Traditional Bath powder

It was a Saturday morning and I was out for breakfast. Post Breakfast, I was strolling in a nearby shopping complex which is a great hub for all raw materials for art, craft, trailoring needs, dress and fabric cut pieces, Grandhige/ Pansari (religious and herbal items shop) and a few fast foods chains. My day was planned and had to meet a friend after a hour and a half, so I had brought a few dress for alterations which were long pending (~6 months)  and for some great reason, today was the day!

I was actually too early at the complex and shop owners were just starting their day. luckily, a tailor was available and I checked with him if he can help with the dresses alterations and to my surprise, he was super quick. I felt as if I have won a war! A feeling of great achievement after effortlessly completing this pending task.

I then thought to just go around the complex and do some window shopping. As I stepped in, I saw a Grandhige shop and I don't know for what reason, I remembered about a bath powder recipe that I had seen on YouTube.

The background is -  I have been trying to get one particular brand of herbal bath powder and the manufacturers were promising me false dates, I continue to wait and sometime a I forgot about it and the wait continued. One fine day, I even asked them if the business is down and if I can. Help in anyway as the product was really soul satisfying. After a few days, I gave up and in my frustration, I googled that particular brand and the method of preparing similar bath powder.

Luckily, I came across a video uploaded by someone from UK who was sharing this recipe of her grandmother who was originally from down south, India. My heart was convinced after hearing the ingredients list that this recipe is very close to what I was seeking. 

Then what! In my urge to resolve this bath powder issue, I stopped at the shop and with hesitation and dint want to disappoint the shopkeeper (as I was the first customer who is also considered auspicious and sets the vibes for that day's business for the Businessman, as per Indian belief), I asked a few raw materials from that list of "traditional bath powder recipe on YouTube".

Firstly I asked the shopkeeper if he has material for bath powder and as a ritual...some googley has to happen na!

His response was, yes mam which bath? - Tomato bath, vangi bath..etc etc. and I couldn't hold my laughter and laughingly told him it's bath (Snana in kannada) not any rice bath (kannada word for rice). Another Oldman, sitting with his head buried behind the newspaper also started to laugh 😂. For my sanity of mind, I assumed he was the shopkeeper father...

Well, the young chap at the shop was very supporting and was letting me define the quantity, play pause, revised the video numerous times to figure out each of the ingredients and their measurements and purpose and the kannada or common names for easy identification. He also offered me a pen and paper so I can note it down for my ease. I felt happy and home (probably I felt like being at my Bade Papa's grocery shop where we would go on special festivals to manage the overflowing customers).

I somehow gathered most of the raw items form him along with some Bheem saini camphor for my friend and some hand rolled cotton wicks for oil lamp for my home.

I would have easily spend close to 90 mins at that shop and my mind has already planned the next steps as soon as I reach back home.

My friend arrived and we both had lunch and departed. After returning home, I straight away rushed to the kitchen, pulled out a few large plates to dry the material in the sun, and sat with them in the hot...and spoke to mom, dad, aunt etc etc. I was surprised that the level of life infused in me the involvement I felt for this project that the scorching sun dint bother me and I was ok to be roasted along with the raw stuff !

Fast forward...after almost ~25 rounds of grinding different materials, seiving them with a broken seive 😪 and again fine grinding the granular ones....with messy kitchen slab, powder all around on floor and walls...I continues and reached the final phase of two bottles of powers one to store longer and one with legumes Powder that should be prepared for a short shelf life and to be mixed in the other herbal powder.

Anyways, the important aspect of all this exercise was that I was deeply present and involved, It was a level of ease and peace I felt after a long long long time and my every cell was joyous all through the process...as if I am in lap of Mother earth and her gifts are all I am using to make something earthy for myself. I felt so could do it again and again. i felt so alive..I never knew this version of myself and....

That night I slept peacefully and yes, the traditional herbal bath powder turned out to be the exact replica of what I was looking for❣️ (a little more self-love grew in me)

(Dated: 25th May 2024)

Buddha Poornima and 'The Guru'

After dinner, I returned home and was parking my two wheeler. Just then,  I hear my cellphone beep...it was an invite notification from the yoga institute to join the live 'Full Moon' Meditation via YouTube, starting at 8 pm.

I had read about this Purnima (5/23, Full Moon night) that it was the most auspicious one; it was Buddh Poornima (the day when Gautama attained Nirvana). I had totally forgotten about this date but the notification was well in time and I decided to participate in the meditation. I was running a few mins late to the livestreaming and my usual routine for such meditations is to do them under the open sky, at the open terrace -  feeling the vastness and mystic nature of the celestial beaut! One that of the blanket of sky decorated with the luminisence of the Moonlight.

I was excited! I had taken my yoga mat with me and as I sat for meditation, I took some time to settle with the rush and anxiety.

Slowly, I started to focus on the discourse while adoring the Irresistible beauty of the moon. It was a cloudy evening and moon was partially visible due to the heavy mass of moving clouds but it was a wonderful feeling to just continue to gaze at it.

The discourse started acknowledging the importance of this full moon and how we all should be under the grace of a Guru (the guiding light) and that statement made me ponder as to who is my Guru?..Do I even have one?... possibly I do, I had requested God in my childhood to handhold me in one of his own forms and guide me in my life. In my mind I scanned thru all people in my life, religious Guru's, Idols of God and Goddess and wondered who is my Guru?. Gazing the passing clouds, almost as if I was surfing thru my eyes in the belief that the veil of clouds would disappear and I would get a glimpse of the full moon before it goes away again, I asked the soft and shimmery moon - If it would know who my Guru is? And just like that, I felt a  transition in my mind, I was transported back to a moment when I was sitting at a dark corner of the Pondicherry promenade beach on a a Full moon night and I was engaged in deep conversation with the gushing waves as they were something that soothed me on my days when I was too lost, alone, carried deep hurt and a baggage of abandonment. The whole experience was surreal and the moving clouds were adding a element of waves, one that I had witnessed at Pondy. 

And that's that! I had my answer. I recollected numerous trips that had taken to just be by the beach, any time of the day, something pulled me towards it all the time and Yes, it wouldn't be wrong if I say that Pony Beach has been my Guru, my guiding light, my safe heaven and home, my inner calling, and compass. My inspiration and source of wisdom in those wordless conversations, my book reading buddy and my heart ❣️

I it made me realise how perfect the anatomy of celestial plan is....even in that movement of cloud over the shiny moon has a purpose ....to create an illusion of sea waves and how beautiful and timely the revelation was.