Puttaparthi is located 3 hours via taxi from Bangalore, India. It's a place where I visit often... it's where I am right now, and today is a holy day called Guru Purnima...the day of the Guru (teacher). It's a place where Satya Sai Baba lives. I've been coming here since I was 3 years old, and try to make a trip once or twice a year. (If you do the math, i've been to India dozens of times, and I love it...it's my second home). This place is a spiritual cleansing of sorts--makes me realize that life isn't about the rat race per se, but something more. This year, I attended a world youth conference for 3 days prior to the festival which was great. Yes, it's been hot...yes, i've been 'complaining'...but it's been good. I wake up every morning around 3:30, and go make prayer rounds and attend bhajans (devotional singing), etc... it takes up the whole day.... I had to come to say thank you.... thank you to god for helping me get through residency. It was a rough road... and I learned a ton from it... both the good and the bad... but I made it.
I leave tomorrow via taxi with a friend (who I last saw at my medical school graduation!!!), and we head to the Bangalore airport, where she catches a flight back home to NYC, and I catch a flight to Delhi. Then the next morning I leave for Kathmandu, and hopefully resolve my China Visa issues for me to get to Lhasa, Tibet.
Whew.
Just ate dinner, and now am going to pack up.
Be well!
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3 comments:
Hi Krupali!
I'm really supposed to be studying for finals, but....
Golly, what a marvelous itinerary! On my birthday, while I am taking the GXMO test, you'll be riding elephants and having tea! How exciting :o)
Travel safe!
Teri Thomas
Krupali: I am so glad to read about your deeply spiritual experiences in India. It sounds truly wonderful, to connect with God in such a way. Recently, I read a quote that was comforting to me, although I don't know who first said it:
"We are not human beings seeking a temporary spiritual experience. Rather, we are spiritual beings in a temporary human experience."
When one faces death face-to-face, as you did vicariously through your patients, and I am doing through my cancer experience, it does touch off a longing to be introspective and try to figure out more about the meaning of it all.....this life on earth and whatever is beyond.
I am curious as you describe your relief in leaving the south. I can certainly understand homesickness, but your expressed relief at leaving Atlanta, makes me wonder whether your experience in the south was particularly difficult or negative for you.
May your journey continue to be full of such wonderful times as you have had so far in India.
Sandra
we sat, sweated, slept, and swooned in bliss! :)
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