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Driving with Buddha
Cyrus Dadachanji & Mohit Midha
25th March, 2007, Kathmandu-Lumbini
Today, we are on the 11th day of our journey. After leaving our hotel at 7.00 a.m., we headed towards Basantpur, the old capital of Nepal, 15 kilometres away. The convoy snaked its way past historic buildings and parked in a tiled courtyard. This entire area, replete with ornately decorated buildings is a World Heritage Site. So we walked around taking pictures of the buildings and the local populace took pictures of us until the Flag Off call was sounded. As we were making history in our own way, it was only fitting that we should be flagged off from this very spot by none other than the Speaker of the Nepal Parliament. And, we had 25 Volkswagen Beetles as escorts to add to it all.
It took us a good fifteen minutes, despite the siren blowing police escort to leave the crowded lanes of the city and hit the highway. The next three hours seemed like a driver's dream come true. A perfectly even road snaked its way across the hills, following the Trishul and Narayani rivers in succession. The drivers got into the groove, felt the rhythm of the road and sped around corner after corner, horns blaring. Every once in a while we would be delighted to see a Mercedes or Rolls Royce zip past us towards Kathmandu. These exotic cars had driven down from Europe as part of a special rally in Bhutan. On March 29, 2007 these vintage beauties will be flagged of from Thimpu to drive across the picturesque hills of Bhutan.
Three hours later, we stopped for lunch at a highway resort and were soon on our way again. We were in a hurry to get to Lumbini, our night halt as certain programmes had been organised for us. The Pilot Car however had entered a meditative trance and refused to drive over 60 kmph for the next 100 kilometres. I guess that's the result of being near the birthplace of Lord Buddha. We arrived in Lumbini around 5 p.m . to a tumultuous welcome.
Our first and only sightseeing halt for the day was the Lumbini Sacred Garden which housed the spot where Lord Buddha was born. Over 2000 years ago, Buddha spread the message of peace, friendship and harmony among all. Today, the SAARC Rally 2007 is doing exactly that, albeit in gleaming steel chariots. Even today, we carry the very same message that Gautama Buddha had propagated. Be friends with all and help each other. Live in harmony. In fact it seems as though Buddha has been riding with us ever since we left Cox's Bazaar in Bangladesh.
I could write reams about the 3 square mile Lumbini sacred garden and yet not do justice to it. This haven of peace and calm has to experienced, for both its tranquility and spiritual energy. Quiet meditators amongst 2000 year old ruins, monasteries from different parts of the world, calming water bodies and tributes to Buddhism that boggle the imagination; that's what Lumbini is all about. And about universal love as shown by a few Thai ladies who plied us with home made sweets as we passed the Thai temple.
Tonight, we know that Buddha's message is with us. Just as it has been, every night. For the wheel is the symbol of Buddhism and reflects the endless and continuous spread of Buudha's teachings. Over the last 11 days, our wheels have turned innumerable times as we have crossed from one land to another. We have put our differences aside and spread friendship amongst our neighbours. This evening, a few of our media people were stranded without transport at a media centre. They walked back to our hotel as theirs was too far away. We organised dinner for them and I volunteered to drop them back. It did not matter whether they were Pakistani, Bangladeshi or Sinhalese - they were my team mates and new - found friends. That's all that mattered.
Today I am sure Buddha rode with us. And if our bonding is anything to go by, he'll ride with each one of us, wherever we may be - as long as our wheels keep spreading the message of Universal Friendship across SAARC nations.
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