ALSphere Foundation
“How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank,
Here we will sit and let the sounds of music creep in our ears;
soft stillness and the night become the touches of sweet harmony”
–William Shakespeare (The Merchant of Venice)
As I read these lines to my students in the classroom, nostalgia enthralled me, and I could see my mother singing lullaby to me on one quiet night, “Chandamama door ke/ pue pakye poor ke/ aap khaye thali mein/ munne ko de pyali mein/ pyali gaye toot munna gaya rooth.” Our love for Chanda mama got hitched in our minds with magical childhood memories of maternal affection and stellar role played by the moon. Looking at moon, we used to ask our mother about dark gregarious drifting figure on the moon and smilingly Maa replied, “It is grandma spinning charkha.” We grew curious to know who feeds grandma there, and Maa laughed and said,”Angels bring her Manna, God’s food.” And we asked about Manna, what it is, why we can’t have it but felt how happy grandma would be in the company of moon and angels.
There are three things that each person shares everyday: Sun, moon and stars.
Gradually, we learnt about the moon being a heavenly body as our science teacher taught us about the solar system. In youth, the moon seemed to wink winsomely draped in royal azure mirth, emitting joy as if caressing wandering winds shyly like a bride – coy. Well! The moon with its cool charm of white blanket has ensnared many a writer and poet to romanticise life of couples in love. It is loyal companion of night. It is beauty in itself, wanders the sky with stars in company.
Laughing like Diwali lamps – angels of the sky
Stars kissing the earth, a sight so pleasing to the eye
The twinkling constellations concealed behind the Sheen of the moon
The potent aura captures in the night the romance of universe and moon
Our lyricists have always been attracted to Chand as something that best describes thy love. From Meena kumari’s poignant rendering of ‘Ruck Jaa raat thehar ja re chanda’ to ‘Chand chuppa hi badal mei’ there are many momentous occasions celebrated on full moon night. Moon has an aura of inconceivable mystery and magic in mythology. There are numerous stories about moon. Some are sacred myths, others are folk tales, old and new, shared for the sheer pleasure of tale.
Several indigenous people in the African continent call their moon ‘Mawu’, a companion of the sun Goddess Liza. When they finally meet and make love, we have an eclipse. In Greek mythology, Selene was the moon Goddess and her brother Helios, God of Sun were the ones who controlled the movement of Sun and Moon. The legend says that Selene fell in love with a shepherd boy. Since he was a human and bound to die, she put him in eternal slumber and he remained young forever. So, Selene can be termed as true metaphor for love.
Strolling in the courtyard at night, and gazing at stars and the moon remains my favourite hobby. Moon has different phases, but is always alluring. The moon is always there. A half blink of shadow, a crescent of an eyelash, opulent in fullness, spellbound in nothingness but always a friend, always reflective.
A selenophile, to me, moonlight’s company is like a brimming pot of glee.
Walking on my translucent dream, peace and pleasure grow in galore,
In the embellished indigo sky’s womb, the tumult of temporal woes is heard no more.
Dr. Ritu Kamra Kumar
