• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Temple Visits

Vinayaka

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
One of my sons, when he was about 3 or 4, got a stick from my father. Dad sort of presented it to him as a special stick. That was the first week of July. He took it home, slept with it, bragged about it, took it everywhere all that summer. It became a sword, a digger, a cane, a pointer, and much more. It came in the car, back to the farm, and even came to MacDonald's once. Finally, some time in August, he left it somewhere, never to be found. We looked and looked. I went to the local bushes and cut him a couple of new ones. He went to bed crying that night.

Another summer it was a 10 foot piece of rope.
 
Maya3

Maya3

Well-Known Member
Vinayaka said:
One of my sons, when he was about 3 or 4, got a stick from my father. Dad sort of presented it to him as a special stick. That was the first week of July. He took it home, slept with it, bragged about it, took it everywhere all that summer. It became a sword, a digger, a cane, a pointer, and much more. It came in the car, back to the farm, and even came to MacDonald's once. Finally, some time in August, he left it somewhere, never to be found. We looked and looked. I went to the local bushes and cut him a couple of new ones. He went to bed crying that night.

Another summer it was a 10 foot piece of rope.
Click to expand...

This is why I´m inspired by Waldorf pedagogy. Children have an amazing imagination and anything can become anything. It is very important to encourage that and not limit it.
Your son is lucky to have had that.

Maya
 
Vinayaka

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
Kalibhakta said:
Poverty is not a lack of wealth, but of inner contentment. As weird as this sounds, I think that is a good quality to have in a kid. Strong imagination grows into strong character.
Click to expand...

That one is demonstrated by how kids will sometimes play with the box it came in more than with the toy itself.
 
ShivaFan

ShivaFan

Satyameva Jayate
Premium Member
La_Sonadora
New Member:
I should have added Ma to that list as well.
Click to expand...

You bring back memories. There is a road called Crow Canyon Road between Hayward and San Ramon (California), back when that road was mostly country road. Off on that road was a short side road to the Amritanandamayi Ashram.

This is NOT the same as Anandamayi Maa , which is of course the famous Hindu from Bengal. My family on my wife's side has deep roots to West Bengal, and of course I know of her as well. So this is whom you refer to, and I was just mentioning because sometimes others confuse the two (Amritanandamayi and Anandamayi)...

It must have been a long time ago, but me and my wife personally met Amritanandamayi at that ashram, of all the things "Maa" mentioned about Anandamayi to my wife. Probably because my wife said she was Bengali (she is actually half-Gujarati and half-Bengali).

Amritanandamayi was quite young at that time, she had a beauty about her at that time, and in fact Anandamayi was also known in her youth as quite a beauty as well. Of course the real beauty is in the way both taught others - though Anandamayi apparently would use that Bengali flare that some do not really fully understand, it is it's own genre. Never met Anandamayi, she died in 1987. But it has been my extreme good fortune, I have personally met with many Gurus - gosh it is almost odd.

You mentioned the Kauai Temple, you should visit it, I have been there a couple of times. But the "original" temple wasn't in Kauai, it was in San Francisco a very long time ago. In regards to the San Francisco Saiva Siddhanta Church on Sacramento Street, I visited that Temple too many times to count - lots of times, it was a regular temple visit, along with the original ISKCON temple(s) (there was actually more than one) in the Haight Ashbury (and later in the Mission District, all early days) and many, many other temples, and I had met with the Guru at that time of today's Kauai based Saiva Siddhanta temple, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami who was an American, personally many times. There was also (still is, but now under tutelage of Tamil priests) the same Temple lineage in Concord (California). My wife also met Subramuniyaswami as well. Yes, visit that temple on your temple visits, very powerful place.
 
Aupmanyav

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
Poeticus said:
8128140.jpg
Click to expand...
Their bows must have been very heavy, seems metal and not wood. But then, they were mighty people.
 
NurseGuy

NurseGuy

Member
Vinayaka said:
That's my sampradaya and Gurus, so yes I've been there many times. (9, 10, but weeks at a time, maybe more) If you ever do find the time and resources to go, I can offer up a few hints. It is a monastery, not a public style temple. Still it's open to the public a few hours every morning. Members of the sampradaya have 'special privileges'.
Click to expand...

No wonder I enjoy your posts, I find myself attracted to their teachings. Have you described your experiences at the monastery here before? I am much more mystically/experientially oriented.
 
