Being Helped by the Unknown!!!

Every year, Rath Jatra (Car Festival) of Lord Sri Jagannath, Lord Sri Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra is celebrated worldwide. Huge numbers of devotees converge with pure devotional feelings to pull the chariots of the God from the temple of the God to Gundicha Temple. The organization, where I work, also celebrates the festival with much festivity.

It was the year 2015 and I was doing my duty of keeping discipline amongst the crowd. It was always a difficult job where the devotees never enjoy anyone coming in between them and their God, but the chariots need to be pulled in a disciplined way to reach its destination on time. So, there was always a tussle between the discipline keepers and the crowd and those had to be taken care of in such a way that no one feels bad about it.

That day, suddenly I felt exhausted and dehydrated while being amongst the crowd of thousands. It was a dreadful feeling when I was scared that I may faint on the road any time with a head spin (everything was spinning around me; it was almost a blackout). Doctor confirmed later that it was a multiple case of exhaustion, low BP & total dehydration.

I was desperately looking for someone who could help me with some water or may take me to a place of safety. Everyone was busy pulling the chariot, disciplining the crowd and were enjoying. I knew it very well that if I fall unconscious on the road, it will be difficult for the crowd and chariots to control themselves and I had every chance of being run over. Manual brakes are used in those chariots and sudden brake is almost impossible; especially when thousands of devotees are pulling it with full force. I was feeling helpless.

Suddenly, I could see someone in a scooty (a motor vehicle with two wheels, that is similar to, but smaller than, a motorcycle), who has appeared from nowhere and stopped near me. I still don’t remember whether he actually stopped near me or I did force him to stop, but I sat on his scooty and requested him to take me out of there. All that I can remember is that he took me in his scooty, offered me water, took me near my car, asked me whether I need medical help and after that disappeared. Yes, he almost disappeared from the scene while I gained my composure after sitting inside my car and looking at him to thank him. He was not there.

Till date, I couldn’t get answers to some of my questions; while all the vehicles were stopped while the chariots were moving, how could he appeared in the scene with a scooty, how did he know where my car was (I didn’t tell him for sure) and how could someone disappear from the scene so suddenly within a few minutes!!!!!! But, the fact was that, he saved my life that day.

It happens!!! Sometimes, we find help from unexpected sources and there are people, who don’t wait for appreciations for the help they provide, but it’s a fact that the World is full of such people. Can’t we be one of them?????