A tale of two temples!

Been a long time since I wrote anything. Most probably due to having too much time, I have been too busy not doing anything!

Just came back from a trip to Dharamshala/ Dalhousie. It was an awesome trip. These are two relatively low profile hill stations in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh. The low footfall in these places makes them an ideal place to visit if you are seeking a peaceful place to visit in summer. Watched Delhi thrash Punjab in Dharamshala also. But the  two experiences I wanted to share are not related to this.

STORY 1

15 km from Dharamshala, there is a Chamunda Devi temple. It is supposedly very famous. While visiting the local sight-seeing points, I went here also. The moment I entered the temple, I realized that what I had heard was indeed true. There were two adjacent long queues just for entering the main temple. I am not too much of a religious person. Hence, I was not too inclined to wait for over an hour. But my dad disagreed. So I had to stand there in the queue for half an hour. When I entered the main temple, there was still a further queue. And people were literally standing on top of each other. There were railings to mark the border and these railings led directly to the main enclosure where the "pandit" was sitting. For another forty minutes or so, I struggled in the queue. Every five minutes, there was a shout of "Jai Mata Di". Also, just in front of the place where the pundit was sitting, there was a lot of pushing going on. Some people were shouting, some people were swearing. By the time I got out, my clothes were disheveled. I was a little agitated. 

I had a couple of questions in my mind. Why do people visit a temple? If someone asked me that, I would say to derive a little peace within myself and come out a little more happy and content. But that was certainly not the case here. I do not think too many people walked away happily. It was an harrowing experience at best. And shouting and swearing at a place where you have come to pray would seem a little out of place. Then, there were people who had "connections" with the pundit or some other person and they were able to get "darshan" directly. Again, the same question. Why did these guys come to the temple? Even inside a temple, there are ways to "bribe"!

Patience is a virtue that is sorely lacking in us Indians (and I am a prime example of that). We always want to push our way through. If everyone had walked along peacefully, it would have taken a lot less time and been a lot more satisfying.

The experience confirmed my belief that religion, for a lot of people, is now a thing to show off. Specifically in the Hindu context, we visit some famous temples of God XYZ to convince ourselves and the society that we indeed our a great follower of Him. The way we behave in the temple has no significance. We can cause a lot of trouble to our fellow "followers", but that does not matter. We organize jagratas, chowkis etc for another God ABC. Never mind that we are disturbing the sleep of hundreds of people with our loud mikes.

STORY 2

On the second last day of my trip I went to Mcleodganj, a place 6-7 km above Dharamshala where the famous Dalai Lama resides. In the evening, we (me and dad) went to visit the monastery. It is a beautiful complex. There are a couple of shops and a museum to go along with the temple. The temple is built a little higher up. It is a small structure situated in the middle of a huge courtyard. A lot of beds are placed in the courtyard where the lama( the guys who wear the red/maroon kind of weird dress!) and even ordinary people can sleep. The temple has a big statue of Lord Buddha and a couple of other statues are also there. 60% of the temple area was cordoned off. In the remaining space, you could walk about. When I went there in the evening, there was not much activity. I went into the temple, sat there for some time, and came out feeling a little better. Exactly the reason for going to the temple.

It got better the next day when I again went to the monastery. As I went in the afternoon, there was a lot of activity going on. Hundreds of lamas were sitting in the courtyard and in the cordoned off area rotating a bead of threads in their hands and murmuring something. The windows of the temple were open so that the whole courtyard could see the temple and vice-versa. Yet, the moment you entered inside the temple, there was a sense of calmness and peace that prevailed. I again sat down(on thew insistence of my father) and noticed the people around. There were the lamas going about their prayers in a quiet and a peaceful way. And there was something in their faces. They all seemed to radiate a kind of happiness that was latent. Tourists came, clicked photographs(there were no restrictions), chatted in low voices(though nobody asked them to do so) and went. The Tibetans came, did their rituals (which involved joining your hands above your head, bringing it down, and then going down on the knees before lying flat on the ground, headfirst three times) and walked off. Often they were accompanied by little children, who made a little noise(which no-one objected to), tried to copy their parents.

All in all, there was a welcoming and an open air about that place that I haven't really experienced anywhere. There were no restrictions, and yet everyone seemed disciplined. Once again, as I walked out, there was a compelling sense of contentment and peace that sweep-ed across me.

As I got out of the temple and into the courtyard, one of the lamas, who was at-least 60 (all of them were a little old), came and asked- "Khaana khaayenge?". I was about to refuse, but as I looked up, I saw him, looking at me, with a huge smile. I said yes. He went downstairs, looking for a couple of plates. It was a sight watching that 60 something lama looking for the plates. It took him 2-3 mins to find one. Finally, after getting them, he came upstairs, handed out the plates and served us  rice and some vegetable mix which looked quite horrible to me. The enthusiasm with which he served was similar to the one with which he had looked for the plates. People who know me know that if I don't like something, no-one can make me eat it. Yet, I tried my level best. I ate 15% of the food just remembering his expressions and enthusiasm. I really wanted to eat the rest, but it was too tough. While I was standing and eating, another old lady got up and offered me her seat! I was shell-shocked. There was this old lady offering seat to a youngster like me. The politeness and open nature had really started getting to me. As I went off to wash the plate after putting the uneaten food in a  bucket, another lama lady offered to wash it! And as I accidentally brushed an old lady, she was the one who apologized before I could say a word! 

Needless to say, their loving nature and hospitality had a profound impact on me. The image of these lamas sitting in the courtyard and the temple, going about their business has stuck to my mind since then. I did not take any picture, simply because I did not have to. The visit has left a long lasting impression on my mind.

These couple of visits have made sure that I travel to Dharamshala again to visit the awesome monastery and the even more awesome people. About the temple, I am not so sure!