“Wake up, its already 9″, Mamma was shouting near my ears while I was in a very deep sleep.
With small eyes open, I looked at the time. It was just 8 and I thought I could sleep for 1 more hour since it was my holiday today.
Nevertheless, holiday is just an excuse for me to sleep more and more. I usually have my evening duties more than morning and I get to sleep
for long in the morning time.
I slept till 9:15 when I again heard my mum shouting ” Wake up, today is Ekadashi and I have to go to pashupati, I thought I could take you
together with me but you are sleeping this late”
“Pashupati? O, Shivratri is day after tomorrow and tomorrow I dont have any leave. I definitely must go with mum” I thought.
Since it was already 9 past 15 and I was feeling very lazy I asked mum if we could go to the temple in the daytime.
“Daytime, all the doors of the temple will be closed and we wont be able to get sight of Lord Shiva. Its better we go now or after 5”
I was super excited to hear the second option. If I go after 5, it would be a kind of evening walk as well so I chose the second option.
Whole day I talked to my sisters and brothers, did video calls and while they were busy I was also busy with my own personal works.
Time passed so quickly and it was already 3 o’ clock when mummy asked me to get ready soon.
“Its just 3 and we have to reach there at 5. I will get ready by 4:30” I said.
“It will take 1 hour to get there, we have to buy flowers and belpatras as well. So get ready by 4. Have something and we will leave at sharp 4.”
I went to the kitchen to search for the food stuffs. I had junk food and started getting ready.
“Lets go now. I am ready”, I said to mom while she was busy preparing the incense and lights for prayers.
We started walking very slowly since we had plenty of time left for the doors of pashupatinath to be opened.
“Mahashivratri, one of the main festival of the Hindus falls on the Krishnapakshya Chaturdashi of Falgun. Last year 5000 yogis came all the way from
Haridwar for the auspicious occasion of Shivratri. There will be too many Nango babas as well.”, mum was telling stories of shivratri the entire way.
“Nango babas!!!!!” I always wondered how these yogis would look like. I had never ever seen them in my real life, just seen in the pictures.
After 35 minutes of walk, we reached near the temple. We bought flowers, kept shoes in the lockers, washed our hands and went inside the temple.
“Oh my god!!!!” was what my reaction. The temple was so much crowded and there was a different kind of smell inside the temple.
The temple was all surrounded by the Yogis. “What is this, O my god I should not look this side, he hasnt worn anything” I said to myself when I saw the Nango babas
But any direction I turned, I could see Nango babas everywhere. I was amazed to see their hair, like all kinds of dreadlocked.
I was wondering how they would take bath everyday. Their entire body was covered by white ashes and they had a kind of brush thing in their hand to
put their blessings on the other people’s head. The smell was of Dauras, ashes and insanes. We waited for 10 minutes outside the main gate while the door opened and
we could get auspicious sight of Lord Shiva. I felt very peaceful and good.
“Monkey, will he do anything?” I was just wondering when a monkey jumped in my shoulders and went towards the upper part of the temple.
It was scary. After that I was bit careful with the monkeys. We then lighetened insanes and went to roam around the temple.
Every other temple we went, there were the Yogis who came from India.
“I have very few coins. We could have brought some more coins” mum said to me.
“Are all the yogis that came from India good?” I asked with curiosity.
“Its not that if they are good we should give them and if they arent we shouldn’t. They have come from so far to our country.
They come every year for Shivratri and we should give them something from our end” mum said to me.
“They are so many. How is it possible to give the coins to every other people?” If we skip one, the skipped one will just curse.” I murmured.
We exchanged money to coins and we started giving 1-1rs coin and rice grains to every yogis. Some gave blessing while some exchanged smiles.
“Beti tera sadaa bhalaa hoga” a yogi called me and gave rudraksh dipped into the ashes. He even asked me for some money but since mum had already given I didnt
give anything. I was afraid that if I give to him more amount, other yogis near to him will feel bad.
We almost finished giving everyone who were on our way.
We again prayed for the last time while returning and came out of the temple.
“Mummy, that person doesnt have hands, please give him too.” I started looking here and there. There were one after another disabled people.
I was feeling very bad to see them in that condition. Our grains and coins were about to be finished when mum said
“We will again come on Saturday to give them, don’t worry”
Then we went to take shoes and returned back. All the way she told me about the Yogis and Shivratri festival.
It was around 7 when we reached home. I felt so happy and peace of mind that I started writing about the day today.