Soulie Saturday #26: Bathe in the Light of Love This Diwali (Mother River Gomti, Dwarka.)

There is a light which cannot ever be extinguished.

It is inside of you. It is you.

Let your light so shine upon the world that the world will know

Who You Really Are --

and its people will know why they really are as well,

through the light of your example.

The darkness of our world awaits you --

not to engulf you,

but to be transformed by you.

During this Season of the Light,

be its Source for all those who search for Joy.

~ Neale Donald Walsch.

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The placid waves busted with the joy of light reflected brilliantly under the wind in the shimmering rays of the dawn, bestowing a golden aura all over the Universe. Motionless, I stood in awe, basking in the solitude, nothingness and calm, breathing it all in, soaking every second of the moment, allowing the gift of life and living to deeply penetrate the depths of my core. Silence is golden, I marvelled, as the nascent rays, slowly trickling in one after the other, kissed the river, then my skin, and then my heart too. Soon, I felt the warmth radiating my entire being and my face beaming with the joy of a smile…

There was still some time for daybreak in Dwarka when I had slipped into my flip flops and set out for the ghats along the periphery of the sacred Gomti River. The night was still heavy with the light barely visible, the trees a mere silhouette against the sublime, blue black sky but that was in no way deterrent to the enthusiasm of the devotees. They walked in groups, sometimes alone, young, old, men and women with children in tow, people from diverse backgrounds and beliefs from all over the world to indulge in the various religious activities. After all, this were no ordinary journey – this was a journey to the ‘Land of Kaliyuga’, a journey to the heart of their beloved, a journey of a lifetime and it all began with paying their humble reverences to Mother River Gomti.

By the time I reached the Gomti Ghat, the veil of darkness lifted a little now revealing a band of straight orange red hue splashed across the horizon. The air was cool and ripe with the thought of blooming in a fresh original day. Melody sneaked her charm through, filling the air with a musical silence, clearly audible to the soul but completely missed by the ears.

As I looked around, most of the devouts went about mumbling or whispering their prayers, breaking just occasionally to squat, press their heads and kiss the sacred grounds. A sadhu in his saffron robe, stood on a stone in the middle of the river – eyes half closed, lost in meditative thoughts, a faint smile briefly crossing his face, perhaps transported in to a far-off realm as he remained oblivious to my presence a mere ten feet away. What was he, as all the other devouts, praying for?

I listened to them, I really did. All the prayers, floating as whispers in the air, they tolled in the same language as mine... a language that carried a meaning we all innately understand. Hidden in them were stories of pain, struggles, joy and gratefulness, a search for pure love, peace and the divine.

I removed my slippers, walking barefeet on the ground, feeling the energy of the earth that was preparing to march into a bright new day bringing forth a myriad of emotions. Far across in the expanding horizons above, the lilting sun was slowly waking up from its deep slumber, dancing with golden crimson hues on the infinitely stretching stage of the sky. Blushing and beaming in the surreal radiance of the light of the dawn was the Gomti River below, flowing gently and placidly through the town and past the bathing ghats, making its way over the occasional rock, also over the hundreds of hearts that crossed my line of vision.

I folded my hands in prayer and closed my eyes, breathing in the spectacular gift of light that was drenching every inch of my being in new hopes and vibrant possibilities wiping away any and all the clutter of darkness. Silence glided into my soul while the chatter of the world died down in the ethereal glow of the rising sun. Time came to a staggering halt in the rhythmic melody of the ripples, breaking on the river bank, whispering a murmuring song as a mellifluous and joyful Gomti kept building, going somewhere, sanctifying the shores of the holy land… also the confines of my heart within.

I bathed, not in her waters but in the warmth of My Mother, in a love so intense, a goodness so good that I felt a blessed child – I felt happy.

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This soulie inspired by Diwali - one of the biggest festivals in the Hindu calendar, the festival of lights which is barely not even a week away - is my prayer for this festive season - May this Diwali light diyas of joy, peace and understanding into all our hearts as we navigate through the lanes of life banishing all traces of darkness of ignorance and evil from our living. May we be bold enough to invite the light of happiness into our spirits and meet life on an all new level, as an equal, as a child of God, enlightening our own selves as also the world around us with His loving guidance, our divine presence and unique radiance.

Happy Diwali, Everyone!

Don't forget to SHINE ON!

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This post is part of an ongoing series called Soulie Saturday on My Yatra Diary..., a spiritual exploration of that which is Unseen and a celebration of that Ultimate sacred space we yearn for - within and without - and the riches we carry in our own hearts. Click on the preceding "Soulie Saturday" link to view all posts in the series, or visit the initial overview post that inspired me to start this series here.