PARIKRAMA

Parikrama

I rang the bell and folded my hands into a namaste, trying to calm the excitement. Infront of me stood the idol of he who is said to be omnipresent. I was in a small temple at the foot of the hill, that around which millions walk every year. The stories of their journey made me look forward to this day, when I embark on it myself.

The custom says one has to walk around the hill thrice, starting from this temple. After each parikrama, one has to offer his prayers to the god in the temple and prepare for his next. Though I had no experience of how it was going to be, I was confident that I could complete it, and that I would enjoy it.

I started my first parikrama and soon the plane turned to an uphill. The steps carved into stone were marked by the wear and tear of travelers over the years. The cool breeze from the trees on either side of the path brought pleasantness to the mind. I took up a song and went on with it.

I was surprised when I saw a deer, amazed at a peacock, and frightened at the sight of a leopard. My legs started to ache but I kept going. I knew the uphill will end and it would get easier. The coconut water I had from small shops along the way powered me enough and soon I reached the plane. With a sigh of relief, I sat there, underneath a tree.

The birds were chirping continuously above and two squirrels were scurrying around in search of food. Finally, they found something and before they could finish it, a crow has come flying down and snatched it away. They stood surprised for a second, and then went on with their business. On the other side of the path sat a monkey, with its baby holding her around the belly. I was looking at her and she returned the gaze. she looked tired.

Suddenly, she ran away as if she sensed a danger, and the chirps of the birds now sounded like an alarm. I stood up impulsively, running away from where I was sitting. I could not understand what was happening for a few seconds and then I saw it. It was a bright green snake at the top of a near by tree. It was swaying along with the branch in the wind, but its eyes seemed fixed. Fixed on something that I could not see. It was a benign snake, non-poisonous. But the event made me feel vulnerable. It could have easily been a poisonous one too.

I resumed the journey. The plane was short and a deep downhill has begun. My legs started to tremble with each step downwards. The sun reached its peak and it got hotter and hotter. By now, I was drenched in sweat. I was looking for something to drink, but could not find any. I should have brought some coconut water along, I thought.

I slowed down significantly, but continued forward. The sight of a waterfall brought the energy back. It was a thin stream of water but it will do. The water tasted sweet. I stood there under the cool stream. It was the best feeling in the world.

Nearby was a shelter with several seats made of rock arranged in a circle. It was where the monks used to sit and meditate, I heard. I sat on one of the rocks and stared down the valley. I could see the sea far away. I understood why they were sitting there.

I have no time to sit, I thought as I picked myself up. I have to reach the temple before sunset so that I can rest there for the night. I picked up pace and soon the downhill has ended and it was plane again. I moved ahead whistling at the occasional mynah that seemed to be coming along with me.
I felt a sudden pain and my hand went to my neck. It felt hard, whatever it was, as I brushed it away. It was a spider. I have never seen that big a spider before. It fell down, rushed into the stones and disappeared. The pain persisted. I was terrified. I didn’t know what to do. What if it’s a venomous spider?

I stood there in pain for few minutes. I felt dumb for not being prepared for the journey. I thought the best thing would be to go forward hoping it’s a non-venomous bite. I went ahead rubbing my neck. A big hive has emerged and the pain turned to a burning sensation and then turned to a milder itch. Maybe it was just an ant, I thought. I must have imagined a spider.

The breeze turned cooler. I could feel the humidity and soon I saw the sands. “The beach is the best place to rest along the journey”, I remembered someone saying. I kept going forward resisting the temptation to sit there. I will rest here on my second round, I decided. For today let me just reach the temple and get this bite checked.

The sun started to sink and the waves started to get higher and higher. I kept going looking at the bright sky. It was a mix of colors and it was beautiful.

 It was almost dark when I reached the temple. I stood there, as the priest offered aarti to the idol. He finished and served me the prasad. I was starving by then and the prasad tasted wonderful. I showed him the bite and he laughed it off, saying it was just an ant sting. I laughed too, relieved. I felt stupid for being so easily afraid.

I sat outside the temple, contemplating on my journey. I was unprepared, but now I have experience. If I prepare well for my journey tomorrow, I can have a more comfortable one. I went to the market nearby with a list of things in my mind.

First, I bought knee high shoes, to protect me from the snakes. Then I bought a hat with a wide brim. It would definitely save me from the midday sun, I thought. As I started back, I’ve seen a guy selling cloth sacks to carry things. I can carry something in that to drink and eat along the journey. I got a sack and with that he gave a walking stick free. It would help me in climbing up the steps, he said.

With mixed feelings from the first day and a hope for a better second day, I slept for the night in the temple.  I woke up in the middle to the loud barks of street dogs, but other than that, it was a good sleep. I woke up fresh the next morning and got ready. I bought some bananas and a wooden bottle which I filled with coconut water. I wore my shoes and hat, and got hold of my stick.

I started, knowing I was well prepared for what is ahead. The uphill was less tiring, as I knew when it would end. I was on a look out for the snakes and stings; the leopards and bears. I felt anxious as I reached towards the tree where I saw the snake, but thankfully no danger was there today. I was happy with the way it was going. I stopped at a tree, and had two bananas. The monkey from the last day is still there. It did not look tired today. I stood back up and as I walked past the monkey, I threw a banana at it.

