[Assam] South India Pilgrimage

Fri Jan 11 10:08:32 PST 2008

>Women too were required to wear a dhoti. A concession is made for them>though, they could wear it over the sari/mekhela/etc. And of course they>could keep wearing the top.

I need to make a little correction on what Ramgopal has just said....

Women are allowed to enter the temple ONLY with Sarees (or Mekhela-Saador, I assume). But if they are wearing Salwar-Kurta, pants, etc., they have to wrap around a dhoti over that outfit. 

That's how the shops outside the temple survive, I guess. 

So, it's all about money.

And yes, visiting the Vivekananda 'temple' - was like a chore to be finished. Meditation? what is that?

“In order to make spiritual progress you must be patient like a tree and humble like a blade of grass”
- Lakshmana

> Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 11:20:07 -0600> To: assam at assamnet.org> From: cmahanta at charter.net> Subject: Re: [Assam] South India Pilgrimage> > I have not entered a temple since I got defecated on by vultures ( I > mean REAL vultures-the birds) outside Kamakhya, which I did not enter > after taking a peek into the dark abyss with my fellow boarders> from Don Bosco, one Sunday afternoon, when we hiked up Narakasur Hill > ( or is it Nilachal?) in one of those mandatory long marches that DBS > was well known for. The filth always turns me off. I remember the > repulsive environment at Puri from an architectural tour in 1964. > What I could never understand is how the environment of a place for > prayer or spiritual redemption can be as vile as Hindu temples in > India are and how the devotees accept them as either the norm or > inevitable.> > > Was it not an unusually enlightened :-) Sankaracharyya or some Hindu > intellectual who wondered why he has to go to a Temple if the gods > are omnipresent or something to that effect? A very astute question > I thought :-).> > I do understand that there might be some value to rituals as a > vehicle of faith.> > > But like this?> > > What gives?> > > > > > > > > > At 10:43 AM -0600 1/11/08, Ram Sarangapani wrote:> >On the way heading back from our trip to Kovalam beach (and Kerala), the> >driver convinced us that a trip to the Padbhanama temple was really the> >thing to do... you know, good for the soul, etc.> >> >Trivandrum is also one of those dirtiest places on earth not to visit> >again, if possible. The temple (an old one) occupies probably an entire city> >block or more.> >> >Well, we parked, and about to visit, when we were told that it was> >imperative for us to wear dhotis to enter the temple. The men, were required> >to wear only a dhoti - no pants, shirts, ganji, wallet, and of course shoes.> >Women too were required to wear a dhoti. A concession is made for them> >though, they could wear it over the sari/mekhela/etc. And of course they> >could keep wearing the top.> >> >The touts who sell some threadbare dhotis are also around to make it easy.> >The driver advised to keep all our clothes, wallets etc in the car, and for> >us to finish our darsan. That kind of scared me. This was a rental car. What> >if the driver decided to take off? I only had a few Rs. in my hand - no> >passport, id or whatever. Gave me the shivers ... but lucky for us the> >driver was a good man.> >> >Anyway, while the temple itself was impressive, inside it was sheer chaos.> >There were touts wanting you to part with your Rs.> >There was one guy, right at the gate, armed with a huge bamboo staff. He> >came running to inspect Alpana's bag - no wallets, cell phones etc. The> >cabbie, again came to our rescue - he held these for us.> >> >Inside there is this other guy, who sells 4 small earthenware lamps (with> >oil) for Rs 100 or something. These are in a plate, you take the lamps, pour> >out the oil in a container, which the oilman, I guess resells (back to you> >if possible).> >> >This is similar to other places of worship/interest in Kanyakumari (another> >dirty place to place on the list). The Hanuman temple is also full of> >crooks. And the last place to meditate is the Vivekananda Rock. It was too> >crowded. It even has a "meditation room" - only that too is crowded, and> >reeks of body odor. The rock itself is clean and nice, if only there were no> >tourists around :) :)> >> >Lest, I am misunderstood. Its not so much that the temple as rules or that> >someone has to make a living. I am all for that. The rules, though need to> >have a purpose, and be logical. Touts ought not be running (and ruining> >temples).> >> >Some tips: The GRT resort on the way to Pondicherry is really good,> >beautiful. Kovalam is great - really a tropical paradise, but Trivandrum &> >Kanyakumari are really overrated.> >> >--Ram> >_______________________________________________> >assam mailing list> >assam at assamnet.org> >http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org> > > _______________________________________________> assam mailing list> assam at assamnet.org> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
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