“I don’t mind now because I am sure it is the Lord’s wish for me to beg.” Lokhipal, 70, is contented with begging. She has since accepted this as her fate seven years ago when she first arrived in Vrindavan. Soon after her husband’s death, she decided to heed the Lord’s calling to go to Vrindavan. But she was turned away from the doors of Bhajan Ashrams because of her skin condition. Lokhipal said that she was initially sad, and even angry with the Lord. She felt that everything was taken away, and she was not given a path of survival in His holy ground. Without any skills to seek employment with, she turned to begging instead. “Nobody likes to beg, but in doing so, I can survive,” she said. Today, she is happy in the company of the other street ladies. All of them take care of each other, just like a family, she said. She is also glad that she does not need to attend Bhajan Ashram and lead a life bounded by rules. “Life is freer this way,” she said. “I can chant bhajans any time I wish.” Although she is satisfied with her current situation, Lokhipal still thinks of her two sons, who have passed away. “They are very little in my dreams. I hold them by my heart and pray that wherever they are, the Lord will keep them safe in his shelter.” |
