First temple visit

[Kalidas]

So it is official I will get to visit a temple tonight! I am super excited and nervous. I may be a little late it opens at 6 and i can not leave till 530 will this be a problem? Also they ask for an offering for your first time. what should I bring and what in the world do i do with it? I really hope i don't do something "wrong". Wish me luck lol

 

[ShivaFan]

Namaste

Temples have to survive, too! Bring $5 dollars or so to offer in the Hundi or other donation vessel. It will be obvious what to do.

You can bring also a coconut to offer!

WOW, I am excited for you too!

Om Namah Sivaya

 

[Vayasya]

So it is official I will get to visit a temple tonight! I am super excited and nervous.

Super excited for you Kalidas! I hope everything goes well.

I may be a little late it opens at 6 and i can not leave till 530 will this be a problem?

I don't think it'll be a problem, you might miss a bit but overall you're good.

Also they ask for an offering for your first time. what should I bring and what in the world do i do with it?

Usually it's said you should never go to the temple empty handed. Having said that, I think any fruit you can get your hands on is okay. Just give it to the priest with a smile on your face, he'll know what to do with it.

I really hope i don't do something "wrong". Wish me luck lol

I think you'll be alright, just observe and enjoy. Good luck!

 

[Vinayaka]

So it is official I will get to visit a temple tonight! I am super excited and nervous. I may be a little late it opens at 6 and i can not leave till 530 will this be a problem? Also they ask for an offering for your first time. what should I bring and what in the world do i do with it? I really hope i don't do something "wrong". Wish me luck lol

lol ... Enjoy, and give us a 300 page report tomorrow.

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

So it is official I will get to visit a temple tonight! I am super excited and nervous. I may be a little late it opens at 6 and i can not leave till 530 will this be a problem? Also they ask for an offering for your first time. what should I bring and what in the world do i do with it? I really hope i don't do something "wrong". Wish me luck lol

Oh, Hurray!! I'm so excited for you!

I know you will be nervous no matter what we say but please believe me when I say that you will be fine! Just use honesty. If you aren't sure what to do, observe. If you are still uncertain just smile and say, "It's my first visit." They will understand.

Just bring some fruit or flowers and as Shivafan said, a few dollars for the donation box.

I can't wait to hear about your visit!

:camp:

 

[Vinayaka]

Odd timing and synchronicity we have when I ponder on it... your first visit on the first day I can't go in quite some time... lol

 

[Jainarayan]

I may be a little late it opens at 6 and i can not leave till 530 will this be a problem?

Not a problem. The priests have to perform the pujas at the prescribed times whether anyone is there or not. You may see people come and go, doing their own thing, maybe not even paying attention to the puja(s). Some people come in, take darshan and blessing from the priest(s), circumambulate and leave, all within the space of 10 minutes.

Good luck, and enjoy.

 

[Poeticus]

lol ... Enjoy, and give us a 300 page report tomorrow.

Yes, Kalidas. A 300 page would do just fine. Don't forget detailed footnotes and a large references list.

 

[Kalidas]

Okay bring money, fruit, and have fun. Now that 300 page essay how many cited sources? And would you like the works cited page to be MLA or APA format? Yes Vinayaka that is very funny

 

[Kalidas]

Would juice be okay? I have been offering Kali Maa pomegranate juice. The temple i am going to is a Kali mandir(super happy about that. Is pomegranate juice okay? Or is that to "weird"?

 

[Poeticus]

Would juice be okay? I have been offering Kali Maa pomegranate juice. The temple i am going to is a Kali mandir(super happy about that. Is pomegranate juice okay? Or is that to "weird"?

I would definitely call the mandir and ask whether it is appropriate or not. I'm curious about this as well.

 

[Kalidas]

I would definitely call the mandir and ask whether it is appropriate or not. I'm curious about this as well.

I think I may do that.

 

[Kalidas]

I think I may do that.

I called no answer. Maybe a simple flower or fruit will be just fine when in doubt go with what you know is "accaptable".

 

[ShivaFan]

Namaste

I will tell you a secret. You are now going to see the Mother. Let me tell you a secret of Kali of Bengal, She will be in that temple no matter what tradition, too. Some of the most powerful murtis of Kali Maa are made of touchstone, a black siliceous stone related to flint. It is used to test the purity of gold and silver by the streak left on the stone when rubbed by gold. Kali reveals things in this way. What this murti is made of does not matted, what YOU BRING will be tested by streaking Her. If there is devotion in it, then it will be Gold and Silver in tone. If there is no devotion, there will be no streak shown. You will not be judged if there is no streak. If there is, however, She will give you something in return.

Often near the main Murti, will be a smaller Chandi aspect of Kali in Her own shrine. In the Bengali tradition, the pujari for this Chandi is often a female pujari, so much for those who say women cannot take to the altar as priest of the Murti in the temple. Do not insult any women in the temple of This Mother. If Chandi is there, you do not need to give Her any food. All you give is to look into Her eyes.

There may be a women yogi of Kali there. You can call her Bharaivi.

The Pujari of Kali is a very special Pujari. Not just anyone can be a Pujari of Devi in Black. They are very specialized, special pujari. Be wise, and be good, to THAT pujari.

