The Tirupati Moment

I could have easily skipped writing on this week’s prompt had I not read Ashwath’s post (Since I am very uncomfortable writing about myself or my life). Ashwath’s post prompted me to share a similar experience I had with Tirupati and the God presiding there. And the line in his post, ‘It’s not chivalrous to live in denial of one’s emotional identity….” gives me courage.

Unlike Aswath’s post, which is a tale of his honestly keeping his end of deal with God breaking the strings of ‘pretentious molar of false ego,’ as he calls it, mine is a tale of my failure to keep my promise arising out of my inhibition to shed the coolness factor, which I assume, came from my arrogance of not acknowledging my limitations in the functioning of universe.

I had never claimed to be an Atheist, even an agnostic. Perhaps this makes my offence more serious than that of an atheist. In my case, it was an offence committed not in ignorance but with full knowledge, a breach of contract.

We humans are helpless yet greedy beings, always wishing for things which are beyond our capabilities or entitlement. I am no different. Behind the cloak of my self-confidence and ego of self-reliance, lied my desire to turn the dice of luck in my favour.

Seeking to be granted favours from the powers of the universe I had pledged my hair the God who presides over Tirupati. But once favours granted, my false ego and inhibition to accept my frailty, (to lose the coolness factor), I acted conveniently,defaulting on the promise.

A convenient breach of contract, and act of deception with someone who I thought was too indifferent to remind me for his dues, was an act of dastardity on my part.

However, in the time that followed, I found myself cursed with adversities beyond the control of human means. The universal dice unfavoured me in its each and every throw. I was surrounded with troubles which although I did not expect yet knew that I did not qualify to undeserve them either. Surrounded with situations beyond the influence of human means or will, I experienced the futility of money, power and resources.

Having the convenience of being a believer, I turned to the God at Tirupati to help me sail through the circumstances no human has neither competence nor resources to cross. Finally, I accepted my defeat and paid my dues to the God to seek forgivance.

I remember having been told in my early childhood, “As you grow up, you will start believing less in things like luck and God and more in your ability to change things by yourself." However, the opposite happened to me. The experience made me realize limitation of tools humans have-  will-power, money etc., and the influence the unexplained, not-fully-known alien power known as God exercises over the universe and its laws.

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This post is written on following prompt

Life is unpredictable !! Write about your unpredictable moment which changed your life !! #UnpredictableMoment

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The Tirupati Laddu-An epitome of Faith and Beauty!

I come out from the sanctum sanctorum and join the queue for the Prasadam. I spread my palm in front of the person serving the Prasadam. With lightning speed, he places a small Laddu on my palm.

I look at the sacred piece of spherical beauty. Fresh from the Kadai, it feels warm on my palm. I want to bask in its beauty before it I savor it with devotion.

I wonder what, apart from the grace of God, makes the Tirupati Laddu so famous and revered? What is it that which makes it so unique?

I have only a few moments to think about this before I savor it completely.

The small Tirupati Laddu placed on my palm appears to emanate beauty and grace. It’s perfectly round in shape. Its impeccable shape appears to resemble the Godliness it carries by virtue of its being a Prasadam of the all-powerful God presiding there.

I balance the Laddu in my palm without taking my eyes off even for a second. We get various types of eatables as Prasadam in various temples- Fruits, Halwa, Flavoured Rice, sweet Rice, Kheer and many more. But how is it that none of them has acquired such fame as the Tirupati Laddu?.... I wonder.

The warm soft skin of the Laddu feels good in my palm. Its brownish yellow colour and matte texture makes it look like some artwork. I close my palm securing the Laddu surrounding with my fingers. I can feel a few embedded nuts feeling to my sensitive palm. As I close my palm, I can feel its softness. The warmth of Laddu flows faster into my palm. Small quantities of the pure ghee seep-out from the porous surface of Laddu and spreads on my palm.

I hold the Laddu nearer to me. The aroma coming from it feels divine. The colour looks brighter and lovelier from close. I think about the deft hands which gave the Laddu such flawless round shape.

The look and flavor of the Laddu promise sweetness, apart from the recognition of having accomplished the feat of having darshan of Lord Balaji, one of the toughest things to get. I was just wandering……  -This Laddu serves as a prize, as  recognition for thousands of people who travel thousands of kilometers to Tirupati braving all inconveniences, climb the hill, walk, stand in queue for hours, sometimes  with infants in arms, just for a glimpse of Lord for a few seconds. Although the time they get to see the Lard may be only a few seconds, the taste of Laddus lasts  much longer…… sometimes a lifetime.

Still lost in my thoughts, I take a bite on the Laddu. It melts into my mouth easily. I feel blessed by divinity.

