A Day With Duty And Deity Poem by Bharati Nayak

As the dawn lifted the veil of darkness
Sunshine poured through the tree branches.
The fragrance of jasmine flower wafted in the air
Splashing cool water on my face,
I rushed downstairs
To enjoy the scenic beauty
And to pick some fresh flowers
for my home deity.
The morning birds have started tweeting
And in a nearby Jagannath temple
The priest has started chanting Mantras, while
Devotees are singing devotional songs
With accompanying' Dhol' and ‘Mrudanga'
Today is ‘Maha Visuba Sankranti', a holy festival for us
Devotees are thronging to the temple to have a Darshan of the Lord
They are holding different flowers and fruits
They take off their shoes and wash their feet
After rubbing them against a stone before entering the temple.
They are praying with great devotion.
Some are fasting on this day and take ‘Pana'
after offering it to the Lord.
I remember, when we were small
My mother being too religious,
used to do fasting on such holy days
She prepares all types of sweet delicacies
Appropriate for the occasion.
For me life has become too hectic
Now I have no time for such festivities
A guilty feeling rises in me
When I fail to celebrate the traditional functions.
I have to reach office in time
My duty calls me
I ask the Lord for forgiveness.
Then I start my day as usual with a cup of tea.
Wearing a saree and a simple jewelry
I set out for office.
On the way, I light a candle outside the temple
Bowing my head, I ask for Lord's blessings.
(N.B-1-Pana is a concoction prepared from Bel fruit, coconut, banana, cottage paneer, sugar etc.
2-Dhol and Mrudanga are musical instruments)
@ Bharati Nayak