Literally Illiterates….
A few weeks back I had been to SajjanGad with my friend. The speciality of this trip was we had marched from Pune on his bike. We left early morning with garam cutting chaha and nice pohas in one of the “tapris” at Aundh, where my dear friend has found accommodation. Even though it was summer, the journey at 90-100 kmph on the Mumbai – Bangalore highway was chilly. It was too cold and one could hardly believe that it was summer season. We crossed the Katraj ghat and were rashing towards Satara. After we had covered about 50 kms we had a break with wada paav, kaanda bhaji and garma garam chaha ! Since those were also the days of India-Pakistan Test cricket we rushed to one of the tapris where a TV was placed on a decorated table.
The journey was too comfortable with serene beauty around – lush green farms, neatly structured hays, small canals flowing through the maze – everything that could be dreamed of while reading a nature poem. The atmosphere was pleasant with no stains of pollution. Every scene was very clear - as clear as what we see in Lonely Planet trails of some clean foreign countries.
Now with the Satara city in our visual range, we had to divert from the national highway to head towards the destination. Our destination was 12 kms from the city and we found our way passing through a tunnel and then going up and down upon the small hills around. It was almost three and a half hour travel and both of us were totally exhausted.
We were in the Ram mandir and also experienced the silence in the dhyaan kaksha (the meditation centre below the mandir gaabhaara). We had the opportunity to see the living room of Samarth Ramdas. His kamandalu, kubdi, which has a sword embedded in it, huge vessels used to fill water from the village at the base – Kalyan Swami used to do this job for Samarth- and many more antique pieces worth seeing. Then we moved to the Hanuman temple at the other end of the fort. Even though it was hot outside, it was cool inside the temple made of black stones. We had a peaceful sleep of about half an hour and regained strength. The silence was disturbed by a group of visitors to the temple who marked their presence by ringing bells.
Then it was time to have lunch what is called as prasad. Even though the food offered was free, it was tasty and far better than what is being offered in the glittering and posh hotels of the city with sky-scrapper prices being charged for small dishes too! The sitting arrangement, called as ‘pangat’ in marathi, was well designed with the serving arrangements being made with proper discipline. Everyone was chanting “Shree Ram Jay Ram Jay Jay Ram” while the food was being served at the beginning. We had a nice lunch of, usal, dal-bhaat and kheer with taak being served later. There were strict instructions of which line should get up first, when the second would get up and so on, so as not to mess up at the wash basin and the dish collector vessel. My friend and me were waiting to get a call for our line 3. First line 1 was asked to leave. Even though strict instructions were given, a person seeming literate to me and from our line, got up and started to move. It was a shameful act and he proved his illiteracy and indiscipline. Literally illiterates! No body shouted at him, as we generally don’t, except one administrator maintaining the tempo of the atmosphere. Why people behave so undisciplined was a question for me. There was no reason for that guy to get up and later for me to think of it, but still the issue lingers around my mind – what a pity it was!
We started our return journey and reached Pune enjoying our ride through the clean roads.
The journey was too comfortable with serene beauty around – lush green farms, neatly structured hays, small canals flowing through the maze – everything that could be dreamed of while reading a nature poem. The atmosphere was pleasant with no stains of pollution. Every scene was very clear - as clear as what we see in Lonely Planet trails of some clean foreign countries.
Now with the Satara city in our visual range, we had to divert from the national highway to head towards the destination. Our destination was 12 kms from the city and we found our way passing through a tunnel and then going up and down upon the small hills around. It was almost three and a half hour travel and both of us were totally exhausted.
We were in the Ram mandir and also experienced the silence in the dhyaan kaksha (the meditation centre below the mandir gaabhaara). We had the opportunity to see the living room of Samarth Ramdas. His kamandalu, kubdi, which has a sword embedded in it, huge vessels used to fill water from the village at the base – Kalyan Swami used to do this job for Samarth- and many more antique pieces worth seeing. Then we moved to the Hanuman temple at the other end of the fort. Even though it was hot outside, it was cool inside the temple made of black stones. We had a peaceful sleep of about half an hour and regained strength. The silence was disturbed by a group of visitors to the temple who marked their presence by ringing bells.
Then it was time to have lunch what is called as prasad. Even though the food offered was free, it was tasty and far better than what is being offered in the glittering and posh hotels of the city with sky-scrapper prices being charged for small dishes too! The sitting arrangement, called as ‘pangat’ in marathi, was well designed with the serving arrangements being made with proper discipline. Everyone was chanting “Shree Ram Jay Ram Jay Jay Ram” while the food was being served at the beginning. We had a nice lunch of, usal, dal-bhaat and kheer with taak being served later. There were strict instructions of which line should get up first, when the second would get up and so on, so as not to mess up at the wash basin and the dish collector vessel. My friend and me were waiting to get a call for our line 3. First line 1 was asked to leave. Even though strict instructions were given, a person seeming literate to me and from our line, got up and started to move. It was a shameful act and he proved his illiteracy and indiscipline. Literally illiterates! No body shouted at him, as we generally don’t, except one administrator maintaining the tempo of the atmosphere. Why people behave so undisciplined was a question for me. There was no reason for that guy to get up and later for me to think of it, but still the issue lingers around my mind – what a pity it was!
We started our return journey and reached Pune enjoying our ride through the clean roads.
posted by Jupiter at
11:53 PM
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