Two chaps, both brahmacharis (monks) from Pune, offered to take me to some kind of trail. Actually, we are looking at a lake called Katraj Lake which takes a mere fourteen minutes to circumambulate. It was at the brahma muhurta hour, the time before dawn, that we walked it, and yet again. I was quite surprised to see a good turn out of people doing their own version of a workout on this lake which has an island in the centre with a stature of Sivaji Maharaja, a defender of the Hindu community, dating back.
I really appreciated the good morning air and the good companionship. Next to the lake and trail is a game field – cricket is my guess. A massive image of Vithala (Krishna) stands there to bless the games on site. Tukaram is the very holy saint of the past who adored Vithala.
The thing about India is that in every direction you can expect someone or something sacred. That's what I very much like about the nation. Divinity is what gives resilience to India.
The tree of us walkers left before traffic in the area gets crazy, and I also needed to get back to our ashram to catch up on correspondence and other matters. We have a whole day to meet with members of the Indian Bureau of ISKCON. I'm not complaining. In fact, I have it so good. I never have to worry about where my next meal is going to come from. I'm fed sufficiently every day. I have a roof, a bed, and laundry.
My biggest concern is for human wellness – to see a better world.
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