A Wish Lantern that flew -Cold, breezy, romantic Royal Orchid Resort, Bangalore

Tripoto
4th Sep 2016

A Wish Lantern

Photo of Royal Orchid Resort & Convention Centre, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India by Ramya Balakrishna

Sky lantern that flew says,

“Let all your worries go,

Let the wish from your heart flow,

Feel the passion in the light glow,

Let there be happiness I sow,

Fly without inhibitions like I do,

Relish the breezy wind that blew,

Embrace your true self like I embrace the color,

Keep yourself motivated even if days are duller,

See me fly through the darkness with my glistening light,

Feel the peace in your heart as you see me shining bright”

-Ramya

So here we were this evening of 04-Sept-2016, a breezy evening after a really long day at White Orchid Convention Center, Bangalore. My friend Anita got hitched. To celebrate this we lit sky lanterns at night 10:30 PM through the empty field surrounded by – coconut trees further, a beautifully lit up convention center behind and a cloudy sky above. It had rained earlier. The restaurant 9th mile Dhaba lit up beautifully at the side. The romance was in the air.

I will go back to a conversation I and Anita had had about Sky Lanterns to be lighted on her wedding day. She had told me she had planned to light the sky Lanterns on her wedding night and asked me to help people with lighting them since I have been lighting it near my home for Diwali.

I was knocked out of my brains by this idea, well I was partially scared because,

A: We will be all decked up and sky lantern has to be lit by candles.

B: I had heard about an incident of sky lanterns hurting someone in Haryana.

So ideally Sky Lanterns should be lit in an empty place ahead. Even then we can’t guarantee the winds to be in the direction of a clear view. In India, there are trees and electric poles hanging up, it is better to light the sky lanterns from the terrace, or through the beaches or mountains. Well not all mountains, because if there are dry leaves and the lanterns land there, it may catch fire.

So going back to our conversation – I told her I am skeptical about this and told her about the risks. But her dreamy eyes had all this imagined on her wedding day. Well all that “Tangled” Movie could do to a person with that beautiful song “and, At last, I see the light”, Sung by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi.

"I see the light" song, Tangled

Photo of A Wish Lantern that flew -Cold, breezy, romantic Royal Orchid Resort, Bangalore by Ramya Balakrishna

I call her “wickedly stubborn” and she calls me “wickedly optimistic”.

I thank her for being stubborn on this one. The moment came and we lit the Sky Lanterns, to my surprise, every one of them flew. Even few of those with the paper burnt at the side. Some of those that had holes in the paper were not launching at first but they caught up because of the cold breezy wind after the rains. It was one of those moments that we would cherish for a long time. A clear sky with lit sky Lanterns.

Photo of A Wish Lantern that flew -Cold, breezy, romantic Royal Orchid Resort, Bangalore by Ramya Balakrishna

There was this moment where we besties eight of us were engaged lighting one sky lantern and we were all at this moment of time where no matter wherever we go in life we would get back to where we belong. Being together as best friends for life. We studied together, partied and lived through with some geographical distance and now stepping into marriage and so much more milestones of life. Yet we were right there at that moment together and just living it, like all that never changed a thing between us. Friendship defied time and space. This one moment, which made it all worth it.

Happiness is..

Photo of A Wish Lantern that flew -Cold, breezy, romantic Royal Orchid Resort, Bangalore by Ramya Balakrishna

We lit so many lanterns later yet this one was for us. This moment’s wish had already been fulfilled. With so many more wishes and moments to come we lit this Lantern and it flew blissfully high.

A clear starless sky and breezy winds and sky Lanterns over ten, flying in the direction of the wind, closely following each other some high and some low. A treat to the bare eyes.

Photo of A Wish Lantern that flew -Cold, breezy, romantic Royal Orchid Resort, Bangalore by Ramya Balakrishna

“Sometimes we need a little magic, perhaps”