JOURNEY BEYOND FAITH

I along with my friends was returning to Delhi. We have confirmed ticket of train in the sleeper class, though it was morning eleven in the railway station. There was very crowded area. It was the railway station which connects the people of Uttar Pradesh and the people of Madhya Pradesh. This railway station is also famous for tourists, as it receives most of the people who visit the holy places of Chitrakoot.

We were very tired as our taxi driver left us almost two kilometres away from the railway station, by saying, “Sir my vehicle’s permit territory ends here.”

Hopelessly we had to find a way to walk. Some people wanted something to quench their thirst. For this some of the friends demanded for cold drink and some for cold water. Some of my friends were criticising system and some to the hot sunlight which was falling on us aggressively. This two kilometre walk seemed very difficult for us. Some of the friends said, “I never walked such a distance in Delhi.” While others said, “I cannot drink this water of railway station. I only drink the branded water whenever I travel. I cannot compromise with water at least.”

We all were sitting on the cement seats of the platform talking about the dirtiness and monkeys spread on the railway station. We saw our train arrived. We moved towards our seats. Someone said, “What the hell is this!”

As this is the peak time to visit these holy places. So we faced more crowds inside the train and on our seats. We booked confirmed tickets of sleeper class but so many people made our seats like a general class where there was not any system to take seat. We said that we had ticket for this seat to the people sitting in our seats. And then we got some space, for a moment we feel relaxed. We know it was very crowded so we allowed people to sit on our seats on the space left over. But I also saw some of the people who had ticket for particular seat and they fought with the people to stand up from their seat, simply they were not allowing people to sit on their seats.

My seat was on upper side and I had a habit to talk to strangers during journey, so I did not feel any discomfort while seeing people sitting on my seat. In my seat I was sitting near the window and beside me two people almost more than fifty years old were sitting. I initiated to talk to them who were sitting very close to me. One of them was very interested to talk to me. I asked his name and from where he came. He was Ganesh; he was from Banda district of Uttar Pradesh. I also told him about myself. I also told I came along with my friends to visit Chitrakoot and Maihar for the holy places, especially to take parikrama of Kamdgiri Parwat.

He asked me one thing, “Did you know the history and meaning of these places?” I hesitated and I denied saying anything. He told most of the history of these places. He also told me a very shocking thing. I think for this reason, it compels me to write about his journey.

Ganesh came to visit these places with his neighbour friends. He said, “Before three year, I was very weak by my body, most of the time I was bedridden, my family members supposed that I had only few breaths. I will die very soon. I do not have to do anything, while I was on the bed, but just thinking and thinking; in that time I reminded someone who told about the holy places of Chitrakoot and the history of these places. I also reminded that time I did a promise to myself that one day I would visit these places.”

I (Arun) was listening carefully. Ganesh also said, “But while I was on the bed, I hesitated to express myself with my son to pay me a visit of Chitrakoot. I thought my son would make fun of all this.”

Ganesh also said, “Some days passed but the thought was still in my mind, this thought also gave me energy. So one night while taking dinner with my son and wife, I requested my son that I wanted to visit Chitrakoot. At that time everyone was staring at me but I told them it was my last wise. For a while no one replied. Days passed, I thought my son was planning to pay me a visit. And the day came when I with my wife and son went to visit the places. My son fulfilled my last wise and was extremely happy for his.

After some days coming from the visit i felt some energy in my body. This time I was able enough to go to the bathroom. And as the days were passing I was feeling better. After six months this visit, I was on better way, I was able enough to do some basic activities with my own. I did not know how but I could walk far more than my bathroom, sometime I walked to my neighbour’s house and some time to my fields.”

 I (Arun) was listening carefully and Ganesh said, “Last year it was some days before purnima (full moon) night, in the evening I along with my neighbours discussing my health, I told my neighbours that I’m quite well now by God’s grace. And I came back to my home. While I was preparing to sleep, I reminded the word by God’s grace. I did not mind this while saying but lying on the bed. I thought Kamtanath Maharaj gave me second birth. He gave me enough energy to walk, energy to do more activities.  That night, I took pledge to visit these places again with my own if anyone would not favour me. From next day on wards I started planning. As I did not have other works to do, I did not have much money to travel. I took food from my home and prepared my bicycle. The journey was impossible but my pledge was strong enough to ride the seventy kilometre distance. I thought I would ride this distance in more than twenty four hours, if I moved slowly.

During my journey I took shelter in a temple and eat my own food that I bought from my home. I rode this distance in sixteen hours with my bicycle. I also took rest in some places. In my previous visit due to my son I took visit in hurry. But this time I could spend as much time as I wanted. I visited each and every temple of Chitrakoot and did parikram also. I took food from bhandra and slept near the temple.

 I went back to my home after four days. My wife and son were glad to see me and my health.

After some days, doing nothing in the home I thought I should work. I previously worked as a labourer. I started to ask everyone for work. From this work I collected some money. I collected money for the emergency occasions, especially planning for my next visit to Chitrakoot. From this money I bought ticket of train and other things. This time my neighbour’s friends also came with me.”

I (Arun) was talking to Ganesh and his neighbour’s friend.

Recently I (Arun) reminded Ganesh’s conversation. I also missed my father. I got the answer which I did not ask from my father why he used to worship two times a day, why he had a great faith on God.

I (Arun) also reminded my journey of going to Chitrakoot, also the journey to write blogs, I started writing blogs, with the title ‘How I get into blogging.’ I along with my friends paid visit to most of the temples and holy places of Chitrakoot and Maihar but we criticised the system and difficulties we faced. I now regret that. After listening Ganesh’s problem and his inspiration i felt that our problems were negligible. Criticism may be better but being positive will the best.

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