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Thread: Eastern Massachusetts Temples mini Yatra

  1. #11
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    Re: Eastern Massachusetts Temples mini Yatra

    Namaste, Aanandinii.

    This thread is infinitely awesome Thank you so much for sharing it... I'm going to read through it more carefully soon.

    Be Happy
    "Be the change you wish to see in other people." ~Gandhi

  2. #12

    Re: Eastern Massachusetts Temples mini Yatra

    Namaste Ananadini,

    Thank you for sharing your experiences with us, if any one is planning a trip to Trinidad and Tobago I would be very happy take them to various temples around the country.

  3. #13
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    Re: Eastern Massachusetts Temples mini Yatra

    Namaskar Anima Deorum ji and Ashwin ji,

    Thank you for your kind words. Anima ji, your thread on Temple Communities was one of the threads that helped cement my decision to finally go, last fall. Thank you for that.

    Ashwin ji, wow, Trinidad and Tobago. Its a place I'd love to travel to, one day. Perhaps if you have some time sometime you might share about the Temples there? I knew there was Hindu presence there, but that's just about all I know.

    ~Pranams
    ~~~~~
    What has Learning profited a man, if it has not led him to worship the good feet of Him who is pure knowledge itself?
    They alone dispel the mind's distress, who take refuge at the feet of the incomparable one.
    ~~Tirukural 2, 7

    Anbe Sivamayam, Satyame Parasivam

  4. #14
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    Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, Billerica

    Namaskar ji,

    On Sunday April 20th, I went home to visit family - the fact that for them it was Easter was entirely coincidental, my family doesn't do much for this Christian holiday and at this time of year we are too scattered anyway. While in town, I took the opportunity to visit the Shirdi Sai Baba Temple there.

    I seem to have assigned a bit of significance to this Temple since learning of it, and have been looking forward to going. When I was in my early 20's I first encountered Hindu Philosophy and some of what I read concerned Sri Sai Baba. I feel that my home town is very blessed to have a Temple of His and such a community in its midst.

    I do seem to have a recurring misfortune to keep coming in at the end of things at His Temples, though. I arrived after the evening Dhoop Aarti, so I made my offerings and sat in a corner to do my jappa.

    This Temple had a Pandit and two other young men who appeared to be in training. The location is a space in the back of a small, partly empty office park along Rte 3A. I have heard conflicting information about whether or not the space is owned by the community and thus permanent or not, but I haven't seen anything about fundraising for a Temple to be built. I have heard that there have been discussions about the community buying land to build one in Town Meetings, and issues with zoning.

    Immediately inside the main doors is an area to leave shoes and coats. Through double doors immediately ahead is a larger room with a white pavilion at the far end. It's smaller than ones I've seen in the past, but the same pristine, shining murti seated on a marble throne, clad in fine cloth and with lovely fresh flower garlands and the longest string of Rundraksha I've ever seen adorning His shoulders. To his left and right are raised platforms, a large Lingam swathed in fine silk and flowers to the left and an adorable Bala Ganesha to his right. In front of the pavilion and to the left of its stairs is Sri Durga Maa. The pavilion is deeper than others I've seen and one is allowed to mount it to approach Sri Sai Baba. The Pandit or a trainee will meet you and perform what you wish. While I was there, there was a continuous flow of people, and even so late there was the blessing of a toddler and prasad which the parents then passed around, a small personal puja and several offerings.

    In the middle of the room, before the pavilion, is a structural pillar. Nandi, and what I think is a Kurma, sit on an altar facing Sri Sai Baba, covered in shawls of embroidered cloth.

