It is astonishing how we take many things for granted. We somehow assume that they will be available for us for ever, just like they are available right now. We don't realize that even if we have money, we might still get into a situation where the things we want, though material, may not be there for us. And then there are small yet beautiful things around us, which we fail to appreciate, and worse still ignore! That lack of appreciation continues in many other aspects including a visit to the temple. Most of us go to a temple because we have a need or we seek a solution for a problem, that is presumably beyond our capacity. Our mind is clouded with thoughts and insecurity. So, every time we step in to a temple, we fail to notice the beautiful, exquisite aspects. The carvings, the sculptures, the aroma, the stillness in the air, flowers (natural and otherwise) looking more beautiful amidst their relatives, the steady flame of a lamp devoid of its occasional flicker, a devotee lost in thoughts, the vibrations and the reverberations in the air from a powerful prayer, a child trying to imitate its parents, an infant curious about where it is and so on. It is not about being artistic but the eye "sees" only what the mind intends to.
A temple is where a 'God' is or where the presence of 'Divine' can be felt. And so, here I imagine myself visiting a 'Hindu' temple for the 'first' time trying to flush out all my prior notions of a temple.
As soon as you arrive at the temple, more than a welcome sign, the first sign to greet you will be "no shoes beyond this point" or something similar. Most temples are pretty strict about this. So, before you see all the nice things inside a temple you will be forced to see shoes at different life stages*. Once you enter the temple, the first thing that catches one's attention will be the numerous statues, some sitting, some standing and some even reclining. But at least all of them will be complete from head to toe and mostly no busts. Some are carved from stone (be it marble or granite), some modeled (from clay) and some even casted (from copper or bronze). And on a fleeting inquiry all will happen to be 'Gods', not just different forms but also different names with different stories. In most cases, the sculptures are such that an attempted "high five" moment is frozen mid way. The idols are not giving the devotees any "high-five". It's understood as an act of "blessing".
A closer look at these sculptures will also reveal that the sculptures are portrayed with as many super human features as the number of human aspects they show. Some will have two hands, some four and some even 16! You may also see some super human yogic poses which are almost impossible to mimic and some poses beyond imagination. Such as, a woman sitting on a lotus flower with a musical instrument. Either the lotus must be quite monstrous or the woman must be ultra-light! Or maybe, it is the power of levitation. Each sculpture is decorated in a unique way, some with jewels, some with flowers and in short, the sculptures are dressed up and look like adorable barbie dolls. Still, a typical devotee will come in front of the statue and close one's eyes! I mean why? If the sole purpose of coming in front of the idol is closing one's eyes, can't it be done without coming near the statue and sitting in a corner at the temple? ;) The animated looks of the idols is actually a stark contrast to the idols (if they exist at all) in many other religions. The smiling face (an ardent devotee will call it grace) does lift your spirits.
Then there are various animals and birds and reptiles, not real ones but replicas of course, that one can see, almost like pets in front of each idol. From lion, tiger, snake, bull, peacock, parrot, bald eagle and even a rat! You might almost think that you are in some sort of a zoo/museum. Call it harmony with the nature or something more. Historically, people have tried to worship on account of two reasons - Love and Fear. Was it the fear of these animals (lion, snake, bull) or love (peacock, parrot) will be an interesting analysis.
Some idols are also too complex to understand. Neither animal nor human. There is this elephant headed human (Ganesha), lion headed human (Narasimha) and someone who looks like the holder of a Mr. Universe title. Six pack and all! Face of a monkey, body of a human with a tail and a mace to add (Hanuman). It is actually interesting to see how Hanuman has been portrayed physically stronger and stronger especially as one moves from the South of India to the North.
If you stay long enough or look closely enough, you should also be able to spot the curator for this "museum" (aka priest). He not only takes care of the sculptures, but mostly also the man behind the decorations. He also appears to "talk" to these sculptures from time to time in a language that even a typical devotee cannot understand. Maybe that is why, this language is called God's language (De(i)va basha)! Typically, the healthier and happier the curator looks the wealthier and majestic the temple is.
