Kojagiri

 The Kojagiri Pournima is indeed a beautiful sight. The full moon in all its glory seems to shine literally like a beautiful pearl or a lovely diamond in the sky. There is always a pleasant feel in the very air, though this year the divine nip is missing, given the lingering monsoon.

The day, rather the night, brings back many memories of childhood, Aai-Papa celebrating each and every festival with fervour. Aai would always explain the etymology of "Kojagiri" as "ko jagrati", as per the Shiva-Parvati legend. Later, she would also add the Geeta reference of "ya Nisha sarv bhutanam, tasyam jagrati samyami". And, oh, yes, despite such "samskar", never ever in our home was there any religiosity or caste insistence.

What i find truly touching tonight is the memory of Aai, and her monthly chandradarshan, sighting and bowing to the moon every pournima, ever since she turned seventy-nine. She continued this practice in to her eighty-first year, too.  That would truly mean sahastrachandra  darshan, she felt, and she religiously followed this practice every pournima, however much her knees might ache and creak. Hence the celebration of  her eightieth birthday had a genuineness that was the hallmark of both their lives. 

Such sweet memories constantly flood my consciousness each and every day, and then, though I miss both of them a lot, I understand deeply what Donne meant when he insisted, "Death, thou shalt die"!

Pratima@ Lives end, but memories live, last long, and forever.