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Together, Marcia and I visited the Rajdhani Mandir Temple in Chantilly, VA. We wanted to visit a
Hindu temple with someone that would be familiar with While waiting, I also noted people bringing in grocery bags of food that I was sure would be an offering to the deities. But then others began to carry in bags of bottled sodas, casserole dishes and chips. I thought, "Must be a pot-luck!" I began to again feel like I was intruding, since there must be something special happening that I wasn't invited to be part of. I certainly didn't want to offend anyone by barging in on a private affair. Semina and her husband then arrived and I began to bombard them with questions: Was I dressed properly? What was going on? Should we come another time? Should I take my socks off along with my shoes? I didn't want to stick out like a sore-thumb, but again that was inevitable, at least in my own mind. We were reassured that we would be welcome and not to worry. When we first entered the temple, there was no one in the hall but two school age boys running around in sock feet with a cell phone talking about soccer. The worship area was straight ahead through double doors and I began to get a strong smell of incense. Someone was speaking over the loudspeaker and I wondered what they were saying. As Semina showed us where to put our shoes, her husband went to find out what was going on. We followed Semina in removing our shoes and then went to wash our hands. Seminas husband came back and told us that they were participating in a Rice Feeding Ceremony. I asked what that was and he explained that when a child reaches six months old a ceremony is performed with the child, his parents and family to commemorate the beginning of a new stage-eating solid foods. As we entered the worship area I noticed that all of the women were dressed in brightly colored Saris. On the steps in front of five cutouts containing deities that I couldn't yet recognize, were the priest, mother and father and the child that the Rice Feeding Ceremony was being performed for. There were offerings placed in the middle of them, but all I could see were bananas, apples and coconuts. The friends and relatives of the family were sitting on the floor behind the participants, watching and participating when appropriate. We decided to view the deities placed around the temple and to sit with the others when we were finished and watch the ceremony. The first idol that we went to was Ganesha, the remover of obstacles, with whom everything cannot be done. Ganesha is prayed to at the beginning of every new task, thus he is at the beginning of every temple, at wedding ceremonies and at any time something new is begun. I was amazed at how lavishly the idols were decorated. They were all adorned with brightly colored clothing, jewels and flowers. It was so beautiful to me to see the way that the idols were cared for and respected. As we continued to view the idols we saw Krishna with his peacock feather and a picture of Vishnu. I asked why there was only a picture and Semina told us that when there is a picture that means that they are waiting for a statue to come in and take its place. At that point, I was about scared to death by the sound of a trumpet sounding. I just assumed that it was part of the Rice Feeding Ceremony. I rushed to catch up with the others since I appeared to be the only one that noticed the sound. We started to go in the back of the worship area and I didn't understand why we just didn't walk over to the other side and look at those deities. I was told that you are always supposed to go around. And with that, Semina's husband told us of a story about Ganesha. There were parts that I couldn't quite get because of the accent, but here is what I understood: There is a story of Ganesha who is known to be very fat and slow. Ganesha had a friend who was very lean and fast and the two decided to have a race. The destination was very far, so it was certain that Ganesha's friend would win. So off they ran and his friend took off, Ganesha came to Siva and began running around and around and around him because he is Ganesha's mentor. So because he did that and showed his respects, Ganesha was pronounced the winner of the race even though he never finished. So that is the reason that you always go around the temple and don't pass any idol up.
Now, I was again extremely interested in what was happening in the Rice Feeding Ceremony. We decided to go and sit and watch. The priest prayed and then the audience would repeat him, but before he began something he always blew into a shell (what I previously thought was a trumpet sounding). Semina told us that was to cleanse everything inside and to make a new start. I remembered that in the Baghavad Gita they did this before they started fighting. At this point, everyone stood up and the mother and father started to spin the plate that held the fire around in circles, and the priest was ringing the bell and singing. The mother and father then turned around to present their child to the audience. The father came down to the audience with the plate of fire and presented it to everyone. We all circled our hands over the fire and were then given a mild and yogurt mixture in our hands. I was unsure of what to do-was I supposed to drink it or lap it up? So I just looked around and followed everyone else, sip it up and then wipe your hands on your pants! I was stunned to hear the phone ringing-I thought I had heard it before, but couldn't imagine a phone ringing in the middle of a religious ceremony. Interrupting my own shock, a man came around and offered us grapes, while the priest threw water on our heads. I was a bit stunned when that happened, but was told that is to purity us. Now the priest went back up the steps and said a few more words, which we were told was a wish of peace and prosperity for the world, and the ceremony was over. We hung around for a few more minutes, to see if anything else would happen, but everyone just eagerly cleaned up and left. As we left the worship hall, everyone was standing in the main hall, gathered around a table covered with food and drinks. There was a potluck after all! I knew that it was a celebration of the day, and as we wiggled past them to retrieve our shoes, I was offered to have some food. I politely said "No thank you" but was truly impressed by the acceptance, kindness and openness that was shown to us that day. No one said anything earth shattering, but I just felt that all of my concerns and doubts were just that-MINE. No one else gave a second thought to my being there. I was just accepted with a smile and that's all it took for me to realize that my concerns didn't matter to anyone but me. I was very honored to have been a part of the Rice Feeding celebration. It was hard for me to believe that a stranger was included in a very special day, just as if they belonged there. I guess I did belong, as much there as at my own house of worship. God isn't confined to one church or one set religion…I felt him there that day and there is no doubt in my mind that he is wherever you allow him to be. |
what we were going to experience, so we asked our
Hindu classmate, Semina, to come with us. Semina agreed to meet us at the temple and to guide us along. As we sat in the car waiting for her other followers began to arrive. Although I felt out of place and uneasy about my own presence, the Hindus that
I believed were coming to the temple to worship welcomed us with a simple smile that made
me feel more relaxed. I then remembered that they were followers of a religion that did not believe in looking down their noses at other faiths…much different than the one that I follow.
The next idol we came to was
Sarisvati, the goddess of wisdom. Rather than holding a weapon in her hand, she held a sitar. I thought after seeing here that I really liked her, she had no weapon and she could guide me in my education. I definitely need a guiding hand to get me though!
Next to Sarisvati was Hanuman-the only other idol I recognized besides Ganesha. In front of Hanuman's statue were flower petals, water, nuts, bananas and saffron. Hanuman was carrying a mountain on one of his hands to symbolize his strength. Semina showed us to put a flower petal on the crown of our heads to show respect to Hanuman.
At this point, we noticed the Vishnus, the Jain and Buddha statues also.| Created by Laura Ellen Shulman |
Last updated: March 06, 2005
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