Where do all the cool kids take darhan?

[Fireside_Hindu]

Namaste All!

I recently solidified some plans with my mother in law to visit India in January! Needless to say, I'm very excited. It will be my first visit. Since it will be very different than any other place I've gone and because I think my MIL is a little nervous about it, we are going with an organized tour.

That being said,whenever we are given free time, you bet your biscuits I'm going to be visiting as many temples as possible. (My MIL essentially knows I'm Hindu, hasn't expressed an opinion about it, and will probably want to see them from a tourist standpoint anyway.)

Our trip will comprise the following cities: New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, and Mumbai. (There is also a possibility that we will be going to Varanasi, which I would love, so recommendations there would be appreciated too.)

Very excited. This must be a little what my Catholic parents felt like when they went to Rome. My only regret is that we won't have time to visit South India. That's going to have to be a separate trip. It has my eyeing the 5 year visitor visa option.

:camp:

 

[StarryNightshade]

Lucky!

I can't tell you anything unfortunately, but I can easily say I'm jealous. I can't wait to visit India one day.

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

Lucky!

I can't tell you anything unfortunately, but I can easily say I'm jealous. I can't wait to visit India one day.

I will make sure to ask for a blessing for all my RF Hindus.

:camp:

 

[Sb1995]

Visit Siddhivinayak mandir in Mumbai

 

[Aupmanyav]

For how many days would you be in India? You can replace Mumbai with Varanasi, that will tell you more about India. Along with Agra, you can visit Mathura and Vrindavana. I suggest you visit India Travel Forum | IndiaMike.com and put your itinerary there. You would get the best suggestions. Why Mumbai, BTW? I am a member there but my first interest is religion.

 

[Vinayaka]

All I can say is that I do hope they give you some free time, and you can convince the hotel travel desks that you're actually a Hindu and they arrange a visit to anything non-tourist. I know that seems harsh, but the tourist things have a reputation for remaining tourist things.

Regardless, I hope you enjoy it, and it gives you the drive to go back on your own terms.

 

[Nyingjé Tso]

Mumbai

> You HAVE TO GO to Mahalaxmi mandir. YOU HAVE TO.

> 10 minutes from Mahalaxmi, you have Babulnath mandir, which is a big and old Shiva temple. It's a very calm and nice place, I used to meditate entire afternoons there. The sadhus living at the first floor are very nice, if you come by their shrines after darshan, they'll give you blessings and prasad.

> You can book a cab online. It's the easiest way to go around Mumbai without problems or getting ripped off by random guy. Some websites like bookmycab allow you to book the cab you want, for the time you want, including for a day (useful if you want to do Siddhivinayak - Mahalaxmi - Babulnath) I think for a regular cab, a day is about 1200/rs of something like that...

> Be careful for SiddhiVinayak. It is crowded. Really. Some days you cannot even enter it. Ask some locals which day to go and which ones to avoid before even planning to go there.

> Careful of some offerings vendor. Especially in SiddhiVinayak. As a "white lady" you'll be expected to pay 500/rs for a coconut (...That cost 10/rs at the local supermarket) Don't let them fool you. At Mahalaxmi, they are more honest. If you want a good price reference, a regular basket of offerings should cost around 150 - 300 /rs. (with flowers, coconut, sweet, little cloth.)

> I know very nice places and hidden local temples that are very nice to go pray to, but I'll need to know where you will go as Mumbai is a very big city. Keep in mind that to navigate in the northern part of the city (like Juhu, Andheri, etc) rickshaw is the most faster and economic. But they are not allowed in the southern part of the city, where you'll have to get a cab.

> Be careful when you plan your trip to Mumbai, as depending on the time of the day, the roads get very crowded. You can loose hours on a trip that is supposed to last 30 minutes.

> If you have the time/budget, I know a very very nice lady that run a B and B, and her speciality is to show you the "authentic" Mumbai. As an Indian, not as a tourist. She knows and have her acquaintances to go to some places you can not normally go, and she is always with you so you are not alone. She can get you to little markets, best local food and tell you which tourists trap to avoid loosing your time visiting.

> Don't go to Juhu beach. It's overrated. Nothing to see. Harassement aaaall the way.

