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Thread: Little temple cultural idiosyncracies

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    Little temple cultural idiosyncracies

    Vannakkam: This is a thread about the tiny things that happen when you observe closely. Perhaps there will be reasons. perhaps not. I find it amazing to watch.

    The other day I asked a devotee why she ,when praying, puts her right thumb over her left thumb when hands are together. She didn't know why for sure, but then she showed me how when she opens her hands in front of a shrine, she holds her hands. It was with right hand on top, thumbs facing forward, almost uncomfortable. She said a lot of mudras were done simply to not point as pointing is rude. This made sense to me.

    When I happen to help in distribution of kumkum and chandanam, the variety is amazing. Most people use the ring finger. Some use the middle finger. Often small children use Mr. Pointy. Some take chandanam only. Some take a pinch of kumkum only. There are also flowers on thetray. Some take one and place it behind th eright ear. Some women put it in their hair. Others take several petals and just hold them to take home. All doing what they were taught as children yet all so different. I find it constantly amazing.

    Of course there is more. I'll try to keep adding and encourage others as well. For the newcomers especially temple protocol can be a tad overwhelming at times.

    Aum Namasivaya

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    Re: Little temple cultural idiosyncracies

    Vannakkam:

    At almost all the shrines in my temple, as you face them, the priest stands to the left so he can use his right hand for aarti etc., and not be in the way of those who watch for darshan.

    However,at the Bhairava shrine which faces the main shrines he stands on the other side, and it appears sort of awkward. Finally one day I asked him why. He said it is because you never face south to do a puja.

    Directions are considered so important in parts of India or variations of SD, even for home shrines, house construction, etc.

    Aum Namasivaya

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    Re: Little temple cultural idiosyncracies

    Vannakkam: The extinguishing of oil lamps or candles like in the west is done differently by the Hindus I have seen. The first time I saw a priest put out a camphor light, I was amazed, as he just used his hand to smother it. The time it takes to smother it or stop oxygen flow is less that the time it takes to burn you. At first, I was frightened of becoming burnt, but even I eventually learned. We no longer use camphor at our temple because of the oily ash left on walls, It doesn't take long before you need to wash walls, and here the entire temple has to be inside whereas in India they are open-aired.

    The second method is to brush the hand very quickly right next to the flame to create wind. I have never seen a Hindu blow out a flame, and candles are never used at all. Since the flame is sacred, and halitosis isn't, the two are never combined. As far as brushing your hand quickly right beside a standing oil lamp, its not all that easy. I knocked over a few kuthavillakus at first. But practise makes perfect.

    I assume that candles are not part of Hindu culture because of the original way candles were made (animal fat), and even now with paraffin candles, the lack of use stays.

    Another method of extinguishing is to move the wick back into the oil, thus drowning the flame. Of course its always done with the right hand.

    This occurred to me this morning in my ESL tutoring class when Iyer did not know the word 'blew' when we studied blue and blew.

    Aum Namasivaya

  4. #4

    Re: Little temple cultural idiosyncracies

    Interesting,
    At my ashram we are very careful not to proselytize since it is an Ashram that is welcome to people of all faiths, so if there are new people at meditation our teachers just briefly tells them to sit comfortably, meditate in any way they are used to (if they are) and try to relax.

    For years I did like a half mudra with my fingers with pointer and thumb together and the others relaxed. Then someone told me that unless the other fingers are straight, you will never get there. She said it's like poking around in the dark for a doorbell but never finding it.

    OMG, was she right. HUGE difference!

    I have never thought of how our priest blows out the lights or what they are made of. I have to pay attention next time I go.

    Maya

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    Re: Little temple cultural idiosyncracies

    Vannakkam: Using the right foot.

    Some people follow this, but many don't. I haven't sat by a door and counted for that would look rather foolish. When a devotee or priest crosses through a door from the outside to the inside, it is done stepping with the right foot first. At the temple I attend, this would be in four main places: at the outside door, at the door into the temple proper from the lobby and stairs, and then two within the sanctum that only the priests would use. It is considered auspicious to put your best foot forward, I suppose, and is probably comparable to the use of the right hand. Some people take a deliberate step, while others have done it so long, it is just in their subconscious like driving a car.

    But certainly its not one of those 'must do's' that some elder might scold you for.

    Aum Namasivaya

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    Re: Little temple cultural idiosyncracies

    Vannakkam:

    One of the most common brass hand bells is one with a Nandi on top. If you watch the priests when they ring it, the Nandi is always facing the murthy that is being worshiped, for he is the Master of devotees.

    Aum Namasivaya

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    Re: Little temple cultural idiosyncracies

    namaste EM.

