Anil Bairwal, Aug 2022

This beautiful artwork is from Haridwar. It is painted on a wall of an overbridge across Ganga near Har-ki-Podi. The painting is right next to the river bank and gives an impression that the baba is trying to cross the river on his cycle. 

It is beautifully sketched. The orange background evokes a spiritual feeling and sets the right tone for ruminating. The baba is carrying a damru and a cloth bag (kept ambiguous by the artist) probably containing a few other belongings—items that he uses for his practice. 

The external setting for the painting couldn’t have been better. He is barely a few feet away from the river and has a curious expression on his face. He seems to be gazing at something on his path. Is he wondering whether he will be able to cross the river (the river depicting what the scriptures call the illusion of life and death) in front of him? Looking from where I am, he is surely going to fall into the Ganga and drown. But maybe he has the required trust in existence, which is the fundamental requirement for a person to get to the other side successfully. 

While I was reflecting on the painting, another bicyclist came from under the bridge. The two cyclists together made for an even better picture—a man of society and a man from the outside. The man of society was coming towards me on the pavement on the bank of the river; the man from outside had his direction firmly towards and into the river. The man of society was on the familiar path. The man of the outside was venturing into the unknown.

The painting reminded me of all my friends and babas who are on the path and who practice diligently every day. I was filled with warmness towards them. I wished that they, and the baba in the picture, they all reach the other shore as best as they can. I stood in front of the painting for a few more minutes, then moved on towards my destination.