GOING BACK IN TIME…..

It is late evening. Mom, Dad, my brother and I get into our Ambassador car. I look out through the window and to my delight, I see a star spangled sky..Not even an inch of the sky is left empty. It looks more like a Silver Star spangled carpet. Adorning it is the moon in all its glory, looming large. The moon is my friend. Somehow to my lonely 5 year old self, and to my vivid imagination, I always envisage a bunny rabbit snuggled well inside the moon. The bunny too is my buddy.

As my Dad drives, the moon seems to be following our car and I gaze at it in wide eyed wonder. As Dad drives out through the outskirts of the little town of Kovilpatti, towards an ancient hill temple nestled atop a nearby hillock, Kurumalai, I can hear Mom ranting on about my sister who is in a hostel at Nagercoil, pursuing her studies. Dad drives on silently. I watch my brother snoring away peacefully; it has been a long day for him at the school, what with NCC Camp, hockey practice and so on.

It is dark outside, except for the moon beams illumining our way. Dad drives on towards an unmanned railway station. This particular station holds a lot of mystery, intrigue and fear to my childlike mind. What if a train came hurtling by as we were about to cross the rails? I shuddered at the thought. Well, my dad is fearless and strong, he would guide us away from all danger, and my trusting mind assured me.

The breeze picks up speed as we drive up the brief yet steep hillock. I hug myself... brrr… it is very cold and chilly and the wind whips at us, as we tumble out of the car, my brother and I. Dad parks the car and we walk towards the ancient Shiva temple, that remains bathed in silvery moonlight. We come here every month on full moon day; the chief priest at this temple, the “siddhan” as mom calls him is treating her holistically to cure her of asthma which has been ravaging her thin frail body for ages. Thanks to him, to a large extent, the treatment has been successful and her asthma attacks have become few and far between. The siddhan combines faith healing, spirituality and naturopathy to treat several patients who come to him for remedy and solace.

Inside the temple precincts, I bow down to my favorite deity Lord Shiva. As the night deepens, the wind picks up velocity and blows hard, freezing and chilling me to my bones. A willowy, wisp of a kid that I am, I half expect to be blown down the hillock pretty soon. I imagine myself hurtling down the dark brooding hill, and an icy tendril of fear travels down my spine. My Mom gives me a nudge and I am broken out of my reverie.

Within the temple, on the right hand corner, there is a well with ice cold water and everyone is required to either bathe in this ice cold water or at the very least, wash the hands and feet with the water from the well .Dad draws up some water and beckons to me. I tenderly dip a finger into the bucket. OUCH! My brother pours some water over my legs and I howl and screech in protest.

My mom shushes me, and I look on in horror as a bevy of ladies walk briskly up to the well, draw up icy cold water and without batting an eyelid, and pour it over their heads!

The strident ringing of the temple bells has my attention diverted and I pray in obeisance and devotion. The whole temple is lined with camphor and they are all lit at the same time, and this exudes an aura of the whole temple being on fire. I feel awed and terrified at the same time, by the continued chiming of the huge temple bells and the lamps and camphor lines being all lit at the same time... I feel as if all my senses have been brought to a point of total awareness and my hair stands on end. The chilly wind continues its assault and I cow down behind Mom in fear and trepidation.

Some of the devotees sway in a rhythmic dance as the bells continues to chime and arathi is done. The fumes from the arathi assault my nostrils and I feel as if I would drown myself in the smoke and flames arising all around us. This is repeated at each sanctum sanctorum of the deities presiding in the temple, mainly in front of Lord Shiva’s and Goddess Parvathi’s. The noise ascends to a deafening crescendo as we approach the Goddess’s sanctorum. As I watch in wide eyed wonder, the full moon in all her glory comes in line with the abode of the Goddess and I can see Devi’s nose stud glittering in the dark.

Years later, I still remember and cherish the ethereal beauty and the tantric ambiance created by the Siddhan. Finally, it is time to go home. Mom takes consultation from the siddhan who gives her some dried herbs and twigs to partake daily, and also some prasadam   .Eyes heavy with sleep, we clamber back in to the car. I look out and I see the moon with its bunny inside smiling down cheerily at me, assuring me that it will follow me back home. I smile back and bid a silent good bye to the now silent hillock that is the abode of the Lord and His Divine Consort, and I am sure they would continue their cosmic dance in peace and solitude.