I grew up with my grandmother in a tranquil village near the coastal town of Puri, Odisha. Puri has the thousand year old Temple dedicated to Jagannatha, the presiding deity of Odisha. We had the custom of leaving the village early in the morning and attend to the rituals in the Temple during the day. The late afternoon and the evening hours were left for a dip in the sea, which is beautiful at Puri. The sea to the east of Indian peninsula is called Bay of Bengal, a term coined by the British. In the Indian scripture it is referred to as mahodadhi, meaning "a large pool of water". The name itself had the connotation of "bounded" unlike a nomenclature of "infinite extent". Most of the coastal sea board is shallow with an extremely gentle slope to the continental shelf. The coast line is dotted with many ancient ports, from where trade was conducted to the islands and the countries in the east. There is a major influence of India's east coast on the population of Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia. The evening at the sea is always pleasant. The setting sun's red is an atmospheric effect. The perceptual cycle of day and night has been extended to theorize the possible recycle of life. The ancients in India were fascinated with the sun in the sky and did elaborate astrological calculations by measuring the variation of sun's inclination and excursion above. Many of such calculations still control people's daily life in India. Many others think God lives above! The principal act that the sun does to India in to bring in the rains, which are necessary for the habitat and the farms. The rains are called the "monsoons," derived from an Arabic word meaning "season". The rains in India are seasonal, the north India gets rains July through September, the south gets them October through December. They are two distinct climatic features. The area that I was standing remains dry in the summer. There is a mile long high sea wall built by the French to protect the city from the incursion of the waves. The Bay of Bengal is known for major cyclonic storms and the damage through the sea surge does get heavy. The sea wall protects the town while giving the residents an opportunity to enjoy a summer stroll. There were also swimming beaches further up the sea board. There are some old churches that I visited during my previous travels. We met a gentleman from Kolkata, who said that he had been traveling to the Ashram in the summer for the last fifty years. He is a retired businessman with no family. He said he had been visiting twice a year as a vacationing option. He had taken lease with a hotel on the sea board and participated in the activities at the Ashram. He was a bit dismayed that the Ashram was not pursuing the idealism that the Mother cherished. At eighty five years of age, his independent approach to life fascinated me. He said he was an admirer of Sri Aurobindo, not a follower.. The sun was setting. Dr Sampad told me about his life's journey and a call inside to stay at Puducherry. He had procured a personal residence in the town and operated on small gratuity from the Sri Aurobindo Society. He created books and other media products that generated revenue for the Society. Sri Aurobindo bought into the Gita's message that "life is action". The action needs performance, no judgment. The truth in life is is its own illumination. Dr Sampad dropped me off in the dining hall and had to leave to care for another friend who was visiting him. I took my plate and supper and happened to meet a gentleman Dr Sarkar who was traveling from Australia. He was a Mechanical engineer and operated an excavation equipment manufacturing company in Kolkata. He had worldwide business. He was paying homage to the Mother for his success in business. It was my last meal at the Ashram before I left in the night. Many people who were in the lecture also showed up at supper. They joined to offer greetings. We had small social discussion on life, language and reconstructing India's culture. Many of the individuals lived permanently in Pondicherry as Dr Sampad did. They appeared sincere and committed. They were a fraternity. I walked back to the Guest House which was in the market area. I had to do my packing to prepare for the departure. Dr Sampad showed up about 9:30 and gave me the details of the driver who would drive me to Chennai for my flight. We would leave at 2:30 in the early morning, expecting to reach Chennai before dawn. I thanked Dr Sampad for his invitation and the hospitality. I discovered that I had acquaintance with his wife's parents' family. I called her to offer my greetings on behalf of my family. In Oriya culture, we are all brothers and sisters. Jagannatha as a concept connects.
The night went early. I was up in time aided by the alarm clock. The driver did call and all worked like clockwork. I tipped the caretaker at the Guest House and was on my way out of the town. I reminded to myself that Sri Aurobindo's arrival and confinement at Puducherry was a pure chance process. It was an exile that he adopted as his life. He did not choose or regret. His decision to seclude himself in his own privacy for the last twenty five of years in life has little parallel in the world. His monumental epic Savitri is a milestone in English literature. After about ninety minutes of travel, we stopped by at a lighted area which had the resemblance of the high way service area in the US. Cars and buses were parked in a somewhat disorderly manner. Everybody gathered inside the large store. The store sold various snacks and other cursory items. The tea was most popular. We took tea. The store was operated by a Islamic gentleman and all staff were of Islamic faith. There were various Arabic messages flashing on the television screen. The tea at a nickel a cup was out of this world! In India, the froth is created not by a pressure machine but dropping a four foot stream. The tea was relaxing but it let me doze off. We sleep better through the cool hours of the early morning. I was awakened by the driver at the airport. I felt relieved that the driver was diligent and dutiful. I thanked Dr Sampad again for his carefulness in helping to choose a good escort. I paid the driver his fees and entered the airport. I was on my way to Bhubaneswar, my destination in Odisha. Bhubaneswar is a small place compared to Mumbai, Chennai or Bangkok. It is an old town having some of the oldest archaeological relics of India. The Oriya people gained expertise in rock art and stone carving. Some of the world's most beautiful stone structures stand in the environs of Bhubaneswar. I love the town and love the people. My father lived the soil, I am domiciled elsewhere.
It is nostalgic to fly to one's childhood home. I looked forward to it.