The sun was up and the hat did a good job. I took a more shaded route I found the before day and before it was noon, I reached the waterfall. I stood under it again and drank the water.  I was surprised to see that it was not as sweet as I thought. It was not that cool too.

I sat at the rock seats and had my lunch. I decided to rest through the hot part of the day and then resume my journey. I sat there against the seat and dozed off for an hour.

I woke up dull rather than rejuvenated. I had a bathe under the waterfall and I felt better. I resumed the journey. The sun was still up and there was absolutely no breeze. I started to drench in sweat. To my relief, it started to get cloudy and the wind picked up. I walked past the downhill and now am at the plane that leads to the beach.

My happiness soon ended, as it started to rain. I had no cover and it got darker. I wanted to stand under a tree but was afraid of the spiders. The hat got heavier, and the sack got wet. I kept going looking for a shelter. The shoes started getting stuck in the damp mud pools. The stick didn’t help either. That is when I saw it.

It was twice as long as I was and definitely wider than me. It seemed pissed of the rain that disturbed its lazy afternoon. It moved slowly from the trees towards the path and I realized the knee-high shoes were definitely not going to protect me from a python. I left them there, stuck in the mud and ran ahead. I kept running and the water dripping from the eye brows obscured my vision. The sac got stuck in a branch and got torn away. I didn’t stop. I was terrified. I was glad it got stuck in that branch, as I got lighter and faster without it.

Finally, I slipped on a stone and came to a rolling stop. The hat got lost somewhere.

I looked around. It was silent except for the sound of the rain and my heavy breath. There was no sign of the snake. It can’t move so fast, I thought. I got up and slowly walked forward. My right ankle started to hurt.

I went ahead and thankfully, the rain stopped. The sun started to come back out as I reached the sea shore. I sat there, on the sands, drying myself in the sun. I felt bad about my ankle, but worse for buying those useless shoes. I sat there for an hour and I started to feel better. The sun started to set and the sky turned to gloomy grey. There were still a few dark clouds.

I got up and wanted to get to the temple before it starts raining again. The warm sand felt good under the feet. I reached the temple and the priest was serving the prasad. I didn’t feel like eating it. I knew it wouldn’t taste as good as it did the before day.

As the night went on, I felt worse. I felt vulnerable in the dangers of the wild. I didn’t want to go on the third round. I’ve already seen what there is to be seen. Its pointless to go again.  What if I come in the way of a tiger and get killed?

I tied a cloth around the ankle and rested it on a rock. The night turned colder and I could not sleep. I sat there, thinking. I was anxious expecting dangers which were not there. I was surprised at the new dangers I did not anticipate. What’s the point in planning ahead? Can I ever prepare for something that I have no idea about? Looking out for the snakes, I missed the mynahs. I don’t even know if it was an ant or a spider that bit me. Am I sure it was a python that I saw? I laughed out at the thought of running mad away from an earthworm.

I woke up to the sound of bell in the temple. The temple is being closed. It was close to noon and the sun is right up in the sky. I got up and walked towards the pond and my ankle felt way better than last night. I got ready but I didn’t know what to do.

I was not motivated to go on the third round. I realized I have nothing else to do. I can either sit there at the closed temple or go ahead. But what about the dangers in the wild? The temple is not safe either.  The journey uphill will be tiring. But the water fall will be cool after the journey, and the view from those rocks is worth the effort.

I went to the nearest food stall and had a sumptuous lunch. I didn’t think of the last two days. I didn’t think of the journey ahead. The food was not tasty, but the water tasted good. I sat there for a few minutes, looking at people buying things.  The guy who sold me the hat is also selling umbrellas. I thought about buying one, but decided against it.

I decided to start on the third round. I was still unsure of what lies ahead. So, I decided there’s no point planning for it. I walked up the steps and realized they were 999 in number. And every 100^th step starting from 99 was numbered. Cool, I thought.

The monkey was not there and neither was the snake. I walked ahead in the hot sun. I started going down the hill and my legs started to tremble again. I broke a stick off from a dried branch lying by and used it. It seemed to work well. I reached the waterfall and had the water. It was cool and sweet. I sat at the rocks and saw the sun setting beyond the sea shore. It was beautiful.

I didn’t want to go ahead. The place was so serene. I decided to spend the night there. I gathered a few dried twigs and started a small fire. It was warm. The night sky looked beautiful.

I got up to the chirps of birds. I bathed under the warm waterfall and continued forward. I felt hungry but I had nothing to eat.

The sun was at his peak by the time I reached the sea shore. I wanted to wait there till the sunset. I found shade near an abandoned building and sat there. The afternoon sun was beating down harsh. The shade was cool and it felt good. I just sat there, thinking of insignificant things.

The sky turned into different shades of orange as the sun started to set. The breeze picked up speed and the waves sounded louder and louder. The birds flying above seemed to have a direction.

I started again and reached the temple in time for aarti. The priest was preparing for aarti and smiled at me. I smiled back. He finished and served me prasad. It was good. I turned to the idol to offer my last prayers. I folded my hands and closed my eyes. I opened them again and was surprised to see god himself there in the place of the idol.