Jaago re... you say! Yes, but how?

I was recently watching the Jaago Re-Tata Tea ad about 'donation' for a college seat and the ensuing half-a-minute mini-lecture on corruption in the education system. It reminded me of this little (okay, not-so-little) episode that happened a few months ago on board the Prashanti Express during my trip to Bangalore for a close friend's wedding.

Our tickets got confirmed only in the last minute despite booking it two days in advance (that too in Tatkal). And when we got into the train it was so full it wasn't funny. Luggage was stuffed under all the three berths with not so much as an inch of space for our really cutesy small single suitcase. But we did manage to magically tuck it in. After breakfast, I had calmed down enough from the fretting-fuming-frustration, and  settled to enjoy the coolness of the AC coach while taking note of my surroundings and co-passengers.

A middle-aged couple, a young married girl, another young guy, besides a bunch of young Wipro employees who were returning to Bangalore from their conference-cum-fun trip at Bhubaneswar, were to keep us company for the next 26 hours. Fine! But what wasn't fine was the way 12 people (four of whom had Sleeper Class tickets) were seated in a eight-seater coupe! The TC didn't seem to have a problem with that! So far so good!

Now starts our real (read juicy and gossipy) story... Once upon a time there lived a queen bee who wanted to travel to Bangalore... To cut a very long story short, let me begin with my reaction and then proceed further. I was very impressed initially with the bee and her battalion, and the bubbly atmosphere in the compartment. But let me admit that I was totally shocked when I realized that the queen bee (or should we call her 'Her Royal Highness' for the treatment she had received through the journey), who made herself extremely comfortable in cool red-and-black striped pyjamas and off-white kurta, doesn't even have a confirmed ticket?

So who is this HRH? Called Naksha, this bubbly employee of Wipro seemed to be the blue-eyed daughter/daughter-in-law of a well-connected dad, and/or dad's best friend-cum-future father-in-law. It all looked quite mysterious as I tried to figure out which among the two big guys is a top cop. Of course, I couldn't solve the mystery to this date.

Anyway... thanks to madame Naksha, our compartment was the most sought-after at every station (big and small) that the train stopped. At every halt, two cops in mufti would get in, ask for madam-of-seat-number-so-and-so, salute HRH, pass her packets of chips, biscuits, bottles of Coke/Sprite/ Fanta... you name it! It was fun to watch for an hour or two as our compartment was getting the attention of the entire Railway Police Force, the TC, the Station Master and every Tom, Dick and Harry.

But as evening gave way to night, I started getting irritated with the people swarming in and out of the coupe. It was peak summer and the AC in the compartment was not sufficient with so many of HRH's personal attendants, friends-cum-colleagues and well-wishers visiting her at regular intervals. The TC, unfortunately, couldn't confirm her RAC ticket till late in the night, and post 10 p.m. the visitors at the station kept waking us up not knowing madam's new berth number.

Gawd! I would have died of shame for putting so many people through hours of inconvenience and torture. But HRH Naksha was oblivious to all this as she was not only enjoying the attention but also looked like this treatment is not really new to her. And all this made me wonder... if this is not corruption at its most base level, then what is! I was feeling worse thinking about all the time, money and energy of the RPF jawans that was spent on pleasing/impressing one woman - all for the sake of promotion, recognition or whatever favor they're after.

I agree there is no happy ending to this story - but that is purely because the moral of my story is bitterly clear: As long as there are Nakshas in this world, there's bound to be corruption.

So let's just go with the slogan - 'Long live HRH, and long live corruption'!

Ayyo... Ramachandra!!

My association with Bhagwan Sri Ramachandra Maharaj ji dates back to a few decades. And my first initiation into Rama bhakti, way back in the late '70s, must have been quite a smooth affair for my parents given the family tradition and history. As a child, I used to love learning and reciting the shlokas my mom used to teach me. And Srirama Rama Rameti, Rame Raame Manorame happens to be one of the first poems I had learned after the invocation shloka of Shuklambhara dharam...

Oh yes, any amount of talk about my mom's devotion towards Lord Sri Rama would be inadequate. Mom has been a staunch devotee of Dasaratha's God-son. And she has been writing Ramakoti (Sri Rama's name written one crore times) for the past 40-odd years and has completed writing His name around 90 lakh times.

