Beyond boundaries

There were no physical borders except for a check post and we walked into the first village of Madhya Pradesh called Chhatkala. Due to plain lands and mountains, the cold wind was greeting us straight on the face. We kept walking behind each other keeping in mind the birds that fly high in the sky.

We reached a resting point. It was just both of us in an open grilled temple premise. We rested for

some time and then I went to look out for another place to sleep at night. I walked through the market place. It took a little while to ask. I finally approached a fruit vendor and asked if there was any space to stay for the pilgrims. She pointed to the same temple. She figured we were looking for some other place. There was silence for few seconds and then she shared how she wants to take us at her home but she is not offering as the male members at her house consume alcohol. She herself is not happy with that and she did not want us to be there in that environment.

She took me in a lane next to her stall and opened a dark room with smell of stored fruits. She said, “this is safe, you and your sister can stay here”. Her neighbours discouraged the idea. We walked back to her stall. I could see how much she wanted to do something for us. She offered us fruits from her stall. I denied but she said you are like my daughters, so keep it and share it with your sister too. She wasn’t a Hindu and parikrama might be out of context for her but her compassion didn’t have the boundaries of religion. I took the fruits that were now full of love and somehow we didn’t ask any further for place to stay.

In the evening both of us along with few others sat for the evening prayer at the temple. The prayers,

Temple Priest and Mai

silence, people’s faith, oil lamp, musical instruments - everything gently was healing the scars that the ego had created. After the prayer as we were about to spread our sleeping bags the temple priest asked us about our journey and in a moment he invited us to his house. He said its cold here and house will be safe for us.

I do not know if there is heaven up in the sky but his home was our little paradise where I had the most peaceful sleep after leaving home. In the morning we were treated with hot water for bathing (hot water has been a privilege so far) and morning tea with fresh milk prepared by Mai who takes care of the farm.

Baba walked with us to show us the way and greeted us Narmade Har showering us with his blessings.

As we enter the first village of Madhya Pradyesh (Chhatkala)
(This blog is written by my co-pilgrim Swara)