A little bit of context before you begin reading this book review. I have recently enrolled for an MA in Philosophy at the University of Mumbai. Philosophy is something I have been getting interested in, over the past few years, as those of you who have been reading my blogs and Instagram posts would know. During the pandemic, I thought long and hard about what I wanted to do next, and this is what I eventually came up with. It has been a challenge, getting back into academics as a student at this age, especially in a subject I have no academic background in. However, it has also been very exciting, especially thanks to my wonderful classmates (who, surprisingly, are of all age-groups, including some quite near my own) and my teachers, who have been very supportive and understanding. How well I will do is something that remains to be seen, but so far, I am enjoying this new journey and look forward to where it leads. Now that you know the background , you probably get an idea of how
As I sit at home, typing this, the night resounds with the bursting of firecrackers. All around me are brightly lit windows, gaily decorated with string lights. In the midst of this Diwali Celebration, my thoughts go back to last year, when, on this very festival, I was surrounded not by bright lights and sound, but by the soft glow of oil lamps galore....
What made it interesting, were these people, who climbed to the very tops of buildings, to light lamps, and placed small glass jars around them, to make sure they weren't disturbed by the wind....
We were at Shegaon, in Maharashtra, about 300 Km from Nagpur...
Shegaon is the final resting place of Shri Gajanan Maharaj, and his temple here draws pilgrims from across the state.
However, more interesting than the temple is the concept of Seva, or service, where pilgrims come to work, to help out their fellow pilgrims. The place runs with a small group of dedicated individuals, aided by this massive voluntary task force.
It is among the cleanest of temples, nay, the cleanest of towns I have ever visited, and also the most affordable, since everything is subsidized by the Gajanan Maharaj Sanstha.
Prepared as we were, for the cleanliness, which I had heard of, this simple way of celebrating Diwali came as a pleasant surprise.
I watched these people light these lamps, and then maintain them, almost all night long. What better way to celebrate the festival of lights!!!
Have a Happy Deepavali, everyone!!!!
Same to you
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