Shadow Dancing with Mind: STILL LIFE: From Budha's Enlightenment to His Nirvana

Feb 9, 2014

STILL LIFE: From Budha's Enlightenment to His Nirvana - A journey

WALK WITH ME...

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After 7 years of making of the Shiva's Temple, based on the South Indian Temple Architecture - by the sthapati's (The builders of Temples based on Vedic Rituals and style) of Famous Madurai Minakshi Temple at one of my friend Karuna's village, it was a pleasure to be there once again.... And this time it was to be socially responsible, as Karuna says... and we arranged Sangat Pangat event on the lines of the Famous Acharya Kishore Kunal, where we planned to have food with villagers without thinking about Caste and creed... and I loved it.

The Temple ready to be inaugurated by the (Then) Hon Minister
Sh. Shatrughan Sinha... 2007

Well I keep visiting that temple as being one of the person involved in its making, I feel great as I see the temple has kept up with the faith of the locals here who feel it to be a quite powerful in terms of granting boons. The native villagers, including the politicians who did win an election, after praying here say, that it gives what you ask for...

As Usual, I take this image Buddha as it inspires me.. and the Guard there
asks me not too.. At Bodh Gaya.

So here I am, tracing my footsteps back in time and took 8 days out of my professional life to be here to visit the temple, Participate in Sangat Pangat Concept of Kishore Kunal to feed 5K people, at one place without the question of caste and creed, then move on to Bodh Gaya to meditate, where Buddha got enlightenment and then visit the place to think about life and death at Kushinagar, where Buddha attained Pari Nirvana ( Buddha died at this place, by such a simple way that suits such a great soul)....

As we started... me along with Pratham and Karuna (Extreme Right) ...

I also needed to do a ritual for my Isht Devi Durga at our ancestral place in my village where Durga Ji and Kali Ma have been around for centuries guiding all of us... So here is the story in images for my friends and family... Hope you will enjoy this journey and if you do see the images that touches your heart and encourage you to PRAY, then my job is done... I am sure that the moment any one of the images touches your soul here.. then you are blessed and lucky to have the blessings...

The Sangat Pangat.. (Community Lunch of all caste and creed) that
went beyond 5000 ppl that we planned to 10K. The temple is in the
back ground..

Karuna along with Achraya Kishore Kunal and other dignitaries..
Having food along with 10K people without the question of
caste and creed...

After all the hard work, it was a real pleasure to meet my old friend,
singing folk songs (Kirtan) ...

... and an amazing day ended.. on a high note of being together with
Karuna, Anjani and Pratham. and moved on to Anjani's village for
overnight stay ...

After finishing the work at the temple, the next day visited Bodh Gaya..

The Bodhi Tree.. where Buddha got Enlightenment...

The devotees from across the world..

Of course there's no other way to beat the perennial menace
of Mosquito's...

Under the Bodhi Tree..

Picked up Aswani Bhai from Bodh Gaya, who landed there from
Thailand. I was surprised to know that there are 4 daily flights
from South East Asia at Bodh Gaya..

And the next day, finally moved on to my next leg of the trip...
This is how Emperor Ashoka spread Buddhism in India...
Stupa at Kesaria on my way to Village...