"OM"

I could hear the toll of the temple bells long way before I could see the temple itself. As I was nearing the temple I could feel that I can save the energy required to walk by just standing midway in the road, and within minutes I would have been inside the temple premises! Initially I tried my best to dodge all the puddles of rain as well as drain water with flowers, leaves and mud, but then this sound completely attracted me towards itself. As I took a couple of steps ahead, I could hear hundreds of voices, and their echoes, singing the bhajans in the praise of Lord Shiva, together, forming an ineluctable draw towards the temple. I never knew when, I started enjoying the puddles. I don’t remember after how many years I was using a well to draw water from. Wherever my eyes could wander, I could only find people, spellbound with the vibe that surrounded the holy place. The smell of the incense sticks, mixed with sweat formed a completely distinct smell that can never be created artificially. I brushed along with people, people of all caste and creed, cultures, following different traditions, rich people, who came to a temple wearing a fragrance, poor people having one of their own. But then, in front of Him all are equal. I really can’t explain the way I reached the Shivling, but I managed to do so. I poured the water and milk over Him, and in turn found some people, who couldn’t manage to reach near him, pouring the same blindly over me! The echoes of the bhajans were still ringing in my ears; it was just that the people had changed. I couldn’t understand it so well that I could sing with them, but I found my lips moving. The bhajans changed, the people changed, their voices changed too, but all I could find in common was “OM” which never changed. Walking back home, however the actual sound faded as I walked away, but the echo was still ringing in my ears, my mind and my soul. “OM- Truly, a hymn of the universe.”