Meira's Memoirs / Chapter 6 / Of Destinations & Questions

For me, travel has never ever been just about pretty or fancy destinations - yes I am a huge fan of natural beauty and have often lost myself in Mother Nature's arms. In contrast, I am also a big fan of places with what I call, character - ancient destinations that have a long and vivid history behind them and even today hold on to remnants of that heritage. 

Traveling for me, is about discovering ..... not just the swanky and new but also the quaint and old. 

For me , some destinations answer questions and some raise new ones. 

My next trip, although impromptu, seemed to give me a sign ....

Out the blue came an invitation to attend a cultural festival on the banks of the River Ganga, to discover the Varanasi where a 15th century mystic poet and saint was born and lived; from those very banks, he preached back then, that Truth is with the person who is on the path of Righteousness and who passively detaches from the affairs of the world. Learnings that the world could do with today!

so I set out .... as if in search of an answer or maybe just responding to a subconscious calling ....


Extract from Meira's Memoirs - Nov 2018


One of the oldest cities known to mankind, Varanasi (in Uttar Pradesh, India) always had a place in my heart since childhood - my maternal grandma lived there and we visited her often. Something about those narrow lanes told me I would come back, many moons later. 

Some of the most exciting travels are those that you don’t plan for - the “impromptu” stuff that come up when friends sit together over a weekend. My trip to attend a cultural festival designed around the 15th century saint-poet Kabir by the shores of the Ganga was one such random decision. Or maybe it really wasn’t so random…. 

With my daughter completing her graduation and ready for her Master’s, I too had subconsciously started looking out for my roads - I knew deep within, a paradigm shift was coming.

So, it felt right when I headed to one of the spiritual hubs of India.




There are many places in the world that have many different levels to them - like an onion, you peel and you go deeper. The place appears one thing on the surface and when you get into its nooks and by-lanes, you discover so many nuances that have withstood centuries, it is truly incredible. This was one such locale. 

As I sat by the holy Ganga in the wee hours of dawn, listening to the sights and sounds of the city waking up, I felt my India, the India that has withstood centuries with its roller coaster of fortunes and misfortunes. 

My approach to any place I visit is to get deep into its heart, to steer away from typical touristy attractions and explore those hidden treasures that symbolize the true character of that place. And Varanasi overwhelmed me with its history. It had been witness to so much, and still was - yet somethings in it just kept going - detached and emotionless, like the mighty Ganga flowing by. A lot like Life itself. 

One of the biggest levelers in Varanasi were its cremation sites by the holy Ganges - again a Hindi ritual down the ages. As I watched the non-stop fires soar into the air above and the families return once the bodies were no more, I was reminded of the cycle of life to which we all belong - if this is how it ends, why do we get so attached to so many material things and spend so much energy collecting them, protecting them and wanting more? 

This short trip brought home a few truths; it reminded me of my strong Indian roots and upbringing, despite being a world traveller, I remembered I felt most comfortable on Indian soil. I was reminded to learn to connect more deeply with my soul and detach from all things material. I felt the nudges and I knew I needed to start pulling together a new blueprint.

I returned from Varanasi a changed person. I suddenly had a few answers and knew the direction I needed to head  into now. The journey into my next chapter was about to begin and  I was ready to connect deeply to my own spirit. 

As they say in aviation parlance, it was time for "Chocks off"!

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