Temple

This next post is hard to write because the experience that I had was just indescribable, but I want to try and I want to share it. I visited the grounds of the temple for Sri Ramakrishna along the bank of the Ganges River. The grounds are simply beautiful, the gardens were amazing and the view along the Ganges was breath taking. It was an incredibly peaceful and serene spot. (Unfortunately no photography was allowed anywhere so I will not have pictures of this to share. There were also signs forbidden clothes washing at that point in the river.)

But the highlight was the prayer. Every evening they ring the bells and everyone is asked to leave the grounds. At that point you can either exit or go into the main temple where they have a prayer service. We went in and sat in the back. I watched as people prayed. There was music and singing. Chanting and praying. There were bells and drums. The room was filled with people. Everyone was sitting cross legged and sitting up straight. The priests and students were towards the front and singing. I cannot even begin to tell you how beautiful it was. I was expecting to go and witness a cultural event, something I would watch but feel disconnected from, even if I found it beautiful. Instead I experienced an incredibly moving, personal, and spiritual event. It was very meditative to sit there and listen to the songs, and I soon found myself lost in my own prayer. I was very moved and surprisingly very emotional. I realized soon that part of it was because how much at that moment I felt the presence of my daddy. I felt him there with me and it was an incredibly peaceful and sad and special moment. It was so nice to feel him there and sad because I miss him so much.

The evening was incredibly moving. One that I will not forget. Everything about it was so special. The temple, the river, the gardens, my friend bringing me there, the music and songs, all of it. I know there are a lot of religions in India and that a lot of people come here for spiritual reasons. But I was not expecting that to be any part of my trip here because I knew I would be so busy with work. So it was completely unexpected and the evening really connected me to everything around me, to this country and land, and to myself.