This year I have been to Grand Bassin and returned on foot to Goodlands. Maha Shivraatree is one of my favourite festivals.
I have seen a lot of things during my past journeys which I would like to share.
A nice small Kanwar:
Pilgrims on their way back from G Bassin:
I also took some pics which really made me think a lot.
Let’s take a look at some things we really need to consider:
You must have noticed the food that has been wasted and the litter all around and also might have guessed who did all that.
Well we see this everywhere and it really does not matter much to most of us. However when I saw this person picking up the litter that has been left around we should really consider about it.
This person had to walk through the whole place to pick up the litter lying around everywhere.
Well here are disciplines to be adopted on the journey to and from Grand Bassin on foot which you can use the next time on your trip. This will help both yourselves and also those around you :
- When you eat or drink do not just leave the litter there. Respect your environment. This will also enable your fellow pilgrims to use the place well and relax without any litter around them. If you don’t find a bin to dump the litter just put them together and put it in one place, it will be easier for the cleaners to pick up the trash
- When you do not have the capacity to eat something do not take it and throw it afterwards. This is a disrespect of food as well as the person who has been sharing it.
- There is one more thing concerning food and eating habit. The walk is not a picnic but a penance. Your eating habits are not the same as you do everyday. Do not eat so much that it makes you visit the toilet too often or you get a stomach problem which eventually messes up the toilet. (I cannot post any pic of that since it’s not a wonderful view). There are other people who have to use the toilet but when they see the mess they end throwing up. They cannot even use the toilet during their emergencies. It would be a good idea to avoid oily foods.
- One tip in terms of food consumption is eat only as much as it’s enough to satisfy you hunger and not more than that. If it is possible eat as less as possible. This will prevent you from using the toilet.
- This trip represents a sacrifice where we carry the water of the holy Ganges to be offered to Shiva Linga. Normally the holy water that we are carrying around our neck is sacred. I have noticed people eating and drinking with the holy water around their neck. This is not the right way. When we are hungry or thirsty, we stop at a place where we can keep our holy water in a clean place, then relax and take the food or drink. After having finished with the food and drinks we just wash our hands with some water, only then we can take the holy water and put it around our neck.
- While walking, bear in mind that you are not the only person walking, there are other vehicles as well as other pilgrims and we should respect them. We can see many pilgrims walking with arrogance not respecting others while walking. This does not add to your sacrifice or penance. This will only destroy your penance. The period of the trip is a kind of fast. And during that period at least please be humble towards others.
- We can also see some people with a cigarette in one hand and their holy water around their neck. Sorry but this is not cool at all. It is all an insult to your penance and it won’t bring you anything. Well you can ask yourselves this question whether this is a beautiful image.
- We are not going to a Friday night or Saturday night pub or night club to hook up with a girl, so please abstain yourselves from eve teasing. Respect the other devotees as well as other passer by. Do not forget you are doing a penance and this involves having a control on your mind and heart.
- Do not walk forcing your steps more than your normal capacity. Walk on normal steps, that trip is not a race where you will race against other pilgrims. Every person has his/her own pace of walking. Organize yourselves in such a way that you are accompanied with a friend who has the same pace as yours if possible.
- Plan your trip accordingly. Find appropriate milestones which will enable you to relax and re-energize for your trip to the next milestone. In case you get tired in between, you can relax for a few minutes at a place, drink some juice after keeping your holy water in a clean place then continue your journey. Do not sit for too long this will only make your legs go cold and you might feel lazy to walk. Make sure in one of those milestones you can get some sleep so that you still have the energy to walk. Sleep is also very important. This is one of the most difficult thing to do but still try to get some sleep if possible.
It is very important to have a discipline during fasting period. Remember if you plan to have a picnic please do not choose the period of Maha Shivraatree, there are other days of the year when you can choose for a Randonnée.
I wish you all a pious Maha Shivraatree and may Lord Shiva bless you all and reward you for your prayers.
Hope the above advice will be helpful to the future pilgrims in the coming years.
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6 comments
curiousEngine
February 20, 2012 at 3:42 pm (UTC 4) Link to this comment
nice post on discipline. Also pligrims should be careful about the way they are walking on the road. They should not deter the traffic as they can walk on the left side of the road and not in the middle of it.
Pramod
February 20, 2012 at 3:53 pm (UTC 4) Link to this comment
Both needs to respect each other. The one in the car, as well as the pedestrian.
Yashvin
February 20, 2012 at 4:46 pm (UTC 4) Link to this comment
Lastly, go to gbassin only if u believe in god and the celebration. Don't do it for a fun walk only or for smoking things on the way. And if you do believe in the celebration, let me remind you that a belief is meant to be respected all year long, not just on Maha shivratree for a show off. For those who ignore, there are shivratrees each month (but I might not be the appropriate person to answer your questions on this topic).
My recent post Cargo is here. Now, do it yourself!
Pramod
February 21, 2012 at 9:22 am (UTC 4) Link to this comment
Yes there is Shivraatree every month indeed, and they are celebrated with the same devotion by doing Shiv Abhishek.
vinay
February 26, 2012 at 10:10 pm (UTC 4) Link to this comment
i am very happy about ur site n comments. i would like to point out only one small point about littering. wen u r walking u thirsty u offered a plastic cup of juice n u drink it. u dont see any bin next to u to throw it. the best thing to do is to throw it where all the others have thrown theirs. coz being in such a period with all the pilgrims, the scavenging should be a bit more on the task. u walking u cant keep carrying ur one glass one km. ok. its not a bad thing to throw it where all others are throwing it so they can pick it easy. one day mauritius is not clean does not mean we mauritians dont care about our country.
thanks
Pramod
February 26, 2012 at 10:19 pm (UTC 4) Link to this comment
Yeah true… it's not a problem when you throw it in a place where there are already other people who have thrown their litter.
Well there are some people who just take the drink and drink half of it and just throw it away without looking where… Is this ok?
It has been written in the post "If you do not find a dustbin make sure the litter is thrown together in one place therefore easier to pick up"
This is a kind of discipline I would recommend every pilgrim to adopt!