Temples
Ive never been to one but I want to go. The problem is that I have this anxiety/fear thing toward the unknown. Its hard to explain but several times ive told my self "ok this time im going to visit the temple" but then dont.
I guess one of the main things is not knowing anyone there and not knowning what to do. Ive heard you take your shoes off, but where do you put your shoes? stuff like that.
This is the temple near my house.
http://www.hindutempleaz.org/
here and now
Everything is a bit nerve racking to do and experience for the first time. Try to visit taking your anxieties with you, for it is unlikely you can leave them at home. Do what common sense tells you to do, common sense like keeping the shoes where other visitors are keeping theirs or simply asking someone at the temple.
What is Here, is Elsewhere. What is not Here, is Nowhere.
New Member
Namaste Yaruki,
Just do it!
If you visit temple during the weekend, it will be more busy, and you can then see what others are doing. Generally, there's an outer room at the entrance where shoes are kept. Chances are no one will ask you anything. And if someone approaches you, then they are very eager to tell you about the temple, the Deities, etc.
The first time might feel a little strange because temple is not like a church. If you go when a lot of people are there, it may even be chaotic and noisy. Generally people come in, perform individual worship/prayer, or ask the priest to perform a short puja for them, and then leave. If the priest is performing a puja on someone else's behalf, you can also join in, and receive the aarti and holy water. On special holidays, people may gather to participate in group puja.
And don't be surprised if people stare at you (it's not considered impolite to stare at others in Indian culture). If they stare at you, just smile and they will stop!
If you go first time when it's more busy, you will know the conventions and next time you can go when it's more peaceful.
Another rule of thumb: always use your right hand for everything, and if using both hands, place the right hand over the left. Left hand is considered the "dirty" hand in most Asian cultures.
OM Shanti,
A.
Namaste Yaruki,
I felt the same way when I first entered a temple in Sacramento almost 9 years ago. What I found was a community ready to welcome me and teach me the ways of devotion. Of course there were children staring at the white man in their midst but the look was one of curiosity and friendlieness. Later, I thought about what a great lesson for these kids - that the Sanatana Dharma was something for everyone, that both they and their faith are welcome in our country (its theirs too). Making those first steps into the temple (after months of reading and soul searching), was one of the best decisions of my life.
Are you nervous because you are not of Indian descent? So was I. Our souls have no nationality, regardless of the body we are currently wearing. I'm sure the people you find in the temple will welcome you with open arms.
Ironically, I'll be moving to Arizona in a little over a year and I hope to see you at this temple. Please let us know how it goes.
OM shanti,
Kiran
In your seva...
namaskar,
Like Agni says, Yaruki, just do it!
In our local temple, there are many 'locals' from different backgrounds that visit the temple, participate in puja and everything. There are also some sikh families with their traditional turban gear and everything that attend.
In fact, our temple priest is married to a 'local'. His wife and kids are always there doing all the things a priest's wife and kids do in a temple i.e. offer their seva. And people respect her the same way as they would an indian hindu priest's wife, in fact, perhaps even more...
Normal steps as you enter the temple are:
- take off your shoes (there is a separate room usually just outside the puja room) or if there isn't just leave your shoes with the hundreds others that you spot.
- wash your hands, normally there is a restroom right beside the shoes room or a place to wash your hands
- enter the puja room , normally people have their hands closed as the walk in, I sometimes do, sometimes don't or sometimes I can't becacuse my daughter holds my one hand.
- when you enter the puja room, you will see that men are sitting to one side and women to the other and there is a pathway in the middle, normally covered with a piece of red material or white that leads you directly to the center of the main murthi of the puja room.
- there might be several murthis spread around the puja room and you will notice that the priest is usually sitting in the front (depends on the time of your entrance) or walking around lighting the diyas in front of murthis.
- you can choose to go all the way to the center murthi by walking on the path in the middle of the room or you can just simply choose to acknowledge them from by the door and just sit with the people of your gender. Then while sitting you just observe what's going on, how people come in the room, what do they do, etc. then the next time you visit you can do the same as they do.
- there are no 'benches' to sit on as they have in a church, you have to sit on the floor. most people sit in a cross legged position but sit in a position that is comfortable to you but never with your feet and legs exteneded towards the murthis! When a few of my christians friends came to visit the temple they sat on the chairs in the back for a while because they couldn't sit long on the floor. They kept switching, sitting on the floor with me and sitting on the chairs.
- go there on a sunday when it is the busiest and around 11 am or check the time of puja of your temple. try to sit close to the front so that you can observe properly.
- people will probably stare, not to worry, they stare at everyone including us indians. It is a common habbit of indian culture to 'stare' but as agni suggested, just smile and they will smile back but there might be some that will not stop stairing...well, just ignore them and observe what's happening at the front.
- also, there might be someone that will approach you and ask a question like what's your name, or say something like, "first time in temple?" they are just trying to be friends and help you with any questions. there is no preaching or convincing of converting people etc.
- it could also be that there will not be anyone that approches you, or people just ignore you and mind their own business, this is also normal. in this case, you can just observe what's going on in the temple and mind your own business too.
-most temples are like a social place in that after the puja people hang out and chit chat and some just take off right away.
- there is usually a lunch for all, hosted by a family. After the puja, they might approach you and request you to join in the lunch (usually the lunch room is downstairs in canadian temples). you can choose to join in the lunch or not. it's up to you.
go there this sunday...
tell us how your visit went...
going to temple is a great spiritual experience, you feel the positive engery and vibe in the puja room. it is really amazing. (actually, i felt the same in a church too so how about that) I suppose people are at their best and their hearts light up with calmness etc.
satay
New Member
Originally Posted by Yaruki
Namaste Yaruki,
Since the temple is near your house, why not pay it a visit? You can join them as a guest and observe them during puja. I assure you, they don't bite.
