My semi-roommate steel who hails from sirsi invited me to visit his place.i had been a starved dog who @ once leaped on to this invitation.Bus was scheduled @ 10.45pm.i stuffed my bag with all that i could grab in 2 min n headed to majestic.since it was a long weekend holiday half of bangalore immigrants were heading to their native leading to crowded majestic.i made my way to terminal2 n stood their waitin for steel who arrived @10.30pm.all 2ru the night in the bus i had interrupted soundless sleep-reticular system firing with each pothole the bus managed.it was 8.30 when v reached sirsi n had to alight another bus to travel further 35km into the forest to BILIKALMANE.there another 1.5km trailing in the forest led us to his home.v rested the whole day.
their house is nested in the valley in which they have an arecanut plantation,tall arecanut trees swaying in wind adorned by beetle creepers.it also has cardamom plant,clove tree,banana plant,pineapple plant.on one end is the naga demigod and on the other end is the chowdi-goddess who protects the forest n its children from evils. a perennial stream flows beside their home which is the lifeline for domestic n agricultural chores.
@dawn i had to micturate,so had come out as the toilet is placed outside@ some distance from their home.like everywhere in rural india here too having a toilet in the living complex is a taboo.during the act of micturating i accidently rised my head to be startled to watch the sky studded with twinkling stars,extending all upto the horizon around..i might be overemphasising here, but for us the metrosexual beings gazing @ the stars r as uncommon as the jamless metro traffic.after few minutes of over extension my neck started aching,forcing me back into the bed.though irrespective of micturatiion every dawn i gazed @ the sky hardly would i chance upon a star,for the remaining days screen of clouds were obscuring the splendid view.
magu ellu magu-this was how aunt used to wake up our shaggy steel off his bed.every morning sharp @ 8 v had our plain dosas served with liquid jaggery+butter+chatnipudi+ghee.hot tea formed the epilogue of their breakfast.soon everyone xcept us became engrossed in their routine.this forced us realise v r jobless n had to do something to kill time, i took my dslr-accompanied by their dog set into the forest to freeze some beauty.during this process discovered the interplay between varied elements of nature.@noon buttermilk+jaggery/cocum-punarpuli juice was served to beat the heat.Bathing in the noon,with the hot water drawn from the local kiln supplemented with the steam-charred wood smoke adds to this ecstasy.this was followed by lunch wherin everyday 3 variety of sambar varients with palya was a must.the tambli-the sambar-the huli{appehuli/mavinhuli]all delighted our tastebuds.scientifically this foodstyle increases digestive capacity n is somniac.u r forced into sleep automatically unlike here wheirn i used to force myself to sleep during afternoon.@5 v all used to sit together to savour tea with banana-jackfruit chips-cashew-sweethunde
i also had an oppurtunity to eat the honey with the bee wax-yummy@its best.in the evening v used to trek the neighbouring hillwith their 2 dogs-chotasu+pintasu.steel introduced me to various fruit bearing forest trees from which v plucked fruits eating all the way to hilltop.{mullhannu-dasvaladhannu-cocum-bettadnellikai-}TRATAKA was done on the setting sun by our steel during which i used to take snaps around.the dogs used to feed on the leftovers which v had spit out.by 7 v used to reach home to be fed with milk-kashaya.then watching the tv for another 2 hrs,by 9 dinner was served.unlike us they invariably sit on mats-mane on the floor to eat and have certain code of conduct while eating and serving food which gradually i learnt.by the time v slept it was 12.
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| far sight |
the most memorable moment of the visit was night trek in the forest to their neighbours home on the other side of the hill.me n steel followed the human trails into the forest with an aged flickering battery as our only source of light nevertheless to thank the background fullmoon for its light.reciting the hymns of hanuman,rama v successfully returned with a basket full of ladoos to fetch which v had gone all the way across the forest to their neighbours.
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| serenity-equilibrium-clarity of life |
This new lifesstyle for a week seduced me breakin the jinx of boring metrolife.i cuddled with their cats,dogs like a child.lost deep in nature i connected myself with it thru photography.met many of them there who won my heart with their humbleness,simplicity,love for others n nature.Rediscovered peace within myself.
the wildness in me was tamed,toned down by the wild nature n its children...
