Devotion on the top of Hills!
Just back from Tirupati, with a bad headache, I still sit glued to my computer, writing this blog about the whole experience of getting a Darshan of Lord Venkateswara.
It is astonishing to see and experience a huge deluge of humanity rushing, gasping, and crushing each other to just catch a glimpse of the Lord (lasting no more than 10 seconds). We waited with uncertainty for 6 hours in a crowded & locked room where a big TV was playing Ramayan. The Temple although located on the top of the Hills gets too warm due to the sheer number of people visiting the place. The gates of the "Waiting Room" finally opened, being excited at being let free, we ran with all our might towards the temple. We soon ran into a very long queue of people waiting to get "Laddu" tokens. This queue took us another hour and a half to get to the Deity.
Having weathered the hassles of the queue, we looked forward to a Darshan of the Lord. Instead, we were greeted by some burly men & stern women (volunteers for TTD), who wanted to see us out of the Deity as soon as we stepped in. In no time we were pushed out of the sanctum sanctorum having had no more than 10-20 second glimpse of the Lord.
I wonder where this kind of arrangement is going to lead, I wonder how devotees wait patiently, endlessly to get a Darshan for 10 seconds, and get jostled around from pillar to the post. I believe that this is defeating the purpose of visiting the Temple completely. Make no mistake, I am a firm believer in God, but I don't accept this. I would rather sit at home and worship the God; I would rather visit a Temple in my locality where I can sit for as long as I wish, in peace; without anyone to push me around. As one of the boards in Tirupati aptly read "Darshan is not what you get, Darshan is what he gives." How true!
It is astonishing to see and experience a huge deluge of humanity rushing, gasping, and crushing each other to just catch a glimpse of the Lord (lasting no more than 10 seconds). We waited with uncertainty for 6 hours in a crowded & locked room where a big TV was playing Ramayan. The Temple although located on the top of the Hills gets too warm due to the sheer number of people visiting the place. The gates of the "Waiting Room" finally opened, being excited at being let free, we ran with all our might towards the temple. We soon ran into a very long queue of people waiting to get "Laddu" tokens. This queue took us another hour and a half to get to the Deity.
Having weathered the hassles of the queue, we looked forward to a Darshan of the Lord. Instead, we were greeted by some burly men & stern women (volunteers for TTD), who wanted to see us out of the Deity as soon as we stepped in. In no time we were pushed out of the sanctum sanctorum having had no more than 10-20 second glimpse of the Lord.
I wonder where this kind of arrangement is going to lead, I wonder how devotees wait patiently, endlessly to get a Darshan for 10 seconds, and get jostled around from pillar to the post. I believe that this is defeating the purpose of visiting the Temple completely. Make no mistake, I am a firm believer in God, but I don't accept this. I would rather sit at home and worship the God; I would rather visit a Temple in my locality where I can sit for as long as I wish, in peace; without anyone to push me around. As one of the boards in Tirupati aptly read "Darshan is not what you get, Darshan is what he gives." How true!
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