If you have more info on where you'll go around Mumbai (neighbourhoods, etc), drop me a pm, maybe I can give you some places that are worth seeing ^^

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

All I can say is that I do hope they give you some free time, and you can convince the hotel travel desks that you're actually a Hindu and they arrange a visit to anything non-tourist. I know that seems harsh, but the tourist things have a reputation for remaining tourist things.

Regardless, I hope you enjoy it, and it gives you the drive to go back on your own terms.

I know what you mean. If I were going alone, or with my husband or a friend I would definitely take a chance on taking a less touristy route. But my mother in law is not so keen on that, and I have make a compromise and be a good daughter in law. I know that there are a few days where "free time" is specifically mentioned, but I am going to sneak away whenever I can. As for convincing them I'm Hindu, that will be an uphill battle given my name is not Hindu. However I"m hoping what little Hindi I have by then will score me some points.

:camp:

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

Mumbai

> You HAVE TO GO to Mahalaxmi mandir. YOU HAVE TO.

> 10 minutes from Mahalaxmi, you have Babulnath mandir, which is a big and old Shiva temple. It's a very calm and nice place, I used to meditate entire afternoons there. The sadhus living at the first floor are very nice, if you come by their shrines after darshan, they'll give you blessings and prasad.

> You can book a cab online. It's the easiest way to go around Mumbai without problems or getting ripped off by random guy. Some websites like bookmycab allow you to book the cab you want, for the time you want, including for a day (useful if you want to do Siddhivinayak - Mahalaxmi - Babulnath) I think for a regular cab, a day is about 1200/rs of something like that...

> Be careful for SiddhiVinayak. It is crowded. Really. Some days you cannot even enter it. Ask some locals which day to go and which ones to avoid before even planning to go there.

> Careful of some offerings vendor. Especially in SiddhiVinayak. As a "white lady" you'll be expected to pay 500/rs for a coconut (...That cost 10/rs at the local supermarket) Don't let them fool you. At Mahalaxmi, they are more honest. If you want a good price reference, a regular basket of offerings should cost around 150 - 300 /rs. (with flowers, coconut, sweet, little cloth.)

> I know very nice places and hidden local temples that are very nice to go pray to, but I'll need to know where you will go as Mumbai is a very big city. Keep in mind that to navigate in the northern part of the city (like Juhu, Andheri, etc) rickshaw is the most faster and economic. But they are not allowed in the southern part of the city, where you'll have to get a cab.

> Be careful when you plan your trip to Mumbai, as depending on the time of the day, the roads get very crowded. You can loose hours on a trip that is supposed to last 30 minutes.

> If you have the time/budget, I know a very very nice lady that run a B and B, and her speciality is to show you the "authentic" Mumbai. As an Indian, not as a tourist. She knows and have her acquaintances to go to some places you can not normally go, and she is always with you so you are not alone. She can get you to little markets, best local food and tell you which tourists trap to avoid loosing your time visiting.

> Don't go to Juhu beach. It's overrated. Nothing to see. Harassement aaaall the way.

If you have more info on where you'll go around Mumbai (neighbourhoods, etc), drop me a pm, maybe I can give you some places that are worth seeing ^^

Thank you so much for the advice. I'll confess it's very overwhelming trying to dig through all the advice I find on places like Indiamike. I know there's no way to be prepared for some of it, but I want to be culturally aware and at least passably street smart. I know that as a foreigner I will be charged more for things but I am researching how to haggle since the impression I get is that the shopkeepers enjoy it. Entrance fees I don't mind paying more for. I'm paying $1200 for a plain ticket I can afford the $5 is costs for the upkeep of a national heritage sight. (I always get annoyed by westerners who complain about that.)

No beaches for me either.

Thank you for reminding me of the MahaLakshmi mandir in Mumbai. I'd heard of it but had forgotten!

:camp:

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

For how many days would you be in India? You can replace Mumbai with Varanasi, that will tell you more about India. Along with Agra, you can visit Mathura and Vrindavana. I suggest you visit India Travel Forum | IndiaMike.com and put your itinerary there. You would get the best suggestions. Why Mumbai, BTW? I am a member there but my first interest is religion.

We will be there between 12-15 days.