Don't let the anxiety and fear "of the unknown" stop you.
After all, in this world of illusions, there is nothing to cling on to.
I was probably around the same age as you, when I joined as a guest, congregational chanting (sankirtan) of the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra.
At the age of 14, I didn't know very much about what I was chanting or why I was chanting it. I just enjoyed and liked taking part in it.
So go ahead, and visit the temple and tell us about it. It will be a unique spiritual experience.
Om purnam adah, purnam idam, purnat purnam udacyate; purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasisyate.Om Santih! Santih! Santih!
New Member
Namaste Yaruki,
You can also read about Visiting a Hindu Temple from the Hinduism Today magazine.
OM Shanti,
A.
bhaktar
Yaruki, I do hope you made it to the temple. For most Hindus, the temple is more or less integral. Not all though. I live by "Never lose the opportunity to enter a Hindu temple". Whenever my wife and I travel, I am always on the lookout, and you do find them in the most unexpected places sometimes. A few years back, I was in Toronto and probably went to 7 or 8 different ones. (Now there are probably 50!) It is always a sense of 'kindred spirit' no matter what the sect, size, sampradaya, architecture, puja style etc. There is nothing to fear at all. After awhile you get used to being white. Here I am an elder devotee at the temple I volunteer at so I don't even think the 'regulars' notice my skin color.
Aum namashivaya
Member
A Golden Temple for Goddess Mahalakshmi
Ironically, this important news item is covered in detail only at http://modernbarbarian.blogspot.com/...r-vellore.html . This Website also has beautiful pictures of the golden temple.One of the biggest Hindu shrines in southern India, the Sri Puram Golden Temple a grand golden temple built by a spiritual organization in Tamil Nadu at an approximate cost of Rs 600 crore, the consecration (kumbhabhishekam) was performed on August 24, 2007, presence of over 30,000 devotees.
The Mahalakshmi temple, located on a sprawling 100 acres of land at Sripuram, near Vellore, about 125 km from Chennai, has been constructed by Vellore-based Sri Narayani Peetam, headed by spiritual leader Sri Sakthi Amma.
"The Taj Mahal was built as an expression of love for a single person but the Sri Puram Golden Temple stands for unconditional love for the entire humanity," says Amma, 31, who also goes by the name of Shakti Siddha.
"We know it is also the sign of the universal goddess - Lakshmi," says William, who gives only one name and says he is of Canadian origin.
The steps that lead to the innermost section are laid with polished black and grey granite from the neighbouring South Arcot and Dharmapuri districts. A cubic metre of black granite is priced at 0. So is the grey stone called "Paradiso" because of its wavy patterns of violet with the colour of iron. And this too has been used in large quantities.
"If we had built a hospital, factory, educational institution or a business, it would have ended up serving a small community. But now, Amma's temple will sow the seeds of goodness in the hearts of everyone who visits here," Amma, clad in ochre robes, says in Tamil.
The temple, covering 55,000 sq ft area, has intricate carvings and sculptures in gold. Except the walking path, the entire structure has been made of gold and copper. This would be more grandeur than the Golden Temple in Amritsar , mutt sources said.
About 400 goldsmiths and coppersmiths, including craftsmen from Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanams, have completed the architectural marvel in gold in six years..
More than one and half tone of pure gold was glitter and gleam under the sun, Devotees hail the temple as 'one of the wonders of the world' and say that it is the only temple covered fully with gold.
According to official sources, the gold bars were purchased through RBI in "a transparent manner." First the coppersmiths set to work creating a copper base on the temple structure with engravings and etchings before the gold, beaten into nine layers of foils, was draped around it.
The sanctum sanctorum will hold the deity of Mahalakshmi made of stone granite, but covered with gold kavacham (adornments).
"The Sripuram or Spiritual Park is Amma's dedication to the world and mankind," said P Murali, a trustee of the Peetam.
The temple has been designed in such a way that visitors can reach the golden temple only after going through a star-shaped pathway, which has the quotes from Gita, Bible and Quran displayed on either side.
Surrounded by mountains and lush and scenic beauty, the temple, entirely conceived and designed by 'Amma', would be open to people of all religions. "The temple is Amma's gift to mankind," the sources said.
"When one enters the Sripuram, their focus is just on the magnificent temple. But when they leave, they cannot do so without taking some messages and gaining some wisdom," according to a booklet detailing the 'services' rendered by the Peetam. "In this quagmire of materialism, Sripuram rises as an inspiration to man to find the divinity within him," adds a brochure.
Murali said arrangements were being made to hire personnel to throw a security cover around the temple. "But the gold sheets have been laid out in such a manner that it would cost more to rip it off than purchase the gold," said a top Vellore district official.
bhaktar
I love the way that Hinduism can hide its glory from the west. In the west the archaeologists and their ilk make such a fuss over Egyptian pyramids, and anything else close to Europe, like Roman or Greek ruins, or Stonehenge. All from long gone cultures. They think that some carved faces of US presidents on a mountain, out of sandstone are so special and unique.
Then in India there are huge temples entirely carved of stone, entire chunks of heavy heavy granite sitting atop other huge chunks, stone windows, stone chains, magical musical pillars all coming down throughout history from Agamic texts, which originated obviously from very tuned in minds. Statues carved from single rubies, entire temples covered in gold. Within the context of a living vibrant culture.
And the west doesn't even notice, and I'm glad. We are indeed blessed. Aum Namasivaya
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