GRATITUDE 

RAPPORT CHANGER PANDEMIC

 

               RAPPORT CHANGER PANDEMIC

 

Envisage September 2019. Could you have imagined staying at home for so long as we are doing today? Schools, markets, offices shut down. No air, road, or rail traffic. Would you have believed in maintaining social distancing, wearing masks while stepping out? At the beginning of the pandemic, everything seemed devastating, mind-boggling, and a nightmare. Slowly everyone started getting used to the new normal.

Pandemic has made us pause and rethink our priorities, particularly in relationships. It is an erudition. Any disturbance, isolation due to the crisis is preparing us to regulate and re-evaluate our lives to decipher which habit and relationships we want to embrace and which we want to abandon. Our resilience, optimism, and mindfulness will aid us in getting through this pandemic.

This exceptional social occurrence has had significant ramifications on our relations. Crisis experts maintain that in pandemic times, society gets exposed and it tears open the fabric of familiarity to divulge a new world. Relationships transform due to our existing situation. Social relations will improve or get worse is a question as we are social beings, and we need to meet people and communicate. Keep the channel of communication open with everyone around you, a prerequisite for a healthy living. Lockdown has either strengthened the families or has lead to stress and agony. The bond of the family and the individual strength plays a crucial role in this aspect. Families with a strong bond will emerge stronger. On the other hand, families with weaker bonds will disintegrate, resulting in conflict and abuse.

The pandemic has given rise to fear of disastrous possibilities. This haziness is scary with the uncertainty of the future. Meditation clears our cobwebs and comes to our aid in dealing with the stress. Healthy eating and exercise are equally important.

There is a sense of gratitude amongst people who have means of sustenance in these difficult times, are helping the needy in whatever ways they can.  Pandemic has given rise to a sense of community like never before. How people are going all out to help the needy is beyond imagination.

Working from home, online classes is the new normal. Most people have learned and adjusted to be at home with everyone 24/7 for long periods.

We are exploring our passions, prioritizing our dreams, goals, and health. Learning new hobbies or reviving old ones, spending quality time with the family playing board games, painting, etc. It is making us realize our capabilities and fulfill long lost aspirations.

The elderly who are staying alone have expanded their horizons. They have learned to connect with their friends and family through technology.

It is difficult for children to be in this time on online studying and interacting with friends and school virtually. It is the parent’s job to make it easier for them. Children are resilient and are wired to cope. The positive is that we can spend quality time with them.  I enjoy my daily cup of green tea with my teenage daughter  during a break in online classes. I feel we are connecting better and are enriching the connection.

We need to be connected with our core values and learn that it is okay to be disappointed. It is a litmus test; we will lose some relationships and gain some. Some will get bogged down with the stress. If they are worth keeping, they will come around. We have built good relationships with our neighbors and rekindled relationships with school mates. At times you become friends in extraordinary circumstances with the most unexpected people. For many, the pandemic has led to new bonds of friendship.

 It is a learning opportunity. We have to build our resilience and emerge tougher. We should be optimistic and remember better times will follow.

 

                     INTRIGUING PRAYAGRAJ

As our car entered the dust-laden, congested lanes of Prayagraj, it felt like any other old city at a first glance. But this is a mirage to the real city. As one explores it further, one sees the remnants and charm of rich history, the intricate designs of the churches, the fort, the old schools, the temples. The enthralling Sangam is a visual treat with its vast expanse of merging waters of the Ganga, the Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati. This city has a discernible rich past dating back to Ramayana with the ancient Akshayavat tree, the Ashoka Pillar, the Allahabad Fort, Khusro Bagh, Chandrashekhar Azad Park, and the Anand Bhavan. 

 

The ancient Havelis with impressively carved balconies, intricately designed temples, aesthetic churches are fascinating and inspire one to explore further. They speak of the glorious era gone by. These mute structures are emanating a time of yore. History lingers in the old houses like a long twilight, and the houses have aged with grace. Here the past is casually entwined with the present. The old and the new are so linked that they are living harmoniously. The ancient structures speak of the architecture, way of life, and tales of velour of the era gone by. The names of places like Dhobi Chauraha, Paltan Gali, Roshan Bagh, and Chowk speak about life lived a long time ago. 

 

 Khusrau Bagh with its attractive walled gardens, ornate carvings, and the three sandstone mausoleums present an exquisite example of Mughal architecture. All Saints Church (Pathar Girija) built in the gothic style is a major tourist attraction.

 

Majestic Allahabad fort with a medieval architecture built by the Mughal emperor Akbar on the banks of Triveni is a sight to behold. The mesmerizing Yamuna and Ganga shining in the moonlight and the imposing fort standing like a guiding force is spellbinding. The whole atmosphere is gripping as it brings out the ingenuity and makes an ordinary person a poet. The tranquil atmosphere near the indestructible Akshayawat tree within the fort premises is meditative. It is comforting just to sit there and watch the flowing Ganga. The Fort also houses the Saraswati Kund, source of the river Saraswati. The imposing Ashoka Pillar, in the fort complex, is a testimony of the era gone by.

The world’s largest religious congregation, Kumbh Mela at the confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna, and the Saraswati, is an occurrence in itself. The Mela is a mélange of religious activities. Shahi Snan at sunrise in Sangam is a mystical lifetime escapade with multitudes of people taking a holy dip. Ganga arti at sunset with lights and chanting is a surreal experience. The whole place has a kaleidoscopic magical aura. It is a visual treat to watch birds in the merging waters at Sangam.

 

This sacred city also has an extensive tradition of learning. Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Munshi Premchand, Suryakant Tripathi Nirala, Mahadevi Verma, Akbar Allahabadi, and many more writers, poets belonged to this city. Who can forget the famous Prime Ministers, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, and Chander Shekhar? The ancient magnificent building of the University known as the Oxford of the East was a learning center and continues to so though not on the same scale as earlier. In the early morning, it is common sight to observe people sitting in tea shops relishing the piping hot tea along with the quintessential newspaper and discussing world affairs. One of the first English dailies in India, The Pioneer, was published from this city. Rudyard Kipling, the Nobel Laureate, worked at The Pioneer.

This city may have undergone a name change from Prayag to Allahabad to Prayagraj, but its character has remained the same.

With such rich history, no wonder Prayagraj has been important throughout history and continues to be so till today.