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2023 - The Year That Was

Places impact you for a variety of reasons. And the same place impacts different people in different ways. This is especially true when it comes to spiritual experiences, where every single person’s experience is unique. And personally, every spiritual experience is unique, the same person can have different deeply spiritual experiences at different places, at different times. This thought has emerged because of my own experiences over the years, but especially so this year, with different and unique experiences at various places I have visited recently. I began this year with a visit to Baroda (Vadodara) with friends. It was meant to be a relaxed trip, a touristy trip, with our sons. We enjoyed ourselves to the hilt, but the highlight of that trip was a visit to the Lakulisha temple at Pavagadh. It was the iconography of the temple that I connected with, and I spent a few hours simply lost in the details of the figures carved around the temple. There was an indefinable connect with

Serving Water to the Thirsty

It is said that the best charity is giving food to the hungry and water to the thirsty. The latter is especially true in the hot summer months, when a parched throat can make life feel miserable, and nothing is more welcome than a glass of cool water. All over India, there are people who take this literally, and serve water on the roads in summer, free of cost. There are some who place earthen pots of water by the side of the road, under a shady tree and make sure it is re-filled, while others set up water coolers at public spaces. 

While in Jaipur, at a temple we visited, a girl sat at a small window with a pot of water, patiently serving every thirsty soul.....





I also noticed these huts all over the place, especially near road intersections. It was only when I stopped to take a closer look that I realised that these were bamboo huts with an earthen pot of water inside. A person was in attendance, serving the people who came to quench their thirst, and re-filling the pot when necessary.


Interesting way of performing a service to those in need, wouldnt you agree?

 I just wonder who has organised and arranged these water huts all over the place. Unfortunately, my trip was too short for me to do any digging. If any of you have any further information, please do leave a comment and I will update the post accordingly. 

Comments

  1. Water is a first need in Summer so these people has a good job..

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    Replies
    1. True, water is indeed the first need, but these people do a great job especially considering that all these are usually free.

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  2. during hot summer month these people come as savior . in bangalore they distribute butter milk near temple .

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    Replies
    1. Absolutely, Samaresh! I have seen people distributing butter milk in temples in Chennai too..

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  3. தவிச்ச வாய்க்கு தண்ணீà®°் is the phrase in Tamizh( water for thirty mouth).

    This happens even in Hyderabad. I salute those organisations which take up this charity.
    I also think, this is our tradition form those good old days, where in it was never denied.( like the choulteries for travellers of bygone decades).

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    Replies
    1. Thanks for the phrase, Vetrimagal! thats what I was looking for! yes, there are such organisations all over the country, and they do an admirable job! and they rarely advertise themselves, so we know little about them.. surprising, but commendable in this era.. and those choultries were great places too.. clean, comfortable, and meant for rest... to those who needed it

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  4. This is wonderful ! Charity begins at home !

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  5. such a great creation...will be most appreciated....

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