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I visited the Durga Temple on Tuesday night for the Hanuman Chalisa event. The service was to begin at 7:15 pm but I wanted to go early so I could ask questions and have time to look around. I arrived around 6:20pm. My vehicle plus one other was in the parking lot. As I walked up the steps, there were wooden bin boxes and a sign that requested shoes to be put there before entering. I removed my shoes and to much of my embarrassment, I had a large hole in my sock and my big toe was hanging out! I didn't know if I should remove my socks or not (was it proper?) so I pulled my sock over my toe and entered quickly. The first entrance hall had a row of display booths which had items for sale along the right side of the wall. These items looked like shawls. They were red in color with gold thread designs all through the fabric. To the left, was a table with a white linen drape. It was empty. Looking straight and to the left side was a sink area. Hands were to be washed before entering the next area. A young man entered about this time and after washing his hands, he stopped in the doorway, bowed his head, clasped his hands together and chanted something, but I could not understand his words. Then he entered. Shortly after that, a mother and teenage girl came and paused at the same doorway. They bowed their head and bent down and touched the floor and then did some hand movements before they entered. I followed. This was another entrance hall. To my immediate left, there was a room where two men, dressed in long robes, were sitting and talking. One had an opened book in his hands. I approached them and explained who I was and why I was there. The man with the book invited me to watch, write and take pictures if I liked. I explained that I didn't bring my camera. (I really didn't think that would have been allowed but wished I had had it with me!)
In front of the Durga shrine is a platform in which one of the men that I spoke to earlier is now seated. On the center of this platform is a table sitting on peach colored tiles. The table is draped in white linens and sits on the floor. More and more people are entering the room and they are bringing items in bags or covered bowls. On the table are three silver bowls. I can't tell what is in them, if anything. There are two flat pillows on either side of the table and bananas are gathered on either side of the pillows. I watched as a young couple and their infant child came to the man. He performed some kind of ritual, while chanting in a different language. Prayers were said. They talked. Then the man applied a red substance to their forehead. Then he gave them each a banana, and a handful of nuts on a paper towel. They got up and left. The man came to me as I was writing and watching and he handed me the same thing. He said, "Everybody gets some of these. We give them to everybody." I thanked him and put them in my coat pocket, hoping that I wouldn't be offending him if I didn't eat them at that time. Around 7pm, the two men laid down white linen sheets on the floor. They placed them in front of the Shri Hanulman Ji. Candles were lit, books were passed out and instruments were brought out. A bell rang out. All the while, people were still coming in. The Christmas lights that lined the shrines were now turned on. Each shrine had a cloth banner as a backdrop and lights were turned on and some were flashing, multi-colored lights. In some ways it reminded me of a large city filled with neon lights. It almost had a circus appearance because of all the flashing lights and each shrine was in a tent-like shape. All the while, people were visiting, laughing, talking, while others were going to each deity, praying or paying their respects to each. I noticed that people were starting to sit on the linens that had been laid out. The only chairs out were along the back wall which were "reserved for the seniors and handicapped only." I sat right behind the first linen cloth. I didn't know if it would be appropriate to sit on the linen since I was only an observer. A bell rung again. People became quiet. A small wooden box-like instrument [harmonium] was being played. It's sound was a cross between an accordion and organ. It was very small. A drum called Tabla or Tabia was being played by a man in a long robe. He was seated on one of the linens. Several older children were sitting by him and they played small wooden instruments that sounded like a tambourine. Songs were sung for a solid 45 minutes. People sang, clapped and swayed to the music. Some people needed the books that had the words for the songs, others knew the songs by heart. All this time, people continued to enter and pay their tributes to the deities. One lady brought in a bag. She pulled out two plastic containers of cookies. I've seen ones like them at the bakery at the grocery store. She placed them on a table in front of the Hanuman Shrine. She even removed the lids from the containers, as if to allow the figure to smell the sweet aroma of her gift. I was overcome by an uncomfortablness, in the midst of the joyful singing. Did she truly believe that this porcelain monkey figure could smell? She seemed to walk away with pride. A small grin was upon her face as though she felt very pleased. I wanted to enjoy the music again but found it difficult. I was disturbed by the offering and I'm not sure why. Another thing that disturbed me was the fact that all these deities are bright white in color, yet the people that worship them are dark skinned. Most religions that I'm accustomed to have Jesus' skin color the same color of the worshippers. My church has Jesus' skin as white. I've been in African American churches that show Jesus having black skin. Is there any significance as to why all the deities are white? Anyway, after the singing, another man, dressed in a robe, closes a curtain to the Durga shrine. There is now approximately fifty people, of all ages, in the room. The singing stops and one of the men that I spoke with earlier starts to talk. He speaks in a different language so I don't know what he is sharing. I assume it's a lesson of some sort. He speaks for only about five to seven minutes. A trumpet blows and chiming begins. Another man now goes to each shrine and performs some kind of ritual. He has a bell in one hand (left) and a candle-like object in the other. He constantly rings the bell and the candle is being lifted and lowered, moved in circles, etc.. in a systematic way. He performs this ritual in front of each deity. During this time, singing starts again. Once the ritual is finished, the other man states something, the people chant, raise their hands two times and then they all bow on the knees or lie down completely on the floor with their arms extended. I am the only one left standing. Then, everyone gets up and the service is over. People start talking and laughing. Some leave to go home. I gather my things and leave, too. As I enjoyed the quietness of my ride home, I pulled out the nuts and banana that was given to me. I thought about my new experience. There was so much to think about! * Some of the "ladies" in the shrines were actually images of male deities (Rama and his brother, Lakshmani; Krishna [playing the flute]) |
| Created by Laura Ellen Shulman |
Last updated: June 2003
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