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Seasonal Fantasies at Kasar Devi Temple

Aging desire, bitter lips, and submission haunt exiles seeking solace at Kasar Devi.

February 10, 2026

I am lost in her aging cavities of desire—
donut-shaped, fragrant suns blossom in my flesh.
I see D. H. Lawrence singing “every grain of sand.”
Suddenly the quartz cave collapses.
A cholera outbreak—sorrow bleeds
like rotten plums in packed suitcases of exiles.
Hyenas and foxes
stroke each other with violin strings.
Horses scream for their daily meal—
I lick the wounds of my starving father,
handcuffed and shivering.
A monk meditates under a solitary bulb.
I kiss her again—inhale the bitterness of her lips;
a lingering fantasy of sin,
as we learn a new grammar of submission.
Is the world a fake geography,
larger than my pharmacy shop in the basement?
Tired of dazzling, curfewed nights,
I slowly return to the steps of Kasar Devi,
and find cranes practising the weather forecast.

Kasar Devi Temple in Almora (Uttarakhand) is known for its rare geomagnetic field and its appeal to seekers like Swami Vivekananda and D. H. Lawrence.

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PART OF A COLLECTION

Of Novels, Old and New & 3 Other Poems

View Full Collection →

Ashwani Kumar

Ashwani Kumar is a poet, political scientist, and professor whose work has been widely published, anthologized, and translated into several languages. His poetry collections include My Grandfather’s Imaginary Typewriter, Banaras and Other Poems, and Map of Memories, and he is also the author of the acclaimed non-fiction work Community Warriors. He has edited major poetry anthologies, including Rivers Going Home, Scent of Rain, and River of Songs, co-founded the Indian Novels Collective, and edits the Hummingbirds Poetry Series in partnership with Red River. He was also a chief editor of Global Civil Society at the London School of Economics. He has held visiting appointments at leading international institutions, including Heidelberg University, the Korea Development Institute (KDI), and the German Development Institute (DIE). He also writes for publications such as The Indian Express, The Hindu, Financial Express, Outlook India, Scroll, and The Print. He lives in Mukteshwar and Mumbai.

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