Temples...

It's Saturday morning in India, and on Saturdays I have a few temples I often go to that are specific for the deitites to be worshipped on this day, that's another story.

This morning however I felt drawn to go to the Chandramouleshwara Swamy temple, a local Shiva temple. I typically go there on Mondays since that's the particular day he's worshipped, or when I'm pulled there by a feeling. Today was one such day.

As I was standing inside waiting for them to unveil the lingam, they'd done abishekam and were dressing it up after with flowers and sandalwood and such, I all of a sudden remembered my first time inside that temple.

I had been to one temple already, the Ganesh temple right in the middle of Gokulam, and had seen this one many times on trips to Loyal World but was too nervous to go inside. Also I could never find it open, but finally I found out they open in the morning and the evening only, to close from 12 till 6. They allow the deity to sleep after giving darshan all morning long, then wake them back up to give more in the evening.

So one day I and Jørn, whom I refer to as my baby brother, made it in the morning around 9am. Can't remember for sure but I think it's my third trip here. and when they unveil the lingam all flowered and gussied up they ring bells, pound drums and chant a lot. It's quite an amazing vibration they create, so whenever I can I still try to go during this time.

Then I began to remember my first trip to the Ganesh temple, then many other temples around town. Was I drawn to go there just to stir up these memories today? Saturday is ruled by Saturn, or Shani Dev as the deity is known, and he is the deliverer of your karma. I had already been to his temple this morning but was I remembering the temples, or the people, specifically my baby brother? Is this part of my karma, something I'm supposed to be doing or picking up on involving either him or these specific temples? Things here in India are always this way, often mean multiple things and you never understand why until the time is ripe for it.

It was nice to remember Jørn, I got to spend a lot of time with him in January and February when I arrived here, but now everyone is gone mostly. Everyone Western person that is, mostly, there are a few left besides myself. So maybe that's why I'm thinking of those who are close to my heart.

But if it's the temples I'm being triggered to remember, what for? I am a temple whore I often say. Because of the energy in them, it is palpable in most places, especially those frequented by a lot of people daily. I am drawn to certain energies and so go to the ones that pull me in, otherwise I don't go to them very often. In fact yesterday I was pulled to go up Chamundi Hill to the Chamundeshwari temple up there, knowing it was a full moon and it would likely be packed, and it was. Even the line you pay 100 rupees to get into, which is often empty, was over 50 feet long outside the door of the mandir! The other lines were beyond the length that I had the stamina to stand in. So I went into the Mahabaleshwar temple behind it, a Shiva temple, which also houses a small Chamundi mandir in the back, so I still was in her presence in some ways.

The big temple is thought by some to be a Shakti Peeth, but is not on the official list, so there is a debate whether it's actually one or not. The energy in there is strong, but not at all healing and opening, and deep like the Kamakhya mandir in Assam that I was privileged to go to in late February. So I'm not sure if I feel it is one or not, but either way it's th closest thing I have to that type of energy here in Mysore, so I enjoy it.

I often go to temples alone or with very specific people who believe, or who are sensitive to the energy as well. Otherwise it's very hard to do because those people take form the experience. So now I often go alone, and prefer that. I prefer to do most things alone because at least then I have some semblance of control over my experience, although that is also not guaranteed. No one knows what the gods have in store for us haha...

Anyhow, not much more to write. I'm just thinking today, wondering. And these things popped up in my morning excursions, so I'm sharing. What is next for me? Where is next? Am I not getting out of my own way enough to allow the next experience in? Who will be involved? Who knows?!? This stall pattern has got to release soon, and this morning I felt like that is starting to become a reality, so let's see...