Ever since she was initiated into the ritual of writing the Lord's name by none other than Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Pita Adhipati (Swamy Jayendra Saraswati) way back in the early seventies, she has neither taken a break nor is she about to get over it anytime sooner. And she's quite eager to complete one crore Rama namams. But it's not just her. I guess it runs in my maternal grandparents' family. A few of her sisters are deep into it too. A couple of my aunts even completed this amazing marathon feat.

With this kind of devotion running in the family, will I be left untouched? Why sir, I'm a devotee! And a most staunch one at that too... So ideally I should be 'The Most Happiest' person when our family deity finally gets to find a home within the precincts of the Sanctum Sanctorum of the to-be-built new temple at Ayodhya. 

So what if something else has been razed to dust to construct a temple for my God? So what if the temple is being built on the ruins of another shrine of historic importance? Haven't I earlier approved of Kancherla Gopanna a.k.a Sri Ramadasu "using" the tax money to be sent to the royal treasury to build a temple for the same God a few centuries ago?

Hmmm... so why does it feel bad now that the verdict is out justifying the placement of the God's idols within the ruins of a blood-ridden historical structure? Because I was always made to believe that Sri Rama is the most peace-loving, non-violent and benevolent of all the Hindu Gods. Even with my rather limited knowledge of the religious scriptures, I do know it for a fact that nobody - neither a Hindu, nor a Muslim, nor a Christian - would ever think of building a religious shrine in a graveyard! 

Now how can somebody think of building a temple and place the God's idols within the premises when so much blood has been shed on the very same land (the so-called birthplace of Ram Lalla)? And that too for Sri Rama who had forgone the throne for the sake of his step-mother! I wonder which Purana, Veda, Upanishad or Dharma Shastra backs up the idea of a temple being built on a graveyard which was witness to the gory bloodbath and the deaths of thousands of people over the years. 

Even a devout like my mom is not very excited about the Ram temple in Ayodhya. All she cared about on the day of the verdict was the safety of her son-in-law who was on his way home from work. She was also worried about the mid-term exams of her granddaughter (who stays many hundreds of kilometers away) which were to begin the very next day! I know my mom is genuinely happy with two things in life - writing Sriramajayam (as she's eager to touch the crore-mark) and visiting the Sri Rama temple at Bhadrachalam a couple of years ago.

No sir, I don't think I'm a great scholar. I'm neither an authority on the Hindu scriptures nor am I a pandit of sorts. I'm just an ordinary housewife from a rural village who loves to cook, clean, wash, supervise, yell at daughter, fight with husband, order around, and still be treated like 'Her Royal Highness'. But all I want in this simple life of mine is some peace... and I do know that I feel that inner peace when I pray to God with all my heart (and silently) within the precincts of my own house. Or when I listen to Sri Venkateswara or Sri Kamakshi Devi or Sri Mallikarjuna suprabhatams or devotional songs early in the morning.

I don't need a grand temple with a glittering golden idol of God who is forced to wear a diamond-studded crown on His head while millions of others are forced to find (read search the public dustbins for) food everyday of their life. I'd rather a few hundreds of them be shown the way to earn a decent meal a day than have The Grandest Temple for my God. I was never a fanatic to be overwhelmed with the urge to fight on God's behalf. I do strongly believe that God is Omni-potent - the most Supreme Powerful Being in the entire universe. So is it wrong if I leave God to fight for His own rights while I fight with my husband (for my rights of course!)?

Now this is where I feel the strong need for Divine Intervention. God, can you please look into this matter and take full control of the current situation? And yes, while you are at it, can you also please demolish all those religious shrines constructed right in the middle of the road by greedy land dealers with the mere intention of grabbing a large chunk of the government land for which I am forced to pay the taxes? 

By the way, let me tell you God that while I Love (the idea of) You, I HATE the sight of your idol being incensed with the polluted air coming out of those endless rows and columns of vehicles. And don't You get irritated, Mr. God, that you've to hear the continuous cacophony, blaring honking sounds, and the non-stop noise 24X7 instead of the pleasant chiming of the temple bells? Oh, before I forget, let me reveal a secret and also offer you a bit of good advice like a good ol' friend. Please don't be too pleased with some of your "bhakts" who religiously and dutifully light a diya inside a road-side temple... these are the very people who pee on the wall right behind (or next to) your little abode. 

Did someone say blasphemy? God save You... and me too!