By 8.00am the host for
the walk Sri Ganesh Swaminathan and our walk leader Sri Ramanathan with
Jayanthi were waiting at the meeting point promptly for the walk enthusiasts to
arrive. Since the directions for members who were driving and for those taking
public transport were given very clearly by Sri Ramanathan, we started to move
without much delay, with 12 members who could make it.
There were so many
information boards about the Park’s history at every turning point that it was
like walking behind time to Singapore’s past!
Imagine a place in
Singapore where Malay royalty
once ruled in medieval times and where the British decided to surrender to the
invading Japanese during the Second World War.
This unlikely
combination of events has taken place at the hilltop of Fort Canning Park, one
of the country’s historical landmarks.
The park was
originally known as Bukit Larangan, or 'Forbidden Hill' in Malay. Today, the
18-hectare space is chock-full of attractions – from ancient artefacts for
history buffs to outdoor lawns for concerts, and of course, greenery for nature
lovers. The charming boutique Hotel Fort Canning also lies here.
In between the
trees, there were many art work made of wood which were simply exemplary!
Since our dear
Balasundari has brought the Divine beauty of Nature in all Her aspects in the
last Newsletter, I feel at a loss to add more to the beauty of the magnificent
trees in this park. I can only say I did
“Manasika” circumambulation of them with the following prayer, where for me
every tree looked like the Peepal tree known in Sanskrit as Ashwattha, the King
of the Trees:
“Moolatho Brahma roopaya,
madhyatho Vishnu roopine,
Agratha shiva roopaya
Vruksha rajaya they nama”
Salutations to the king of trees,
Whose roots are Lord Brahma,
Whose stem is Lord Vishnu,
And whose crown is Lord Shiva.
How can we be more blessed than to
assemble at our Sri Aurobindo Centre for the meditation and prayers before the
delicious South Indian brunch hosted by our dear member Sri Ganesh Swaminathan!
Our Sincere gratitude to you and your
family, Ganesh Swaminathan for your enthusiastic participation in our Centre’s
activity even though you are now based in Bangalore!
-
Jayalakshmi
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