Mesmerised by the setting sun

I have always been fascinated by the setting sun. The dignity with which it retreats makes the moment not only picturesque, but it also acts as a catalyst stimulating in me an awareness about the various aspects of life that the blaze of the day keeps hidden.

The aura of serenity exposes the heart to the soft touch of contentment and the silence makes the emotions vibrate.

Whenever I watch the rim vanishing over the horizon I am reminded of Browning who spoke about old age with so much passion. Grow old with me/ The best is yet to be.

What old age is to man, dusk is to day. The vanishing sun does not disappear like a bubble. Even with its ebbing life it clothes the sky and the world with splendid colours.

Even in its death it creates a sense of belonging and binds the animate with the inanimate in a universal hue; a common event binds each with each and an invisible bond creates a sense of belonging and brotherhood.

Innate ingredient

The element of nostalgia is an innate ingredient of the setting sun. The urge to capture the fleeting moments becomes greater as the day slips into history and the desire to feel the warmth of a vanishing hand becomes stronger too.

Life without pathos is insipid like food without salt, it loses its charm. Dusk gives this element a sense of prominence and works like a balm in soothing our wounds that a day-long battle with life have caused.

It is a time of silence, a time of prayers. The chirping of the returning birds and the excited outbursts of the children makes the silence more meaningful and conspicuous. Every sound and action acquires a new meaning.

The distant temple bells, the screeching tyres of a speeding car, the whistle of an impatient locomotive, the barking of dogs, the laugh of a friend all acquire a power to touch the various cords of our sensitive and subdued self.

It is a time to reflect on our day-long acts and judge each with the impartiality of a judge. For this is the most mature period of the day - a culminating point; a noble hour.

The heat of the noon is like an impatient youth; but evening is a time of maturity. The calmness tempers the arrogance of the sun and the blaze of youth is tinted.

With all the nostalgia and pathos that follows the setting sun, I do not find it a depressing sight. In fact it always gives me the spirit to drink life to the lees.

The silken grey of the approaching night with its thousands of sparkling stars makes life acquire a new meaning and dimension.

The setting sun prepares me to look forward to a new dawn. The vanishing rays fill me with a new kind of excitement and optimism. For I know that every end has a new beginning: Dusk is just a gateway to another day and another life.

Vimal Yogi Tiwari is a journalist based in India.