Ode to a Mandapam....

A mandapa (मंडप in Hindi/Sanskrit, also spelled mantapa or mandapam) in Indian architecture is a pillared outdoor hall or pavilion for public rituals.


(photo of Mandapam by Kavi Arasu )
A flowing river
by a Mandapam,
a warm floor
cooled by a
gentle breeze;
And the Kanjeevarams***
and cottons
mingle
with the sounds
of music
performed by
those
whom the Gods like.....





The river too
would
wait to hear,
and bubble
and swirl with mirth,
carrying secrets to the
next town
on its schedule....

Today
only dearth remains;
dearth of flow,
dearth of voice,
dearth of mirth,
and
dearth of time,
as Gods own,
sit with a laptop
on an eroded bank,
tapping conversations,
that fly
high above the Mandapams
cocking a snook
at the
empty
hard
geriatric floors,
which earlier
had eyes and ears,
but now ,
have only
intuition left....

***kanjeevaram : Town in Tamil Nadu, South India, world famous for its textiles, particularly silks and temple sarees.