The following is a true extract of an article carried in SPARK, an online literary magazine, in its October 2014 issue.
THE DESTINATION OF DESIRES
(By Subbaram Danda)
Subbaram
Danda writes about his visit to the ‘Destination of Desires’, Darjeeling,
sharing his experiences of witnessing the statues of the Buddha at the Japanese
Peace Pagoda as well as many other fascinating attractions including the
snow-clad peak of the Kanchenjunga. It’s a visit that made him dwell intently
upon ‘desire’, he writes. Text and Pictures by Subbaram Danda.
It was a delight to watch the Japanese Peace Pagoda standing
majestically in bright white among the green pine trees on the outskirts of
Darjeeling. Slow moving streaks of grey clouds in the blue sky provided a
touch of enchantment to the scene. Instantly I came under the magic spell of
the dome-shaped Buddhist structure. Its appeal was profound.
I was in the Queen of Hill Stations with my family on a short
summer sojourn. The visit had been our long-standing desire. We had been
told not to miss the pagoda under any circumstances. True, our first impression
was gratifying.
Located on a vast site, the 94-foot tall edifice, called stupa by
Indians, has been attracting visitors ever since its inauguration in November
1992. Japanese monk Nichidatsu Fuji, the guiding figure behind it, wanted
it to serve as a source of inspiration for people of all races and creeds to
work for international harmony.
From the gate we walked for a while to the base of the pagoda and
started climbing its semi-circular steps. Straight ahead at the top on
the circular wall of the pagoda was a large statue of the Buddha shining in
golden colour in a serene sitting posture. The statue depicts the Buddha
preaching renunciation of unbridled desires as a panacea for all evils.
As I kept looking at the sculpture, various thoughts on the
dimensions of desire flooded my mind. History is replete with instances,
where over-ambition has led to disastrous consequences. The Pakistani and
Chinese incursions into the Indian territory in the past are glaring
examples. In the epic age, Ravana’s lust for Sita made him meet an inglorious
end, though he had been a great devotee of Lord Shiva. Currently, cases
of avariciousness to amass wealth by hook or crook are aplenty.
Great thinkers have also advocated the principle of
abdication. Greek philosopher Socrates felt that “from the deepest desires
often comes the deadliest hate.” Noted British Political Economist John
Stuart Mill emphasized the same idea in simpler terms, “I have learned to seek
my happiness by limiting my desires rather than in attempting to satisfy them.”
On the other hand, small desires have always received
encouragement. My thoughts raced back in time. I recalled what Management gurus
had told us in our class. “The starting point of all achievement is
desire. And a creative man is motivated by his desire to achieve.”
We moved around the pagoda at the top level. Besides the statue of
the Buddha in the front, there were three others in different styles –
reclining, standing and meditating. The four sculptures faced the four
cardinal directions. The reclining Buddha was in Nirvana pose (emancipation from earthly
bonds) watched by tearful devotees and members of the royalty during the last
moments of Buddha’s life. The standing Buddha was offering his blessings
to devotees to enable them conquer fear. The Buddha in the meditation
posture was promoting ‘focused concentration’ to attain a state of
tranquillity. Between the statues there were a few sandstone panels,
realistically etched, representing the outstanding episodes in the life of the
peace apostle. The common refrain of them all was that for peace and happiness,
equanimity of human thought is essential.
As we returned, I looked back to catch a last glimpse of the
pagoda. I felt refreshed in my mind. Desire and ambition are not
bad concepts after all. But it is their excessive magnitude that is the
culprit.
Darjeeling offers many attractions for holiday-seekers. It
was our desire, a reasonable one, to see as many of them as possible.
Prominent on our itinerary was the peak of Kanchenjunga, the third highest peak
in the world (28,209 feet) to be seen with naked eyes from the precincts of our
resort. The next day we witnessed it. The snow-clad mountain
glistened alluringly against the backdrop of the blue mid-day sky close to the
horizon. What an exhilarating sight it was! Small desires bring
great joys.
People vacationing in Darjeeling long to visit Tiger Hill, from
where one can have a spectacular view of the sunrise, provided the weather is
fine with no mist or cloud formation. The sun first emerges as an orange
spot on the horizon and gradually grows into a ball of fire. The entire skyline
of the mountainous terrain glows swathed in brilliant crimson light to the
elation of the sun gazers.
We had arrived at the hill-station having yielded to the
temptation of travelling by the Toy Train, officially known as the Darjeeling
Himalayan Railway, which runs on a two-foot narrow gauge track from the town of
Kurseong to Darjeeling. It is the recipient of the World Heritage status
accorded by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
organization (UNESCO). Senior citizens can recall that the block-buster
Hindi film of yesteryears “Aradhana” featuring Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila
Tagore immortalized the Toy Train by shooting a song sequence “Mere Sapnonki
Rani” along the route.
It took three pleasingly meandering hours to cover the
30-kilometre distance. For the most part the track ran alongside the ghat
road and there was no wall or fence separating the rail-line from the
road. As the train chugged on its way, we could take a look at the green
valleys, slender streams and tea estates. Softly caressing cool hilly
breeze kept us in good humour.
The best way of appreciating the beauty of the hill-station in a
panoramic setting is by taking a ride in the Darjeeling ropeway. Buying
tickets we got into a cable car and glided over the town for 40 long minutes
enjoying the sights of closely-packed houses on hill slopes, plunging gorges, lush
tea gardens and ghat roads.
Visitors to Darjeeling make it a point to visit the Padmaja Naidu
Himalayan Zoological Park named after the former governor of West Bengal.
We were no exception. The zoo is known for its conservation and breeding
programmes aimed at saving the endangered animal species of the eastern
Himalayas. It was a pleasure looking at some of the exotic types of
high altitude animals such as red panda, black bear, snow leopard and yak,
besides colourful Himalayan birds.
Located behind the zoological park is the Himalayan Mountaineering
Institute, a centre of education and research in mountaineering. Set up
in 1954, it has a rich collection of models, paintings, sculptures,
photographs, manuscripts, autographs and equipments of well known
mountaineers. Of interest is the “samadhi” of Nepal-born Tenzing Norgay,
who was the first to step on Mount Everest in 1953 along with New Zealand’s
Edmund Hillary.
There are several Buddhist monasteries in and around
Darjeeling. They are essentially shrines where people throng to offer
prayers in front of large colourful Buddha statues.
A passion with tourists is shopping for Darjeeling tea. The
hill-station produces a wide variety of teas – black, green, white, blended,
flavoured and scented. They have their own distinctive taste, colour and
aroma. Its high-grown variety has acquired international reputation.
Celebrated American writer Mark Twain had once described
Darjeeling as a “land that all men desire to see.” It is true even today.
The queen’s charms are always worth exploring!
We returned home happily, our small desires having been
fulfilled. British writer Samuel Johnson could not have been more
explicit when he said, “Some desires are necessary to keep life in motion.” And
they yield great joys too!
Subbaram Danda is an author and a
former journalist. Two of his books in print format -- “Marvels Very
Majestic” and “The Rustles of Pleasure” -- are available at Amazon.in and
Flipkart.com. He was Chief of News Bureau of a multi-edition business
daily and later Media Relations Chief of a foreign diplomatic mission. He has
travelled extensively. Photography is his cherished hobby.
(Ends)
