By Shobha Rao Smilemaker
Feb 19: It was a wonderful opportunity for me to celebrate the festival of Shivaratri with the pure devotion of simple villagers at a remote place called Kumudabali in Orissa.
I find these people very authentic and hardworking almost every resident was up before dawn, cleaning the front yards the first thing in the morning.
It was still dark when we reached the small looking Balukeshwar Shiva temple and we lit some lamps outside it.
The priest sat patiently with us near the idol as we all prayed for the well being of our families.
Once i stepped out of the temple at the crack of dawn, I was stunned by the scenic beauty. I did not realize that this temple was at a vantage point the banks of Vamsadhara river and at a confluence point with the river Sakatnala too.
The natural rock formation around the temple, the gushing clean water around it, the vast open skies, the warm rays of the rising sun, the pure air around us...yes we experienced all the elelments of nature at its best.
Our senses were also heightened with the sight of the colourfully dressed dance troupe of men, the village ladies performing rituals on the river bank, the devotional music being played in the background, and more.
I admired the simple offerings of Shivas favourite flower, fruit or leaf, the vermillion and turmeric powders, the lamps lit with clarified butter and more. I watched in awe this new ritual of how the ladies carried earthenware pots of water on their heads, from the river to the temple accompanied by the energetic music and dance by the men.
Really our country is so great with every region alive with the upkeep of their own local cuture and traditions.
I just had to buy a local earthenware pan to encourage the rural artisans for a nominal price. The smiles on their faces was priceless.
Do discover the hidden unknown nooks and corners of India and smile. Wow India!!
Shobha Rao Smilemaker has a vision of living in a world where people use their ability to find and make smiles in any situation. She is a lawyer by qualification, a soft skills trainer by passion, a motivational speaker, a freelance journalist, a bestselling author, an avid traveler and founder of 'Smilemakers Trainings'. She can be contacted at www.shobhasmilemaker.com.