The day after Shivarathri.

Today, the day after the great Shivarathri, I was on my way back from my usual constitutional and was passing by the famous Shiva temple of Thrissur.

It was quite early in the morning and many of the regular crowd visiting the temple was somehow missing.  May be the devotees were taking it laid-back  after being hectically in a festive mood yesterday.

The temple premises were bearing all the signs of the aftermath of yesterday’s festivities. You look around and find discarded paper tea cups and different kinds of pamphlets of different trading organisations etc. used paper bags and also elephant droppings strewn all around. Looking at them, I was wondering how much time and energy will it be needed to bring back a semblance of tidiness back to the usual serine atmosphere of the temple.

But as I reached the main entrance of the temple a heart-warming sight welcomed me. There was a lone figure, the sweeper woman (of course the paid employee of the temple) who was hectically sweeping the front courtyard of the temple trying her best to get rid of the whole mess. She was at it in the morning and I know that it is her assigned duty. She was just attending to her work as it is expected of, by her employer, who so ever it may be.

The point is not whether this lady is doing her duty or not. It is also not being argued whether that she should be complimented for doing something of what is expected of her. The point is that how many of us recognise her? Many of us visit this temple most of the day. But how many of us know her, or can recall her name. Will any one of us care to share a cup of coffee with that woman? 

Mother Teresa once said that you can love a person; you can also hate a person; but when you ignore a person; you are doing the greatest injustice to that person.

I know that just a word of appreciation or just an acknowledgement of her task and its difficulties by us will make her day. You may ask, how do I know that?

 I know because I just did that and saw her reaction.

Her face lit up and her eyes sparkled with that shine you can find rarely in people when they are extremely happy.

The feeling is infectious and it left me also a very very Happy Man.