|
|
Homeward Bound
12th April 2007
Cyrus Dadachanji & Mohit Midha
The last driving day of the SAARC Rally 2007. A day tinged with sadness, and hope, as our month long journey shall end today.
It was a beautiful morning at Kandy, with a misty layer hiding mountain peaks from our curious gaze. By now, our convoy has got their morning starts down to a ‘T’, and so at 7.30 a.m. sharp, we were all ready to roll. As the wail of sirens pierced the morning air, we set off for our final destination, Colombo.
Today, we were supposed to cover a distance of around 350 kilometers, mostly on flat roads. To begin with, we crawled through towns and villages on the outskirts of Kandy, before finally picking up the pace. Around mid-morning, we arrived at the sacred city of Anuradhapura. This was the first capital of ancient Sri Lanka, way back in the 2nd Century BC. Even today, the city spread over a few square kilometers is a wondrous
sight. Gracious white domes rise majestically above the tree canopy adding a touch of serenity to the city.
The main surviving stupa in the complex was built in 137 BC. As you approach the stupa, its size is not really apparent. It is only when you are at the gate, and your eyes adjust to the bright sunlight, do you realize the gargantuan proportions of the structure. Despite its size, the stupa’s design has delicate touches to make it seem less overpowering. The wall of the stupa is lined with a never ending row of elephants that
seemingly protect it from evil forces while welcoming pilgrims wholeheartedly.
Like all Buddhist pilgrim sites, one has to doff one’s footwear and headgear in these premises. It took a
lot of will power to walk around the area barefoot, trying to maintain minimum contact with the scorching pavement. It took us a good ten minutes to walk from the stupa to the Temple of the Bo Tree, a few hundred yards away. The temple is home to the world’s oldest recorded tree, whose age exceeds tow millennia! According to local lore, a branch of the tree under which Lord Buddha attained enlightenment in India, was planted at this holy site. Over the years, it has grown into a giant tree whose canopy covers a few hundred square feet. Pilgrims
from around the world pay their respects at the temple here and take a fallen leaf as a keepsake.
We left Anuradhapura to continue our journey to Colombo. After a brief lunch halt at an old world guest house en route we hit the road again. The rest of the journey was rather ordinary if one considered the drive alone. However, as the cars along the smooth highway, a torrent of emotions flowed over the radio.
Over the next two hours, each of the participating country teams gave vent to their feelings as they described their most memorable experiences in each country. Stories of love and respect abounded. Some spoke of sights they had seen, dreams they had realized or simply of bonds that had been formed along the way. As the convoy pierced through Colombo’s crowded streets it hit home that we were finally at the end of our journey. A month had gone by in a flash and a lifetime of memories would remain.
The rest of the evening went by in a flash. A brief closing ceremony, followed by a blur of hurried goodbyes to people who were departing immediately. Tomorrow, there will be a closing ceremony at Male, Maldives, which will officially signify the end of the Saarc Rally 2007 and everybody will be homeward bound.
For most of us, the rally is already over, as the journey on wheels has ended.
But the journey in our hearts has just begun……
Back
|
|
