Aradhana Panigrahi

  H oli, the festival of colours, time of joyous celebrations, vibrant hues, and cherished memories. As the day arrived, I found myself standing in front of the wardrobe, looking at the forgotten corner and thinking about what to wear for the day’s activities. During the search, I could feel the magic in revisiting the old days associated with the dresses. I could smell the faint scent of memories that lingered within the folds. These dresses were silent spectators to the laughter, friendships, trials and pure spirits of the good old days. Each dress had witnessed moments of joy, sorrow, victory, and loss. The moment I slipped into its familiar embrace, I felt nostalgic, carrying me back to simpler times. The clothes whispered secrets of the long past, laughter shared with the dear ones, wipes of inconsolable tears and lot more. The old outfits became a medium of tangible link to memories through which I relived moments of absolute bliss and bitter-sweet desires, taking o...

O ne evening while returning back from office, I took an auto-rickshaw. Leaning back in the seat, I closed my eyes for a moment, feeling the cool breeze and sway of the vehicle navigating through the busy streets. As it halted at a traffic, I opened my eyes and looked out at the passing scenery and sounds of the bustling city. Suddenly I noticed few third genders standing on the traffic waiting for the signal to cross the road.  Typically, as I pass by any third gender I think about their living, employability and acceptance into the main stream livelihood. I admire by how brave they were to be themselves in a world that often fails to understand or accept them. I felt a surge of admiration for their courage and resilience, and a commitment to stand up for equality and acceptance for all members of the community. As they made their way across the street, I silently cheered them on, grateful for their presence and the reminder to always be a friend in the need for inclusivity and ...

Maha Shivratri is a day I always look upon because that is the highest number of hours I spend in a temple in silence. With the prayers, I thank Lord for all the strength, resilience, mindset I get to face life, say sorry for wherever went wrong and seek wellbeing for the people I truly love and care. I believe engaging in silent contemplation at the temple during these hours can be a profound and peaceful way to connect with the spiritual self. While in silence, I speak the most, I pour my heart out and go through an extreme emotional awareness. I feel silence while embracing spirituality is a way of introspecting that can direct you to the better understanding of self and connectedness beyond the physical realm.          Silence acts as a powerful focus. From a psychological perspective , absorption in silence often involves mindfulness and rumination. It can help calm the mind, reduce stress, and enhance overall mental well-being. Silence involves c...