A fond weekend with Regha Tirtha Yatra travelers!

Mano and his mother and sisters were visiting The Jagat Jyoti Buddh Vihar, New Delhi. They were also joined by Deva in their car. They offered a lift but I declined politely. I prefer to bike on my own thesedays. One can travel faster by bike in a place like Delhi.

Without much time or problem, I reached the temple by following the Ring Road. It was a quick ride and awaited for the Mano & co. for a long while outside the temple's entrance . Unfortunately, they would never make it as their car broke down half-way. So, I walked alone inside the entrance.

The Jagat Jyoti Buddh Vihar is a well-kept temple in a pocket of East of Kailash. It is mentionable that the vihara sits upon a considerable plot of land. If you know East of Kailash is situated in south Delhi and this part of Delhi is brutally expensive, you sense why I have to make a mention. The foundation stone of the Vihara was laid in 1966 by the incumbent Vietnamese Ambassador to India then. It is quite easy to locate because the vihara is on the same street as the ISKCON temple, one of the boldest landmarks of the capital. Personally, I have known its specific location since the last couple of years because my workplace is just a stone throw distance from it. One of my coworkers that I closely gel with lives very close by, exactly opposite to the main gate of the vihara.

Once inside the temple premise, I was amazed to discover a wonderous sight. There were ample more than the reclining Buddha statue, normal rows of lighted candles and wafts of incense in the wintry air. I caught a sea of Chakma! My, I paused briefly to find this multitude, so many of them all at once! Beyond the prayer hall, many swarmed on the courtyards and grassy lawns. It was a big congregation of Chakmas rarely that I get to see. Instantly, my heart brimming with elation alike Tennyson's upon sighting a bloom of colorful daffodils, I simply stood motionless and loved to see the travelers who were elderly men and women. ‘Aju’ and ’be-bei’ basically! Nobody seemed to frown because of the arduous cross-country bus tour. If I am right, every bones must be mighty tired but they defied any of it with their cheerful smiles, lively chatters and unbridled excitement upon meeting New Delhi! The women carried traditional attires. How graceful and unique they were to look at! They used their colorful khadis conveniently as head scarves to beat the nibbling cold. Being keen, it came natural to me to get close and greet and vow before them. I lit warm conversations. I was asked a common question repeatedly: where do I come from, where I live here, how far from the temple, what do I do - study? When I reply no, they curiously wait for me to tell what type of job do I have. In a way, it is fun to answer because you are the most interesting subject for them and I tried to satisfy them by giving honest answers. After I spoke, one of them would quip "saw de sey" which loosely means "ah, look, very good, very good". I entertained all their inquries with an open mind. In my prosperity and happiness, they found their rejoice.
In the interspace of my breathes, I did some quick maths and tried to put myself in their shoes. I realized spontaneously if I were one of them, I would not know how to drive a bike or operate a simple cell phone, not go the local shop due to language barrier, any English or Hindi road signs is meangingless, similarly, the essential morning newspaper on the front porch of the temple wouldn't have any meaning for me. There's too much more... these things sinks one's heart. Standing on the same ground - an educated man amidst the bunch of 'ajus and be-beis', there was certainly very less common between me and them except our connection by blood, a native language, the traditional attires, our unshakeable faith in Buddhism and a common taste of food. A metaphor is a best way to describe our position: whole Chakma community is a blue Oxford dictionary; our aju and be-bei is page 1 -upto-page 10; whereas an educated Chakma youth is page 1 -upto-page 60. The commonness between the latter and the former is a meagre 10 pages! (How can we all come to be on the same page?)

I chanced to meet Mr Pradhir Talukdar of Regha fame who was taking the lead on this pilgrimage. I found it as a very pleasing one to converse with him, the more we chatted, the more I got infected with his words and his goals for our Chakma buddhist community. He has a greater hold of the original Chakma language, application of the proper dictions and unheard phrases. I believe his words can relay a certain level of emotion to the listener. When he says, he could say it, whatever it was, the same thing, in a very different style. One of his example will create an impact as you hear it too. He said our Chakma community carry a big 'hallongful' of past misery and impoverished present

Well, I was told that this pilgrimage is being operated under the banner of Regha Tirtha Yatra. Once I found out how big the group was, I thought I could form nearly 5 soccer teams out of them. As I learnt about their travel itinerary, I felt like booking myself a seat with the group. The next day, they had appointment with one of the Seven Wonders of the World - The Taj Mahal! Everybody was looking forward to the over-night journey for they shall enter the monumental gates of the famous Mahal in the next 12 hours!

