Rocket Star
Good Sadhu Babas should never be as you expect them to be and Rocket Baba is no exception.
Over seventy years in age, he has the body of a fit thirty year old, his skin and eyes are clear and his voice just booms. He arrives at the house of his student like an angry demi- god. He sits himself on the charpoy cot and we gather at his feet like children. Once he is suitably seated and in control, he orders chai and surveys the group at his feet.He takes the time to notice me, but I know he has already been briefed about me by my brother Gopal.
“Madam that course you did in Kerala? It’s all BULLSHIT!” He roars by way of greeting. Rocket Baba is an expert on the medicinal uses of the plant Neem and has spent many years in the jungle as well as the laboratory exploring the healing qualities of the plant.
“They just taught you monkey stuff! There is never any circumstance when hot metal should be applied to the body.”
He is talking about a massage course I did in Kerala.
“They corrupt an ancient science to create duplicates!”
I think of the guy who taught practical massage technique pole-vaulting around the room to the tune of the Brazilian students pseudo orgasmic moans (when she was GIVING the massage) and have to agree with him.
“ROCKET science is the only truth,” He announces firmly. He points his bony finger at my designer bag.
“Do you have a rocket in that woman’s bag of yours?”
By Rocket he means a chillum, the clay pipe used for communication with the gods via smoking ganja.I don’t.
“Well then Madam you are nothing but a duplicate!”
Now I really like a Baba who will insult and challenge you immediately upon meeting, he reminds me of a mild version of my own Baba ji.
A lot of people prefer to cleave to a white robed swami with a permanent expression of bliss on his or her face but I am a child of the Kali Yuga and things just aren’t that blissful anymore so the bossy warrior type take no crap kind of Baba is my Baba of choice. Anyway, compared to the Naga Sadhu I lived with, this guy is really quite mild.
“Jai Ho Baba ji” is always the best response to outrageous Baba’s and I pull my ears to show my repentance for being a duplicate.
“Rocket is the oldest artefact in the world. It symbolises the only one true eternal truth. Everything Goes Up In Smoke. Dust to dust, ashes to ash!”
“So Madam you get yourself a chillum and you keep it in your (he pauses to sneer) woman’s bag. And when you go back to your country while they search through your stuff at the airport. Then Light your rocket!
I imagine the scene at Auckland Airport if I somehow managed to light a chillum in the arrivals hall.
“You are laughing?”
I am.
I pull my ears again but I am sure Rocket Baba is pulling my leg.
He isn’t.
“Madam this is Rocket Science, its only for True Rocket Stars not duplicates! If you take my advice you will have freedom. You light a chillum. They immediately assume you are mad. So?”
He fixes me with his hazel stare.
Less said the better at this stage, I think.
I flip my eyebrows in question.
“No criminal charge! Only they take you to the nut house. They think you must be mad. Then after three months in the crazy house, bed, food everything supplied, they give you a crazy paper. Your governments pay you to be crazy! And with that you are free!”
Free to be a rocket star!
19 comments
Bholinath…Many years I have wanted to hear news of Rocket Baba and here is news
of him! Unfortunately i am now a long away from India but I spent many a time
with The Rocket in Himachal pradesh, Pushkar and Gokarna shooting to the milky
way with the rocket and going to monkey parties in Goa. Have you got news of
him? Has he an address i can write to? Or email address. lovely to see his photo
and looking well. Namaskar!I love his stories of the golden age and his wisdom
concerning health such as you mentioned the neem. Say hello from me if you
can. Peace and Love
Jai Bhole Brendon
how amazing is that? Yes Baba ji is still a rocket star. He is in Goa at the moment and expected back up these ways when the spring leaves bud on the Neem. He usually passes through Pushkar to visit with his adoring chela my brother Gopal en route to Agra where he does his neem stuff and then yes, Kasol. He is in great form and I will pass on your regards. How will he remember you?
Well it was probably 10 years ago, we spent time in Hampi, gokarna, paradise beach
ohm beach, agra, pushkar, delhi and kasol. We has some good times but also
he shouted at me a lot!! He finally put me on a plane to Italy and told me not to
come back!! I had 2 Italian freinds Fabio and Pepe nicknamed Sitaram by the
Rocket
I had long brown hair, I’m half english, half irish officially crazy and I used to
collect neem branches in Pushkar for The Rocket to make paste. He had a red
van he drove around.I new him over a period of 3/4 years but of course rocket
meets a lot of people. i have a picture and some music on
http://www.myspace.com/brenshine
Bholinath
Hi Brendan he still is the same, same red van, shouts at his cheli like all good guru should.
