The Pilgrimages: Contemporary Quests for Obsolete Wisdom, is a recollection of Babey and his friend's experiances as they makes their way accross IITR - traversed by pilgrims for 160 years - on the frequent pilgrimages of LR-3. Babey and his batch mates have been banished to live in RJB - situated in a secluded low lying corner on the outskirts of IITR - for a year. Every morning they drag themselves out of their cosy Rajais (quilts), get geared up and set out. They encounter mysterious benefactors (who give them double seat lifts on their cycles) and devilish opponents (who stand ahead of them in the long line outside the mess). They face a series of obstacles. Freezing gusts of wind stab them with its icy fingers as they try to surmount the Mount DOMS that connects the lowlying corners to the heart of IITR. There in LR-3 an unknown doom awaits them daily. They are subjected to five or seven hours of gruelling penance. Those of them with weak hearts succumb to this prolonged mental onslaught and doze off. While few astray minds try to grasp as much of the obsolete lore being prophesised as they can.
Every dark cloud has a silver lining and so does this one. A select few, brave at heart understand the real essence of these pilgrimages. True enlightenment lies in being outside LR-3 and not within it. They glance at the back door, the door leading to salvation. Stealthily they head for the door. They run out of LR-3 and seek refuge in their true sanctities Alpahar and Khosla Canteen. And these few souls find their freedom as they feast upon Pakodis and Samosas and brilliant Chai in the cold winter mornings in Roorkee....
Every dark cloud has a silver lining and so does this one. A select few, brave at heart understand the real essence of these pilgrimages. True enlightenment lies in being outside LR-3 and not within it. They glance at the back door, the door leading to salvation. Stealthily they head for the door. They run out of LR-3 and seek refuge in their true sanctities Alpahar and Khosla Canteen. And these few souls find their freedom as they feast upon Pakodis and Samosas and brilliant Chai in the cold winter mornings in Roorkee....
P.S: Any resemblance this post bears to The Pilgrimage: A Contemporary Quest for Ancient Wisdom by Paulo Coelho is merely coincedental. For further clarification,
http://www.amazon.com/Pilgrimage-Contemporary-Quest-Ancient-Wisdom/dp/006251279X
P.P.S: I'd started off with this long time back in winter and today as Mumbai is being drenched in this yearts first rainfall I'v finished it. Small delays keep happening!