So, the next time you go to a "temple", spend a few minutes appreciating the nuances. The experience, I promise, only gets richer :)
Much of the temple context can be understood through this quote from Bhagwat Gita:
yo yo yāṃ yāṃ tanuṃ bhaktaḥ śraddhayārcitum icchati
tasya tasyācalāṃ śraddhāṃ tām eva vidadhāmy aham 7.21
In whichever shape a devotee with faith wishes to worship,
To such a one I give his steadfast faith
*People's strategy seems to be simple: The shoes and sandals cannot be flaunted and have to be left behind anyway. So, the higher the life stage, lower are the chances that somebody can become jealous of your pair and exchange it for theirs. The (sometimes intentional) swapping of foot companions is so common that many temples have a "shoe room" similar to the cloak room concept. The shoe rooms may actually make some business as well. Not that people are too fond of their foot companions. But I think it is going to be rather awkward to be without them after the visit, even if only for a few minutes.
A temple is where a 'God' is or where the presence of 'Divine' can be felt. And so, here I imagine myself visiting a 'Hindu' temple for the 'first' time trying to flush out all my prior notions of a temple.
As soon as you arrive at the temple, more than a welcome sign, the first sign to greet you will be "no shoes beyond this point" or something similar. Most temples are pretty strict about this. So, before you see all the nice things inside a temple you will be forced to see shoes at different life stages*. Once you enter the temple, the first thing that catches one's attention will be the numerous statues, some sitting, some standing and some even reclining. But at least all of them will be complete from head to toe and mostly no busts. Some are carved from stone (be it marble or granite), some modeled (from clay) and some even casted (from copper or bronze). And on a fleeting inquiry all will happen to be 'Gods', not just different forms but also different names with different stories. In most cases, the sculptures are such that an attempted "high five" moment is frozen mid way. The idols are not giving the devotees any "high-five". It's understood as an act of "blessing".
A closer look at these sculptures will also reveal that the sculptures are portrayed with as many super human features as the number of human aspects they show. Some will have two hands, some four and some even 16! You may also see some super human yogic poses which are almost impossible to mimic and some poses beyond imagination. Such as, a woman sitting on a lotus flower with a musical instrument. Either the lotus must be quite monstrous or the woman must be ultra-light! Or maybe, it is the power of levitation. Each sculpture is decorated in a unique way, some with jewels, some with flowers and in short, the sculptures are dressed up and look like adorable barbie dolls. Still, a typical devotee will come in front of the statue and close one's eyes! I mean why? If the sole purpose of coming in front of the idol is closing one's eyes, can't it be done without coming near the statue and sitting in a corner at the temple? ;) The animated looks of the idols is actually a stark contrast to the idols (if they exist at all) in many other religions. The smiling face (an ardent devotee will call it grace) does lift your spirits.
Then there are various animals and birds and reptiles, not real ones but replicas of course, that one can see, almost like pets in front of each idol. From lion, tiger, snake, bull, peacock, parrot, bald eagle and even a rat! You might almost think that you are in some sort of a zoo/museum. Call it harmony with the nature or something more. Historically, people have tried to worship on account of two reasons - Love and Fear. Was it the fear of these animals (lion, snake, bull) or love (peacock, parrot) will be an interesting analysis.
Some idols are also too complex to understand. Neither animal nor human. There is this elephant headed human (Ganesha), lion headed human (Narasimha) and someone who looks like the holder of a Mr. Universe title. Six pack and all! Face of a monkey, body of a human with a tail and a mace to add (Hanuman). It is actually interesting to see how Hanuman has been portrayed physically stronger and stronger especially as one moves from the South of India to the North.
If you stay long enough or look closely enough, you should also be able to spot the curator for this "museum" (aka priest). He not only takes care of the sculptures, but mostly also the man behind the decorations. He also appears to "talk" to these sculptures from time to time in a language that even a typical devotee cannot understand. Maybe that is why, this language is called God's language (De(i)va basha)! Typically, the healthier and happier the curator looks the wealthier and majestic the temple is.
So, the next time you go to a "temple", spend a few minutes appreciating the nuances. The experience, I promise, only gets richer :)
Much of the temple context can be understood through this quote from Bhagwat Gita:
yo yo yāṃ yāṃ tanuṃ bhaktaḥ śraddhayārcitum icchati
tasya tasyācalāṃ śraddhāṃ tām eva vidadhāmy aham 7.21
In whichever shape a devotee with faith wishes to worship,
To such a one I give his steadfast faith
*People's strategy seems to be simple: The shoes and sandals cannot be flaunted and have to be left behind anyway. So, the higher the life stage, lower are the chances that somebody can become jealous of your pair and exchange it for theirs. The (sometimes intentional) swapping of foot companions is so common that many temples have a "shoe room" similar to the cloak room concept. The shoe rooms may actually make some business as well. Not that people are too fond of their foot companions. But I think it is going to be rather awkward to be without them after the visit, even if only for a few minutes.