ShivaFan

ShivaFan

Satyameva Jayate
Premium Member
If you want to visit the Kauai Saiva Siddhanta temple as I have (located on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, USA) you come in the morning:

The Kadavul Hindu Temple is open from 9:00 AM - noon. All are welcome to meditate under the banyan tree, explore the Banyan Mandapam and enjoy. Visitors are welcome to enter through the gate and the temple area which has hours from 10:30 AM - Noon, and if you want to attend the traditional 9am Siva Puja you can do so to meditate or worship but remember the protocol to sit cross-legged, but never with legs stretched out towards the Deity, and no video or photography is allowed of the inside of the temple.

Don't be surprised if you are even invited to meet the Guru is onsite who is an "American", or be greeted by a "monk". They even have extensive weekly tours (can't recall the exact hours - but extensive and is 90 minutes) as well as a self guided tour. Enjoy. Remember, everything starts in the morning, but the drive isn't far from most anywhere on the island but get up and get moving.
 
Fireside_Hindu

Fireside_Hindu

Jai Lakshmi Maa
Had the opportunity over the last week while on vacation in Florida to visit the Manav Hindu Mandir in Brevard,Florida.

It's is a beautiful temple with many, many gods. I was surprised and pleased by the number of Goddesses depicted despite the presiding deity being Srinathji. Andal, Sri Rajarajeshwari, Maha Lakshmi as well as Laskmi Narayan, Sri Durga, Saraswati and mother Sita and Radhaji were all in attendance.

I was the only one at the temple since it was a weekday morning but that just meant I had a lot of silence to meditate and think. I prayed in front of Lakshmi Narayan (Because I failed to see Maha Lakshmi on the other side of the room standing nect to Sri Andal), offered fruit and flowers and took my prasad.

I will admit that the enormous black murti of SriNathji was a little intimidating to me. Maybe it's the eyes. =) I always like to visit temples in places I visit and this one was lovely. The priest was friendly and returned my smile.

Next week I head to Indianapolis for the grand Kumbhabhiskam of their temple there. I'm so excited. I am going to make an exception to my usual rule of never taking photos in a temple and I will ask permission to do so on this special occasion with the caveat being I will share all the photos with the community of course and also make sure I have permission from any parents if their children end up in my photos.
 
Aupmanyav

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
Fireside_Hindu said:
I will ask permission to do so on this special occasion with the caveat being I will share all the photos with the community of course and also make sure I have permission from any parents if their children end up in my photos.
Click to expand...
Good to ask permission from the temple authorities but I do not think anyone will mind that, especially the parents of children. They will be delighted. Srinathji, Jagannath, Ranchhod; all in black stone with large eyes, that is all that you can see in the idols.

p.s. - I see that the florida temple is large and beautiful. Mostly Gujjus (Gujaratis).
 
Last edited:
Milind2469

Milind2469

Member
I am not a Hindu by conversion. I was born into it. I am an Indian currently living in the US.
I have visited following temples ( prominent only)

India:-

1. Kolhapur Ambabai
2. Swami Samarth samadhi math Akkalkot
3. Pandharpur Vithoba
4. Tuljapur Bhavani
5. Aundh Yamai
6. ISKCON bengalore

South Africa:-

1. Melrose temple Johannesburg

USA:-

1. Nashville Ganesha temple TN
2. Radha Madhav temple Austin TX
3. BAPS swaminarayan temple Irving TX
4. Kalachandji temple ISCON Dallas TX
 
Wannabe Yogi..

Wannabe Yogi..

Member
I have only been to a few temples in America. I would say that my favorite here in the USA is the Devi Mandir in Napa. It is hard to find and harder to get in. It is on 40 acres of woods. There is a huge Shiva Lingam on property that is very powerful. There is a old Indian Woman who is a great saint she also lives their. She is well know in Assam. Programs are hard they never make things easy. On Sunday's they chant the whole Chandi Path. Takes over 3 hours.

devi-mandir-temple.jpg
 
Last edited:
Wannabe Yogi..

Wannabe Yogi..

Member
image.jpg One of my favorite Temples in India is Dakshineswar. When ever I go to India I always stay for a while at Belur Math. I love going by boat to Dakshineswar Kali Temple. This temple also has 12 wonderful shiva lingams. A great Radha Krishna Temple adds to the beauty.
 
Last edited:
Wannabe Yogi..

Wannabe Yogi..

Member
I have also been to a Kali Shrine in darjeeling. On one side Buddhist Monks do puja, on the other Brahmin Priests. Both Hindus and Buddhists seem to hit both sides before leaving.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top