19TH February, 2024 (Monday) – A new beginning and a new dawn in my life! Last night I slept early to get up early. By 4:45 am I was ready to go with packed bags. But before I commence the journey of my life, let me state clearly the purpose of it. This would help me in examining if I am successful in achieving it.
Firstly, I wish to make it very clear that I have nothing to prove to anybody through this journey. I have no intention of stating that I love my father or my native place more than others. Loving more or less in itself a stupid concept. How can anybody love more? It is understandable to state ‘I love’, for example, ‘my father’. It is Zibrish to say “I love my father more”. There can never be more or less love.
Nor do I have any plan of proving myself to be a tough man through this journey. I am a man like all others. I do have my own body pains and more so, my own limitations. Further what will I gain/lose by proving myself tough? What will I get if others are impressed or not impressed? Hence forget this line of reasoning. This thought itself is sick.
I am undertaking this journey for self-discovery; I was busy throughout my life either with academic achievements or with economic achievements and this continued till date! Life is not meant for achievements alone. Life achievements and recognition are the greatest illusions we create for ourselves. I am undertaking this Odyssey to know myself. Nothing more.
Thirdly, the route I am planning to take covers many towns that are associated with my parents and I. I am starting from last to first: (the way the towns appear)
Hyderabad: Father’s education, His job interviews, buying land, Building a house, his children’s education & his marriage, his employment, his wife’s death, his retirement, and finally his own death.
Shamirpet: I used to watch Shamirpet Lake, when I travelled (in APSRTC blue color express bus) with my parents. This town, in my childhood, indicated the beginning of Hyderabad when entering and the end of Hyderabad city while leaving in the Blue bus. This is where TV serial ‘Mahatma’ was shot.
Siddipet: A place where my father began his working career as ‘Municipal Secretary’ (today called as Municipal Commissioner). This town was his first posting. This is also the place where I began my academics; where my ‘AKSHARA ABHYAS’ was done. This is where I went to my first school.
Sircilla and Vemulwada: My mother’s birth place. A town where she was born, brought up and educated. She was married to my father here. A place where I was born, where my birth certificate was obtained. A place where I spent my school holidays. Finally this is that place known as the ‘Temple Town’ – famous for Raja Rajeshwari (Shiv Ji) Temple, the god after whom I am named – ‘RAJA’.
Jagtial: My father’s Birth Place; my grandfather’s birthplace. Where we have our agriculture. Father was educated up to class 10 here. My father had many stories to tell of this great place; where he had built a nice temple for grandfather Late Shri. Balayya ji. This is also my grandmother’s native place too.
Anyway, I began journey (after handing over the backpack containing clothes to Mr. Santosh) at 5 am, seen off by Pinky. All others were asleep. I had a very small backpack containing this journal, a pen and some money. One step turned into two and became gradually countless. I took the Outer Ring Road (ORR) route. I am aware that this is slightly a longer route, but I thought I will not be bothered by the traffic. I was wrong. Besides this, I ended up walking a long way. Consider this:
Ramanthapur Masjid to Uppal X Roads – 2 KM
Uppal X Roads to ORR – 18 KM
ORR Uppal – ORR Shamirpet – 22 KM
ORR Shamirpet – Celebrity Resort – 2 KM
TOTAL – 44 KM
Had I walked via Secunderabad – Alwal – then probably I could have reduced the distance by about 10 KM. I was utterly exhausted by the time I reached my destination at Shamirpet. My motorbike companion Santhosh provided lunch at the ECIL exit ORR in the hot sun on the road and made hotel arrangement at Shamirpet. The room was not to my liking. With a great difficulty I washed clothes, self and after the light hot dinner – the world was dead completely to me!
About the Author
Dr. K. Raja Gopal Reddy is a seasoned internationally qualified Insurance professional.
What you are reading here, may not answer all the questions we have, but has the absolute power of asking unsettling questions which increase the interest in the strange world, and show the contradictory wonders lying just below the surface of the commonest things of life. Look at this disturbing but beautiful thought of Friedrich Nietzsche “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him”.
Dr. Reddy can be reached at: raja66gopal@gmail.com
