Onam wishes

Satjugi tai manio chalio bali bavan bhaio
(In Satyayuga, you sported the incarnation of the dwarf, and fooled Bali)

-- Excerpts from the Guru Granth Sahib wherein Vamana is mentioned as the "enticer" of Mahabali

I received a dinner invite from a very unexpected quarter last week! When the matriarch of a very poor family, that stays in my landlord's property and watches over it, asked me if I would honour them by having dinner with their family, I readily and wholeheartedly agreed with an immense sense of happiness, a kind that had not prevailed on me even while wining and dining in the finest of bistros.

Amidst hot and sumptuous Bhakris, Subji and Modak, I made efforts to understand the suffering these wonderful people endured in their daily lives, while yet remaining resolute and cheerful in carrying themselves forward in the battle to win another day!

Their gesture to invite me to dinner touched me a great deal, and also served as a crude reminder, once again, of how fortunate I have been, being me! Humane gestures know no human divisions, don't you agree?

It is Onam now, the festival of harvest, in Kerala, a time of the year when the golden era of prosperity during the reign of King Mahabali is fondly remembered and celebrated in awe, happiness and oneness!

I'd like to wish my country-cousins, folks and all my friends a very happy and prosperous Onam and more importantly, urge every one of you to envision a sense of prosperity in your lives, in all that you do and reaffirm your commitment towards the spirit of solidarity and oneness, which is all that matters in the end!