Memory Stash

All that remains is debris,  My dreams collapsed on top of me.  Mother Nature is on a vicious rampage.  As yet again we enter a Dark Age. Pride swells till it explodes,  Man can't see beyond his nose.  Fragments of innocent souls,  Lie seething on burning coals. What is to be done but quiver,  When smothered by the life giver.  Helpless victims all over sprawled,  Their thirst quenched forever, they fall. Nature joined hands with calamity,  Man is one with depravity.  No longer the world is governed by laws,  All that rules is ... CHAOS.

An infinitesimal energy, Mother of all. Of stars and galaxies and vortices and black holes. Of planets and comets and asteroids. Of mountains and oceans. Of life. A versatile Earth, Home to all. To seas and rivers and icebergs and tundra. To trees and flowers and fruits. To animals and birds. To man. A controversial human being, Consumer of all. Of air. Of food - beasts and berries alike. Of water - blood, sweat and tears. Of plenty – innocence, chastity, hope and love. A contemporary social animal, Spawn to all. From greed, lust, vengeance and spite. From religion, region and race. From gender and economy. From self. An unbiased child, Lesson to all. With head, hunger, hope and heart. With organs and tissues and cells. With atoms and molecules. With one.

 Bhopal Day one was about seting in at A’s place and letting her mom pamper us. Day two was hectic as hell. It did not begin at the crack of dawn but it seemed to last super long. We went to Bhojpur. Here, we visited the incompletely built Shiva temple. A Shiva linga that was huge and made from polished shiny marble. Very vague inscriptions on the rocks could be discerned. A guy educated us as to how wedges of wood can be used to cleave rocks! I was amazed. Then, we proceeded to the Jain Mandir, which housed a large idol of Teerthankar. We had Daal Bati again. On to the Bhimbhetka Caves. These shelters have drawings from the Mesolithic Era. Actual proof of our ancestors and their stories painted upon the stones using some magic dye that might just last forever. Heritage! A long drive to Salkanpur,  boarded a ropeway to the top and happened upon a glorious sunset. The temple and its premises were well maintained and pretty. A small Devalaya housed gods like Dvarpal, Ganesha, Ha...

  Tirupati  I opened a goti soda bottle! Goti soda is a bottle that is pressurized using a marble, and the trick to pop the bottle open is to hold the marble down without letting the soda out. The entire trip to Tirupati was one full of such unique experiences! Statues and temples adorned the streets of the city. Tiny shops of flowers, favors, materials for holy rites and rituals, incense and many pictures of Hindu gods and goddesses were everywhere. My family was headed to Tirumala Balaji Devasthan. This particular spot is situated atop a hill, and in order to reach the peak, one has to traverse seven hillocks by car or by foot. Some of us went by car of course, but five of us decided to undertake the journey on foot.   It is considered an offering to Lord Balaji to walk up the 3550 steps barefoot. And so we did. On the way, we came up on a deer park and saw about fifty odd deer. I even saw a wild boar. Part of the way ran next to the highway, and cars zoomed by int...