God or man !

God or man!

I was sweating profusely in that dimly lit underground temple. The Brahmin was chanting the mantras as if a dancing, giggling, foaming mountain stream jumping from stone to stone and falling loose showering millions of water drop…..The Brahmin put the bel patta, milk, misri then banana on the siva linga and again chant the mantras. One after the other, all the Brahmins came to pay their first prayer to Lord Siva in that early morning, as if coming to sign the register book showing their presence.

I thought this is their duty…their bread and butter……but are they happy? Living the entire life in two pieces of saffron or white cloth, acting like the mouth piece for the god and pretending as if taking all our prayers straight to the god and accepting the gold and silver nagas (cobras), the gifts the devoting offering to the god and taking all their sins on their shoulders…Is it that easy? I was confused. It was damn hot outside…may be 42-43 degrees…the earth was almost boiling and in that dingy temple ,the incense sticks and the dhup sticks along with the burning lamps creating a smoky atmosphere suffocating the mass to the hell. I thought about Lord Siva….How on earth he can stay in this atmosphere through out the day from time immemorial but never complained any of his devotees that he too is getting suffocated with this!

“Maharudra….he! mruntyunjaya” shouted another person almost throwing a pitcher full of water on the Siva linga. I got the shivering with that sudden sound and the way he called the god………tear drops rushed out of my eyes mingling with the sweat, choking my throat. I was not with my self. What for I was crying I didn’t have any clue but I couldn’t have any control over my tears. The Brahmin asked me about my wish before god and the reason for this Jalasajya…..I thought but couldn’t answer….I said, “Tell for our well being and success….keep us in good health and in company of good people….then suddenly I got confused…..Why we need to utter this before god, why god can’t see what we want actually! I got startled when the Brahmin asked in a high tone, “Anything else you want to convey to god.” I looked at him in awe and said, “No.” I thought , ‘ How can I convey to god the amount of mental strain I am taking for nothing’ ‘How can I convey god the amount of effort I am putting to put every to put it into right track only to found every thing going off track!’ ‘How can I convey to the god the amount of accusation I am taking without even a single fault of mine!’ ‘How can I convey him that in spite of having every thing, why I am feeling so lonely, so drained at times…….’


Another Brahmin escorted one more couple to that place and they sat side wise quite close to us. The wife was looking quite depressed and the husband somehow looking quite tired. They were accompanied with a basketful of belpatta. With every mantra and a pitcher full of water they were said to put one Belpatta on top of the Siva Linga. I could make out that husband was not well for which they had come to the god as last resort. Suddenly my heart got filled with some unknown sorrow. I thought, they are staying in their own land, own people, still what an irony the destiny is playing with them! I concentrated on the Siva Linga and tried to tie up my distracted mind a bit…….

The “Jala sajya” was completed and we came out of the temple. The temple was already filled with the hustle and bustle of the devotees.

The fresh gush of clean air, I inhale in and looked back into that dingy temple.

I thought, ‘this Sivalinga was supposed to be in the open air. Somebody must have thought to make this a temple. And with this temple the god got famous and day by day got rich too. But what he got at last suffocated days, grumbling people ,selfish interests and accusing souls always roaming around him………And people are so greedy that they can’t even see how suffocating it is to remain like god forever inside that smoke filled dingy room…..

‘oh! Thank god you made me a human being and thank god! You gave me every thing for which I can escape and breathe some fresh air, whenever I am in utmost need…...’

While coming back, my mischievous mind plotted some plots and started working upon too……..I thought, “ if in point of time god suddenly got converted into a tiger and howl and maul a few devotees who are bothering him so much day in day out and the priests there , will these people again go to suffocate him in that dingy room !….
‘No….They will leave that place deserted……

I thought, ‘May be I am trying to act like god for which people are howling at me………..what about if I try someday to bite one or two just to see if they coming back again to suffocate me!

Python on vacation....

Python on vacation....

“Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid”, I just stumbled upon this movie while scrolling randomly the T.V channels. I can’t understand the sentiment of the western world and their motive behind making such deadly movies. The Jaws, Jurassic Park, Godzilla, Mummy returns....to name a few and now this Anaconda!

A scientific expedition sets out for Borneo to seek a flower called the Blood Orchid, which could grant longer life and keep one young for longer time. A small filthy boat stuffed with two ladies and four young men scientists’ crew along with a very talented boatman who can take them in those forests where the blood orchids are blooming aplenty. The junior scientist who discovered this medicinal property was not only loved but quite exploited by her boss cum scientist in this project. On their way to this Jungle, the boat met with an accident during heavy floods in the river and turned into pieces. Thus started their trouble.........! To reach there they had to venture into the deep forests and there they hunted by this deadly and very poisonous snake called “anaconda”, a huge snake of about 100 meter long with a very wide jaw line..... Looking at the ferocity of this reptile they all decided to return back. But the boss was so obsessed with money and fame that he even put the entire crew‘s life at stake to get those flowers. The slithering snake running through out the forest is so well conceived that you just feel the shudder within and feel the snake in your vicinity. I was watching this in the night time and believe me I felt the ghost of this reptile every where giving me goose bumps time to time....

