Bharat darshan

Apart from the colossal congregation of millions of Hindu's at KumbhMela's to take dip,in the holy water of Ganges on pre ascertained auspicious days ,to cleanse oneself of the accumulated karmas , there are several other pilgrimages under taken as well in Bharat.

The mandated Kasi yatra followed through the ages is the most important pilgrimage of Hindu's. It is so deeply embedded in the phyche of every Hindu that a dip in the sacred waters of Ganges at Kasi that,it is sure to be performed by a Hindu in his lifetime ,at least once.

When I visit temples down South I see bus load of people as far away as Rajasthan, camping near rivers bathing in the waters,cooking food in huge cauldrons on road sides and drying their clothes on their stationery buses .They have travelled 1000' s of miles to visit temples .I see them rush in groups after groups to have darshan of Vishnu and Siva in all major temple towns . In all probability they have visited all temples in all the states,they traversed on their way!

I also see men in dressed in black , barefooted and wearing beads, hire vans and buses and criss cross the entire South,visiting all temples and then finally wind it by visiting Sabarimala. They are so numerous that getting darshan at Tirupati in those winter days becomes a jostling bout. However their religious fervour and their full throated 'Govinda, Govinda,Govinda' rending the air,is stirring and enhances the spiritual atmosphere.

I am astounded to see Lambadi's at major temples .The tribal's belonging to A.P .The women folk in their gorgeous mirror worked lehanga's and hands packed from wrist to the elbow with bangles and glistening in chunky jewelleries are a unique blurr of colour.Few decades back they were confined to their remote villages.Now when I land in Tirupati station on my way to Tirumala ,I see a sea of Lambadi's disembarking from trains and surging ahead eagerly to take a bus to Srinivasa temple at Tirumala. I have at several times been pushed and carried along by them to the inner sanctum sanctorium!

Of late there are middle class senior citizens group making the temple circuits in groups of 10 and 20 's. The vaishanavite groups visit all the Vishnu temples India and Nepal [even the remotest ]by train ,air ,vans cars and even by helicopters!Middle class Saivaites undertake the arduous Amarnath and Kailash yatra's in groups.

Indians settled in South east Asian countries like Malaysia ,Singapore,and others for generations , also snatch time and visit all the holy places in India. I came across several such couples, families paying obeisance in obscure but ancient temples in remote villages in Tamilnadu.

Owing to increasing economic prosperity lower and middle class Indians are on a religious touring spree ,all through the year in all age groups!