At the turn of the 21st century, it is a minuscule minority of our tribe that has ventured out from the jungle borders and started to live in metropolitans cities like Guwahati, Kolkata, Hyderabad and New Delhi. The number is discouraging but we will concentrate on its significance rather. If our whole tribe be taken as a hunting spear, the pointed-tip is the minuscule minority that we are today who thrive among India’s top metros. It’s you, it’s me. It’s a bachelor or a household man. It’s a layman or a dhamma guru. I vividly recall one afternoon long time ago that Suhasda arose in front of everybody present on that particular afternoon at Ashoka Buddha Vihara –“folks, please realize that we are all blessed. We have a good reason to be here. We walk the heart of India where thousands of our tribemen shall never come to walk or forefathers had either. Let's perform our respective duty and study and live in a discipline way. Grap this golden opportunity.” How true the words are......(I still know the reason exactly why we gathered that afternoon, it bears photographic evidence, its lying out there, I know who's got'em too! :-)

Even today, it is common to find in our community that the best-ornamented Chakma couple will seldom cross 2-rivers-and-3-villages before halting to return home. It is also true for the grandmother to walk barely 5 hours far from her village to join her grandchildren next and halt. We are a weak community with weak people who only take weak strides.

Today, let's recall what our local boy does in his native environment. Our local boy meets his field at day-break that he ploughs hard until mid-noon, whiles away the afternoon grazing the cows, and retires early to bed along with his animals in rhythm with the movement of the sun. He rises with the sun, just like he retires with the sun. This is our living, local boy. Like any average boy who lives in New Delhi presently, nobody can arrest him from becoming the emperor of his dreamland as long as he sleeps. But, he only wakes up to resume the same, sorry, back-breaking 'field-plough-graze' routine day after day. This is the characteristic of our tribe. This is our reality. This is how poorly we perform & act as an individual. Small tribe and small measures; small tribes, small steps!

How can an individual of the Chakma tribe better himself or herself? How can the collective community speed up and become better?

A dhamma line here - if you are not changing, you are not growing. In this context, the recent arrival of this group of Chakma pilgrims to New Delhi cannot be easily passed by. I am a proud witness, I vote that it was not a coincidence by any measure. It is a new change, a new milestone which asks for celebrations for a poor community like ours. Inside the temple premise, in their footfalls, I heard the herald of a shiny chapter in the path to our community's progress. In short, I will not be surprised to see many more of our tribesmen taking inspiration from here and participating in future pilgrimages. I am convinced there shall be future repeats. Uncountable repeats. One's inner eye cannot fail to notice that our 'aju-piju' is trying to match strides and making efforts to be on the same page.

On that happy evening, by joining into their fold, there was the new heart rhyming with the withered hearts. The mixed throbs of our hearts in unison gave rise to happy thoughts and happy faces, peeling away all the fatigueness, nausea and homesickness. I thought I could have taken the joyful group to a movie premiere (2000 Miles to Graceland seems a good choice!) followed by a snack party, I would not be surprised to find not a single body drifting off into counting sheeps! I didn't do that but there was another option that I could easily do: offering a bottle of water to each one. My dhamma guru always says, no need to travel all the way to offer, offer not to me alone but start from your immediate surrounding, service anybody. I was extremely happy to offer four crates of bottled water to the group.

Leaving aside everything, what is distinctly new in this group traveling under the banner of 'Regha Tirtha Yatra'? Is there a special message for all of us?

A luscious moon surrounded by a consellation of sparkling stars shone at me and these pilgrims on that evening. As an onlooker, I posed these questions to myself. I'm glad my conscience awakened me to this thought. To conclude, I am pleased to report to you that, yes, there was a message for all of us. Besides the strong Regha pillar, wrinkled faces and traditional khadis, one of our best-ornamented couple including a grandmother were part of this traveling group. They have come 2000 miles far into a 21st century metropolitan like New Delhi by leaving their home far behind! Very, very symbolic.

Lastly, may all of you be protected by virtue of your good deeds and merits. May all of you return safe & sound, hale & hearty to your respective homes and near & dear ones.

I am humbled to take the name of Mr. Pradhir Talukdar of REGHA Society and amateur videographer, Mr Anand Chakma. My thousand wishes falls scanty to honor & thank both of you adequately for volunteering with full enthu and making this walk happen. It is true that each ‘aju’ and ‘be-bei’ of this group has walked a dream in your noble company. Last but not the least, viewed from a different perspective, yours is also an act of leadership. Nonetheless, a very good one!

May you find wise friends wherever you go! See you again in good times!