While watching this movie one real life incident flashed before me.

A year back, one of my husband’s colleagues,’ Capt. Shirsath was sailing in a SCI tanker, which was on a coastal run. From Mangalore port they loaded oil and left for Mumbai Butcher Island. As usual the ship got unberthed. The ropes were secured in the forward store, for peak store. The ship was pulled out with the help of tugs. The pilot was on board. The ship cleared the channel and pilot was dropped. The sun was just set in but still visibility is there. In this twilight, Capt. Shirsath caught in his own thought proceeded towards the main deck of the ship to check every thing one more time for the audit to be carried in Mumbai. He was just a couple of feet away from the accommodation, where he saw the ropes were staked there below the pipelines. He got irritated and on his walky talky he thwarted his anger on the boson for his negligence. But the boson, on the other hand has got no clue about which rope the captain is talking about.......

“Sir, I had secured every thing in place how come the rope be left behind...Let me see.”

Captain’s order how come the bosun could deny. Before the boson could go close to the rope he could see something moving. Looking at it both Capt. Shirsath and bosun ran .........puffed breath, putting their heart in their mouth, terribly shaken, frightened and profusely sweating.......entered and closed the door, water tight doors and ran inside the accommodation.

While running Capt. Shirsath told, “Seems it’s a python on the main deck. My god! Such a huge one! ”

Both ran to the bridge and announced in the public announcing system, regarding the presence of a python! Immediately the emergency was sounded...Every door windows of the accommodation wings were closed . They checked and closed every nook and corner of the ship from where the python could enter inside. But the python had got different plans. The Python followed the Captain and reached the Accommodation deck. It started showing up in the galley window and smoke room window..... Displaying its flickering split tongue it roamed around the ship randomly.......

In a tanker, there are still few areas which are quite open type, like the funnel of the ship, the AC ducts to draw fresh air, Engine room pipes to take the sounding, oil spillage pipes. In ship the AC ducts are really huge ones unlike that of Air crafts. The opening end of the AC somehow resembles that of a small Picher, just like the replica of the same in aircrafts. But in air craft you can’t even enter your little finger but here a small baby can easily stuffed inside it....Now this slithering snake has got abundance of chances to enter into the AC duct and show its face at any moment.....It was nightmarish....Nobody could sleep at night thinking this unwanted guest may show up any moment at anybody’s cabin.....They can’t keep the door ajar, thinking it may enter through the door itself.

The bridge was in more pathetic state... Navigation is done from the bridge with a look out..... Now he was so scared he just shut the door and navigated strictly relying on the ARPA, compass and GPS. Since it is a costal voyage, the presence of fishing boats couldn’t be ruled out.......

Capt. Shirsath sent an S.O.S massage to SCI and later Mumbai port control to allow them to berth so that the snake can be taken out of the ship..... But ...thanks to Menaka Gandhi and cruelty to animal jagran..... SCI arranged forest department to board the vessel arrival Mumbai butcher island.SCI advised Capt. Shirsath to stay calm and look after the python properly. Somehow the Python falls in an endangered species category and forest department was too delighted to listen that one of them is sailing in a ship.......They sent one cheerful message that, “Captain, we are glad to know that your ship is carrying this endangered species...please take care of the python...feed it with mutton, chicken and its favorites.....don’t try to harm it as you may face criminal charges...lol....They sent him a big mail containing, the behavior, feeding habit, the likes and dislikes.

Capt. Shirsath was all baffled, bewildered and couldn’t understand to how to tackle the situation..... In the mean time the pilot boat arrived to board the vessel and boarded the vessel safely to take the ship along side Butcher island.

They co-existed in ship side by side....taking care of each other including the python...feeding him time to time and treating him as a guest...... The companies, the charters, the families, the media all sent them with messages wishing safe journey and advices, suggestions kept flowing in.....but no body could help them out to get rid of that beast......

As the reached Mumbai for berthing, The Mumbai pilot was scared to board the vessel and told Capt. Shirsath to take care of their pilot and ensure that he should send back to the pilot station in full one piece.

“Dear capt. we found that your ship is having Python in it.....Looking at the safety aspect of my Pilot I would like to caution you that we had sent our pilot as one piece and we want him back in one piece too....”

After berthing in Mumbai port the forest department sent the good news that they had arranged one fellow who can catch the snake alive. The snake catcher finally arrived on board. He instructed captain to arrange four five strong people to help him out. The crews get ready on the deck and he made a small demo before them, on “what to do” and “how to do” while catching the snake .As a little mistake could prove fatal for him.....

The snake catcher went ahead and caught the snake’s hood in its strong grip. As he caught it the snake started rolling around him like a coil engulfing totally into its grip. But as instructed these five six strong crews caught hold of its tale and started uncoiling it......After about a half an hour struggle the snake was caught and put inside a box and transported back to Mangalore .......


P.s....Based on real life incident....

Question : How did the python board the tanker in Mangalore ?
Can you guess!