Rishikesh!

You were so beautiful to me

when I first climbed down that bus,

which brought me from the hustle bustle

to the land of “Char Dham”…

Your sun shone on me,

the misty clouds parted their ways

so that I could see your mountains &

feel the ambience around.

Amidst the smell of the morning tea,

Commotion in the bus station where conductors

were attracting passengers for Haridwar

I could sense deep calm inside of me

as I headed to taste a cup of Rishikesh myself!

I smiled back at a girl who was staring at me.

She was simple & happy!

I thought people are not so complicated here

But my decision to come here was yet to unfold.

On my way to the unknown

I started on a rickshaw ride

which headed in no time

towards Tapovan.

Ah the word Tapovan, is soothing to the ear

Suddenly, I saw a huge bridge

Oh ! it was Ram Jhula!

My heart smiled … “I am at the right place”

Triveni Ghat’s Aarti was

one of the holiest things to witness.

People jumped into the Holy Ganga

Just to rid themselves of all their sins.

They didn’t care,

if the holy Ganga took them away

or just their sins

People’s devotions!!

So contradictory.

Whether the people are really

who they show themselves to be?

So religious?

Or are they hypocrites?

Who knows what they have in their hearts?

It is the work of the creator to decide.

He knows it all.

And yet the mesmerizing Ganga Aarti

which made everything complete for me

in this circle call Life   !!