Chitharal — A Blissful Odyssey
God’s existence has been a controversy for as long as I can remember. Both sides of the coin don’t have a strong root to fix their beliefs. People don’t know what to believe. Whatever the case may be, there is a positive force field that you can feel when you visit a temple.
Temples, in general create a spiritual ambience. Visit a temple once in a while just to get flipped by the changing spiritual energy levels. The architecture alone is enough to create the atmosphere. The stone carvings connect the dots to reveal an anecdote.
Whenever you are in need of a getaway, you must re-calibrate your compass and abscond from your cliched normal life. Athul, the owner of yet another 350cc black beauty, surprises me whenever I am in dire need of a peaceful break. One such break was our trip to Chitharal, a Jain temple situated near the Kerala-Tamil-Nadu border.
The arrows pointed to where we were headed to, or was it pointing to the sun. The clouds cleared out for the light to escalate.
The vibrant colors were dancing to the tune of the thudding. A well lit morning, indeed.
Having reached our destination, we started walking to the temple. Fleets of stony steps showed us our way. Eagerly waiting for the opening view, we ran all the way to reach the rocky paths.
Through the rocky terrain and the not so green paths emerged the hills and the glowing sun.
Mesmerized by the panoramic view, I stood their gasping. I have been told that Chitharal is a peaceful place. Well, now I know.
We decided to hide behind the light and eat our breakfast — bananas and chocolates.
Leaving the rocky shade, we decided to get the perspective from the other hill.
Silhouettes always managed to create an alternate perspective.
Even this broken branch had a story to tell.
‘Wet by rain,
Bred by light,
Gave me hope,
Broke me.’
— the Broken Branch
An architectural symphony started to ring faintly in my head.
Walking to the ringing symphony, we approached the monument. The lighting was perfect, just to capture the little bit of hue that bounced off from the structure.
Walking down, we found the next best place other than your own room to doze off — under a spectacle of a tree.
I decided to lie down on one of the benches. The leaves shadowed on the delicate branches. There weren’t much people around, which made it all the more tranquil.
Climbing places with the mind of a toddler, Athul surprised me as he went up the trees, the rocks and the hills.
We could feel the powerful aura surrounding us.
All the paths led to curious revelations.
All the revelations led to self-satisfaction.
Their is a strong connection between your mind and the place where you are at. The place matters as much as your mindset.
Going back home, we said goodbye to yet another one of our trips. The symphony still rings in my ears. Hoping to come back here once in a while, just to bathe in the positive energy.
