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Shakti - Your inner beauty

Contest held by IndianLegion

Prompt no. 1

The sun shone dazzlingly bright, right on top of my head.  Scrunching my eyes due to the heat I rummaged through my backpack for the water bottle. I gulped down the water in a go and walked towards the beautifully carved pillared cloister to snap a shot of the gopuram of the Virupaksha temple in Hampi.  Designated as one of the UNESCO world heritage sites, it sure had an unknown effect on me.

Soon the surroundings softened a little and the temperature went a bit down. Weird for a January day. Zooming in on the art I captured, I walked forward to the gateway. Surprised, I stared at the phone's screen and then back at the gopuram, trying to get a clear version of the sculptures.

Astonished, I walked past the shops, vendors, missing the details of the ruins around me. Ignoring the human existence around me, the voice in my head started to talk. My train of thoughts regarding how matured and evolved ancient India was; has been disturbed by the cool breeze that cooled the dry and sultry weather. There was an uncanny feeling that rumbled my guts. The eerie silence didn't help much.

I felt as if I had sensed some proximity connection with the place. That's strange! Before I could proceed further someone shook me. I was about to kick them hard,  I had come out of my trance and it took me a while to recognise that the person was my sibling Ishir.

"Shakti, where have you been? What took you so long?" He questioned, concern was clearly seen on his face.

"Nothing, I was just exploring and got lost in my thoughts", I replied though I was sure I felt someone else's presence.

"You need to stop talking to yourself when you're wandering on the road. How many times have I warned you! I don't want to file  another missing report!" He stated firmly.

"Sorry Ish, I just can't help it. I'm amazed by the architecture as well as the sole meaning of the sculptures"

"Tell me, is there anything in this world you're not amazed of ?" He asked.

My answer was simple. With a smirk I replied, "You"

His eyebrow shot up and his eyeballs widened due to shock.

"You're a meanie" was all he managed to say.

"I know", I replied, chuckling and following him.

~

I couldn't sleep after what I had discovered in the morning. I rolled and rolled but sleep didn't visit me, even when I lied on the floor.  My brain was racking itself for answers. Eyes wide open,  I sat upright as if someone possessed me and took my laptop to begin my search and quench my thirst for answers.  After spending more than an hour, I sighed. Nothing much was found. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes hoping some miracle would happen or at least sleep would pay a visit.

"Shakti"

I heard someone softly calling me. For sure it's not my brother. Who visits me at 3 am?! Is it a ghost? For sure it should be, if not why would it  feel weird from morning?!

"A-are you a g-ghost?" I asked,  stammering.

Who in their right mind would ask air if it is a ghost when they probably might be hallucinating things? Of course it's me! It has to be me out of all frantic nutcases!

"Close" came the reply.

"Then wh-who are you?" I shuttered.

"Good question"

"Huh?"

"It's a good question"

Not wanting to get on the bad side of the ghost or whatever I kept my mouth shut.

"You can say that I'm supernatural"

"A spirit?" I asked.

"Maybe"

"May I know the reason for your graceful presence?" I asked.  Hope it didn't come out sarcastically.

"Aren't you a bit rude?"

"I'm sorry if I had offended you but what's the reason behind your presence?" I uttered, though whoever it is thankfully didn't appear except for their voice.

"Desperation"

"I- um...What?!"

"Your desperation for answers"

"So... you'll answer my questions?"

"Of course"

"Then why did you choose me if they're many more wanders?"

"Good question"

"How do you know that I have questions unanswered?"

"Another good question"

"So you'll just avoid the questions, because either you don't know the answers or you simply don't want to answer" I said out of frustration. The anxiety this voice creature is giving me has no bounds.

"You're a smart one"

"I'll take that as a compliment. Then the sculptures I had seen at the temple are... erotic... I mean there has to be a reason for it to be carved at a temple of centuries old"

"Well if you had observed all these sculptures are outside of the inner sanctum, it may mean that one attains salvation when they realize that desires are just a part of life, even the birth and the death, this cycle is exhausting. While other scholars state that the erotic arts are part of the Hindu tradition of treating kama as an essential and proper part of human life as it has the power to create other than the almighty, and its symbolic or explicit display is common. Homosexuality and  heterosexuality are both clearly seen cause I believe one's soul is neutral, it can take any reincarnation or form. Shushruta Samhita, subscribe to the Tantrik belief that when a man and woman have sex, the gender and sexuality depends on the proportion of the male white seed and female red seed. If the male white seed is stronger then heterosexual men are born; when the female red seed is stronger, then heterosexual females are born. When both seeds are equally strong, the child becomes queer (kliba, napunsaka, kinnara). Sanskrit texts on astrology, architecture and music all refer to three genders: male, female and queer. Thus the condition is seen as physiological, not pathological. There is no particular reason behind it... it may all be beliefs or facts... the answers are unknown."

Not knowing what to say I started to type what I concluded and believed from the information given by the 'Antarvani' .

Bharat Khand also known as India is a unique country and I believe that during a few centuries back people were way ahead of their time.  A temple is not only a sacred place to worship but a school that teaches you how to walk through the path of life. The medieval temples of India have carvings and sculptures not only presenting one of the rare talents but preaches about self acceptance and karma.

Growing up I had always seen mythologies as only myths and tales but I never realized that they set as a perfect example of life. The biggest taboo of today's society is 'Gender', when it had never been a problem before. Today I realized that those very myths and sculptures teach you about  'life in all forms'. Lgbtq as they say or identify themselves; I believe and think that one's gender or sexuality is not the identity of a person. It's a part of their body.

Acceptance is what we all mostly lack whether it be a change or ourselves. I'm astonished as well as relieved that a sacred place as a temple proved that love can be in any form, shape, body; It's a neutral flow to salvation just like how soul exists - neutral. A true identity is the words we speak, actions we do, situations we react to. I'm deeply impressed that an emotionless stone had conveyed much more than a human. Well as Tagore said," The language of man here is defeated by the language of stone"

After typing out I wondered what to name it.

"Hey, are you still there?" I asked my empty room hoping I would hear the voice again.

"Shakti" came the reply.

~

Ever since that day I never heard the voice again. Till today I still wonder if it was my dream. Whatever it might be I'm glad that happened and it has given me a chance to enlighten myself.