The stay in Somnath

Somnath and the view

These were the three days i spent in Somnath. Apart from making it sometimes to the aarti session (  aarti is at 7am, 12 pm and 7pm ), the hours during the day unfolded  with a walk to Prabhas Patan ( Somnath Gaon) or not skirting the possibility of sighting new decors around shopping centre. If none of these happenned i took an auto (shared auto is the norm here) to Veraval. Some among the daily grind were meant to procure necessities that could keep me going during my stay in Somnath. If a search for a laundrywallah took me all the way to other side of prabhas patan, it was primarily trigerred by a known laundry shop down with its shutters in the morning.

Inside the Somnath temple
The rounds to the temple could at the most be three times a day, coming against the backdrop of  an aarti  to be attended or having entirely missed the same going to make up for that one. Arrangements were in place and it did not take long for  queues to splinter and ensure a seamless movement. Inside if one made it just before aarti was to begin or even 10 minutes before that, the chance of staying in the hall was slim as the number of devotees following you was huge.

A time lag of 15 to 20 minutes  before aarti was to commence was sufficient for a place in the hall with a preferred departure only after aarti got over. It is precisely here that some modifications could be tried to better engage the devotees.  First the priest who moves with the aarti thali and takes a partial round of the hall, the passage for the same is cleared minutes before the ceremonial round. What the security establishment needs to do is to make it mandatory for those collected to stay clear of the passage route much before commencement of the aarti than getting pushed by security at the eleventh hour that actually leads to too much of pushing and shoving. Once the priest has taken the ceremonial round, the collected ones can come back and collect on the passage route. Second instructions on not carrying a cell or belt should be spelt out at the very first entrance from where the temple is about 300 metres away. Even before the cloak room. Third those who come with mobile could be handled with a  sense of conversation that does not border on temperamental twists.

One can understand the pressure under which the securitymen discharge their responsibilities and if devotees enter the temple with a mood conciliatory with their expectations - one that does not see spanking of any kind- half of the battle has been won by security. A mood that has been made to get derailed by a security that is acceptably upright but on occasions toughie of sorts can make the devotee lose the charm and sentiment.

Inside the hall the drum beats begin with the priest holding the aarti tray. At 7 am, 12 pm and 7 pm precise the drum beats should begin instead of waiting for someone to scream and make them begin their work. Finally those who go right up to the front (clear instructions should be spelt at entrance that having sighted the Lord one should move for the waiting crowd to get  their chance). Here too pushing should be avoided. The staff strength should be increased and put on more rotation to give them the breathing space. A near and perfect chemistry between devotees and security is not mandatory but efforts should be made to see that smooth conduct with smooth talk is an attempt worth trying. Because those who come from nearby and faraway places a view and a smooth passage is all that is aspired for.

To date there are no major flaws in the arrangements in and around Somnath temple and is one of the best . But there is a room for improvisation.