Last Updated on May 21, 2021
We just had a morning visit to the Mookambika temple and had wandered off the main road down to the banks of the Souparnika river. After spending a few quiet minutes watching the eddying waters swirl around the bend, we took in the sight of devotees take a dip and the local children splashing about further downstream.
Meditation by the banks of Souparnika river
It was when we walked back that we saw an ashram tucked away in the verdant greenery. It looked like another serene sight all right but then that moment kind of sprang out of the frame.
There among the trees, next to a dilapidated little structure, we spotted him. The sunlight slipped in between the trees and lit up the run-down brick wall enough to light up the scene as per the occasion. Around his unmoving figure were ageing trees and gnarled roots that were the perfect foil for his meditative stance.
It was almost like he did not care who was passing by and just dipped his hand into a bag and whipped out a camera to steal that scene. Of course, we took care not to move a muscle and struggled to hold our breath – he surely had better control over his!
That sight of a meditating monk, completely oblivious of the world around him, and the surreal environs by the banks of Souparnika river that were wrapped up securely in a time warp…that made for a memorable shot.
