A Glitch to Be Remembered

“Among these new gods , the nation is the greatest ;the garment it wears is the burial shroud of religion ”

- Faiz Ahmed Faiz

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Yesterday, I went out for an evening walk to witness the Rath-Yatra activities taking place in my city Cuttack. Though, the main festival takes place in Puri , the spirit is celebrated all across the state with every alley and street building their own replicas of the chariots.

In my city Cuttack, you will find all sorts of sizes of the replicas. Small chariots with small creative ornamentation and decorations made by children and Large chariots made by various temple authorities with a professional touch and better funding. The budget might have astronomical gaps but the spirit remains the same. Children pulling these small chariots with mini-idols of the holy trinity on-board across the streets with extreme joy, laughter and loud chants of the lord. Adults including men and women pulling the large chariots built by temples with the same ecstasy and devotion. An electric fervour of joy and celebrations engulfs the city and gives the people a chance to take a break from the hustle and bustle of their daily lives and rejuvenate themselves for the journey ahead. But the most profound aspect that caught my sight during the walk was quite encouraging. While dwelling around the city, I mistakenly lost my way and entered a colony inhabited by Muslim residents but by the time I realised this fact and was about to make my way back to the main road, I saw a bunch of kids pulling a small chariot across the lane alongside chanting the name of Lord Jagannath in loud voices.

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The faces of these children reflected innocence and excitement. Their minds were free from any fanatical sentiments and they seem to have no idea of the poison that had spread across the country in the name of religion. Their activities were epitome of pure childlike attributes of love and affection which many of the adults lacked in the country. What looked more interesting was that the Muslim residents who were working in their shops and involved in their day to day activities came out to witness the celebrations and applauded their zeal. Those who were driving their vehicles across the street made way so that the children could pass safely with their chariots without any trouble.

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The entire scene, gave me a sigh of relief and a ray of hope. The incident I just witnessed helped me to understand the essence of India. Despite all conspiracies and hate-mongering by radical factions, there was something invisible and powerful that held us all together. And with absolute surety, I had say that this could never had been possible in any other part of this world. May it be the liberal, secular West or the war ravaged middle east. There was something different in my country. A tapestry that blended the flavours of all cultures, faiths and religions from centuries that could never be dishevelled by any conspiracy theory or even large scale hate mongering.

A casual stroll for relaxation and a mere glitch in my path taught me lessons that will remain unforgettable throughout my life.

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