I often remind myself that praying in public place is not for the faint-hearted. Since I’m a Hindu by faith (not a practicing Hindu per se), I’ve some amount of experience – mostly from newspaper accounts – of what it is like in big temples, such as Dakshineswar or Kalighat.
It’s an ordeal, and if you’re on fast before visiting the deity, it never feels nice after it’s over. The hunger in your belly prompts you to eat whatever is available in the roadside stalls, and soon your system starts to protest against unwanted intrusion.
But, leaving aside concern for stomach – unfortunately this is what bothers me first when I go to a place of worship – your trip inside the temple is no less a test of perseverance. It’s as if the Goddess (or the God, as the case may be) sets out a qualifying exam for us, the darshan-seekers, before consenting to show up.
There are many accounts of visits to temples, most of which are interesting tales to know. Here is one by Heartcrossings, titled, Divine Communication. Since any congregation is always a source of livelihood for many, it’s no wonder temples are the surest places for that, any which way possible. Divine Communication tells us that.
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