Once upon a time, in a country called India, on the coast of Nagapattinam far south, there landed a large vessel on the shores of Bay of Bengal. Argyra* anchored herself on the coast. She was a wide vessel carrying traders and travellers from her motherland Greece.
“We have arrived!!” shouted Nicholas with excitement. Argyra was swaying in the cool sea breeze. She landed on a bright moonlit night. Nicholas was twenty years when he left his home town Greece. He had heard about this wonderful country from his countrymen who had visited her earlier. From then on his urge to visit her multiplied. And here he was!
Nicholas could feel the chill in the air, the sound of waves and the delicate moon light made him feel a sense of peace. He jumped on the shores. The moment he landed on Indian soil, he could feel a sense of purity. The winter winds spoke through his clothes, the smell of sea on him reminded of his tiring journey to this shore.
He closed his eyes to smell sand with the moist wind, the smell of the mystical land called India! Nicholas was young and so full of life. Lying on the sand under the silver silk moon, he lost himself in the land of dreams and waited for the day to dawn.
Rays of morning sunlight and the sound of rushing waves woke him the next day. He lazily opened his eyes but the sight he witnessed left him refreshed. The beauty of the land left him spellbound.
He strolled into the mainland along with his fellow travellers. Most of them were traders. He then was taken in a marvellously decorated barge whose sails were made of silk and masts in gold. It was owned by one of the merchant guilds of the Chola dynasty. The parti**, as they called it in the local Tamil language, floated along the vast and majestic Cauvery river to reach the capital city of the Cholas – Thanjavur.
Thanjavur was yet another wonder to Nicholas. He was awestruck at the natural beauty the city beheld. He was stunned by the richness of the land, lush green fields and of course the marvellous architecture. He had heard from his fellow countrymen about the architectural expertise of the Cholas and now he was standing there amidst those wonders!
Gazing at the numerous temples which had beautiful sculptures on every surface, Nicholas spent his day roaming around the city with one of the locals named Veeraiyan. Veeraiyan couldn’t communicate well with him. He spoke through signs now and then to convey the pride of his city. The pillars of the temples had sculpted mythical animals and towers soaring high. They called it gopuras*** as told by Veeraiyan. He took Nicholas to the magnificent Siva temple in the capital city – the pride of the Cholas displaying their excellence in art and architecture.
The culture among people, the nativity, the colors, tastes and the smells, the city as a whole brought a spirit to humanity, he thought. He admired the custom among the natives to give great care to their siblings and family until their death, their patriotism to the mother land and the King. Their friendly gesture of greeting with both hands was new to him. He could see activity everywhere. People were like busy bees – active with music, prayers, singing, dance and even arguing among themselves.
Nicholas started to fall in love with the land as he slowly learned about this fascinating country. Nature and natural resources were at its best and properly utilized by the locals. Indeed, he was enjoying his stay here. Not to mention the spicy and delicious food. And so grew his desire to extend his journey to explore more in this mystical land.
Days passed by. Nicholas was still wandering in south India. He never had the desire to leave this land. His fellow men had told, “India, once visited, will get into your heart and soul and will keep on lingering in the mind.” How true it was! He felt that way now too.
What a land it was to him. He saw a miniature world in it. All sorts of people, travellers like him from distant countries, traders – it was as diverse as it could be. Its tolerance, freedom and engagement with the world simply glued in his heart. The immense hospitality that he received everywhere he went made him feel at home. From glorious clothing, colorful flowers, architectural marvels, mouth watering foods, everything seemed to be baked into their cultural DNA. Be it the strong sun that made the land shine or the subtle moon that created a mood of serenity, nature too had its say in this wonderful country.
India had taught him patience, gentleness and love during his stay. As the flowing Cauvery disappeared in the sea losing its name and form, Nicholas lost his heart and soul to this land of dreams and fabulous wealth.
*- a Greek sea nymph
**- large barge type vessel used for ferrying trade goods
***-temple towers
