A Real Joy: Celebrating The Divine Feminine Mother in Nature.

Prayers to Mother nature, Indian Hindu Culture

Nature is not a place to visit. It is home. ― Gary Snyder.

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How beautiful this quote… While I am admiring its beauty right now, I cannot help but marvel at the simple fact how dadaji (my grandpa) brought this quote to life by simply living it.

As a kid, I never played with smartphones. We never had one around. I played with my grandparents instead. Most of my spare time was spent running downstairs to dadaji’s house and rolling on his 4 legged cot, with not a worry of the world. Sundays were spent in similar fashion too.

Oh, how much I loved being in his company!

Aarooooo… he would musically call out my name as soon he saw me at the door – my big round curious eyes peeping in through the wooden frame. My unbridled excitement had no confines, in his loving unconditional non-judgemental realms, it soared free, flying high like an angel in the heavens. The ecstasy, the love, the peace, the childlike energy that he carried within himself was highly infectious. Something that, at that tender age of mine, I could not observe, nor notice... but,

I felt it. Clearly.

He made nature his home. He hardly travelled or indulged in any excruciating yatras - he never felt the need of one! For him, the world was his home and life a prayer, people, nature, all living deities – I was very young then and yet I could feel the bond…

Never quite knowing when I became a part of his beautiful journey…

It was exciting - to see his world through his glasses. Holidays were spent assisting him in one of his favourite hobbies, tending to Tulsi Ma. It was a sacred relationship… giving her his all. One that was nurtured and tended with a lot of love, respect, gratification, sharing and caring.

Tulsi Mata, India Hindu Culture


It was in those moments, with his beloved mother, that he completely lost himself. His unspoken love that he planted in the soil, always blossomed into a widespread plant that he without failingly watered every day.

He extended the same adoration and compassion towards the red or white skinned bovine that is often seen wandering down the roads of India. He called her Gau Mata.

A young boy feeding Gau Mata, Hindu culture

The Goddess Mother, His love and respect for her was immense. All through his life, I saw him championing the cause of treating the holy cow with the same respect, love and care that we would to our mothers. Especially the ones who could not milk or were handicapped in some way, he worked for their welfare with a deep seated responsibility towards them.

He would always tell me that in her, was 'everyone and everything'. 

One of his life-dream wishes was to breathe his last in the comforting folds of Ma Ganga. Having spent a considerable part of his life near the banks of Ganga River in Haridwar, there was an inexplicable pull he felt towards her.

Ganga Ma in Gangotri, Uttarakhand Himalayas

Whenever I would return from one of my yatras with the Ganga River, he would quiz me on my experiences and listen to them intently, with a patient ear, all that his little granddaughter had to say (no matter how absurd or silly it may have sounded) his eyes gleaming in joy not easy to comprehend.

I loved my grandpa...
He loved his little Goddess.

And, I loved everything we did together. With him around, there were no rules, no processes, no limitations – I just sat, stared, prayed or mumbled anything I wanted to – in my own abandoned ways. There was so much peace… to just be... a sense of personal satisfaction rooted in my gentle heart.

Honestly, I was in awe of him.
I still am.
An awe that has only multiplied in infinites over all the years.

Me, my dadaji and nature - together our relationship was a divine romance... one that he rooted in the haloed realm of faith, commitment and conviction and nourished with the eternal values of love, compassion, sharing and caring, give and take. Today, it sprouts forth in my heart as a real joy of togetherness that bursts open through the hurtful pangs of separation or time. An Ultimate Gift, for which I can't be grateful enough...

Salutatations to the feet of the Divine Mother, India

Today, he may not be with me, in person, any-more,
but his inspiration 'to make nature my home'
and 'fill the home with love, compassion and caring'
continues to blossom as loving memories seeded in the garden of my soul.

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This post was inspired by watching this beautiful video by Kissanpur that talks about the real joy of togetherness in this digitized world.


Post a Comment

16 Comments

  1. Aww such a sweet narrative of Dada and Poii's love1 You must be missing him.Even though he is no more ..his blessings will always be with you.

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  2. I always enjoy your posts about your ancestors - how they taught you through example to love life and the natural world and encouraged you to live your faith. As a grandparent myself, I hope my grandchildren can find similar memories of the time I spend with them. We learn from each other. The video was heartwarming. It's snowing here, Arti - my world is turning white!

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  3. Nice to read your post, Beautiful.
    Happy Dussehra / Subho Bijoya Greetings to you & your family.
    Best Wishes ~ da

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  4. Well-written dear..I shared a beautiful relationship with my ajoba too and was lucky enough to have him around for a long time..brought back all the memories.

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  5. The sweet equation you shared with your grandpa and how he made you appreciate nature makes a beautiful read Arti.

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  6. Awesome post! My gran features in my posts very often 😊

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  7. Such a sweet story. Being with grandparents is pure joy.

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  8. A touching tribute, Arti. Love the film as well. Thanks for sharing.
    Just this morning, I was reading about some families in NY who decided to stay in their small 1 bedroom apartments after their families grew because their children had become close to other children in their buildings and because of the children, the parents also became friends.
    We've become increasingly disconnected with the people around us as we connect more with 'social' media.

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  9. Beautiful memories and emotions.. I remember you talking about your Dadaji in a post when you helped him with Dias for Diwali ...and this one is even more emotional...

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  10. Oh dear Aditi. How wonderful!! I had a similar relationship with my granddad- really special, and he was like yours- so full of life wisdom, and his words had got me through tough times more than once. I am sure that wherever he is now he can watch over you and be proud of the amazing human being you have turned in to be. Loved the whole tine through this post, it made me smile. beautifully penned sweetie:-)

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  11. Wonderful read Arti.You have penned it down very well.:)

    Cheers,
    Sriram & Krithiga

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  12. What a beautiful post aptly describing what bonding means! When I first saw the advertisement, I was ecstatic on seeing such a moving ad after a long time. Your post does the same. It brings back some sweet memories. :)

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  13. Beautiful narration and I felt completely a part of your story , the way you described it!

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