A Rendezvous Which Become A Ritulal- My journey in KTJH

Jai Jinendra to all!!

It was 4th April 2012 and the occasion was Mahavir Janmotsava.
On being told about a programme going on in Wilson Garden related to the occasion, me, that time a confused and quite out-of-place guy, entered the temple and as someone has said, 'the rest is history'.

Started that day a relation for me which I identify today as KTJH.

After I met so many new friends that day, I realized that you need not have a reason to connect with people everytime. Sometimes the connection just happens. By evening that day, it was hard for me to believe that I had met everyone that very morning. All thanks to the inclusive nature of  KTJHIans who are always more than welcoming.

My first trip with KTJH happened in June and the trip was to Hogenakkal Falls. This  trip was quite unusual because of the fact that many new faces were seen in this trip. I think the number of new people was more than the number of old members. Anyways in KTJH, a 'new' member remains so only for a few hours. After that no one can find out who the new person was. The trip had lot of fun, antakshari, swimming, food and what not... a day which came after such a long time in my life. Similiar was the experience of Kanakgiri-Gommatgiri trip. A perfect amalgamation of Bhakti, fun and 'fotos'.

When the year was about to end, we all gathered after a long time for a Vidhaan. And soon after in the new year 2013, came Mandargiri trip.  I got a first hand experience of preparing and eating Daal-Baati in this trip which was until now a not-so-known dish for me. Six months later, we again found ourselves visiting the temples of North Karnataka around Moodbidri. The coincidences attached with that trip have already been wrote and discussed. The endless meetings and fun we have had in Bangalore are separate from these extravaganzas. Those poojans and Bhakti we have done together, those poha and jalebi nashtas or daal baati cookings. Why to forget THE MTR nashta which we had today i.e. 22 June 2014. I cannot forget the excitement of Neha didi and hunger of Anubhuti and Shweta for today’s nashta :D . Really the nashta was delicious to the core. Simply superb.

Now when all these things are coming to a pause for me, I realize what a vacuum will be left behind. It will be quite difficult to fill this hollowness. But life has to move on. Its flow cannot be stopped or reversed.
So, I take this opportunity to express gratitude to all KTJHians who always made me feel at-home. Our religion brought us together initially but after that it has been the friendly nature of all members which has held the group firmly even after almost 3 years. The gift from KTJH is going to be one of the most precious things I am taking away from Bangalore because it contains all your best wishes as well as affection. I can easily say that such inclusiveness and affection is very difficult to find in today’s world which one can get in KTJH and which I have got in KTJH. KTJH is really a family away from family.

I would also wish to seek apology from everyone in general for everything I have said or done wrong and from Mayank and Abhinandan Bhai in special because many-a-times it happened that they asked me to come for a trip but I had to refuse owing to other engagements. However, I feel sad for every trip I couldn't come to.

Today, I just hope and wish that if, a couple of years down the line, I come back to Bangalore, I find my KTJH fresh, active and lively as ever.

Ashish