Bhupesh Chandra Karmakar was born on 16 November 1936. After completing his schooling from the Bengali High School in Nowgong (Assam), he joined in Indian Air Force. During his stay at an Air Force unit in Barrackpore, West Bengal, he had a chance to pursue higher studies as a private candidate from University of Calcutta in 1970.
1. I OFFER A SILENT PRAYER
Every morning I look in the mirror,
and I utter that I am happy
and feeling joy.
I had gone through hardship but
Almighty has given me more than
I asked for.
I see God in my parents and I take
deep breath, close my eyes, and
offer a silent prayer.
I light a lamp on Diwali and go to
midnight mass on the eve of Christmas.
2. AUSPICIOUS PLACES
It was a beautiful climate when
we reached Guwahati city to visit
religious places in an early
morning of a Sunday.
At first, we all entered the ISKON
temple to pray and we uttered
‘Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna’.
Sometime later, we reached Umananda
Shiva temple, which is situated in the
middle of the river in an island.
Umananda Bhairavi to the east
of Kamakhya hill, is situated in
the middle of Brahmaputra River.
Mohadev who smashed Rati’s husband
Kamdev has remained in this
auspicious place.
The devotees are visiting Umananda
Bhairavi temple by boat with
great enthusiasm.
The breeze flowed with fragrance of
evening, on that beautiful climate,
we reached to Kamakhya temple
to seek a blessing from Ma.
3. SAGAR ISLAND
Sagar island is a cluster of about 51
small islands in West Bengal.
Though this is a part of Sundarbans,
it does not have any tiger habitation.
This Island marks the point where the river
Ganga flows into the Bay of Bengal.
The waves are carrying flowers, earthen
lamps, and entire offerings.
Bhagirath, the grandson of the king Sagar,
brought Ganga to this island.
This island, also known as Ganga sagar,
is a place of Hindu pilgrimage.
Kapil-Muni, who claimed an ancestry
from Vishnu built his Ashram here.
Sagar island, which is a charming tourist
destination, also attracts pilgrims.
Every year on the Makar Sankranthi day
Hindus take a holy dip in river Ganga.
4. JOURNEY TO A RELIGIOUS PLACE
We reached to Debasthan Haridwar in
the morning and then visited Mansa
Devi temple on a hill, which is located
on the Shivalik hill in Haridwar.
In the beautiful environment, we took
a bath on river Ganga and then went
to Har-ki-pauri to perform religious
works at Brahma-Kunda.
We visited temples of Lord Brahma,
Shiva, Vishnu, and Durga, where we
could observe a footprint engraved
on a stonewall, which belongs
to Lord Vishnu.
It is an auspicious place to perform puja
ceremony, and is the spot where the Ganges
leaves the mountains and enters the plains.
In the evening devotees were offering
diyas to the river Ganga, where the lights
of diyas were carrying the hopes and
aspirations of millions.
5. LIFE IS A BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY
Life is a journey, it requires enthusiasm
and needs interest to travel in old age.
I have visited famous Dargah of Hazrat
Khwaja Moinuddin Hasan Chishti at Ajmer.
After visiting the historical places in Delhi,
I headed to Agra to see the Taj Mahal.
The monument’s beauty is striking, and
its creation is really captivating.
I have visited temples in Haridwar, which
are standing on bank of river Ganga.
I prayed and floated my wishes in diyas and
then walked to watch the choreography.
I had the pleasure journey to New York,
New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Disneyland.
I travelled to London, and enjoyed the night
safari in Singapore with my children.
Traveling makes a person wise and
enriches their being.
– Bhupesh Chandra Karmakar
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