Chokhamela - God Sits on His Lap

Dadi: "Guddu, have you ever been left out of something because of who you are?"

Guddu: "Once some kids wouldn't let me play because I was new at school."

Dadi: "That hurt, didn't it? Imagine being kept out of a temple - not because of anything you did, but because of the family you were born into."

Guddu: "That's not fair!"

Dadi: "No, it isn't. But 700 years ago, there lived a man named Chokhamela who faced exactly that. He was born into a caste called "untouchables." People thought his touch would pollute them."

Guddu: "That's terrible! Did he stop believing in God?"

Dadi: "Never. Chokhamela loved Lord Vitthal more than anything. Since he wasn't allowed inside the temple, he built a little hut across the river and worshipped from there."

Guddu: "How can you worship from so far away?"

Dadi: "With pure love, beta. Chokhamela would sing devotional songs so beautiful that Lord Vitthal himself would come to eat with him!"

Guddu: "God came to HIM?"

Dadi: "Every day, they would have lunch together. But remember, Chokhamela was very poor. One day, he saw some beautiful bananas at the market and thought, "Lord Vitthal would love these!""

He spent all his money on bananas instead of vegetables. Then he went to the temple door to offer them.

Guddu: "Let me guess - they didn't let him in."

Dadi: "Worse. The priests pushed him away and mocked him. "You think you're such a great devotee that God will eat from your hand? You're an untouchable!""

Guddu: "That must have broken his heart."

Dadi: "He went back to his hut and talked to God. "I'm not sad they insulted me. But why did you put this desire in my heart to bring you bananas if you wouldn't accept them?""

That night, after the temple closed, Lord Vitthal snuck out.

Guddu: "God snuck out?!"

Dadi: "Like a child running to his friend's house! He knocked on Chokhamela's door, saying in a sweet voice, "I'm very hungry. Please open up.""

When Chokhamela opened the door, there stood the Lord himself - glowing with beauty.

Guddu: "What did he do?"

Dadi: "He started crying with joy! But the Lord said, "No time for tears - I'm hungry!""

Chokhamela rushed to get a seat for God, but Vitthal said, "No, not there. I'll sit on your lap."

Guddu: "On his LAP?"

Dadi: "The "untouchable" man held God in his lap and fed him bananas. God said the taste was better than all the elaborate offerings in the temple."

Guddu: "That's so beautiful, Dadi."

Dadi: "Wait - it gets better! The Lord threw some banana peels in the temple courtyard and locked the doors from inside."

The next morning, thousands gathered for darshan, but the doors wouldn't open. They heard a voice from inside: "I won't open until you bring Chokhamela - and bring him in a palanquin with full respect."

Guddu: "The same people who pushed him away?"

Dadi: "They had no choice. They went to his hut, apologized, and carried him to the temple on their shoulders, singing his praises."

As soon as Chokhamela arrived and prayed, the doors opened.

Guddu: "So God taught them a lesson!"

Dadi: "The biggest lesson - that love is the only qualification for devotion. Not birth, not caste, not anything else. The "untouchable" man was God's dearest friend."

Guddu: "Dadi, I won't judge people by where they come from."

Dadi: "That's the wisdom of Chokhamela, beta. God doesn't see labels. God sees hearts."