Mumbai isn't high on my list overall - one of the tour options just ends there. I would much rather go to Varanasi, but that trip falls on a shorter tour, and I feel like 15 is short enough. (I'd prefer to spend a month in India) It all depends on how much time my MIL can get off work.

I am am member of Indiamike too. I will see what people say about temples. I know I will have to keep in mind that there will be some I will not be allowed into.

:camp:

 

[Nyingjé Tso]

Thank you for reminding me of the MahaLakshmi mandir in Mumbai. I'd heard of it but had forgotten!

:camp:

It's really a gorgeous temple, and the golden murtis of MataJi really have powerful shakti, you can feel it. As a Mataji bhakta, you really have to check it out

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

It's really a gorgeous temple, and the golden murtis of MataJi really have powerful shakti, you can feel it. As a Mataji bhakta, you really have to check it out

Who are the two figures at her side?

:camp:

 

[Nyingjé Tso]

Who are the two figures at her side?

:camp:

They are MahaKali mata and MahaSaraswati mata

 

[Aupmanyav]

Our trip will comprise the following cities: New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, and Mumbai.

And when in Delhi, you are welcome to stay with us. I will show you around and not let you fall in the hands of touts. Being a Hindu or not, does not make much difference in North India. You are allowed everywhere, except for taking leather things inside (belts, purses). There are three well-known Devi temples in Delhi (Jandewalan which my mother used to visit in her childhood (she is 88 years old) going on a horse drawn carriage (tonga - alas there are no more), Chhatarpur, and Kalkaji). Then there are many Bengali Kali Mandirs., Swamimalai temple, etc. There is the old Pandava fort, Indrapastha (Purana Kila - old fort). Old Bhairava (where they offer liquor) and Hanuman temples. I have contacts in Jodhpur and Udaipur. Can get you recommendations in Mathura and Vrindavana also. So, be in touch.

 

[Aupmanyav]

On a second thought, perhaps staying with us would be difficult because we may not be able to provide you the facilities that you may get in a hotel, but still there are ways in which we can facilitate your Delhi stay. Take you around Old Delhi and let you taste the old Delhi delicacies.

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

So after getting final approval from her job, my MIL and I are going on the shorter 12 day trip through Northern India. Even though it is shorter, it has the benefit of ending in Varanasi. As a Hindu, I am thrilled. I know the Ganges is not clean enough to bath in here- especially for a westerner, however, there's no way I'm leaving without sprinkling some of the water on my head. That being said -

Temples, people! I don't just want to see the big names - I want to visit all the smaller, hidden ones too. Any recommendations?

:camp:

 

[ShivaFan]

Kashi Varanasi, all of Hinduism is alive at your feet.
Go to Sarnath after reading of Siddhartha.

 

[Andal]

In Delhi visit the Sri Sri Lakshmi Narayana Mandir (Birla Mandir)- close to the Red Fort.

Make a point to go to Varanasi. Every Hindu who can go imho should. It is one of my favorite places on the planet. The Durga Mandir is very special . You can also visit the Monkey Temple, Kashivishvanath Mandir (depending on karma and who's on staff that day you may or may not be granted entry), Tulsi Ghat, and of course the divine darshan of Ganga Maa. If you have more than one day there, attend the evening aarti once at Dashvamedha Ghat because it's spectacular. Then go to aarti at Asi Ghat, a very beautiful and moving aarti.

I know there is concern over bathing in Ganga at Varanasi. As a westerner I have done it many times without any trouble. I would not recommend drinking though. It is a very sad state of affairs. We bathe our idols but we don't see that mother is clean..

Have a wonderful journey

 

[Aupmanyav]

To tell you what to visit where, give us your itinerary (at least the places you are going to visit). Varanasi is a good inclusion, perhaps along with Sarnath.

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

To tell you what to visit where, give us your itinerary (at least the places you are going to visit). Varanasi is a good inclusion, perhaps along with Sarnath.

Thank you all for the recommendations so far. Here is our itinerary:

Dehli 2 nights
Jaipur 2 nights (One night we plan to spend with my Hindi tutors, who live here)
Agra 2 night
Khajuraho 1 night
Varanasi 2 nights

:camp: