What I Missed While Walking Past the Kanchi Mutt

Image
A place I passed every day without really understanding it. As a kid growing up in Malleswaram, devotion wasn’t something we discussed — it was just in the air. The smell of agarbathi in the evenings. The noise of vendors lining up on 8th cross before a festival. The quiet expectation that you showed up, bowed your head, and moved on. Ganesh Chaturthi. Varalakshmi Vratam. Deepavali. Janmashtami. Ugadi. The calendar moved, but the pattern stayed. The Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham in Malleswaram was part of my daily route to school. Not something I questioned. Not something I deeply understood. Just… there. Every morning, on my way to school, I would slow down for a second in front of the Mutt. Just enough to bow my head toward Kanchi Kamakshi from outside the gate — and then hurry along before the school bell. It was a ritual for as long as I can remember. I don’t know if it came from devotion. I did it because my parents did it. The street...
Post a Comment

She...

A beautiful sunny day in the offing,
How could I not enter the forests,
She tagged along with me slowly,
A comfort to have her with me

The days gradually progressed,
I found not a soul in sight,
It was a sojourn always tricky,
But there she was to keep me chirpy

Tough to find your way through
Creepy creepers all over you,
I could sense the trickles of blood,
She was there to keep me good

Berries and cherries in my belly,
Nothing else to gloat over fully,
She was the perfect cushion
For the rest of my meal

A moment of tiredness fell,
I pushed along heavily,
Again, I fell back to her,
She was there to fill the void

A long time later, I realised,
She was slowly leaving me,
The sick feeling was getting to me,
Now, it was just a matter of time

Finally, I was really alone,
I was feeling the heat,
It was the point of agony,
How I wish there was more water!

Comments

  1. AnonymousJuly 20, 2007 at 4:54 PM

    Water....this reminds of a line someone wrote when I was in school about floods--"Water water everywhere and not a drop to drink"

    ReplyDelete
  2. Praveen KrishnanJuly 20, 2007 at 8:42 PM

    Anonymous: True, any trek, and all I think about is water!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. david mcmahonJuly 21, 2007 at 6:34 AM

    A post that anyone and everyone can identify with.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Praveen KrishnanJuly 21, 2007 at 9:23 PM

    Thanks David :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. PavanJuly 21, 2007 at 9:47 PM

    Interesting!
    That's a wonderful word. It leaves the reader thinking what he wants to hear. Yes, but surely something one can relate to :-) Water----more so after today for you anyway.....!

    ReplyDelete
  6. ShubhikaJuly 21, 2007 at 9:56 PM

    Excellent!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Praveen KrishnanJuly 21, 2007 at 9:58 PM

    Pavan: Water, water and water!!! Ooooooh man :-) Unforgettable :-)

    Shubhika: Thanks!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousJanuary 23, 2009 at 1:36 AM

    Very nice you can visit my website for more collections

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment