Hello Avichal, So wonderfully written and expressed. Just like the judges said, I also felt the same experience as I am sure all the readers would do. Heartiest congratulations and will wait for more such stories.
Warm regards, Manoj > On Dec 23, 2025, at 11:21 PM, Avichal Bhatnagar <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hello list members, > I am glad to share with you all that by God's grace, I bagged the first prize > in readiscovery 2025, a story writing competition exclusively for the blind, > requiring the use of all other senses except sight. > I am sharing my story with you below, I humbly request all to please share > their honest feedback with me so that I may improve my skills as a fiction > writer. > > Winning Stories - Readiscovery '25 > > Experiencing the Ramayana: A Blind Man’s Perspective > > First Prize : Avichal Bhatnagar > > > It was the final day of my penance and my heart was throbbing with > excitement. For the past three years, I had maintained strict spiritual > discipline — cooking my own food and eating one meal a day, sleeping on the > floor in my room, focusing on chanting mantras on a rosary. > > It was during a pilgrimage to Varanasi three years ago that I had come in > contact with a highly learned ascetic by sheer luck. Helater became my Guru. > On that first encounter, I had expressed to him my desire to meet Lord Rama, > and he had explained to me the procedure and rules of the penance I would > have to undergo to fulfil my desire. Now, as I completed the final round on > the rosary, I ffelt both trepidation and joy in equal measure. Would my dream > of meeting the Lord come true, or would a slight mistake, perhaps committed > unknowingly under the influence of Kaliyuga, ruin the hard work of the past > years? > > However, as soon as I touched the meru of the rosary to my forehead, I > started experiencing an ecstasy I had never felt before. The entire room was > filled with the enchanting smell of sandalwood and flowers, and the sounds of > a conch shell and various musical instruments created a symphony I had never > heard before. Amidst all this, “I am happy with your penance, tell me, what > boon do you wish to seek?” it said. > > For a moment, I was rendered speechless. I did not know how to react. More > than anything else, I was not certain whether the Lord had actually come to > meet me or my mind was playing tricks on me. > > “O Bhagwan, ” I said in a shaky voice. > > “Yes, my dear devotee, I have come all the way from Saket Loka to meet you. > You have won my heart with your infinite devotion, a devotion that is > becoming a rarity in today’s day and age, a devotion filled with innocence, > and totally untouched by materialism, ” Rama said in a tender voice. > > His words brought tears to my eyes, and I asked him, “Lord, if you permit me, > may I feel you by touch?” > > “Of course, why not?” He replied in the same soothing voice, then asked after > a pause, “But, my dear, don’t you feel me in each and every cell of your > body? Are you and I really different?” > > “I understand, my Lord, that at the level of consciousness you and I belong > to the same source, but still, just so I can treasure this moment, may I > touch you physically?” > > “Here we go,” Lord Rama said and helped me up to my feet by holding my hands. > He guided me as I felt his entire body, from head to toe. His hair was long > and soft to the touch. His crown felt heavy, with different gems covering it > in entirety. > > His face felt soft and supple. His ears had earrings that were so heavy they > had to be made of solid gold. His nose pin was similarly solid, and his lips > were soft, as if someone regularly nourished them with butter or ghee. > > His hands were tender, and once I touched his feet I realized that when > various saints and sages described them as lotus feet they were not indulging > in hyperbole at all. His dhoti and uttariya felt silky and smelled of > sandalwood. It struck me then that his hands were empty. “My Lord, aren’t you > carrying a bow?” > > “No, my dear devotee, I came to meet you bound by your infinite love, not as > a warrior. Hence, you will experience me in my ordinary form,” he replied in > the same melodious voice. > > My eyes started brimming again with tears, and I lost myself completely in > contemplating what the Holy Lord had just said. > > “Tell me, dear, what boon do you want?” the Lord’s voice brought me back to > the present moment. > > “My Lord, having experienced you, I have no more materialistic desires > remaining. However, I will consider myself really blessed if you could help > me, a blind person, experience through your Yog Maya some glimpses of the > Ramayana,” I replied. > > “Tatha Astu,” the Lord said. > > Suddenly, I felt my entire body vibrating and being transported through the > air. In a short while, > > my feet touched solid ground, and beneath my slippers I could feel the > softness of grass. The surroundings were filled with sounds of different > birds, insects and animals. Yet, the place exuded a distinct feeling of peace > and tranquility. I breathed in the scent of wet earth and forest flowers. > > “We are now in the Dandakaranya forest, where I will be spending my exile > with Sita and Laxmana.” The Lord’s voice reached me from my left. “Now, you > can touch the bow that I am carrying in my hands,” the Lord continued. I > eagerly turned towards my left and touched the heavy metallic bow. I sensed > Him lifting the bow – and thwang – He fired an arrow, whichbrushed past me, > causing a rustling sound in the grass. > > Before I could ask about it, the Lord asked, “Shall we proceed now?”. > > “Sure, my Lord,” I replied. > > “Hold this, and start walking ahead. I shall walk beside you,” He said. Then > he placed something in my hands, which I realized from touching it was > something like my white cane, though made of many metallic pieces. > > “This is your white cane, made from the arrows of my bow,” the Lord said. > > “Lord, may I hold your hand as I walk?” I asked. > > “Walk straight, my dear, and I shall walk with you,” He replied in the same > tender voice. Not really sure how to walk on an unknown path without any > guidance, I gripped the cane and took a few tentative steps forward. To my > utter surprise, I found a clear pathway laid out between the trees, wide > enough for two people to walk along. I realized what the Lord had done a few > moments before. He had fired the arrow to create a path for me, his devotee, > so that I could walk independently and yet enjoy the company of the Lord of > the three worlds. His kindness and compassion moistened my eyes once again. > > After walking for approximately five to ten minutes, during which time the > Lord explained the different flora and fauna of the forest, we reached a > place that felt like a clearing, with no trees on either side, and my cane > brushed against what seemed to be a wooden structure. “Welcome to Rama’s > hut.” The Lord said in a hospitable voice. “Sita, Laxmana,’ he called out, > ‘come and meet our guest.” > > Soon, I heard the footsteps of a person walking in wooden slippers and the > jingling of metallic ornaments, indicating the arrival of Mother Sita and > Laxmana. > > “Welcome to our humble abode,” Sita and Laxmana said in unison. Following > their voices, I bowed down and touched their feet. > > Soon, I was sitting comfortably on a grass mat on the mud floor, which had > the pleasant odour of cow dung, indicating its recent application. > > While Rama and Laxmana had gone out to collect ingredients for a meal, I had > the good fortune of having a conversation with Mother Sita. I recited for her > couplets from the Ram CharitaManas, which I remembered by heart. She sounded > pleased and blessed me with attainment of infinite spiritual treasures. > > Once Rama and Laxmana returned, Sita rustled up a quick dish on the chulha > outside the hut, and we sat down to eat. Laxmana led me by the hand to a > grass mat on the floor. As I sat, I sensedRama and Laxmana settle down on > either side of me. I reached out to adjust the banana leaf kept before my > seat so I could reach it easily. The food was wild berries and fruits, and > the wild herbs and roots that Mother Sita had cooked with love and > affection.The aroma of the food was tantalizing, and when I took the first > bite I felt a heavenly joy. > > I asked for more, and Mother Sita served me a large portion with a lot of > love. > > Satiated, I lay down on the floor and soon fell asleep. When I awoke for a > few moments from sleep, I heard Rama, Laxmana and Mother Sita conversing > softly. > > “O Lord, the food was very less for you, why did you not bring more?” Sita > asked. > > “My beloved, if the food was less for me, it was lesser for you and Laxmana, > as you ate last, and Laxmana pretended not to be too hungry. He gave a > portion of his meal to me.” Then he continued, “But it doesn’t matter; I am > fully satiated and satisfied, if my devotee is satiated and satisfied.” > > This made me feel ashamed of myself. I was so occupied in gobbling down the > heavenly food that I had not bothered to think about the portions for the > other three. > > The next morning, Mother Sita held my hand and brought me outside the hut, > whispering in my ear that she wanted to reveal a miracle that one had to > experience to believe. ‘Here is Rama, comfortably taking a nap under the > sun,’ she said. ‘Reach out and you will feel how gently the snakes cover his > body withtheir hoods and how the scorpions caress it with their stings.’ I > was astounded at the thought of this, but Mother Sita described the scene to > me as though it was something that occurred every day. At first, I was too > scared to touch the creatures, but when the all-loving mother assured me that > no harm would come to me, I gingerly extended my hands and touched both > creatures for the first time. These beings had been a source of constant fear > for me, throughout my life, and it gave me goosebumps to feel them beneath my > fingers. > > Even as I turned to Mother Sita to express my gratitude for this > extraordinary experience. I felt my body vibrate again, and this time the > place I was transported to was covered with sand. I staggered forward as the > sand shifted beneath my feet. Then thesound of the sea reached my ears. I was > standing on a beach. The crashing of waves was soon joined by a medley of > other sounds, including the calls of monkeys and growls of bears. > > “Who is he, and what is he doing here?” a voice sounding half human and half > bear-like asked. > > “He is our guest, o Jambawanta,” I heard the Lord reply. > > “How kind you are, my Lord. You are enabling a visually impaired person to > experience scenes from your life. Only you, you alone, can do it,” said > another voice, heavy with emotion. > > “I am always bound by the love of my devotees, O Hanuman. I can do anything > for them,” said Rama. > > The Lord introduced me to all the commanders in His army – from the mighty > bear Jambawanta to Hanuman, and from Nal and Neel to Sugreev and Angad. They > greeted me like I was one of their own. It was a delight to ride on > Jambawanta’s back, and to be air-lifted from one part of the beach to another > by Hanuman on his shoulders. > > From their conversation I gathered that they were busy in constructing the > Rama Setu, a bridge over the sea to travel to Lanka. I requested them to > allow me to contribute to their labour. “When a squirrel can contribute, why > can’t I?” I said. > > Soon, I was counting the stones that each monkey in Sugreev’s army had to > take from the beach to the sea. When the bridge was ready, Rama, greatly > pleased with my service, fired another arrow and then took my hand to make me > touch something. > > My joy knew no bounds when I felt the metallic plate at the entrance the > bridge as it had “Sri Rama Setu” embossed on it in Braille. > > The judges said they could imagine the story in their minds as they read. > > -- > Avichal Bhatnagar > Assistant professor at > Department of English, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College > University of Delhi > > Doctoral research scholar at > Department of humanities > Delhi Technological University (formerly Delhi college of engineering) > > -- > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the > person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. 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