I recently visited Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh on my father's behest. Chitrakoot is a small town located in the northern Vindhyas in the state of Madhya Pradesh. A small town bustling with pilgrims crisscrossing through the narrow roads into the various holy places that are scattered all across it.
Our trip started with a visit to the temple of Kamatanath located on the parikrama path around the hill of Kamadgiri. It is small hill covered with forest and surrounded by a five kilometer path. It also marks as the spot where Bharat tried to convince Lord Rama to return to Ayodhyaya.
Apart from being a place of religious importance it is a place where you can see various forms of devotion at display. Thousands of devotees, saints, sages and observers like me come to pay respect to a place of great reverence. On this path lies a small corner filled with a small steel container, a worn out blanket as a cushion and a small board saying "Don't disturb Saint Sumirandas ji while he is chanting God's name. If you desire to donate anything just drop in his steel box". If not for the continuous chanting of "Sita Rama" you would just ignore this sage. Frail dark coloured body with thick long matted dreadlocks he doesn't seem like a lot on the first sight.
But the continuous chanting drew my father's attention and we decided to film his chantings and maybe even try to speak to him. It was our lucky day as Sumiran Baba (as he is known among the locals) had decided to take rest for some time before resuming his chantings.
Our trip started with a visit to the temple of Kamatanath located on the parikrama path around the hill of Kamadgiri. It is small hill covered with forest and surrounded by a five kilometer path. It also marks as the spot where Bharat tried to convince Lord Rama to return to Ayodhyaya.
Apart from being a place of religious importance it is a place where you can see various forms of devotion at display. Thousands of devotees, saints, sages and observers like me come to pay respect to a place of great reverence. On this path lies a small corner filled with a small steel container, a worn out blanket as a cushion and a small board saying "Don't disturb Saint Sumirandas ji while he is chanting God's name. If you desire to donate anything just drop in his steel box". If not for the continuous chanting of "Sita Rama" you would just ignore this sage. Frail dark coloured body with thick long matted dreadlocks he doesn't seem like a lot on the first sight.
But the continuous chanting drew my father's attention and we decided to film his chantings and maybe even try to speak to him. It was our lucky day as Sumiran Baba (as he is known among the locals) had decided to take rest for some time before resuming his chantings.
This is a short interview my father and I managed to record in our camera. It gives a beautiful and intriguing peek inside the mind of a sadhu, his philosophy and his art of devotion.
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