Rays of hope

Simply mesmerizing, illuminating, brightening, enlightening, spirit-raising and yet, so quiet and serene;alm and peaceful, be other than a beatiful  what else can it be other than a beautiful Sunrise! I must admit that, I got extremely lucky since I happened to witness one such Splendid Sunrises over a Lake, and that too merely by chance.  

Away from the chaos and hustle-bustle of Bangalore city, I was at a town place called Gulbarga for two days on a friend's wedding (Feb 2014). Being an early-riser, I woke up well before the break of the dawn even though I did not have any routine chores to do. I like to wake up early to experience the quiet, it is the only time when I get some exclusive 'me-time', when I can be with self, when I have time to contemplate on my thoughts and sketch a plan for the rest of the day. Since I was new to this place, I decided on spending the early hour with myself by taking a stroll across the streets just to feel the cool breeze and explore the surroundings.  As I stepped out of the hotel room, the air felt fresh, it was free of dust and smoke. I felt being welcomed by the Mother Nature. I let my body and mind lose, and kept walking slowly. As the walk gained momentum, I could feel my feet striding out in a joyful rhythm. No worries, no anxieties of a typical routine day. Just a deep sense of relaxation and self-awareness.  The dawn had not broken yet. I had already crossed the narrow lane right outside my hotel room and entered a wider street. As I kept walking further I found myself saunter through a natural avenue of huge trees, which seemed to be making the morning shady and dark. The air felt cooler here. As I came to the end of the trees, the street also ended. I was at a T-junction and suddenly the air felt warmer here and instantly guessed that there should be waters close-by. Across the other side of the road was a magnificent looking lake. It was a pleasant surprise!

I learnt later that it was called Appana Kere and was built by His holiness Lord Shri Sharanabasaveshwara. It was respite and relief to the people in this barren land. Attracted by its beauty and vastness, I crossed the road and approached it. At first glance, it looked like a black void. I kept staring at it. Soon, I could sense a change in the sky; a small rosy glow had begun to pierce the dark blue and purple of the twilight sky. The lake too didn't look black anymore, as though ignited by the reflection of rosy pink sky. And slowly the rosy glow in the sky turned into bright streaks of red, orange, yellow and pink. All these colors blended with each other so perfectly that the sky resembled a prism of colors. The Sun itself had begun peeking out of the horizon with its brilliant rays shining brightly, giving angelic glow to the clods drifting above. The glistening reflection of Sun on the lake made it look covered by a golden orange blanket. The Sun moved across the sky with grace, climbing higher and higher, as though painting the waters with its rays. Gradually the sky shone a radiant bright orange and pink, indicating a beautiful Sunrise. A new day was born! 

The furrowed clouds now looked every color from palest pink to deep orange. It felt like a display of radiant colors in the sky and their reflection on the lake. As the Sun kept casting its rays of hope on earth, I felt wonderful basking in its warm golden rays. I gazed in awe at this breathtaking view. I had not seen a Sunrise over a Lake before. Must say, this was one of the most beautiful Sunrises I had ever seen. What a great way to begin the day!

The sight had filled my heart with such a glow of joy that I did not even realize that I had frozen in the moment and was stand still there for a long time, staring at the sky and the lake. I began to walk again savoring the enchanting charm of the nature.  I surveyed the surrounding environment, and once again I felt totally spellbound by how naturally the surroundings responded to the shimmering light and warmth of the Sun. Green pastures suddenly seemed to have come alive; grass looked fresh with dew drops on it. The gentle wind seemed to move the leaves of the trees along with it; the sound of the trees rustling in the breeze was soothing. Birds tweeted out to each other in a chorus, singing a soothing and melodious tune. The flowers too seemed so connected with the time, the petals opened and the flowers blossomed as the light brightened as though they were welcoming the day, as though gesturing the world to obey time and be self –disciplined. The ducks moved in groups in water; swimming in circles; playfully putting the head inside water and then popping it out of water, as though it was their favorite game, as though trying to say that life is nothing but a game. Though my heart felt overjoyed at the view, I envied their freedom and playfulness, wanting to be one among them. The bees seemed to be at work already as though beckoning the world to rise and work hard. As the Sun rose higher, the birds too flew higher as though heading towards their goal of the day, as though encouraging the world to aim higher and dream bigger. There was some deliberate effort in everything that was happening, the air, the hour, the surroundings and the environment; there was a message in everything that was happening around me. As I inhaled the fresh air, the aroma of flowers and plants lingered in my nose; making my body feel full of new energy and all charged up. The morning felt so blissful.

When I felt tired of all that walking I plopped down on one the benches nearby and stared again; feeling appalled by the elegance of the mighty Sun and the captivating Sunrise. I could not stop myself from appreciating the ever glorious Sun; the biggest source of nourishment, strength, life and beauty. And the fascinating Sunrise; which is the source of inspiration, motivation, passion, zeal, hope, happiness, freedom, fearlessness and gratitude. I could feel all these different emotions evoked inside me; as though preparing me for the battle ahead in the day.  While the world around me moved ahead, I stayed stationery; feeling peaceful and calm, yet very strong.

After walking around the nearb-by Gulbargha Fort, I went back to the hotel room to get ready for the wedding and kick start the day. What an enriching experience!

By the way, there is a Sunrise and a Sunset every day and the best part is they are absolutely free! So go grab one of them and get your fill of positive energy from them :) Even, I have decided on watching these wonders as often as possible.