FACE THE MUSIC WITH ME

 Disclaimer: I am participating in Blogging from A-Z challenge 2022 and this is my sixth post, F # FACE THE MUSIC WITH ME 

The incident to which I shall be relating. the series proving how big an idiot I am, took place at the World famous Goddess Karni Temple near Bikaner, Rajasthan.

It was during our Autumn 😎 Break. My Parents and we four sisters were on a road trip to Rajasthan's holy places. It was the last stop, almost our journey's end before heading back to Jaipur.

Let me brief you before we proceed, that Karni Mata Mandir is also known as the Temple of Rats with approximately 25,000 black and white ones, housed there. We were not expecting them to be dangerous, or scary. To be honest, I had imagined them in their nice warm cages, but no, as we entered, I was in shock. The sudden realisation that in the next 15 to 20 minutes we shall be surrounded by potentially thousands of RATS.

We were told to be discrete enough not to step on, not even accidentally on a rat, or else it will have to be compensated with a rat made of solid silver or gold. I thought to myself even if the penalty wasn't there, still, any normal person would be careful, about running over the rodents. But the only problem was that they were so many. We all tried to be very cautious.

Finally in front of the main deity, as was my habit, I closed my eyes to pray. As I was revaluating my full list of wishes in front of Mother Goddess, I felt something warm and soft on my feet. To my horror it was a rat, trying to crawl up my leg. In shock , I screamed, instinctively and impulsively I jumped at my sister standing next to me. (I Felt exactly like a monkey on a tree). I don't know what I was thinking 🤔 but it felt I just needed to have my feet off the ground. She had a better built than me but taken by surprise, she also could take my weight only for a few seconds and in panic, we both fell on the floor. 

Oh my God, there was pin-drop silence in the shrine hall. The head priest started yelling at us saying how could we behave in such a foolish manner inside a temple. If we had to joke around this was not the place. What if you had fallen on a rat? People like you should not come here at all. 

The rest of the visitors kept their gaze fixed on us. My sister kept her gaze fixed on me just to indicate that she was innocent (which she was) it was all my fault. My gaze was fixed on the floor. I kept thinking, Mother Goddess, I know I behaved inappropriately but I could not help being pitifully scared demonstrating my fear like an idiot. Being human, fear was natural. Thankfully Karni Mata considered it, the head Priest was called for something and he went. The gaze from all sides finally relaxed. I lifted my head and looked around sheepishly. I felt like a criminal. Finally, I felt the hand of my Sister on my shoulder, walking together and we both came out of the temple.

LESSON LEARNT # KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN WHILE PRAYING AND MY SISTER, ( Lesson for her too ) SAID SHE WILL NEVER  STAND NEXT TO ME IN A TEMPLE. 

 REPERCUSSIONS # I can never forget the look on the head Priest's face. It's good to be religious but isn't religion about tolerance and harmony? The kind of public yelling could have scarred anyone for life. Thankfully I m too thick-skinned for that. And of course, my sister Mickey has a bone to pick with me for the rest of her life 😐.

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