The Final Journey And Aftermath

I have lived in Bangalore for fifteen years since 2002. 

I missed Durga Puja in 2002 because that was the time I joined the company and again I missed the biggest festival of Bengal in 2005 when I was sent to San Antonio, Texas for a two months training.  Every other year I ensured that I was in Kolkata with family during Puja even if it meant reaching Kolkata on the third day of five days ritual.

After Durga Puja I used to travel back to my work place with my parents. They stayed with me for a couple months and then I dropped them back to Kolkata. This has been the arrangement for close to a decade. Somewhere in 2011, my elder sister told me that she was planning a trip to Bangalore with her family subject to her leave availability. 

My father hated Bangalore. He would tolerate it for a few weeks, but immediately after he reached Bangalore, he used compel me to book return tickets. Once the tickets were booked, his favorite pass time was to start counting days. His circle of friends in Kolkata is huge who often used to call him when he stayed with me in Bangalore, making him all the more restless to return to Kolkata.

Knowing his tendency, I asked my parents to come with my elder sister in January 2012 as I was hoping to get hand over of a flat that I had booked. I could possibly manage house warming when they were in Bangalore.  

The point was, if I brought my parents immediately after Durga Puja in 2011 the way I do every year, my father would probably not stay for three months for my elder sister to join us in January the following year. He would insist to book return tickets much before that.

I remember in 2003, I tried to force dad to stay with me for roughly five months - he actually fell ill and was hospitalized. Though Bangalore was his work place, he could never really bring himself to like this city and was always fully smitten by Kolkata

The tickets were booked for 8th January 2012 to Bangalore. My mother and my sister’s family did come to pay me a visit. 

Only his seat was empty.

We lost dad on 26th November 2011.

My father’s eldest brother died in Chennai, the brother next to him died in Mumbai and dad used to always dread that he would die in Bangalore.  Usually around October-November-December every year, my parents used to stay with me in Bangalore – So had I not asked them this time to join my sister in January 2012 so that they could spend some time in the new house, he would have actually been in Bangalore in November and his worst fear would have been true – not dying in his homeland.

I know how miserable it was as I lived alone in Bangalore once I was back to work after the 13 day ritual – So under no circumstances I would let my mother and sister cancel their tickets. 

It must have been awful for them to travel however as they knew my condition was worse, they decided to visit me just for my well being. My brother in law who loved my father like a son would do, mentioned this several times and choked – It was painful to watch the window seat dad would have occupied

In that state of mind, the only solace that we found was in our anticipation to see Kotingeshwara Temple. We booked a Sumo that charged us roughly INR 2500 I think and we had so much to talk about our lives without dad, that we could not feel the distance

This temple is in the village of Kammasandra in Kolar district. Its main attraction is a huge Linga that is 108 ft tall. There are lakhs of small Lingas spread over that area of around 15 acres.

The tale behind this place is about a person who insulted Sri Manjunatha at least a crore times and when he had a change of heart he set out to build Koti which means a crore lingas in this place.

Photography is not allowed. There are CDs available which can be purchased to feel the warmth and serenity of this place back home as you watch it.

There are many small temples in the premises and the idol of Lord Nandi as well. There is water tank for devotees too.

Image Courtesy: Wikimedia

The place had a calming effect on each one of us and after the vacuum we had in our lives, the huge personal loss that we were dealing with – this experience that the place offered us, is all that we needed to restore our energy.