A Much Awaited Break !!!

It was mid 2003 , i had almost completed four semesters of my engineering. I was awaiting a much needed break from my daily routine.

It was then, that i stumbled upon the idea of , a weekend getaway. Away from Bangalore would be perfect recipe i thought.

To my surprise , a similar thought for a weekend getaway , had just been highlighted by my aunt. Within no time , there was a plan in place . A plan which included a one day outing , visiting places around Bangalore City.

The place was decided to be Sangama & Mekedaatu. Yes you heard it right..

Sangama is a place where there is a merge of river Arkavati with Kaveri.

Mekedaatu is a place about 5 kms from Sangama. You can trek your way to Sangama .

The day begin as usual with the hired Tempo Traveller , being late by an hour. We were total 8 adults + 4 small kids on board. There was ample space for everyone in the vehicle.

Soon we all forgot our worries of being late and were enthusiastic , looking forward , for the day , which sure had plenty of surprises.

The van picked up speed as it began cruisin on Kanakapura Road. I was feeling altogether different this day. I had totally forgotten , that , my internals were soon approaching. But there was no time to think about it , for , it had taken almost 5 years , since i had been , out of Bangalore , on a hired vehicle , visiting places , i only once thought of.

After certain distance on Kanakapura Road , we stopped for breakfast. The sun shone brightly. It was turning out to be an awesome day. My joy knew no bounds.

As we moved on , we came across many villages on the way. It was Bangalore Rural . We were not much kilometers away from Bangalore , but these villages , bore a distinctive traditional look. Probably the villages were on their own , unaware of the fast development of a new civilization , in the neighborhood.

All of a sudden our vehicle reduced speed and in a few moments it was still . I was anxious , to know whats in store. It was one of the villages , after Kanakapura. To my surprise there was huge crowd gathered , in front of , what appeared to be a village community hall.

There were hoards of people, standing roadside, hence the traffic movement had slowed down. As our vehicle slowly moved on , I noticed the people had gathered for a marriage. There was excitement all around. I saw happiness all around. It appeared as though the entire village was witnessing a mega event.

The joy , happiness i saw in the eyes of those villagers was unparallel , not to be compared , something which was very unique , and i thought , such a thing was very scant in a materialistic life , which we were leading .

I thought, as technology advanced , we only had gizmos , gadgets to offer to the rest of the world. With hatred and jealousy surrounding us , we had nothing truly natural to boast about. I felt people in the modern civilization , always wore a mask , a mask , which never fell or gave away , which portrayed happiness , true love , while deep inside their heart there was unrest , a never ending worry about future , unwilling to be content with what they had , wanting more ....

Here were a bunch of people , void of Technology , unaware of recent developments , who taught a major lesson , by portraying that " Life is all about relationships , love , how much u give and how much u take , rather than sheer materialism ". This truly inspired me in many ways .

It was noon , when we reached Sangama. Soon we headed out to Mekedaatu which is about 5 kms from Sangama. Thank god there was an alternative mode of transport available , other than trekking. Now the sun was at its peak.

After an hours time we were back , at Sangama , having loads of fun in the cool water. It was something which I was devoid for many years .

We spent some more time and headed back to Bangalore.

It was almost 6:30 pm , when we reached the Art of Living Center , located on Kanakapura Road. This according to me is the most soothing place in and around Bangalore City. No doubts over that.

There was peace a plenty , at this place , and i was a huge fan of this place , at the very first instance. There was a sense of relief in me , as I was feeling de-stressed , cheerful , was filled with plenty of energy , ready to take on the world .

Soon we headed back to Bangalore . Thinking of my wonderful day , i was lonely sitting in the last seat of the van. No sooner i found myself , immersed , in the same materialistic world.
The same old regular routine. Back to college i thought. But a change was truly memorable in many ways


This outing , occupies a center stage , in the chapter of my life , as it lead to other series of memorable excursions. Hip Hip Hurray !!!

The saddest part is till date i have not got a chance to visit the Art of Living Center , for the second time . Hope this day , soon, makes its way.