The Superannuated Man

The heading seems very familiar, doesn't it ? Borrowed from Charles Lamb. Remember him ? The soft and kind hearted gentleman, whose very nature flowed into his writing through his pen. I'm sure the big hearted man would not have minded my using the title, if he were aalive today, as I am in reality a superannuated man. I have the whole day to myself. When I sit down to pen something, so many topics crowd my mind, that I get confused. I fish out one from the depths of my mind, and post a few lines. Then another follows. There topics galore.

Then, one day, by tapping the key board, I managed to open my own blog. I decided to use this blog to post something big. But what ? I've prepared the Preface to the article, which is in the nascent stage. It's like cooking a curry, you know. The vegetables are there on the table to be chopped. The spices to be used are kept ready in hand. The pot is on the oven, the gas is not yet lighted. This is on one side. In another part of the kitchen, the meat has been chopped, mixed with spices and kept aside to be marinated for two hours. So, all the ingradients are ready. I'm now only waiting for the whistle to blow. But, who will blow the whistle?

Sometimes, a doubt arises. Who will read what I post ? Because, there's a big difference between a short article and a long narration. Continuity has to be maintained and should not be too exhaustive which will bore the reader. This makes me nervous and holds me back. But then, again, something in me pushes me to go forward. It tells me to post what I feel, what I think and what I see. It tells me not to think of it as a futile exercise. Until and unless you start, you won't know where you stand. So, taking heart from that advice, I shall start posting what has been in my mind for a long long time. Opinions are sought from readers for guidance. Criticism is also invited, but it must be constructive and not just criticism for its own sake.

Religion : Opium or Inherent belief

C ynics have labelled religion as the opium of the people. The subject of religion is very delicate
and sometimes very contraversial. Contraversy arises when dishonest persons exploit the belief
and trust of the masses.
I have travelled throughout Inida, from north to south and east to west and I am of the firm
opinion that it is the common from rural India who is the torch bearer of the great Hindu religion.
I'll relate just two incidents that I witnessed during my visit to Kedarnath in May 2007. Kedarnath
Temple and the adjoining mountains were covered with snow. I had put up at a hotel near the
temple along with an old friend. After keeping our luggage in the room we stepped out in the balcony. What we saw stunned us. Se veral people, men and women, were walking through the
snow and slush in simple slippers without any socks. The men wore ordinary dhotis and shirts with
a very ordinary shawl wrapped around them. The dhoti was pulled upto their knees. The women
too had on ordinary sarees and thin shawls. We stood on the verandah well protected from the
cold wearing woollen cap, jacket, thick trousers and thick shoes. You know where the difference
lay - we were visitors and they were piligrims.
The second incident on the same trip occured a day later on the way to Gangotri from
Gourikund.. We saw a tall slim girl carrying an old man on her back. Her feet was bare. She was
taking the old man for a darshan of Lord Shiva. In my heart she was Lord Shiva in the guise
of a maiden.


JK Ghosh