A friend has posted this saying “ You can't change the direction of the wind, but you can adjust the sails to reach your destination.” Indeed, very relevant in the context of our yearly Ganga Talao show. We have used all means and exhausted ourselves in trying to press on our socio-cultural leaders and organisers to inculcate a sense of discipline, respect for the highway code, respect for others, etc. for the Ganga Talao pilgrimage.
Yes, there has been a lot of improvement in terms of organisation, cleanliness , waste disposal and respect for the environment. But the problem lies with the essence of the pilgrimage-a congregation of devotees, dignified and serene, that brings forth a wellspring of devotional fervour.
There are many reasons for going on a pilgrimage to a holy place but essentially it is a kind of spiritual cleansing. Like in our daily spiritual practice-after some physical activity (some Sun Salutations), the body and mind are synchronised through yoga postures and then allowed to further settle down with "rythmic breathing" before taking the journey inwards through meditation.
The spiritual cleansing on our pilgrimage to Ganga Talao is more or less the same. The chanting and the tiredness of the body give way to a different state of mindfulness. The mind starts being alert in a completely different sense; with every sound, sensation, sight and activity, the mind watches without judgment or any attempt to change anything, it just watches. It then starts to feel a sense of peace, it relaxes; the mind dissolves into it without any desires to understand; no questions, no answers , no control, on its journey towards bliss. "La voie du silence intérieur qui mène à la fusion sublime.“
Thus our journey to a holy place is an inward journey to knowing the self-Shivoham.
This year, we spared ourselves the disheartening experience of the Ganga Talao show or to put it differently we adjusted our sails to reach our destination. We started our pilgrimage to Ganga Talao , one week before , enjoying it in total quietude and in meditation. We avoided the well-organized techno groups, with their impressive oversized motorized kanwars and state-of-the-art hi-fi system , playing their techno version of “Om Namah Shivaya”, bolstered in the background by the incessant nerve-racking , ear-splitting BOUM-BOUM.
They have taken over- the new generation of faithfuls and their lots of socio-cultural groups frolicking with their mentors, the politicians, who have turned the Ganga Talao pilgrimage into a very lively and successful carnival.
We can't change the direction of the wind, and without any ill feelings whatsoever, we have to acknowledge that we seem to be misfits in such settings and we prefer to leave them to their antics , especially the newly discovered gimmick of "some personalities washing publicly the feet of the faithfuls! ". The show goes on and where will it stop ?
But we did miss out on the nice group chanting and the devotional fervour of the devotees that send the spiritual message to the faithful that is deep and profound and gives him the true meaning of religion and spirituality that is being comprehensively eclipsed in the present show.
