Wednesday, March 30, 2011

On The Way To Delhi - 10th March 2011


We’re on our way back now, to Delhi, after reaching the top of our journey. Finally!

What a journey it’s been.. Really.. The ups and downs and twists and turns, and I’m not just talking about the roads! Every place we went, everything was so different – weather, language, food, dress, song, dance, culture, customs, traditions and everything, but so complete in its own way. And so colourful! Each place was such a learning experience... On sooooooo many levels. Meeting the people and learning about their lives and what they enjoy and what problems they go through was such an eye opener for so many of us. It totally shattered so many assumptions we had and educated us in a way to make us more aware and richer for having interacted with them.  And definitely something to cherish and treasure forever.



On the way back we’re passing Kurukshetra and there’s the setting sun and I see the chariot with the horses on the gate as we drive by. It reminds me of watching the Mahabharata when I was younger and the whole thing about how they made rules for the war for ethical conduct, like many warriors cant attack a single warrior, or an unarmed warrior, or any warrior who has surrendered or whose back is turned. But the main one was that war would only commence at sunrise and end at sunset, to be resumed the next day. After sunset, the war was on hold and people from opposing camps could actually go meet each other, eat together, talk, laugh around, play a friendly game of dice even. It’s like after sunset, there was no war. And it got me thinking, that at the end of the day, we are all meant to be friends. Even back then, they believed that. At the end of the day, war is not important, nor are any of the things associated with it.
Watching the sun set, watching that golden orange orb descend towards the horizon, witnessing the sunset of our own journey, it gave such an overwhelming feeling.  I just couldn’t help but think, that our journey was based on the very same principle. And everywhere we went, it felt just like that. People would just set aside their differences and come together for the sake of their country. At the end of the day, we are all one.

And now we were reaching Delhi, coming full circle. A very wonky, wobbly circle all over the country at that, but all the way back, after starting from here more than 2 months ago.

We reach Delhi at about 10:30pm, after 17 hours of travel, but everybody is fresh and enjoying the welcome we get at Sacred Heart Cathedral. It was like a feeling of coming home, after a very long day, and our ‘family’ at the national office is here to embrace us and welcome us and take us in.

Our yatra isn’t over yet. There are 3 more days to go. But I have a feeling it wont end even then. In fact it feels like – this is only the beginning.

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