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Pilgrimage

 

Life is journey.. Within this journey, we make numerous ‘trips’.

Some are planned, while others are not. Visits to temples are seemingly

planned, but is it really so? In India, it is believed ‘the call’

has to come from the deity of the temple to be able to make any trip. We would

make elaborate plans, but then whether we are actually able to make the visit

or not, is believed to be subject to ‘the call’. My thoughts are on

these lines, as I just returned from a small-pilgrimage myself.

 

The visit to three holy places was by itself unique, because of the

‘selection’ of same. First it was the Trayambakeswar temple, near

Nasik. This ancient temple on the foothills of grand hills also has the

distinction of the Trimurthi’s of Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu, being

‘swayambhu’ (self-originated). The fact Godavari originates in the

vicinity adds to the importance of the temple.

 

The second temple was the Abode of Sri Sai at Shirdi. While Prashanthi Nilayam

is physically is not so close, Shirdi is closer to Mumbai and hence can be

covered over a week-end with minimum planning, a difficult proposition in

today’s hectic corporate life! The fact this holy place was blessed by

Sai in this century, compared to Trayambakeswar temple. The third and last leg

of the journey was Shanidev temple. This temple, again has unique customs as

ladies can not enter the Sanctum and the main offering is oil.

 

Every moment of life is said to be an experience. More so when I travel to these

holy places. The diversity in the way we pray is also interesting! But when I

went to these temples, while I tried to focus on my spirituality, few things

stuck me! Lack of cleanliness was one of the key points. I am shocked to see

though we are very religious, we do not care for the cleanliness of the holy

places. As I reached near the Sanctum at Trayambakeswar, there were flowers

along the path and I kept picking up and putting it aside. At Shanidev temple

it was plastic bags and containers carelessly put aside, close to the idol.

While I saw perceptible change in the physical structure at Shirdi and Shanidev

temples, there was universal disregard for cleanliness. I also prayed, if only

these places were spotlessly clean! Another disturbing factor is the localites

come after us to push us to buy puja-materials from them. While I appreciate

his need to earn his livelihood and improve his business prospects, I can not

understand why the visitor should be at their mercy, in the vicinity of temple!

While the campaign ‘athithi devo bhava’ is a small beginning to

educate us, we should evolve to a level where we are not harassed/do not harass

the seekers at these holy places.

 

Often I thought, do I need to go to these places to pray. If happiness lies

‘within’ and if Divinity is within us and not outside, why not just

pray at our own homes! If Veda Vyasa is believed to have said in Kaliyug all we

need to do is just chant the name of Lord, unlike the earlier periods, why not!

But I feel, till such time one reaches that stage, the experience of the journey

adds to the overall spiritual experience.

 

I have often wondered… we travel hundreds of miles, spend time and money

and skip important work to undertake these trips. Indeed, God comes first and

then everything else. But as the Master said, as part of His first announcement

of His Plan, He said, ‘keep your heart and homes clean’! But I

wonder, how many of us, very religious lot, do it in letter and spirit. While

cleanliness is more cosmetic and less real, we fail to stick to the basic

requirement of spirituality, or even religious practice, of cleanliness and

timelines/punctuality of important activities such as lighting the lamp,

chanting, etc!

The Master says, every prayer adds up like a savings bank account. True

Spirituality and Sadhana is all-encompassing, in totality.

 

Subash

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