Uriel was a multifaceted personality. He could stab with words, sting like Mike Tyson, and distort reality charmingly with the precision of a gifted cartoonist. He was sedate now and passionate the next moment. He could don the mantle of a carpenter, a plumber, or a mechanic, as situation demanded. He ran a school in Shillong in those days when I was there. That’s how I landed in the magic circle of his friendship. He made me a gargoyle. Gradually. When the refined side of human civilisation shaped magnificent castles and cathedrals, the darker side of the same homo sapiens gave birth to gargoyles. These grotesque shapes were erected on those beautiful works of architecture as if to prove that there is no human genius without a dash of perversion. In many parts of India, some such repulsive shape is placed in a prominent place of great edifices with the intention of warding off evil or, more commonly, the evil eye. I was Uriel’s gargoyle for warding off the evil eye from his sc
Lovely pic and precious memory.
ReplyDeleteThe picture remained in a book all these years!
DeleteNice one
ReplyDeleteVery spiritual and pure. What we believe in matters! :)
ReplyDeleteThe picture is captivating and evokes nostalgia.
Each person creates his heaven/hell...
DeleteI will agree with the sentiment on one condition - no claim that all stairs get you to the same place, the Vivekanandaesque assertion, ampere assert ion, neither provable nor dis provable; an analytic.
DeleteRE
The inscription is right. To climb to heaven we have to build our own stairs. Nice text.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Easwar ji.
DeleteTrue indeed. We all follow the paths architectured by our deeds. Great thought.
ReplyDeleteExactly. We are the architects of our heaven. Or hell!
Deletenice one.
ReplyDeleteThank you for such a wonderful reminder .. call it karma, call it architect .. you reap what you sow ...
ReplyDeleteYes, Sangeeta. Simple truth but a profound one.
DeleteLovely picture and Lovely quote . I Loved it.
ReplyDeleteTravel India
Glad you loved it.
Deletehow true..!and we have to climb it all by ourselves....
ReplyDeleteI know .. my bit ..I am building the staircase .. step by step and with utmost care !! encounter with reality :)
ReplyDelete