Having finished my share of Prasadam, I am again standing in the queue, this time for the bigger Laddus, which my family, extended family, friends, colleagues, friends’ family, and colleagues’ friends have requested me to bring from them.

I know that these Tirupati Laddus issued at a price at various Laddu counters in Tirupati would be bigger than the one I got after the darshan. These come in sizes ranging from that of an orange to a muskmelon. To me these sacred objects in varying sizes resemble the celestial bodies, in various sizes- from Mercury to Jupiter and carrying the same divinity around them as the planets of solar system.

I handover the Laddu tokens to the gentleman across the counter and wait for the Laddus. The person behind the small window, picks-up six large Laddus in a tray and proceeds to handover to me. Ready with a paperbag in my hand, I slip-in four of them through the gap to the person. He places one Laddu in each and slides the dishes back to me.

Cong out, I open the paperbag to have a glimse of the Laddus. The Sunrays fall on their surface making them shine more. I had never seen Laddus of such large size. Their large size spells grace and magnanimity to me. Placed inside the container, they carry the promise to carry the God’s blessings to them who could not come to Tirupati.

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The Tirupati Laddu- An epitome of Faith and Beauty!

The Tirupati Laddu-An epitome of Faith and Beauty!

I come out from the sanctum sanctorum and join the queue for the Prasadam. I spread my palm in front of the person serving the Prasadam. With lightning speed, he places a small Laddu on my palm.

I look at the sacred piece of spherical beauty. Fresh from the Kadai, it feels warm on my palm. I want to bask in its beauty before it I savor it with devotion.

I wonder what, apart from the grace of God, makes the Tirupati Laddu so famous and revered? What is it that which makes it so unique?

I have only a few moments to think about this before I savor it completely.

The small Tirupati Laddu placed on my palm appears to emanate beauty and grace. It’s perfectly round in shape. Its impeccable shape appears to resemble the Godliness it carries by virtue of its being a Prasadam of the all-powerful God presiding there.

I balance the Laddu in my palm without taking my eyes off even for a second. We get various types of eatables as Prasadam in various temples- Fruits, Halwa, Flavoured Rice, sweet Rice, Kheer and many more. But how is it that none of them has acquired such fame as the Tirupati Laddu?.... I wonder.

The warm soft skin of the Laddu feels good in my palm. Its brownish yellow colour and matte texture makes it look like some artwork. I close my palm securing the Laddu surrounding with my fingers. I can feel a few embedded nuts feeling to my sensitive palm. As I close my palm, I can feel its softness. The warmth of Laddu flows faster into my palm. Small quantities of the pure ghee seep-out from the porous surface of Laddu and spreads on my palm.

I hold the Laddu nearer to me. The aroma coming from it feels divine. The colour looks brighter and lovelier from close. I think about the deft hands which gave the Laddu such flawless round shape.

The look and flavor of the Laddu promise sweetness, apart from the recognition of having accomplished the feat of having darshan of Lord Balaji, one of the toughest things to get. I was just wandering……  -This Laddu serves as a prize, as  recognition for thousands of people who travel thousands of kilometers to Tirupati braving all inconveniences, climb the hill, walk, stand in queue for hours, sometimes  with infants in arms, just for a glimpse of Lord for a few seconds. Although the time they get to see the Lard may be only a few seconds, the taste of Laddus lasts  much longer…… sometimes a lifetime.

Still lost in my thoughts, I take a bite on the Laddu. It melts into my mouth easily. I feel blessed by divinity.

Having finished my share of Prasadam, I am again standing in the queue, this time for the bigger Laddus, which my family, extended family, friends, colleagues, friends’ family, and colleagues’ friends have requested me to bring from them.

I know that these Tirupati Laddus issued at a price at various Laddu counters in Tirupati would be bigger than the one I got after the darshan. These come in sizes ranging from that of an orange to a muskmelon. To me these sacred objects in varying sizes resemble the celestial bodies, in various sizes- from Mercury to Jupiter and carrying the same divinity around them as the planets of solar system.

I handover the Laddu tokens to the gentleman across the counter and wait for the Laddus. The person behind the small window, picks-up six large Laddus in a tray and proceeds to handover to me. Ready with my Borosil Smart Lid Dishes, I slip-in four of them through the gap to the person. He places one Laddu in each and slides the dishes back to me.

I close the lids. The Tirupati Laddus are now secured in Airtight containers.

I look at the Laddus. The Sunrays passing through the transparent walls of container fall on their surface making them shine more. I had never seen Laddus of such large size. Their large size spells grace and magnanimity to me. Placed inside the container, they carry the promise to carry the God’s blessings to them who could not come to Tirupati.

Visit http://www.myborosil.com/ and know how beautiful and soul sweetening the food could be.

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This post is written for the My Beautiful Food! contest by Borosil in IndiBlogger.

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