September | 2011 | bits and pieces

As 4.30 am alarm cooed in the darkness of room, we jumped out of the bed. By 5.30 we were at Assi ghat. Assi is the ghat nearest to BHU campus and after the new extension perhaps it is the most convenient and spacious one to seep in the aura of the place.
The dawn was yet to break. Atmosphere was wrapped in that translucent mist which added to the mystique aura of the place, but even at that early hour the place was pulsating with a feel of awakening. Yes, awakening inside out. Old bent forms with pooja baskets and bags had started flowing on the ghats ………those fragile contours/silhouettes of body forms appeared exuding a kind of firmness……..perhaps, it was the firmness of faith, the driving force was the belief which made them carry on their daily ritual of bathing in Ganges in brahm muhurt, irrespective of vagaries of weather….be it biting cold or lashing rain, they tread on their path unfailingly day after day…….where from they derive such strength?
The belief is that this brahm muhurt snan is the most purifying one which will absolve them of their sins. If anywhere on earth the unquestioning faith can be felt and lived, it is here, in Benaras, the abode of Lord Shiva.
As the morning unfolded, Assi got busier. The pitra paksh period was on. The fifteen days of the dark phase of ashwini mas are an important phase as per the Hindu religion. This period is devoted to remembering , thanksgiving and praying for the peace and wellbeing of the souls of the departed ancestors. It was an amazing experience to watch people from far and near to arrive on the banks of ganga and follow the rituals with intense devotion.
Those two aged gentlemen, may be in their early sixties and seemingly from a humble financial background were there from a neighbouring state chanting shlokas dictated by the pundit in chest deep waters, with full faith. At that advanced stage of their lives, it certainly must not have been easy for them to travel to the place, physically as well as financially. I simply wonder the force that drives them to these ghats. It is believed that performing these rituals at river Ganges in Benaras helps the souls of the departed ancestors attain peace. Do all of them really hold to their belief, so many questions popped up in my mind but just one look at their faces and all my doubts, apprehensions were laid to rest. The peace, the serenity that prevailed on their faces, the satisfaction of performing the ritual was so evident. For me, the entire experience was truly enriching. One could feel that long held sigh of relief of their ancestors and they definitely might have felt the blessings being showered on them.
Hindu religion believes in immortality of soul. The body perishes but the soul never dies. After death the soul houses another body, another form, till it attains liberation from the continuous cycle of rebirth. The rituals are performed with the belief that the souls of ancestors still exist on earth. we may not know them, see them or find them but it still binds us. We can not shrug off our indebtedness to them. They contributed to our lives and wellbeing of the earth in their own ways, now its our turn to pray for their wellbeing, wherever they are, in whatever form……bird, animal any form of life, but the bond continues. What a reassuring and beautiful feeling, the cosmic bond.

The lord

under a tree

prayers on pitr paksh

for the ancestors

The offering of food is considered to be accepted by ancestors if a crow arrives and devours the food.The crow is considered to be a messenger from the world of spirits.