Stars

A few days back there was a news clip in the paper. It said that there was going to be a meteor shower in a part of Bangalore. Reading this clip I was reminded of a similar instance many years ago. It was pretty big news then. It was there in every newspaper & on every news channel. I was also very excited about the meteor shower & was expecting the sky to explode in some kind of natural fireworks display. I remember lying down on my terrace & looking up at the sky for many minutes only to be disappointed. It didn’t happen. Or if it did it wasn't visible from my terrace. Due to this experience I ignored the recent news clip of a meteor shower.

The sky has never attracted me much. I am not one of those star gazers or somebody who is interested in spotting planets or other celestial objects in the sky. But one thing has been very special to me ever since I got to see it. A clear star lit night sky. It’s a very beautiful sight indeed. It is very unfortunate I must say that spotting stars in the Bangalore sky is not a possibility. May be it’s the pollution that’s the cause, but apart from a few here & there its really not possible to see a proper star lit sky.

However I have been lucky to see it in other places. Most of these were during treks. One time we were coming out of Om Beach. It was late in the night. It was dark & there were no lights around. It was then that someone looked up & saw what a beautiful sight it was. Thousands of stars could be spotted. Some bright, some not so, some small & some others big. The setting was very romantic. The sea, the darkness & the stars above.

Another instance was during our Brahmagiri trek. We were stationed at Narimale Base Camp. And one night when we went hunting for some wood to light up a bonfire, we could see the night sky. Another time about a year ago when we were on our way to Coorg, we had stopped at the Nagarhole forest gate to open. Here sitting in the vehicle we didn’t know what a sight it was outside. Only when we stepped out did we see the stars shining in the sky. Everybody there was excited to see that sight. I think most of the crowd was from Bangalore.

There is a certain indescribable feeling about this, a feeling that fills your heart with joy & probably even makes u smile. It’s something that one has to experience. I sometimes wonder how many of us really have time for such natural wonders in today’s fast paced world. I wish I could see this every night from my terrace.