The Awakening at Ice House, Chennai

A single moment of stillness in 1999 sparked my lifelong quest for inner transformation.

In 1999, I had an experience that changed everything. I was visiting my cousins in Chennai when my aunt suggested a visit to the iconic Ice House, where Swami Vivekananda once meditated. I didn’t expect much - but as I sat there and closed my eyes, something extraordinary happened.

There was a profound silence within me, unlike anything I had ever known. My mind, usually restless and non- stop talking became laser-focused. It was as if time stood still and I experienced Silence for the first time.

After a while,  my aunt touched me to inform us to leave and only then I got back my senses. I didn’t fully understand what had just happened, but I knew one thing - I wanted to experience more of it. This stillness and deep silence was addictive. That single moment sparked a deep longing in me, a desire to uncover the mysteries of the inner world.

This was the beginning of my search - I travelled from the Himalayas to deep forests, from different Ashrams to ancient temples over the years. Everywhere I had a new experience, the questions with which I went were answered but it also led me to more questions. I had my own set of doubts, checking the authenticity of the answers and not knowing if people around me would appreciate the questions I held. Never spoke about it for a long time but I would enthusiastically go the minute someone calls me to an ashram, to meet a Guru, hear stories of Enlightened souls or when my dance Guru offers an opportunity to dance in a temple (Especially inside a Garba Gudi). Something was happening inside me but I did not know how to word it back then.

This search over the years led me to a journey of inner discovery that eventually led me to my Antharyamin, the Divine guide within, who has been my constant source of wisdom and truth ever since.