There are places where people are still following the life of humility. Their belief in goodness is not shattered by the deceit of the outer world. In a world full of chaos, violence and hatred, such places reaffirm our faith in humanity and goodness. Sometimes it is good to live a slow life. 

It was a Saturday, in the first week of January, and the weather was pleasant for an outing. I had to visit a small town in the south of Kolkata called Jaynagar. The town is fighting to hold up the Bengali culture and heritage. Anyone,  who walks the narrow lane of the town will spot a temple in every corner of the road. You will listen to hot debates from the tea shops. Old dilapidated houses still stand to tell you the stories of the lost time. People still use ponds for bathing and other necessities. 

 There is a temple and school complex run by Ramakrishna Mission at a stone's throw distance from the town. My spouse insisted on visiting the place. In twenty minutes we reached the temple complex. The place is known as Nimpith. Old trees and winter flowers greeted us in the complex. Dalia, Chandramallika,  roses and other flowers created a fare of colours. The atmosphere is serene and calm. 

A temple stood in the middle of the complex. Ramakrishna, the legendary priest of Dakshineswar Kali Temple is worshipped there. We decided to have lunch in the temple. 

The authority does not charge anything for the prasad. The devotees can donate as per their wish. The female devotees are served in a long room. The male devotees are offered prasad in the open within nature. Everyone is being served the nourishment without discrimination. 

One specially-able person arrived in the nick of time. There were hardly any places left to accommodate more people. I along with a few gentlemen squeezed ourselves to make a sitting for the latecomer. 

The chief monk personally monitored the arrangements. A prayer was offered before the lunch was served. Kichdi was the first delicacy on our plate, followed by luchi and Alur dom. Rice, dal and two kinds of vegetables were served to our satisfaction. The eating experience was made sweeter by the addition of desserts like chatni and payes. The meal was wrapped up by a nolen gurer rosogolla. 

We left the Temple complex with a heartfelt gratitude and a wish to come back again.