I Had No Clothes On

I know of at least a few folks who would immediately think that they will be reading some steamy raunchy stuff. Too bad they are winking and sniggering at the wrong blog...

In Khed there is a mission known to few people. The Mission was started by a Brahmin lady who went through many tragedies in life. She was an outcast because of her belief, lost her husband a few year after marriage, and then lost her daughter too. In spite of her sufferings and perhaps because of the hardships she emerged as a very strong personality.

Intelligent and well educated she can be credited for emancipation of women over a hundred years ago. The Mission she founded helped save the lives of thousands of women and young girls. She studied medicine, was fluent in Latin and Hebrew, and is perhaps best known for her scathing attack on traditional practices of widowhood, sati, and child marriage in her book, "The High Caste Hindu Woman."

On a trip to visit the Mission some years ago, we thought of taking some old clothes for distribution to the needy. Arriving early we got a tour of the entire place. The Mission was built keeping self-sufficiency in mind. There was a huge kitchen that could cook food to feed over 2000 people, a large granary, a flour mill, bio-gas chamber, library, a small cottage industry, worship hall, and more.

With so many orphans and single women one would expect some noise and chaos but what struck me was the peaceful ambiance of the place. People spoke courteously and respected one another. It was very peaceful.

While visiting the various "houses" we came across one named bougainvillea - residence for blind women. As we entered we saw two women making "chappatis" for their afternoon meal. When we said hello they were very pleased to have visitors and would not let us leave until we shared their meager lunch. I have never tasted such food before, for the few morsel I ate not only nourished my body but my soul too.

I had come here to give something to the Mission and what really happened that day is that the two blind women gave me something I needed - humility. Life has its humbling moments and I am glad that I had my tryst with reality in such a manner.

As a kid, I remember reading the story about an Emperor who was conned into parting with a considerable amount of wealth by two tailors. The con men told the Emperor that only smart people could see the robes. When the Emperor finally emerged, supposedly attired in his new robes, his subjects waxed eloquent knowing if they didn't praise the Emperor's clothes it meant they were stupid. It took a little girl in the street to make the Emperor realize that he was parading in his underwear in front of his subjects. The blinkers came off. Truth is a marvelous thing. It sets people free.

I had my tryst with truth that day at the Pandita Ramabai Mukti Mission. I realized I had no clothes on and as fate would have it - it took two blind women to make me see.