Touching Lives (Part-3)

My last narration(for now) in this series is "Ganga".  If I remember my first association as a kid with "Ganga" of course the river Ganga was the sacred water in sealed copper pots that were usually kept along with other idols of worship, which we were not supposed to touch.  I was very much attracted to the beauty of those pots which were periodically cleaned and beautified by my grandma.  Then my second association was with the story my grandfather had told me about "Bhagiratha", a king who undertook rigorous penance to get river Ganga from heaven, how he also persuaded Lord Shiva to receive Ganga in the coils of his tangled hair to break her turbulent force which otherwise would have caused destruction on the Earth. Of course, famous photo of  painting of Ravi varma depicting the Ganga's descend to Himalayas from Lord Shiva's locks which many of us would have seen in our childhood.  Next geographical details comes from school where  we studied approximately 2,500km river rising at Gangotri in western Himalayas in the state of Uttarakhand(now) flowing in the South-East direction.  On the way many rivers join Ganga, providing life to millions on its way, flows towards Bangladesh to finally join Bay of Bengal. Historically many capitals of the provinces like Pataliputra, Kashi, Allahabad, Kolkata, etc and many pilgrimages  are on the banks of Ganga. It is a most sacred river to Hindus and they worship goddess Ganga.

It amazed me to see so many people go all the way to Haridwar, Varanasi to take a holy dip in holy Ganga.  For many its one of the major milestones in their life. Many times, I heard from people how important for them is Ganga arti, countless number of movies showing that.  I could understand this emotion as we have the same emotion for 'Ganga of South India - Kaveri'.  When I learnt that what kind of impact  some writers/lyricists like Anjaan had and so many songs/poems they wrote on Ganga just to salute her, pay tributes.. But, what I heard from my father was a different story - river is so polluted that its just a ritual to take dip in Ganga. Though he always mentioned - 'when I went first time to Varanasi before my marriage, it was heaven to live there and take bath in Ganga'. I decided instantly, even if I go to Varanasi I would never take any dip in Ganga.  I wondered how such a holy river that we worship, do arti everyday, have such prominence could get polluted, dirtied??

Couple years ago, I went with my parents for chardham.  They had already done teen dham except Kedarnath.  In their last trips, twice they had been unlucky as each time situation din't permit them to go all the way up.  This time they somehow wanted to do it and I accompanied them to take care of them.  We went to Varanasi. I'd already decided not to take a dip in the river, I was all the more determined after I visited Allahabad(now pryagraj -  on my list again to visit) - triveni sangam. We stayed at a Kannada speaking purohit's place to carry out the rituals which people usually do in Kashi.  One of the helpers there took us to Ganga ghat to take bath.  Since I'd decided earlier not take bath there, I din't carry change clothes.  It was ten minutes walk and we reached ghat.  Place looked clean and our guide had already instructed us  not to use soaps. I touched water for first time and felt like taking a dip...water was clean so was the place...my liking from taking dip, grew to taking bath.  I walked back to get my clothes.  Touch of that water was different, magical, full of energy..It puzzled me if I was just carried away by my fellow travelers' views or it was what really I felt...Finally, I'd to trust what govt claimed about 'Namami Gange'! and my father's comment that - 'see our Modi has cleaned it up so that you can take a dip' ;-) After that we went to Haridwar and that was the first time I felt Ganga as a river; flowing...I just kept seeing her..vast river? deep water? majesty? such powerful force in motion? life line of millions? a shakti taking everything in her stride yet flowing ahead? Dignity, Elegance, Agility - personified?  'Ganga ma'...just stood there looking at her with tears...uncontrollable tears ...don't know how long I cried...I just couldn't stop..my hands shivering..could neither speak nor smile or talk..Evening Ganga aarti dint amaze me much, I understood how people there felt...even now while typing this, I am trying to control my tears...she followed us throughout our trip..she is just flowing in front of my eyes...touching lives - millions, trillions..."Ganga ma 🙏"

Touching lives... (part-2)

Continued from part-1.

Second instance was when I was working with one of the MNCs. It was an annual gathering of India's team - after few of years, the annual day celebration was held again at Bangalore.  Mumbai office being the oldest and had completed 25 years of presence in India.  There was a security personnel who was one of the first permanent employees to join the office when it started. Perhaps, he is the only one still around in the whole India organization for so long. I remember my first day in that org, where he asked me to write my name and phone number.  Around lunch time, he came looking for me and asked me - since its your first day should I get anything for you to eat? in the evening he made sure if I needed any assistance to look for conveyance...Any of these doesn't fall under his responsibilities. He just extends his courtesy so that other person feels awesome in that office.  Not just first day, he used to keep watch on around 150 regular employees plus temporary employees who used travel from other locations.  One evening, I was so engrossed in my work, he kept cheese s/w and a juice on my desk.  I was so surprised to see that.  He had noticed me running around the whole day, dint have time to lunch, so he had got that for me.  Though I don't eat cheese, I just ate whatever he had got without a word.  He is our favorite - Pandeyji.  In that annual gathering, anchor said they are going to felicitate the oldest employee of that org and  threw a question to us asking who is the oldest employee of that organization.  Most of us dint know.  Some screamed - pandeyji.  I was wondering he is in Mumbai. But the org had got him to Bangalore and Pandeyji went to the stage and the whole auditorium stood up.  Tears rolled down and it was absolute silence.  I saw tears in the eyes of at least 80% people around me. People were clapping for him for so long without their knowledge.  He took care of for most of us at some or the other point in that office. I felt - yes, this is "touching lives".