    An interesting thread, your observations steeped in understanding are amazing. Unfortunately, in TamizhnADu, many big temples have become business houses with the darshan of the mUlavar--root deity, lasting just a few seconds, when there are long queues of devotees.

    Your narrations remind me of my school days spent in the house of my maternal grandparents who had a large family. We were residing in a village agrahAram--brahmins' street, called Kovil-theru--temple street. The street ran north-south, with its streethouses located on the east-west, the two rows of houses facing each other. It was a VishAlAkShI-VishvanAtha temple facing south, with a tall gopuram, located on the north of the street, closing it. The Amman--goddess, in her sannidhi was visible right up to the end of the street. Elders who visited the temple occasionally, would stand in front of their houses and watch the evening dIpArAdhana around six, patting their cheeks with their fingers when the dIpam--lamp, was waved to the Goddess.

    We children in our primary classes were taught to visit the temple regularly every evening, do a pradakShanam--going round, of the outer prakAram, go round the navagraha unit nine times, watch the dIpArAdhana to the Goddess and SvAmi--Shiva, and then bring home the vibhUti-kumkuma prasAdam for the elders, which was wet by that time in our hands.

    As we entered the temple carefully overstepping (not stepping on) the threshold, with our right foot first, and went round the outer courtyard, first we had darshan in the GaNapati sannidhi, which faced east. The sun would have started to set so the son of the temple archaka--priest, would go round lighting the oil lamps in each sannidhi and doing nivedanam of cooked rice, muttering mantras and shaking the bell in his hand. We would stand in front of PiLLaiyAr--GaNesha, tap at the temples of our head with knuckles and do tOppukkaraNam--squat and stand up holding the ears cross-armed, and go round the sannidhi thrice.

    To the left of PiLLaiyAr, was the sannidhi of DakShiNAmUrti facing south. Our lips would automatically utter the shloka 'guru brahma, guru viShNu...' as we stood before him. Then we walked a hundred feet or so and turned right for the Murugan sannidhi. It was actually three sannidhis housed in a separate building, one each for BAla-murugan, KalyANa-murugan and DaNDAyudhapANi--Murugan in the form of an ascetic in a loin cloth, holding a staff in hand. In front of the KalyANa-murugan sannidhi was the stone image of a peacock holding a little cobra in his beak. It was fun for us to shout the slogan 'DaNDAyutapANikku arogarA!'

    Through a side entrance in the Murugan sannidhi building, we had darshan of ChaNDikeshvara. We did not know at that time that he was, as a son of Shiva, the guardian deity of Shiva temples, who would keenly watch if anyone takes anything from the temple. Stealing Shiva's property, whatever small thing it is, is considered pApam--bad karma. The Tamizh proverb says, "Sivan sotthu kula nAsam"--"stealing Shiva's property would be destruction of lineage." So, as is the custom, the elders had instructed us to snap the thumb and middle fingers of our right hand and also clap our hands (actually loud wiping of hands that amounted to a clap), when we faced ChanDikeshvara. This is to show that we are clean. Without knowing the meaning, we used to do it as fun, clapping our hands louder. There was also the custom to offer a strand of cotton thread from our dhoti or shirt and say, "I give you the old, you give me the new." I don't know how this custom originated.

    Then there was the sannidhi of KAlabhairava, with the stone image of a dog for his vehicle. Opposite him on the right of Murugan sannidhi building was the sannidhi of the village deity named KaruppaNNa-sAmy, which was only a pair of what seemed as little stone pestles. The inside of this room was darker than in the other sannidhis, giving an eerie feeling. Since there was this belief that the spirit of the village deity was in the sannidhi at dusk time once the lamps were light, we were rather afraid to stand in front of him, so would skip the darshan.

    Next through the side entrance in the main building of the temple, we went round the navagraha unit, which was always crowded, specially with girls and women. By this time, the temple's large bell, called khaNTAmaNi* would rang, the temple assistant, who was also the watchman, pulling the long rope attached to the tongue of the bell. Sometimes he would let us pull the rope and ring the bell.

    Finally, we stood before the Amman sannidhi, crossing over to the font of the rows of devotees, men and women standing in a row on the side, facing the deity sideways. Goddess VishAlAkShI standing tall in majesty, her nose-stud glittering in the gently waving flame of the lamp of the dIpArAdhana. The dIpArAdhana was first by a deck of little lamps forming the shape of a pyramid, then by a single lamp with a large flame that snaked through the air as the archaka waved it, and finally with camphor, whose flame was shown to the devotees who would show both hands over the flame and then touch their eyes with the warm fingers. Then the priest would distribute the vibhUti-kumkuma prasAdam that we brought home. After Amman darshanam, the Shiva darshanam was done in the same way, adding to the prasAdam in our hands.

    On a pillar in the temple maNDapam--pavilion, there would be a pair of stainless steel bowls containing vibhUti and kumkumam, fixed to the pillar by a steel band, with a mirror above it. We would smear our forehead with a little of the prasAda vibhUti-kumkumam, and have a darshan of our own faces in the mirror. On some days, we would find small pieces of jaggery in the kumkumam, which we put in our mouth making the tongue red and questioned by the elders at home.

    Finally, we would reach home, show the prasAdam in our palms to the elders, then assemble in our home puja room and shout some shlokas before starting our evening studies. The study hour was a literal fish market, each of us reading our lesson loudly, so a casual listener would find Alladin Kilji selling his horses at Rs.200/- each, earning a profit in the bargain, weigh a baloon in a balance to prove that air had weight, cultivate his garden and water the plants, release the lion caught in the net, and would be together with Robinson Crusoe in a manless island, counting the days drawing lines, after his ship was caught in a storm.

    Note:
    khaNTAmaNi--kaNTham is neck and maNi is bell. Just like the human tonuge protrudes from its support in the neck, the tongue of the bells protrudes, so the name.
    Last edited by saidevo; 05 December 2010 at 07:59 AM.
    रत्नाकरधौतपदां हिमालयकिरीटिनीम् ।
    ब्रह्मराजर्षिररत्नाढ्यां वन्दे भारतमातरम् ॥

    To her whose feet are washed by the ocean, who wears the Himalayas as her crown, and is adorned with the gems of rishis and kings, to Mother India, do I bow down in respect.

    --viShNu purANam

  8. #8

    Re: Little temple cultural idiosyncracies

    Quote Originally Posted by Eastern Mind View Post
    Vannakkam:

    One of the most common brass hand bells is one with a Nandi on top. If you watch the priests when they ring it, the Nandi is always facing the murthy that is being worshiped, for he is the Master of devotees.

    Aum Namasivaya
    After nandi punished daksha , lord shiva told him to beg a vardan and nandi asked shiva that he wants see him always .

    Vedas fix the position of devotees facing north and priest facing east .

    Vanakkam Emji .

  9. #9

    Re: Little temple cultural idiosyncracies

    Quote Originally Posted by saidevo View Post
    namaste EM.

    An interesting thread, your observations steeped in understanding are amazing. Unfortunately, in TamizhnADu, many big temples have become business houses with the darshan of the mUlavar--root deity, lasting just a few seconds, when there are long queues of devotees.

    Your narrations remind me of my school days spent in the house of my maternal grandparents who had a large family. We were residing in a village agrahAram--brahmins' street, called Kovil-theru--temple street. The street ran north-south, with its streethouses located on the east-west, the two rows of houses facing each other. It was a VishAlAkShI-VishvanAtha temple facing south, with a tall gopuram, located on the north of the street, closing it. The Amman--goddess, in her sannidhi was visible right up to the end of the street. Elders who visited the temple occasionally, would stand in front of their houses and watch the evening dIpArAdhana around six, patting their cheeks with their fingers when the dIpam--lamp, was waived to the Goddess.

    We children in our primary classes were taught to visit the temple regularly every evening, do a pradakShanam--going round, of the outer prakAram, go round the navagraha unit nine times, watch the dIpArAdhana to the Goddess and SvAmi--Shiva, and then bring home the vibhUti-kumkuma prasAdam for the elders, which was wet by that time in our hands.

    As we entered the temple carefully overstepping (not stepping on) the threshold, with our right foot first, and went round the outer courtyard, first we had darshan in the GaNapati sannidhi, which faced east. The sun would have started to set so the son of the temple archaka--priest, would go round lighting the oil lamps in each sannidhi and doing nivedanam of cooked rice, muttering mantras and shaking the bell in his hand. We would stand in front of PiLLaiyAr--GaNesha, tap at the temples of our head with knuckles and do tOppukkaraNam--squat and stand up holding the ears cross-armed, and go round the sannidhi thrice.

    To the left of PiLLaiyAr, was the sannidhi of DakShiNAmUrti facing south. Our lips would automatically utter the shloka 'guru brahma, guru viShNu...' as we stood before him. Then we walked a hundred feet or so and turned right for the Murugan sannidhi. It was actually three sannidhis housed in a separate building, one each for BAla-murugan, KalyANa-murugan and DaNDAyudhapANi--Murugan in the form of an ascetic in a loin cloth, holding a staff in hand. In front of the KalyANa-murugan sannidhi was the stone image of a peacock holding a little cobra in his beak. It was fun for us to shout the slogan 'DaNDAyutapANikku arogarA!'

