Nurturing nature and the mind through visits to holy places

The above flower plant picture was taken when we visited the Hanumanji temple in another village. The temple is very famous and lots of people visit it every day. Earlier, they used to give free breakfast to all who visited during the morning hours. First come first served basis. After the pandemic, food was not served because of various restrictions due to the lockdown and such.

Recently, they started anew but we missed it as we started late. The temple is situated in a serene place near the river. The authorities have taken an effort to maintain a beautiful garden just near the bank. So, it gives a divine atmosphere and helps calm the mind of all those who visit here.

Dattatreya Swamy is the main deity. Hanumanji is worshipped for the fruition of prayers of students, people who want children, and those who would like to get married. It is believed that those who place a coconut and pray and keep it there for forty days, get their prayers answered.

Earlier, only a few knew about it but as people started getting their prayers answered, more and more Hindus came and worshipped, and now it is really very famous.

The devotees can avail of Laddu and Aval(rice flakes) prasad any time they visit. Needless to say, it is very tasty.

The small temple near the garden that you see above is known as Pataal Hanuman. We should climb down the stairs inside this temple and pray to Hanumanji who will remove the evil eye.

I have heard about temples outside of India that have huge gardens and also restaurants associated with them, especially the Hare Krishna temples. I have visited the Hare Krishna temple in Mumbai and Tirupati. It was a very different experience when we visited the Tirupati temple in the early morning and saw the devotees who were singing bhajans and dancing and later were given prasad. I have also visited Puttaparthy regularly and experienced the divine. It is totally another world experience.

The one thing that makes visits to the temples stand apart, especially in Kerala is that we get closer to nature. Most temples have plants and trees that beautify the surroundings. The flowers and fruits are used by the temple for worship.

The more complex human life has become, such visits to temples and other places of worship ensure peace of mind. Be it a church, mosque, or temple, people are more religious and pious and it helps the culture of the nation to continue and the children too learn to be humble and more appreciative of nature. The serene atmosphere also shows the children that people can live in harmony with nature and other beings and fellow humans.

Single children of nuclear families would not know the importance of sharing with others when living within the house but when one has to stand in the queue for getting prasad, such values will be learned quickly.

I hope you also believe in such visits to holy places of worship and in community gatherings.

image - sayee