My third incident is mostly similar feeling at two places - Bangalore & Delhi airports. First, it started with the Delhi airport. I'd a pretty bad work day, was very tired after a grueling day that had started at 4am and finally ended at 9pm,  I was late for my return flight, went to use the wash room.  Care taker there greeted me with a smile and said - namaste madam.  I responded and went ahead, I was late for the flight and hurried to boarding.  After I occupied my seat, said hello to a lady next to me and I realized I was smiling. The bad feeling that I carried from work wasn't there. Then it occurred to me that a lady greeted me with a beautiful smile in the wash room and at the back of my mind there was a thread running about why should she greet, of course it would be one's necessity/pressing priority sometimes to go there ;-) But her beautiful smile, honest eyes had dissolved my bad mood and had set a smile on my face.  Every time I visited Delhi airport I'd many such beautiful smiles greeting me.  I was wanting to talk to them, but never usually was early to the airport.   One day, I completed my work early and reported to airport early.  As usual I went to the wash room and started a conversation with one of the care takers there.  I asked her why do you greet everyone? Anyway they come...she said as part of our work responsibilities we have to greet first.  Initially, we were not used to this and some travelers wouldn't even look at us and just go without noticing.  This was disappointing and we felt kind of insulted. But our manager told us continue and remember those who appreciate.  Some respond, smile, they ask our name..some people compliment.  She mentioned, most of the foreign nationals respond without fail.  Some appreciate our work and praise our smiles.  After few months we started feeling happy about these responses.  We no more bother about people who don't respond, they may have their tensions and sorrows like we all have. Some people like you, like us, talk to us, share their experiences.  We feel happy when you feel good at Delhi airport. After a year or so it started in Delhi, I felt similar experience at Bengaluru airport.  They would greet and make sure toilet seat is dry before we enter.  I asked one of the care takers there - Don't you feel bored to greet everyone with smile and then check every time someone comes out of the toilet/enters the toilet? She said that's part of her job to greet people and to keep toilet clean. However, she shared one more secret there - when we make sure toilet seat is dry and toilet is clean when someone uses it or enters, most of the users make sure they leave it clean for next person to use.  Some travelers even educate others saying that care takers are also humans, why don't you clean up your mess.  Yep, smart she was.  Then she said, no one should feel 'namma bengaluru' is not clean when they enter.  Six-Seven years now, I have started observing,  each time I travel, I feel refreshed and my heart fills with gratitude when I enter the wash room.  They are indeed  - "touching lives".

People in their capacity with simple instances can make a big impact on us - for the betterment of us - I feel only if we keep ourselves open to such warmth, then we can also spread the same.

Sigona.

Touching lives... (part-1)

Friends,

It has been on my mind for sometime now, to write my mind, experiences, opinions....'sometime' is like more than ten years now..Its like that 7yrs itch, that most of us want to write some experiences as some of our friends are kind enough to tolerate and motivate us to narrate such experiences...but I was lazy enough to push it to the next day.."NaaLe Baa" - in Kannada it means "Come tomorrow".  In our child hood we used to write this on our front doors as some senior kids had told us - if you don't write this, a witch will enter your house in the midnight..We not only wrote this on our home's front door, but would check other houses in our locality as well, because we cared for their well-being. We used to wait for occupants to go out or the door is closed and make sure no-one is around to yell at us and completed this operation successfully I even went ahead to offer my free service to correct the spelling mistakes by some kids. Of course,  I did not want  the kannada literate witch to enter any house because of our spelling mistake! Oh! this is not about the witch touching lives...:D  So, I was telling about my motivation to write a blog, even if you are not so keen to know, I would still tell you ;-)  Some incidents happened about 4-5 years ago made me think(Of course, for few years I could only think logic and no emotion!). Finally today I made up my mind to write down, just to break the laziness.

I'd heard and read many times that - touching lives is the most divine thing in life.  I understood the meaning, emotion and knew great stories of great humans.  But these events made me experience that.  I have three stories to tell you.
I will start the first one with my ajji(grandma) who is my ideal..kind, beautiful, strong, benevolent, friendly, smart....Some years ago, she fractured her shoulder and was in very much pain. Took mostly a year to recover and she went through too much pain. I took her to one of my friends who is a doc and he treated her.  I asked her how she feels now - she held my hand and said pls convey this to the doc that because of him I'm out of this pain. I don't know how many like me are indebted to him for such great service he is into.  Her hands trembling, the expression of gratitude in her tears filled eyes - I felt - yes this is "touching lives".

------ CONTINUED Part-2