In search of a darshan (799 words)

(When a good friend asked me recently if I had any connection at a famous temple for quick darshan. it reminded me of  an old story about finding God easily outside the temple precincts.)

The temple was crowded being an auspicious day. Long queues of devotees were seen before every sanctum with the longest moving at a snail’s pace before the presiding Deity’s shrine. There were pilgrims with families moving around the corridors of the sprawling temple gaping at everything they espied, the swaying elephant eating coconut leaves, the big chariot used to take the gods around the temple and many little idols that dotted around. Outside the temple precincts, shops selling flowers and other offerings like coconuts, betel leaves, plantain fruits etc were busy making money. On both sides of the passage leading to the temple, beggars, mendicants, sick men and women along with children were begging the people for alms making noise with begging bowls or pleading in pitiable tones.

It was then a big gleaming car came to a halt at the entrance. A portly figure clad in silk dhoti and angavastram alighted from the car. With prominent ash marks and bindi on his forehead, Arunachalam, with a bulging tummy evoked instant awe and respect. There was a momentary silence from the beggars before they started shouting for alms. He ignored them despite their persistent pleadings. Arunachalam looked around the vast crowd even at the entrance. Someone made a gratuitous remark that the queues are very long and it would take hours to get a glimpse of God. Arunachalam, a diabetic, decided that he could not stand in the queue for that long in the hot sun.

 When he turned to return home, one man clad in khaki looking like an employee of the temple came near Arunachalam and whispered “I can easily facilitate a darshan within 30 minutes and it would cost 500 rupees. Many have to be taken care of and today being a festival day, the rate is a bit high.”

 When Arunachalam pondered over the wisdom of parting with the money with a stranger, the man as if he read his mind said “Please do not worry. This is a temple. You can trust me. I have already taken six pilgrims inside.”

He watched the beggars looking at him strangely and curiously. He decided to take a chance as he did not want to miss having a darshan on this special day especially when he planned to commence a new business venture the next week. The man collected the money and requested him to wait for just ten minutes for him to arrange the visit.

 Fifteen minutes passed and there was no sign of the man. He felt thirsty and had a coke. He was getting impatient and started feeling that he had been taken for a ride. It was nearly an hour and the man had not yet appeared.

It was then one beggar woman said “Sami (sir), that fellow is a cheat. He does this daily. He will not come. We could not openly caution you as he would beat us. He is a local rowdy. The police also know. He has a few others working for him.”

“Oh, oh I suspected after parting with the money. I trusted him because of my intense desire to have a darshan. Let me return without waiting anymore,” he said

The beggars pleaded pitiably in chorus for some alms. It was pathetic to see them cry hoarse at every passerby only to be ignored. He told them, “Please wait. Do not worry as I am not like that man. I will be back within a few minutes.”

The beggars saw him cross the road and not towards his vehicle. He was back in ten minutes and asked them “You must all sit in a row on both sides and wait for your turn without making any noise. No one will be left out, I assure you.”

He waited for a couple of minutes for them to settle down and gave a ten rupee note to each of the adult beggars and a five rupee note to each child. When he had completed the distribution, he asked whether anyone was left out, one little girl said “Give ten rupees to that samiyar (spiritual mendicant) in ochre robes in that corner. He will neither  sit with us nor ask but would remain silent and hungry.”

Arunachalam went to him and handed over two ten-rupee notes and the mendicant in turn smilingly handed over one note to that girl. Arunachalam saw all the beggars in folded hands smiling at him with satisfaction. He rejoiced at their happy faces and did not feel disappointed for the missed darshan of God inside.

When Arunachalam entered his house, his wife asked him whether he had a good darshan of God and was happy.

 He replied to the confused bewilderment of his wife, “Yes, not one god but several gods in all their smiles.”