It was a spur of the moment decision this afternoon. I was dressed a little better than usual so I thought well why not? Of course taking a Valium beforehand helped take the edge off my anxiety. I needn't have worried about my clothes because there was a young man (30s maybe) wearing jeans.
I pulled into the parking lot and saw the new temple construction. This new temple is huge! (construction photo album): http://www.guruvayurappantemple.org/...HOTOS2011.html I saw there were only one or two cars in the parking lot and I was relieved. I didn't want to go when there was a crowd.
I took my shoes off and left them in the shoe rack; I later realized people took their socks off too, so I did it on the sly and put them in my pocket. I stopped by the office to pay my respects. I was welcomed nicely. They said to go in, take darshan and be comfortable, and if I had any questions, just ask. I went in, made namaskar and sat down. It so happens it was just before 6 pm when the priests do Vishnu Sahasranama. I didn't know that, so when I left I asked the people in the office what it was the priests were chanting. They said "it's the thousand names of Vishnu". I said "oh, the Vishnu Sahasranama!" They said "yes, yes!" I was happy that I got a chance to be there for that.
When the priests were finished with the chanting, they offered the light to the deities, then to us. They passed water around. Apparently I held my hand incorrectly, so the priest whispered "no, no, the other way" with a smile. I said "oops, sorry", and he smiled again. Then they passed prasad of nuts and fruit. I did the circumambulation as a few other people did, stayed a bit to listen to the recording of the Hanuman Chalisa, then left. I spoke with the people in the office again and thanked them for being so helpful.
They said they were happy to help, and hoped to see me again. They told me about the Mahakumbhabishekam in July. I told them I follow the website but have been shy about coming. They said I need not be, that everyone is welcome. As we were talking I told the lady from the office that "from the time I was a teen, even being raised Roman Catholic... ", and she cut me off smiling, nodding and said "you were always Hindu".
The most striking thing is that both priests, even while chanting, looked over in my direction and gave a slight smile. I expected, as I've heard before, that they wouldn't even notice me, much less acknowledge me. I think they could tell I was afraid of committing a faux pas. After the service, as a few people were coming and going, one of the priests again gave me a slight smile. The looks I got from others there were more like "hmm... a new person", and there were slight smiles.
So it turned out differently than I expected. I expected that at the time I went, there would be no service, but as it turned out (and as I say, there are no accidents), I got swept up in the aarti and prasad. I may be able to work in a stop-by a night or two each week on my way home from work, or even make a special weekend visit (it's 20 miles from home).
When I get a little bolder, I'll go to a puja: Satyanarayana and/or Purnima Pujas; or even an abishekam. The temple is Sri Guruvāyūrappan Sri Krishnaji Mandir, but there are shrines and services to Lord Shiva, Maa, and Lord Ganesha.
Well, sorry for the travelogue.
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