A Day With Duty And Deity

As the dawn lifted the veil of darkness Sunshine poured through the tree branches. The fragrance of jasmine flower wafted in the air Splashing cool water on my face, I rushed downstairs To enjoy the scenic beauty And to pick some fresh flowers for my home deity. The morning birds have started tweeting And in a nearby Jagannath temple The priest has started chanting Mantras, while Devotees are singing devotional songs With accompanying' Dhol' and ‘Mrudanga' Today is ‘Maha Visuba Sankranti', a holy festival for us Devotees are thronging to the temple to have a Darshan of the Lord They are holding different flowers and fruits They take off their shoes and wash their feet After rubbing them against a stone before entering the temple. They are praying with great devotion. Some are fasting on this day and take ‘Pana' after offering it to the Lord. I remember, when we were small My mother being too religious, used to do fasting on such holy days She prepares all types of sweet delicacies Appropriate for the occasion. For me life has become too hectic Now I have no time for such festivities A guilty feeling rises in me When I fail to celebrate the traditional functions. I have to reach office in time My duty calls me I ask the Lord for forgiveness. Then I start my day as usual with a cup of tea. Wearing a saree and a simple jewelry I set out for office. On the way, I light a candle outside the temple Bowing my head, I ask for Lord's blessings. (N.B-1-Pana is a concoction prepared from Bel fruit, coconut, banana, cottage paneer, sugar etc. 2-Dhol and Mrudanga are musical instruments) @ Bharati Nayak