Post YATRA effects...

When I think of 24th Dec 2010, there are two things I distinctly remember being said on the inaugural ceremony of Tata Jagriti Yatra 2010.
1. Every person takes something out of the Yatra, more or less, but some positivity, that's for sure.
2. Bid goodbye to the person you saw in the mirror before coming to this journey. You wont meet that person again.
So true. Experienced and confirmed.

As quoted by Siddarth Kak, the creator of famous TV series Surabhi "No one can tell you how the Yatra would be. Its an experience, to be felt and absorbed differently by every person."
Yatra for me has been a journey of self discovery and realization. It gave me a better understanding and reassurance of my thoughts, helped me place them to an extent. A journey in which I made friends for lifetime and some very special memories to last forever.Meeting and interacting with people from varied backgrounds gave me an exposure to different thoughts and ideas that they have. I learnt more from the "role models" within the train, within my compartment apart from the formal role model visits. Apart from this Yatra also opened my eyes to the reality of rural India, as they say seeing is believing. Many many lessons to take home and a lot of food for thought.

It wouldn't have been the same had all this happened in a confined discussion room or a meeting. As Shashank Mani says, train symbolises movement, it symbolises change. It also most definitely added the adventure and fun part to the Yatra. It is no mean feat to stay aboard a moving train for 18 whole days and nights! Having bath in the makeshift cubicles, charging phones and moving in the "pythons belly" itself were no mean tasks.
It goes unsaid that all yatris are finding it difficult to adjust to regular routine life, I may call it boring! Life on board was full of daily excitement. Meeting new people and striking an interesting conversation randomly, waking up in a new state every morning, and impromptu song and dance sequences(By the way, I surely wont miss Sheila ki Jawani!). And many little little moments that would remain in our hearts forever. Be it dancing all night on the New years, or gossiping about crazy people and lovebirds on the train, or awesome food that was served with so much love. To add to that list, morning wake up calls, disembarking the train in a hurry, change in weather and increase in layers of clothing, games on the platform, and surely the fun filled bus rides.
I would surely miss my own cohort and group the most, would write separately about us, the crazy like minded 'S' group!!

Yatra as they say is not over, it has only begun on 12th Jan 2011!