Pashupatinath Temple, Nepal

Pashupatinath Temple, Nepal

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When beauty transforms itself into grim reality
When all curtains of illusion fall
When the mind comes face to face with the truth of death
When the mind gives up all attachment
When joy is overcome by the futility of existence
When it feels that this is Now the end
You're at Pashupatinath temple, Nepal.



On a cold wintry morning Nepal presents an ancient quaint little town basking in the morning sunlight. It is a beautiful city with ancient temples, plenty of emblems and the echo of Lord Shiva and Buddha surround you as you explore its lanes. Narrow streets, wooden walls, strange and exquisite carvings along roof edges against the mountains behind, it cannot get more picturesque, its a treat to the eye.

But as one walks down the narrow lanes of life along the Bagmati river with the anticipation of Pashupatinath in the mind one also sees endless burning ghats, bodies perishing into flames, souls departing and all of life coming to an end. It is a smoky lane to cross, where the blinding mist is overpowered by the thick curtain of smoke rising from these funeral pyres.

And there it stands by day. A gold roofed temple at the top, with a flight of ancient steps leading up to it. A gorgeous courtyard meets us right after the treat of death looming all around us. Its like we rose up to paradise or heaven , reaching the abode of Lord Pashupatinath. Dotted with smaller shrines and pillared halls, this is a "delicate" wooden temple with exquisite sculptures blanketing its wooden exteriors. A small wooden structure plated with gold, leads one into the tiny sanctum approached from four cardinal directions. And there He stands in the center in the form of a chaturamukha linga. The four faced Shiva, Lord of all the directions is seated at the center of this sacred shrine chamber. Each of his mukhas(faces) represent Isana, Tatpurusha, Vamadeva and Aghora attributed as guardians to the four directions.

This is the moment when all life halts, all desires for health and wealth fade away, all pain and agony in the mind disappears, and the life in us wakes up and the mind goes blank. The only reality of Lord Shiva lies ahead in front of us, the only question of what the value of this life is echoes in the mind. The limits fo existence wake the mind, we are born, we will die, we owe nothing, we belong no where, we have come and we have to go, the only constant is Lord Pashupatinath, our only reality and hope in our transition to the next world. The arti rises and the faces of the Lord glow within the dark misty interior. Its a moment of tranquil existence where, neither death or birth matter. Life will cease.

The landscape around Pashupatinath temple is dotted with smaller shrines of Lord Shiva along the river side. As one looks through all the shrines the thought that runs through the mind is the repetition of births we take and continuously toil through our many lives. At every stage we come face to face with the Lord as we go from one life to another, rather aimlessly. As one walks down to the river, to take her blessings and purify oneself, a small linga beckons us to come its way. A personal worship, a small abhishekam, with the river water and blessings for a fruitful life are granted at this little shrine out in the open. At the end of this small ritual, a lamp is lit, a flame of enlightenment as it burns and sails down the Bagmati. A fire, the light for the rest of our lives.

With a heavy heart and a torn mind, the steps lead back to our familiar worlds that lie ahead of us. With the vision of the Lord, His all pervading self, deeply engraved in us, one can't stop but think about the value of life. As one journeys back to the grind, Pashupatinath Temple leaves an uneasy void, that we are missing the presence of a greater reality, one before which all else is just nothing.

Pashupatinath temple on the night of Shivratri.
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Dude Cool Laloo

Chennai: Felicitation of Sri Satya Sai Baba.

It was during the auspicious days when Sri Satya Sai Baba landed in Chennai for his felicitation on the event of bringing waters to Chennai – the completion of the Telugu Ganga Project. In the Chola period they would have built a temple town and called it Gangaikondacholapuram and given food to the poor, these days they give speeches and ask for more money and more water.

The esteemed podium was honored with the presence of the Chief Minister and his battalion of loyalists each giving speeches honoring the Great Man and hoping he would do more for society or give them his money so that they can try and do it with least effect!

This was a shower of speeches rather tongue in cheek making the audience smile on and off over each ones witty statements on how today's government is run. In the middle of all this sat one man, a milkman from the north who had done very well for himself I should say.

This man, originally a possible milkman, subsequently chief minister of one of the most ancient rich lands of the sub continent and now Railway Minister has done more than his fair share to puzzle the world. Speaking in broken English and even more polished Bhojpuri, he is probably the only not so well educated man who stormed into an audience of IIM graduates (paradise mind you) to give a discourse on his success story, leaving a world of superior intellects speechless.

The same man walks up the dias, shared equally by Tamil intellects to give his speech on Sri Satya Sai Baba...

Starting his speech in broken English and subsequently rolling off in Bhojpuri to a Tamilian audience (he couldn't care less) he claimed to have been an atheist all his life. But something has moved him about this Great Man and today he feels deep in his heart that there is a supreme being somewhere and Baba seems to have shown him the way. Today he believes in him strongly and has been moved by this Great Man's presence in his life. Having said all this in a very elaborate animated way, Laloo walks up to the Great Man and touches his feet with reverence. The Tamil folk on the dias just look on...

Now for the other side of the story. They say this man was not invited (well he was not part of this project); he came because he wanted to meet the Great Man. He came like a common man, equally happy should the organizers have given him a seat with the common folk playing audience. He was invited to the dias since he held a high post in politics. He walked about the stage, pranced around like it was his living room not caring for the speeches reeling out in the background. He hit the restroom when he wished and walked around with an air of simplicity. His purpose was fulfilled. Having bundled his ego up for a short while, he came visiting Chennai because he wanted to meet Baba and not because he wanted to make his presence felt in Tamil Nadu politics.

I tell you, I like him, when I see him in new light this guy is simply cool.

Photo courtesy: The Hindu Online.