It was one of my annual trips to Kerala – God's own country as they call it; my own land as I believe it is. I always attributed my strong attachment to kottayam, the place I was born, to my cousins, aunts, my grandmother, the temples etc. But this was one trip that made it all look different – very different indeed.
It has probably got to do with an overdose of the city-life. Living in Mumbai is not easy – its not that I mind the fast-moving pace of this place but what I do mind is the fact that it’s too mechanical. Now, “mechanical” may not be the apt word to describe this city but that is how I feel now after my leisure trip to my birth place! At any given day, there is an overdose of work and there are times when I have felt that there is no time for anything you would want to do – even if it is to just sit and watch the world go by!
And this is exactly what I did in Kerala – NOTHING! And I cannot describe in sufficient words the pure thrill of not doing anything, watching the rain, running on wet grass, seeing the sun set, hear the temple bell, hear the morning and evening chants there, hog to your heart’s content, idle gossip, read a good book with no disturbance, to sleep like a baby, breathe fresh air (YES!!), the calm cool breeze which lifts your spirits, the grandma stories that go beyond ages and centuries, listening to age-old family jokes and laughing like you have heard it the first time – the list is endless!!
It has probably got to do with an overdose of the city-life. Living in Mumbai is not easy – its not that I mind the fast-moving pace of this place but what I do mind is the fact that it’s too mechanical. Now, “mechanical” may not be the apt word to describe this city but that is how I feel now after my leisure trip to my birth place! At any given day, there is an overdose of work and there are times when I have felt that there is no time for anything you would want to do – even if it is to just sit and watch the world go by!
And this is exactly what I did in Kerala – NOTHING! And I cannot describe in sufficient words the pure thrill of not doing anything, watching the rain, running on wet grass, seeing the sun set, hear the temple bell, hear the morning and evening chants there, hog to your heart’s content, idle gossip, read a good book with no disturbance, to sleep like a baby, breathe fresh air (YES!!), the calm cool breeze which lifts your spirits, the grandma stories that go beyond ages and centuries, listening to age-old family jokes and laughing like you have heard it the first time – the list is endless!!
The simple pleasures of life which eludes you in the hustle and bustle of a city can be thoroughly enjoyed in my native land. It’s not for nothing Kerala is named God’s own country. It most definitely is. I fervently pray that it stays the way it is – untouched by the madness and ruthlessness of the city life, unscathed by the over population and the pollution, unhurt by the mayhem of everyday life. May it always remain the way it is – like a slow-moving dream which is far yet not too far for me!
