Another temple

[Vinayaka]

Boss and I are in Galveston, and yesterday we visited the Meenakshi temple just south of Houston. Large and beautiful complex, well established. We found our 3 closest friends to be present, and bought an archana to get the grace of Murugan at this sacred time of Skanda Shasthi. Tomorrow we travel to Austin, and will celebrate Skanda Shasthti with friends there tomorrow night. Aum Sivaya

 

[JustGeorge]

Boss and I are in Galveston, and yesterday we visited the Meenakshi temple just south of Houston. Large and beautiful complex, well established. We found our 3 closest friends to be present, and bought an archana to get the grace of Murugan at this sacred time of Skanda Shasthi. Tomorrow we travel to Austin, and will celebrate Skanda Shasthti with friends there tomorrow night. Aum Sivaya

What exactly happens when you buy an Archana?

 

[Vinayaka]

What exactly happens when you buy an Archana?

If done right, the priest introduces you to the deity by chanting your name, nakshatra, gotra, and you stand in the deity's sight. Then, at the height of it, the deity will switch His energy to focus in greater depth of strength on the individual. So, for people like us, who feel it, the darshan is heightened, at least for a few minutes. We both felt this one, and in my view, that also depends on the quality of training of the priest.

 

[Aupmanyav]

The East India festival of Chhatth (Shashthi, sixth) has started yesterday. it is Bihar's major festival, bigger than Diwali for them, and is celebrated in Bihar, Jharkhand, also in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and W. Bengal (wherever the Biharis have gone). It is a four day festival with a 36 hour period when women are on no-fluid fast. The deity is known as 'Chhatthi Maiyya' (Mother Sixth). The scene is the same every year. The rich or the poor, all celebrate it with equal fervor.

 

[Vinayaka]

Last night it was the Hindu Temple of Austin. After a long day's drive, we were able to witness their main final abhishekham for Skanda Shasthi, and of course beseech the blessings of the One Tusker. Another of the multi-sect something for everybody large temples that dot the major cities of America. Being tired, the sannidhya feel is often different. Three temples here are celebrating Skanada Shasthi on separate days. Go figure, but ahh, the diversity that is Sanatana Dharma.

 

[Vinayaka]

Before we get out of this country, we managed to see 4 more temples: the one at Temple, TX, the Texas Murugan temple in its early stages, the Austin Venkateswara temple, a beautiful large temple with an interesting story, and a Nepali built Pashupatinath temple, which was different than many I've seen due to it being Nepali. God is everywhere, and today we return to our country of birth. Aum Namasivaya

 

[Vinayaka]

Boss went to our home temple this AM. Just as there is a great comfort in coming home, there is comfort in coming home to the village temple. I skipped because somehow along the way, a cold virus entered this bag of bones. No point giving that virus the opportunity to find other bodies to create more suffering. I plan to go Monday.