With the importance of Kasi Yatra becoming clear by the day and I clearly started understanding that I've caught hold of not a tiger cub, but a real big tiger, I almost decided to drop the Yatra after hearing that my Mom has to be operated for hip replacement. She was hosptialized for 15 days and never a day I had a thought of Kasi on these days.
With His Blessings, the surgery went on well and doctors were too happy about the surgery outcome. My Mom felt that it was a re-birth for her...! Even at this juncture we never though of pursuing the Kasi Yatra, since we felt that Mom would take quite sometime to recuperate. One week after discharge she went for a doctor's checkup and enquired whether she can travel to Kasi, her doctor Joseph Navaseelan was more than forthcoming and told 'you can jog your way Kasi, you are completely a new person now'. Mom became comfortable with these inputs and she was also becoming stronger psychologically, with His Blessings.
Still, we were not convinced. We asked our Home Sastrigal Shree Rajesh Vathyar whether we can pursue the Kasi Yatra. His answer was very convincing. He told 'you have one and half months to go, wait and decide, never think of cancelling Kasi Yatra which doesn't happen that easily'. From then, I held the tiger's tail more tightly.
After all this, our Rameswaram trip was not planned to bring in Veni Madhavar and I was deeply engrossed in my official activities. It was only three weeks to go, my official trip to France got confirmed and I had to travel to Paris. This means effectively I return on a Sunday and the forthcoming Saturday we would've set offf to Kasi. All this without travelling to Rameswaram. We were not sure what to do...!
We discussed with Rajesh Vathyar to see the do Kasi Yatra without going to Rameswaram. His answer was blunt 'If you wanted to do Kasi Yatra the way our Forefathers did, then you HAVE to go to Rameswaram. If you decide other ways, the call is yours'. That was not a very friendly message...!
I traveled to Paris without booking ticket to Rameswarm, inspite of these warning...! Not sure, why I did this. The sunday Apr 9th I returned from Paris, sat and booked our tickets, myself and wife, to Rameswaram. We had to start on Wed evening and return on Fri morning, one day for Rameswaram activities...! Both were wait listed and we had only three days in between. Again His Thiruvilayadal became evident...!
(To be continued...!)
Pranams
Ram
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