    There is a space to the right of the person facing the pavilion, I didn't go and look at it too much as I was feeling the curiosity of people in the space too strongly and was feeling a bit self conscious. I am pretty certain I recognised smaller shrines to Sri Radha Krishna and Sri Sita Ram Parivar there, though I am not certain. The energy here was reserved and somewhat withdrawn, though there was a nice peace to it. I found it hard to get hold of, but I am pretty certain I was getting in my own way. This being my home town, and all the emotions surrounding the place for me threw up a block in the shape of my own ego. But because this is my home town, and my parents are returning for the warm season soon, I will be visiting home more often. So I will be returning there, most definitely, as it will be more convenient on days I'm in town.

    In the meantime, my local pilgrimage continues. This coming week I will have my car in town during work, which will give me the perfect chance to visit the Ramakrishna Vedanta Center that Eric ji was so kind to tell me about. I look forward to the visit. And on a tangent, in a thread a couple of months back I realized I have really not said much about myself or who I am, even in my intro thread. This was brought to my attention as it makes it a bit difficult to have a dialogue, particularly when one asks questions, when people don't know much about the person they're talking to. Having thought about it for some time, I decided to try creating a blog. This was one I started moths ago and never ended up keeping - I am not really very good at journaling, so we'll see where this goes I guess, but if anyone is interested in learning a bit about me and chatting, the link is now in my sig.

    Thanks for reading.
    ~Pranams
    Last edited by Aanandinii; 26 April 2014 at 02:32 AM.
    ~~~~~
    What has Learning profited a man, if it has not led him to worship the good feet of Him who is pure knowledge itself?
    They alone dispel the mind's distress, who take refuge at the feet of the incomparable one.
    ~~Tirukural 2, 7

    Anbe Sivamayam, Satyame Parasivam

  5. #15
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    Ramakrishna Vedanta Society, Boston

    Namaskar ji

    On April 29th, I went to the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society in Kenmore Square, Boston.

    Founded in 1893 by Sri Swami Vivekananda, this is a monastery of the Ramakrishna Order, located along the Charles River in the middle of where BU and MIT campuses meet. They are open to attend Aarti and meditate on Tuesday and Saturday evenings, have a Bhagavad Gita study and meditation class on Wednesday evenings and Satsang on Sunday mornings. They also have youth and local campus programs and activities on specific festivals.

    I found out the hard way that the front door can lock unexpectedly, so when you visit make sure not to close it too tightly. The front hall is a huge coat room area, I imagine it must get quite full sometimes. I was one of only 4 other visiting devotees that day, however.

    The room immediately to the right of the main entrance is a small bookstore, and this is also where you will find the hundi, a small wooden box mounted to the wall on the inside if the entry arch. Past that room is a hall leading to the back of the building and the shrine room. There is a lovely, long, ornately worked wooden altar on a dias at the far end. Most of the room is full of rows of chairs, except for the front row which is a cushioned area on the floor.

    This was a much different experience than any I've had yet. The Aarti ritual was familiar, but the altar and atmosphere in the room seemed far closer to Buddhist than Hindu. The room was kept perfectly dark except for the lamps at the front of the room, and the music was incredibly soft. The stillness in that room was like a warm hug. I took out my mala and did my japa, and it felt like an hour went by in 5 minutes. If I hadn't been so sure of the beads passing through my fingers I might almost have said I'd lost time or fallen asleep. It was a wonderful feeling and I very much want to go back.

    I wish this place were closer to my home, or that I had known about it before I moved out of the Boston area. However, it is close to where I am currently working. I could walk there in no time on a good day. I had been planning to begin studying the Gita and was looking for a study class when I was told of this Society, so I am going to try to start going to these classes, it is a great place to start.

    I'm not sure where I will go next. But wherever presents the best next opportunity, I really look forward to it.

    ~Pranam-s
    Last edited by Aanandinii; 12 May 2014 at 09:11 PM.
    ~~~~~
    What has Learning profited a man, if it has not led him to worship the good feet of Him who is pure knowledge itself?
    They alone dispel the mind's distress, who take refuge at the feet of the incomparable one.
    ~~Tirukural 2, 7

    Anbe Sivamayam, Satyame Parasivam

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