FOOTBALL FEVER-FIFA 2018 -Goal of Joy.
On a drizzling morning I woke up to a different contagious feel in Darjeeling. At first I felt it was the saturday mood on a vacational trip. It was mesmerising to see the different hues of grey & white clouds. The early rays of light hustling through the status clouds. As the city rises to the mantra chanting from the temples and the trumpets of the monastries. The Queen of Hills, Darjeeling witnessed an enigmatic aura. A dreamy state of ecstasy. It could be felt in the cold air. While sipping through the aromatic native tea on the terrace which overlooked the Joy Ride Train's track twinned with the roads, a large group of enfield bikers were zooming through the streets. The thing that caught my attention was the beautiful flags of different nations that were participating in FIFA 2018 World Cup were being flaunted by these supporters on bikes. The sight was so unusual that I could help looking at the roads and those bikers. Every nation was represented with utmost zeal.
Speed couldn't match the sight. So couldnt see much of it from the terreca. In the later part of thr day while exploring the city, it so happened that there was a huge traffic jam. Being on legs was the best thing. While we were zig-sagging through the narrow roads this time I could see hundreds of bikers from close quaters flaunting their favourite teams. Stranded in the traffic the long trail was followed by a small powerful pack of children in their eco-friendly bicycles. Age was no barrier for displaying their love and support for their respective teams. I just loved the vibes that was struck in that air of congestion.
On reaching the mall road, the big surprise of our lives awaited us. It was the craze beyond measures for the sport that is played accrossed nations, the sport played on the paddy fields to the school backgrounds, on the streets to the residential gardens, it is rightly called the game of the comman man- FOOTBALL.
Live concert with bands, singers, dancers, stuntman and other performers to enthrill the audience which included from school kids to grannies. All of them vouched their love for teams. The wavering flags although of different colours, they all looked no different to a bystander like me who was immersed in that intoxicating ambience. The polarity only existed in the names of the nations everything other duality ceased to exist.
No wonder India surprises me in many ways. A country were you tend to see people still banking on casteism, religious differences, colour prejudices, economical disparity and discrimination among its own compatriots. Darjeeling on the otherhand showed unparallel enthusiasm and momentum for the FIFA, in which India didnt even qualify for the finals.
I believe the innocence of life lies in being a child. Seeing houses, cars, building, shops and streets all geared up for the sport somehow rekindles the hope for a compassionate & loving world, a world that sees through the differences, a world that embraces the polarities without judgements and a world that accepts the essence of freedom without boundaries.
A quintessential town nestling in the Himalaya's mighty lap shows to the people at large that the quest for a world without boundaries can very much be a reality.
On a drizzling morning I woke up to a different contagious feel in Darjeeling. At first I felt it was the saturday mood on a vacational trip. It was mesmerising to see the different hues of grey & white clouds. The early rays of light hustling through the status clouds. As the city rises to the mantra chanting from the temples and the trumpets of the monastries. The Queen of Hills, Darjeeling witnessed an enigmatic aura. A dreamy state of ecstasy. It could be felt in the cold air. While sipping through the aromatic native tea on the terrace which overlooked the Joy Ride Train's track twinned with the roads, a large group of enfield bikers were zooming through the streets. The thing that caught my attention was the beautiful flags of different nations that were participating in FIFA 2018 World Cup were being flaunted by these supporters on bikes. The sight was so unusual that I could help looking at the roads and those bikers. Every nation was represented with utmost zeal.
Speed couldn't match the sight. So couldnt see much of it from the terreca. In the later part of thr day while exploring the city, it so happened that there was a huge traffic jam. Being on legs was the best thing. While we were zig-sagging through the narrow roads this time I could see hundreds of bikers from close quaters flaunting their favourite teams. Stranded in the traffic the long trail was followed by a small powerful pack of children in their eco-friendly bicycles. Age was no barrier for displaying their love and support for their respective teams. I just loved the vibes that was struck in that air of congestion.
On reaching the mall road, the big surprise of our lives awaited us. It was the craze beyond measures for the sport that is played accrossed nations, the sport played on the paddy fields to the school backgrounds, on the streets to the residential gardens, it is rightly called the game of the comman man- FOOTBALL.
Live concert with bands, singers, dancers, stuntman and other performers to enthrill the audience which included from school kids to grannies. All of them vouched their love for teams. The wavering flags although of different colours, they all looked no different to a bystander like me who was immersed in that intoxicating ambience. The polarity only existed in the names of the nations everything other duality ceased to exist.
No wonder India surprises me in many ways. A country were you tend to see people still banking on casteism, religious differences, colour prejudices, economical disparity and discrimination among its own compatriots. Darjeeling on the otherhand showed unparallel enthusiasm and momentum for the FIFA, in which India didnt even qualify for the finals.
I believe the innocence of life lies in being a child. Seeing houses, cars, building, shops and streets all geared up for the sport somehow rekindles the hope for a compassionate & loving world, a world that sees through the differences, a world that embraces the polarities without judgements and a world that accepts the essence of freedom without boundaries.
A quintessential town nestling in the Himalaya's mighty lap shows to the people at large that the quest for a world without boundaries can very much be a reality.











