Kalighat is a famous Kali temple in Kolkata. On my visit to Kolkata, I paid my visit to this temple along with few colleagues. On reaching there we choose on Prasad wala to keep our belonging before we enter the temple for darshan. A shop keeper near to the temple door kept our belonging and gave prasads and flowers. I chose to sit outside the shop on a small stool, while the other went in. The temple was not crowded but I knew that it would take around 20 minutes to finish the pooja.
I took a chance to break into conversation with the shop keeper. He was a resident of Kolkata for more than 40 years and was running the shop for more than 30 years. He owned two shops in the same locality and the second shop was run by his son who was married with one girl child. He was financially well off and his shop was doing brisk business. I wanted to pass time and thereby enquired him about local politics and the city. He was vocal about the local politics, Kolkata as a city and rising inflation. Generally during interactions like this I choose to hear from people. He went about telling the changing lifestyles of younger generations and his family members. He believed that the older generation was happier despite financial difficulties and lack of opportunities.
He went on to express his displeasure with his son who has only one daughter and choose not to have more than one child. I nodded my head in agreement that what his son thought was right. He got furious with my answer and to calm him, I remained silent and agreed to listen to his story. For a moment, I thought no God or temple or people visiting him can make any effect on a person unless he himself desires to learn from them.
He went on to narrate a story: He asked me “where would I go after the visit to the temple”. I replied him that I will return to Hotel Floatel at Chandu ghat. He went on to say that imagine a situation that I take a public bus to hotel and I have only the minimum fare to reach the hotel. After boarding the bus, the bus breaks down midway. What will be the option left with me? By now I had understood what he wanted to say. But I kept quiet. He said that “I will be left with no choice but to walk back to hotel”. Similarly, if his son has only one child and something happens to the child, who will take care of them.
He thought, I will agree with what he said. I shot back “You have children with the only objective that the child will take care of their parents” He was not expecting this reply. He complained that we were not living in foreign land. I wanted to say many things to him. But by this time, I saw my colleagues coming out. The panditji accompanying them applied tilak on my forehead and gave some prasad to eat. I got up, requested my friend to take a snap and said goodbye and left.
On the way back to Kali ghat metro station on foot, several thought ran through my mind. I kept thinking.
· Why do we live in fear, fear of losing a child, fear of growing old and fear of death amongst many others fears?. I believe that we fear failure and to make peace with the situation we visit temples or religious places.
· We live life based on the choices made by our parents when it comes to schooling, character building, life style etc. I fail to understand why the younger generation is not allowed to make choices in life.
By the time, I had reached the Metro station, I was clear that I should have at least conveyed him that the parents have responsibilities toward their child not the other way round.
He went on to express his displeasure with his son who has only one daughter and choose not to have more than one child. I nodded my head in agreement that what his son thought was right. He got furious with my answer and to calm him, I remained silent and agreed to listen to his story. For a moment, I thought no God or temple or people visiting him can make any effect on a person unless he himself desires to learn from them.
He went on to narrate a story: He asked me “where would I go after the visit to the temple”. I replied him that I will return to Hotel Floatel at Chandu ghat. He went on to say that imagine a situation that I take a public bus to hotel and I have only the minimum fare to reach the hotel. After boarding the bus, the bus breaks down midway. What will be the option left with me? By now I had understood what he wanted to say. But I kept quiet. He said that “I will be left with no choice but to walk back to hotel”. Similarly, if his son has only one child and something happens to the child, who will take care of them.
He thought, I will agree with what he said. I shot back “You have children with the only objective that the child will take care of their parents” He was not expecting this reply. He complained that we were not living in foreign land. I wanted to say many things to him. But by this time, I saw my colleagues coming out. The panditji accompanying them applied tilak on my forehead and gave some prasad to eat. I got up, requested my friend to take a snap and said goodbye and left.
On the way back to Kali ghat metro station on foot, several thought ran through my mind. I kept thinking.
· Why do we live in fear, fear of losing a child, fear of growing old and fear of death amongst many others fears?. I believe that we fear failure and to make peace with the situation we visit temples or religious places.
· We live life based on the choices made by our parents when it comes to schooling, character building, life style etc. I fail to understand why the younger generation is not allowed to make choices in life.
By the time, I had reached the Metro station, I was clear that I should have at least conveyed him that the parents have responsibilities toward their child not the other way round.
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