He no longer smokes chillums and is expected here soon cos the Neem is springing.
good news…how he stops smoking I dont know. Ive stopped six months ago but
finding it difficult at times. I still smoke roll up cigarettes but I dont like them
but the dam nicotine is a devil. theres no neem trees here but i got some
capsules i take now and then. Have fun. I guess the Guru is still drinking
20 chai and eating nothing but fried green chillies..Ha ha
Namaskar Freinds in Hindustan
I will be seeing Rocket Baba today Bredan so I will pass on your regards. Can you imagine his response?? lol Last time he was here, he demanded that I give him my bling sunglasses and traded a pair of his own for them. I was conscious of two things at the time, first that you HAVE to give when Baba asks (Baba and God same same) and second the thought that I would have Rocket Baba literally sitting on my head for as long as it took me to loose the damn things! (Still have them btw!) Just finished the neem treatment with remarkable results
Great news..Yeah he wanted £2000 off me but I never had the money!!I felt
bad but thats the life….
He probably will say crazy motherfxxxer and laugh!!
You have a great time with Baba and tell me more about the neem treatment
and its results
Shanti Shanti
yes he has already hit me up for a donation for the Rocket Conference!
he says its not easy being a five star beggar! But he brightens up my day and makes me laugh everytime!
Ha ha..Same old Rocket
Bholinath and shanti shanti
kushi kushi
Rocket Baba Ki Jai Ho!
http://blog.diannesharmawinter.com/2010/04/rocket-stars.html
Hi Dianne,
how are you? I also met Rocketbaba now and then and just talked to him. He is in good health and spirit. I hope you are fine as well and having a good time. I will show him your blog when I meet him next time. I do hope you do not mind if I try to send Brendan a message via this page; I met him about 13 years ago in India and do not want to become member of “my space” to contact him.
Hi Brendan,
how is life? Everything fine? It is Jean(nine), maybe you remember me. We met at Om beach where you came together with Baba, then again in Manikaran while all the others were waiting for Baba to come there. You left for Delhi, where you met Benno, the guy from Germany.
If you want you can contact me: bhutni2001@yahoo.com
Take care, have a rocket
Bom Jean
Thanks Dianne, take care and have a good time
( maybe see you some day in India? )
Bom Jean
Bholenath Sub Ke Sath
Isnt this cool? Everyone meeting through Rocekt Baba! Did you just see him recently Jean and is he in Kasol? I am in almora at preent where are you?
Hi Dianne,
yeah, somehow it is really cool that everyone seems to meet each other via Rocketbaba. Last time ( a couple of days ago ) I contacted him he was in Kasol. Right now I am not in India, I am back in Europe ( where today after a long, far too cold “raining season” Summer seems to pay a visit, finally
!). Hopefully I will make it back to India ( Kasol ) by end of july, at least these are my plans.
)))
How is Almora? I saw some of your photos, it looks really great. I guess there are less tourists than in Parvati valley? I am really looking forward to coming back to India, having some time for myself and quitting working like a donkey for some time.
Take care, have a rocket
Bom Jean
Jai Ho Rocket Baba!
good to hear the crazy old man is still crazy as ever! i often wondered would i come across something about him on the internet.. i was at many rocket conventions around 12ish years ago in gokarna, goa etc. when i got back the whole internet thing was kicking off and i took rockethq as my email address.. still have it! i often wondered what his game was, taxing everybody of their stuff, but i saw him give away as much as he took. he helped me out too as i was selling crappy trinkets at anjuna flea market to try to stay until my return flight date and he bought one for 200 rupees! little gems of knowledge and goodness sandwiched amongst verbal abuse and hilarity. if anyone sees him please say hi from richard the irish guy he had many sessions with and bought a trinket off.. my favourite line from him was when we were waiting for rocket fuel to arrive and he bummed a cigarette off someone, when someone said they thought he only smoked rockets he said “beggars cant be choosers bolenat”
Hi Richard yes Rocket Baba is still full power and going strong! He is the guru ji of my Rakhi brother so I get to hear all his exploits and love him dearly! I will pass your comments onto Rocket Baba, you can bet he won’t have forgotten you either!
thank you! i will visit india again someday and must look him up. all the best to you and your brother. bolenath
Rocket Baba ki jai ho, there is no one else like him in the world is there?
Here is a link to another story I did on him…looks like he is becoming my muse!
http://www.diannesharmawinter.com/published.html Scroll down to Rocket Man.
Between the annihilating fierceness of personal ambition and those who clutter its path, there is only one possible mediator, and that is love.