    Through a side entrance in the Murugan sannidhi building, we had darshan of ChaNDikeshvara. We did not know at that time that he was, as a son of Shiva, the guardian deity of Shiva temples, who would keenly watch if anyone takes anything from the temple. Stealing Shiva's property, whatever small thing it is, is considered pApam--bad karma. The Tamizh proverb says, "Sivan sotthu kula nAsam"--"stealing Shiva's property would be destruction of lineage." So, as is the custom, the elders had instructed us to snap the thumb and middle fingers of our right hand and also clap our hands (actually loud wiping of hands that amounted to a clap), when we faced ChanDikeshvara. This is to show that we are clean. Without knowing the meaning, we used to do it as fun, clapping our hands louder. There was also the custom to offer a strand of cotton thread from our dhoti or shirt and say, "I give you the old, you give me the new." I don't know how this custom originated.

    Then there was the sannidhi of KAlabhairava, with the stone image of a dog for his vehicle. Opposite him on the right of Murugan sannidhi building was the sannidhi of the village deity named KaruppaNNa-sAmy, which was only a pair of what seemed as little stone pestles. The inside of this room was darker than in the other sannidhis, giving an eerie feeling. Since there was this belief that the spirit of the village deity was in the sannidhi at dusk time once the lamps were light, we were rather afraid to stand in front of him, so would skip the darshan.

    Next through the side entrance in the main building of the temple, we went round the navagraha unit, which was always crowded, specially with girls and women. By this time, the temple's large bell, called khaNTAmaNi* would rang, the temple assistant, who was also the watchman, pulling the long rope attached to the tongue of the bell. Sometimes he would let us pull the rope and ring the bell.

    Finally, we stood before the Amman sannidhi, crossing over to the font of the rows of devotees, men and women standing in a row on the side, facing the deity sideways. Goddess VishAlAkShI standing tall in majesty, her nose-stud glittering in the gently waving flame of the lamp of the dIpArAdhana. The dIpArAdhana was first by a deck of little lamps forming the shape of a pyramid, then by a single lamp with a large flame that snaked through the air as the archaka waived it, and finally with camphor, whose flame was shown to the devotees who would show both hands over the flame and then touch their eyes with the warm fingers. Then the priest would distribute the vibhUti-kumkuma prasAdam that we brought home. After Amman darshanam, the Shiva darshanam was done in the same way, adding to the prasAdam in our hands.

    On a pillar in the temple maNDapam--pavilion, there would be a pair of stainless steel bowls containing vibhUti and kumkumam, fixed to the pillar by a steel band, with a mirror above it. We would smear our forehead with a little of the prasAda vibhUti-kumkumam, and have a darshan of our own faces in the mirror. On some days, we would find small pieces of jaggery in the kumkumam, which we put in our mouth making the tongue red and questioned by the elders at home.

    Finally, we would reach home, show the prasAdam in our palms to the elders, then assemble in our home puja room and shout some shlokas before starting our evening studies. The study hour was a literal fish market, each of us reading our lesson loudly, so a casual listener would find Alladin Kilji selling his horses at Rs.200/- each, earning a profit in the bargain, weigh a baloon in a balance to prove that air had weight, cultivate his garden and water the plants, release the lion caught in the net, and would be together with Robinson Crusoe in a manless island, counting the days drawing lines, after his ship was caught in a storm.

    Note:
    khaNTAmaNi--kaNTham is neck and maNi is bell. Just like the human tonuge protrudes from its support in the neck, the tongue of the bells protrudes, so the name.
    Thanks for sharing how it was in the gone by days. I don't think all temples are business, but the big ones which have become recognized as siddha peethas capable of granting the boons to the devotees are being exploited in this fashion.

    I was in Chennai yesterday, another sad strory is the booming church business and evangelism - I don't think christianity is that strong anywhere else in the country(except the north east), mostly due to dravidian hate polictics. Brahmin hating has become generalized to hindu hating and falling for Christianity.

    It was very saddning to see big church buildings after every km in the whole route from Bangalore to Chennai, while many small temples seemed to be lying in neglect.
    What is Here, is Elsewhere. What is not Here, is Nowhere.

  10. #10

    Re: Little temple cultural idiosyncracies

    Quote Originally Posted by sm78 View Post
    Thanks for sharing how it was in the gone by days. I don't think all temples are business, but the big ones which have become recognized as siddha peethas capable of granting the boons to the devotees are being exploited in this fashion.

    I was in Chennai yesterday, another sad strory is the booming church business and evangelism - I don't think christianity is that strong anywhere else in the country(except the north east), mostly due to dravidian hate polictics. Brahmin hating has become generalized to hindu hating and falling for Christianity.

    It was very saddning to see big church buildings after every km in the whole route from Bangalore to Chennai, while many small temples seemed to be lying in neglect.
    That really is sad on so many levels.

    Maya

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