Adieu Emerald Isles

The sojourn is coming to an end and I write this with mixed emotions. The joy of going back home overwhelms all other emotions and is the greatest exhilaration one can experience. The stay here has been memorable and will be part of my life. It is often said, traveling is the greatest education and it is well said and profound. From the sandy beaches of Bentota to the stratospheric tranquility of the famous Sri Dalada Maligawa Buddhist temple at Kandy; from the salubrious climes of Kandy to the green heat of Dambulla, this truly has been the most memorable trip I have undertaken. The gongs at the Buddhist temple still rings in my ears and with it almost a buddhasque calmness engulfs me and transports me to his first sermon after enlightenment. This is the land of the Avaloketishwara, the great and our own Buddha who has tragically vanished from the landscape of India. Could there be a greater irony? The man born to be king of India is consigned to the pages of history book and in the neighborhood is revered as the greatest almighty. Nobody in our country except the historians lament this Shakespearean tragedy.
I also witnessed first hand the great circus the “IIFA “awards in Colombo, the glitz and ratmatazz that Bollywood can generate is amazing and can be appreciated only if you witness it as an Indian away from your homeland. Sri Lankans are crazy about the Hindi movies and the stars here enjoy unparalleled adulation and admiration. Perhaps they don’t understand Hindi well!! The whole city had come to a standstill and it was to be seen to be believed and a little bewildering as to why? I felt good as an Indian to see our movies and stars being loved so much in a different land. India has always been the fountainhead of culture in the subcontinent and therefore, it is no surprise to see its culture being so dominant in the whole of South Asia. But amazingly we are the most misunderstood people too as most Sri Lankans attribute all their current troubles to India’s hegemonistic designs in propping up the Tamil cause leading to LTTE causing mayhem in the entire island. India right from the days of Chanakya propagated cultural conquest of its neighbors and till date it maintains the same strategy.

However, this write up is all about me and not India and its neighbors. I will shortly leave this beautiful country and jet up north across the Palk Strait, the Deccan plateau, and the Gangetic plain to be at home. The trip has been full of fun for me and will always be cherished. This piece would be incomplete without the special mention of my gracious and wonderful hosts who have been most kind in making my stay enjoyable and fun-filled.

I eagerly await my next assignment which will take me to a new land, whose time has come to flourish and grow.

Sayonara Sri Lanka and Thank you for your hospitality