Campaign Diary by Manvendra Singh

Author:Manvendra Singh [MANVENDRA SINGH]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780670083954
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2013-03-04T05:00:00+00:00

9 April 2009

Today is Purnima, Hanuman Jayanti and Peepaji Jayanti. And an urs as well, near Barmer. That means I will return to my criss-crossing ways again, for the programmes take me from one end of the Barmer district to the other, and back again.

I began at the Peepaji temple in Barmer town, and it was crammed with people when I got there. Peepaji is regarded by the tailor community as their patron saint and, like most of the local deities of Rajasthan, he had given up his palace for a life of piety. In his case it was Gagron, in the Jhalawar district. This community function draws members from the Barmer, Shiv, Chohtan and Baytu tehsils to this temple, to bursting capacity. After the prayers I was seated in one corner, squeezed against the wall, with the crowd pressing all around me. This prevented any breeze from cooling the venue. There was much gratitude expressed for the help I had rendered in getting a hostel built for their youngsters who were pursuing higher education. Despite that, all I could experience was a feeling of being hemmed in and stifled. It was only after I told them that their community members at Samdhari were expecting me that I was allowed to leave.

There were three big programmes to be done at Samdhari and in the surrounding area. It was decided that the Hanuman Jayanti programme at Bhalro ka Bada would be the first halt. It was the first anniversary of the temple’s inauguration, and the havan was already under way when we reached. The local leaders wanted a temporary halt to it while we conducted our meeting, to which the head priest said nothing doing, there is a mahurat for everything and, right now it was the best one for the havan. Quite right, I thought to myself, but soon there was a break in the proceedings as even the priests took a breather. At that, the holy men sitting on the stage suggested we conduct our meeting and then proceed for lunch. They were very cordial and blessed me with garlands in a spirit that suggested sincerity.

On the way back through Samdhari village, we crossed the Congress candidate Harish’s convoy led by the revenue minister, and I waved out to Harish. They were headed to the same Hanuman Jayanti programme. We halted at Suthar Samaj, where a meeting had been organized especially for us, given our presence in the area today. The Peepaji temple at Samdhari Station is far larger than the one in Barmer, with residential rooms ringing the entire compound. Obviously, the presence of members living in Jodhpur, a large number of whom had come today, has helped this temple grow. I had been here earlier on a similar occasion and sensed that today’s was a smaller gathering, but I dared not say so to anyone.

We were already into mid-afternoon and this was the best time to be at Asotra Brahmdham. Purnima attracts Rajpurohits and other followers from across many districts.

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