but definitely a noteworthy one and I hope that pilgrims comply with the rules and cooperate with the officials.

I was also pleasantly surprised to see an article by Sabarimala’s Tantri, Kandararu Rajeevaru in a newspaper, appealing all devotees to refrain from using plastic materials like containers, wrappings, bags, etc in their ‘irumudikettu’ and replace it with ece-friendly materials like cloth or paper. Similarly, he has also appealed to the pilgrims to deposit used plastic pet water bottles in designated dustbins only. I totally appreciate the Tantri’s concerns regarding the pollution of the sacred place of pilgrimage and his efforts to keep the area clean and sacred.

A lot more need to be done by the govt and concerned authorities in preserving and maintaining the temple environment, but above all, it is up to each one of the pilgrims to understand they are totally responsible for the conservation and upkeep of the serene surroundings that is the abode of the Lord Aiyappa.  

May the Lord’s blessings be with each one of you.