The Spiritual Realm

“He who has conquered his own coward spirit has conquered the whole outward world-Thomas Hughes

 It was  late  in the evening, in the month of September, the month when  festivities  begin with a charm for Lord Ganesha, it drew  little Chetan closer to the Lord just  as the happiness felt  in  the spring.  The festival brought gaiety, it preceded other festivals like Navratras, Dusshera and Diwali.  Every nook and corner had a Shamiyana, and a name attached to the locale. The customs and traditions during the celebration differs from  place to place. While  the people in Andhra Pradesh take a pride in revealing the beautiful idol of Lord Ganesha, in Maharashtra the idol is brought blindfolded  with a figment of mystery for the Lord and his followers. In South India the idol is placed snugly in a shopping bag, while in Maharashtra the idol is seated on a raised platform. The crowd utters numerous chants  in triads  appreciating the blessings of  Lord Ganesha. Children are the most excited and the mud idol becomes a guest of honour within no time. The  next  ten days have greater importance with lots of sweets cooked to share with  friends and relatives.

Chetan was extremely happy when his family consented to bring home an idol of Lord Ganesha. He felt important when the family consulted him  regarding the size, the colour, and the decorations to be made. He was blessed with two  sets of grandparents, a baby sister and an industrious duo of parents. His zest and positivity came from home, which had a constant word of appreciation, making him an important member of the family.

Chetan’s family was a unique one, his maternal grandparents and paternal grandparents lived together, under one roof, making his world a complete one. He was always surrounded by uncles, aunts and cousins. Chetan’s mother worked for a private firm and came late in the evening, but all his needs were fulfilled by his grandparents.

Chetan lived in a small independent house. Chetan’s father and mother worked hard to earn money for the family. Chetan’s mother was the only daughter of her parents.When Chetan grew up into a young lad with curly black hair to match his deep black eyes, he took up a job in a private organisation. He made his place quickly in the organisation. He was soon married to a pretty city bred girl as his parents wanted Chetan to have a good companion. He began living in a nuclear family. His wife and his two sons were those whom he valued the most. They lived away in the city. Every morning his wife took pains to cook and take care of the family. The only depression for Chetan was that he could never understand why they lived as a city bred family, unlike the childhood he had. The love that he had constantly received in his childhood taught him to love his family and friends in spite of all the odds in his life. He would immerse himself in learning things that he had never done in his life. 

One of those days, he was called by his boss to meet a client who spoke only English. Chetan could understand English, but he had an inhibition in speaking English. The experience left him unhappy till he heard of Mrs. Washington. People wondered at the name, but her ability to teach was exceptional. Chetan could now speak in English remarkably well.

One cold winter evening, he heard  Ramesh his neighbour playing Tabla, a percussion instrument. He met Ramesh the next day, he sat down, bent his head to feel the thud, he grazed his palm on the thin leather covering repeatedly, he loved the lub dub, just as his heart beats. He longed to play it once more, many more times,  he then knew that the tabla was something that he craved to play. It was as if he was made for it. He quickly bought the Tabla and enrolled himself under Mr. Mahender. Mr. Mahender was a school teacher, but taught Vocal music and Tabla at Leela’s house. Leela was a music teacher, but had grown old and was on the verge of retirement. Her classes were a precursor to her dreams after her superannuation.

  Mr. Mahender began training Chetan and helped him appear for examinations as both Leela and Mahender felt that an examination brought out  the unsurpassed skills. Chetan had the ability to modulate the thumping sounds, the loud and soft sounds beautifully, making one wonder how he could put life into a rendering. Geetha was another student of Mr. Mahender who used to learn Vocal music along with several other students. Geetha had a married daughter and  a well placed son, yet her love for music dragged her to Leela’s home. She sang melodiously while Chetan played the drums. They both belonged to the same locality so  they were well aquainted with the families. Chetan would always keep trying something new to improve his lifestyle as his job was not a well paid one.

 He learnt the art of painting  using watercolours and oil paints. His paintings were life like and drew one easily into the theme. Geetha would always appreciate his hard work. The depth of colours and the ability to connect always spoke of his upbringing and the society he belonged to. One of the days, he was hastily called to Leela’s house by Mr. Mahender. He was appalled to see Leela’s still body, she had a fall, her head hit the floor, and she lost her life.

Chetan  wanted to pay a tribute to Leela. He suddenly felt the urge to make a sculpture just as serene as Leela, but he had not learnt the art. He enrolled himself in classes that taught him to chisel the rocks into shapes, this helped him overcome the loss of Leela and the music classes which had closed down in the locality. Chetan missed Leela, his childhood memories of parents and grandparents always left Chetan aloof, and lonely. The art and sculpturing gave way to a new inspiration. He kept himself busy, his little daughter and son grew more patient, and understanding. There was a flow of creativity and aura of peace that culminated into beautiful sculptures. The flow of money  brought in renewed growth, a larger home and finally his loving parents and grandparents to his home, it helped him realise the bond of attachment better. During the festivities, he felt a surge of thankfulness, it was similar to what one felt when they installed the idol of Ganapati on the first day of the festival year after year...culminating into a spiritual growth, perhaps it was a spiritual realm in a world of worldliness.

God uses what you have to give you what you don't have.” ― Ikechukwu Joseph,