Enlightening Pilgrimage of Indian Heritage

A Wish That Came Through

(From the Travelogues of Mathew D. Kunnappilly)

Bodha Gaya

When we returned from the Temple to our autorikshaw, our driver was sleeping on the back seat. I tried to wake him up but he mumbled something and kept on sleeping. So I touched on his shoulder and asked him to get up. He opened his eyes and jumped up saying "Oh! Uncle. I thought someone wants my auto."

The manager of the lodge we were staying in arranged this auto.

I liked the driver from the moment I met him. I do not know if his name being "Sidharta"had anything to do with it.

I think this liking was reciprocated. He always called me "Uncle" and treated me like one. He will hold my hand when I climb up or down steps, even when I said I do not need. If I ask for anything, he would say "Don’t worry, uncle, I will take care of it" and he did.

He was a jolly fellow. Always with a happy broad smile. He was about 35 years old, well built, close to six feet tall. He spoke fairly good English. (Fairly good English? Whom am I talking to?) Unless you meet Sidharth you would never grasp the meaning "Loud Mouth" When he whisper, you could hear him a mile away. Some time this is embarrassing when he is with you. You may think he is shouting at people.

My original plan was to spend one day at Gaya. Next morning go to Bodh Gaya. From there go to Nalanda.

"Where do you want to go next, uncle?" Sidhartha asked me. (Not in this grammatically correct English) "What else is here to see, Sidhartha?" I asked in reply. He told me that there was nothing else important in Gaya to see. I told him of my plan. He said that I couldn’t go to Nalanda from Bodh Gaya. There are no bus services from there. I will have to come back to Gaya and then go to Nalanda. That was unnecessary waste of time. So I asked him if there was enough time to go to Bodh Gaya. He said yes. It was only 12 noon. Then he said,"Uncle, you go to Bodh Gaya. You will like it there. It is clean. Here, you may get headache" He had seen me covering my nose with my handkerchief many times.

So we set out for Bodh Gaya. The road was full of potholes. Every time his auto falls into a pothole he will shout " Bad road. Bad road, uncle"

Bodh Gaya is about 11-km form Gaya. As soon as you cross the border of Gaya, the place start looking cleaner.

It was the time of Durga Puja. The teenage boys were taking up collections.

They will hold up a rope across the road. The driver will have to stop. Then they will ask the driver for a donation. At the first place, after some  shouting matches, he gave them 10 rupees. But the teenagers were stationed at different places. At the second stop Sidharta started shouting at them. They were shouting back at him. I thought, they would have a fight. Finally, the boys started braking out laughing. They let him go. I asked Sidharta what he told the boys. " I told them, I gave her enough. Durga Devi doesn’t eat. My wife and children do." I laughed, too.

At another place he started chasing the boys. The boys ran. I was not worried because he can handle six of them with his one hand but I knew he would not hurt anyone. Finally, the boys had to let him go.

This is just the opposite of what happens in Kerala. In Kerala no one bothers the driver. They ask the passenger. He is the one with money. Knowing this I took some money from my briefcase and kept it in my pocket. But at no place, anyone asked me for any donation. In North India no one bothers the passenger, ask only from the driver. They may ask the driver to get money from the passenger for them, but they never ask directly. (This is to happened again in UP)

Bodh Gaya is a small town. The streets are fairly clean. (Well clean compared with Gaya)

All the important places are close by at walking distance and all are very clean and orderly.

We had lunch at a nice restaurant. Sidharta had only a Pepsi. He was driving the poor waiters crazy. He want them to serve me first when people whom got there before me, waiting. I tried to stop him but he would not listen. "Don’t worry, uncle" he said. Even that the whole town could here. When they served my food, I asked for hot water. He stopped a waiter who was going to another table with cold water, send him back to the kitchen to get hot water for me, first. I was little embarrassed. I suppose, whenever he take passengers to Bodh Gaya he takes them to this place for food. So they had to put up with him. At times, he was like a boisterous boy.

After lunch Subash and I went for sightseeing.

