"I wish, I had someone special walking by me to whom I could share and cherish this entire experience to the rest of my life."
I love travelling than any other things in this world. Travelling gives me a sense of wellbeing and activates my inner self. Buddha Gaya was such a trip, a bi product of yet another trip. I am blessed with a tight pack of friends from my college days and irrespective of my odd nature in terms of relationship and maintaining them, lucky enough, all of them have a kind of bond towards me.
December 2010, I went to the Steel city of India to attend a marriage function of my buddy, Singh aka San tan. One of my first full time participation of a North Indian Wedding. To be true and precise, it’s a treat for your eyes especially for people from south like me. The marriage was almost a 3 days program and every aspect of it was fine to its details.
All I had in mind was to attend the marriage and travel back, but Singh had an alternative plan. Irrespective of his tight schedules with his marriage, he arranged me a Buddha Gaya trip. A car was ready to take me to the shrine and Singhji’s younger brother volunteered to accompany me. Well I was travelling like a king.
We started by afternoon and reached Patna 2 hours after midnight. We managed to find beds after some phone calls and resumed our journey by morning 9 O’clock. It is sad - to say other than some cities - where some sort of development is visible - and have fair amount of road, conditions of the rest of the places - and its inhabitancies are sad, very sad, since we have a place to visit that transformed a greater amount of people, in the due course of history we will omit the rest.
The car dashed mostly through gravelled roads and farmlands, acres and acres of farmlands accompanied us by our side. Two or three hours after sunset we reached the Shrine. The Shrine Magnesenses, the sudden change in surroundings and the trill of being in the very place where Lord Buddha got enlightened sent a deep cold wave inside me, well to be true I have never felt that kind of sensation for such a prolonged duration.
The main stupa of this shrine has a big Buddha statue. Outside, the stupa is surrounded by marble path ways and behind this Stupa we have the legendary Banyan Tree, where Lord Buddha Got enlightment.
The shrine is packed with foreign and Indian pilgrims and tourist. Everywhere inside this place is well decorated and the marble layer flooring is super clear and cold. Outside the main Stupa there are lots of pilgrims in tents, they spent the night in prayers and devotions. The outside walls of stupa are well decorated with different forms of Buddha Statues, fresh flowers and with cloths.
As you walk along this pathway the very old legendary Banyan tree is visible. As the whole surrounding poured into me and this architectural reminder of one’s karma and enlightenment hijacked my very existences in this world, the sense of me being a camera man was lost. Sooner or later I was out from that beautiful feeling of being detached from one’s body, and as my eyes could slowly understand the colours surrounding me, we have already completed half a circle of the shrine.
I was now walking into a stone pillar building and just to the other opening side of that building was a big pond and in middle was a statue of Lord Buddha, Sitting on a Serpent.
We resumed walking the other half of the shrine, magnificent pagodas and smaller shrines where visible. Each of this pagodas and smaller shrines had some meaning, but nothing was as captivate as the very silent surrounding and the chillness in the air. I wish, I had someone special walking by me to whom I could share and cherish this entire experience to the rest of my life.
It is said that there are three kinds of intoxication in this world. Every human being in this world will be attracted to at least one of this intoxication. The intoxications are, 1 – religion, 2 – use of any hallucination and 3 – Females, ( if in case of females its males ). If any one of you can point me any one in this world, without indulging in at least any one of the above, I will be your free of cost servant for the rest of my life.
As I could see the entrance from where I started - realities kicked inside me very hardly and decided to cherish this experience with myself and to relish in religion and hallucinations to the rest of my life.
After some prayers and spending couple of hours in the shrine, we travelled back to Singh's home and from there to other, prefixed destinations. In Buddha Gaya, you don't have to worry about any caste and religious boundaries, everyone is allowed inside the shrine. So if time and tide allows, it's one of the best place where you can experience something different. According to my view point, it's a must visit place for all, and I am sure you will be proud for it.
Expecting to see you soon with an yet another interesting subject.