You can give a coconut, or a bag of sugar. You already know, you can first address Her as Bhavatārini. Oh Rest for the Universe. You can first approach Her when another goes there, stand just next to that person and just a little behind. It is very easy.

All the best! Jai Kali Maa.

Om Namah Sivaya

 

[Kalidas]

Namaste

I will tell you a secret. You are now going to see the Mother. Let me tell you a secret of Kali of Bengal, She will be in that temple no matter what tradition, too. Some of the most powerful murtis of Kali Maa are made of touchstone, a black siliceous stone related to flint. It is used to test the purity of gold and silver by the streak left on the stone when rubbed by gold. Kali reveals things in this way. What this murti is made of does not matted, what YOU BRING will be tested by streaking Her. If there is devotion in it, then it will be Gold and Silver in tone. If there is no devotion, there will be no streak shown. You will not be judged if there is no streak. If there is, however, She will give you something in return.

Often near the main Murti, will be a smaller Chandi aspect of Kali in Her own shrine. In the Bengali tradition, the pujari for this Chandi is often a female pujari, so much for those who say women cannot take to the altar as priest of the Murti in the temple. Do not insult any women in the temple of This Mother. If Chandi is there, you do not need to give Her any food. All you give is to look into Her eyes.

There may be a women yogi of Kali there. You can call her Bharaivi.

The Pujari of Kali is a very special Pujari. Not just anyone can be a Pujari of Devi in Black. They are very specialized, special pujari. Be wise, and be good, to THAT pujari.

You can give a coconut, or a bag of sugar. You already know, you can first address Her as Bhavatārini. Oh Rest for the Universe. You can first approach Her when another goes there, stand just next to that person and just a little behind. It is very easy.

All the best! Jai Kali Maa.

Om Namah Sivaya

well that certently is a lot to take in. But i will do my best to remember.

 

[Kalidas]

So I guess I should recount all that happened. First I do not know what I was expecting but it wasn't that! First off the Swami was a white man (nothing super crazy just unexpected). Well the temple was hard to find, all we saw was houses, then I realized it WAS a house. The man turned his WHOLE house into a temple. I was maybe an hour late so I missed arti but I was there for the rest of the Puja. Plenty of songs and music wonderful decorations and a VERY large alter for a VERY large Kali Maa murti. She was maybe the size of a child.

The there was a reading from the Devi Bhagavatam. I figured out why shaktism is the least sectarian of the sects. The scripture he read has a part in which all the the devas release their inner "shakti". Basically each Deva has an inner feminine aspect that give them their power. Shakti is not the actions per se but rather the power to make the actions so. I know not everyone believes this way so that is fine, just talking about what I learned.

After that they served food, some small sweet stuff I have never seen. There was this brownish paste that tasted AMAZING, and this white powdery thing almost like the small white mexican sugar candy. I finally mustered up the courage to talk to people. I first thanked the lady who helped me with my offering(I brought red flowers) she kindly put them in a vase and dressed them up for me and put them on the alter. Which led to more talks and another lady walked me around the temple/house. Eve the backyard was a part of the temple that had even more murtis including a VERY LARGE Hanuman and a massive lingam with a bucket of water to wash it with. They asked where I cam from wondered how I heard about the place. Next thing I know I am surrounded by almost everyone asking me questions (I don't think they see a lot of new people). It was all a very close nit group, they were all like a family.

When the Swami found out it was my first ever temple visit he ran off to his little gift shop and brought back a book on Sri Ramakrishna and gave it to me as a gift. Then I was given a bag to get fruits that were offered already. Yeah it was awesome I want to go again. They were all such nice people and even asked me to come again. It was like the genuinely wanted to get to know me and see me. I will be honest I like how small it was, they were all so close to one another. If it wasn't so far I would love to go every week, but once a month may be something I could totally swing. But I am just even more motivated to go again.

 

[Treks]

I'm glad you had a good experience. Thanks for sharing.

 

[ratikala]

jai jai :namaste

I am so happy , this story reminds me of my first visit to our temple , it too is not huge but I prefer it this way , if you can only go monthly that is wonderfull but what you could do to make the most of your visit is go a little early and ask if there is some serva you can do , however small a contribution you can make it will be very good for you , you get to work along side the other devotees and this way you learn more than by just atending arti and classes , and it is realy enjoyable , ask first and they will tell you how you can help , ....

 

[Kalicharan Tuvij]

namaste Kalidas,

This all sounds very well!

Already what you have done or tried to is, as seen objectively, a huge effort akin to moving mountains, considering that Hinduism- as practiced - is still not very rooted in those parts of world.

To take oneself forward in this journey one may need a big heart, and also a keen intellect that can see far and wide, for there will always be circumstances and forces talking about some compromise, overtly or covertly.

In India it is very difficult today to find -forget spiritual- morally upright people. And one can almost back oneself on an Indian residing in some developed country as being an immoral, opportunistic creature, always having some other motive. Remember no one has a propriety over Hinduism, based on ethnicity or something; far from it, really.

Desperate times, dark times, these are (many are behaving like jombie), but let this not stop us take even baby steps on the path of Sat, something which no one can preach another, but can only be practised by oneself.

 

[Vinayaka]

I'm happy for you. You sound hooked.