Bodh Gaya is the cradle of Buddhism. It was here, under a sacred tree, the Prince Sidharta Gautama attained Enlightenment. The ancient name of this place was Bodhi Mandapa. Today it is called Bodh Gaya. 250 years after Sidharta became Buddha; Emperor Ashoka came to this place and built a Temple by the side of the tree under which Sidharta had meditated. He erected a Diamond Throne on the spot where Buddha had sat. The present Mahabodhi Temple was built exactly over the remains of Ashoka’s Temple. His writings on the railings can be seen today.

The Temple is 170 ft. high. Its basement is 48 sq. ft. As it rises, it becomes narrower till meeting its neck that is cylindrical. On the four corners, four towers rise gracefully giving the entire structure a poise and balance. Inside the Temple there is a colossal statue of Buddha in sitting posture, facing east.

The Bodhi Tree under which Buddha meditated, stands to the west of Temple. The present tree is the fifth sapling. The fourth one withered in 1880. The stone Buddha sat on is still there. (It is covered with velvet and flower petals)

There is a Stupa on the spot Buddha stood gazing at the tree in gratitude for giving him shelter while he meditated.

There was a raised platform along the northern wall of the main temple, built in 100 BC That was 3 ft. high and 60 ft. long. At this place Buddha spend 7 days walking up and down in meditation. At present, only one undamaged pillar left.

The Lotus Tank where Buddha bathed is to the South of the Temple. Today, the Tank is filled with catfishes and some lotus.

Tibet, China, Japan, Thailand and Sri Lena (I think, some other countries, too) have Temples near by the Mahabodhi Temple. All are within walking distance. All are built in marbles in their country’s motif. All are kept spotlessly clean and in fine order.

There is a huge statue of Buddha in sitting posture at one place. I read in the paper recently that The Maha Bodhi Society is currently working on a statue of Buddha 50 meters high, on a pedestal, in corresponding height would be the tallest statue in the world. It is to be completed by year 2005.

By 4 PM we finished our visit. By then I was tired. The greatest difficulty for me was walking bare footed everywhere. But I managed.

We started our journey back to Gaya.

On our way I asked Sidharta the best way to go to Nalanda. He said "Uncle, you go first to Rajgir. Then go to Nalanda" "Rajgir? Where is that?" I asked. "On the way to Nalanda" he replied. I never heard of Rajgir. I knew nothing about it. So I asked, "What is there to see at Rajgir, Sidharta?" "You see Ropway" was the answer. I did not know what he meant. Upon further interrogation of Sidharta, I realized that he was talking about some kind of chair that will take you up onto the mountain by rope. That did not attract me because I was not going to sit on a chair, with my acrophobia, and let some one pull me up to a mountaintop by rope. I was about to ask him for a different rout to Nalanda when he said, " There is an old Temple, uncle. It is in the Mahabharata" That captured my attention. An old Temple mentioned in the Mahabharatha? How often do you get such a golden opportunity to see something mentioned in a book like Mahabharatha? On the spot I decided to go to Rajgir. Sidharta suggested that I take the 4.30 AM bus to Rajgir. I agreed.

When we reached the lodge he came with me and spoke to the manager. At the end he told him in English " Tell them to give uncle a seat".

I paid him the money I had agreed to pay. He said goodbye to me in Indian style, with touched palms. Then he turned around and left. I called him back. This was the first time a taxi driver, out side Kozhikodu city, left with what he was paid, without complaining. I paid him little more. "Uncle, you gave me what you promised," he said. "Yes" I replied." That was to buy food for your wife and children. This is for you to buy a beer" I do not even know if he drinks beer. Then he left.

We met on the street of life’s intersection. We left each other with good memories. What more we need from each other?

God blesses Sidharta! Had he not insisted on my visiting Rajgir, I would not have gone. Have I not gone I would have been terribly disappointed for the rest of my life. I will tell you why.

(In Kozhikodu city taxi or auto drivers do not ask for more than what is shown on the meter. A year or two ago there was an article published in a leading newspaper about the honesty of Kozhikodu taxi drivers. Ever since they work collectively to keep that good name. It is even difficult to get them accept a tip.)

Next - At Rajgir