Sravanabelagola
We visited Sravanabelagola on Tuesday because of the strong endorsement from our Jain friend Somati Mohan in New York. This is perhaps the most significant Jain pilgrimage site in South India, and we heard it was quite lovely. The main image, Gomateswara, is a single monolithic statue carved out of the granite on the top of the hill. The image above is the statue surrounded by some scaffolding, which I take to be a semi-permanent part of the temple.
Here, again, was a frenetic Indian temple experience. One has to climb about 500 hand-cut steps to reach the temple. Lots of people. Everyone is pushing. Once we reached the temple we had to take a brake and sit down, not from the climbing but from the pushing.
Once inside the temple, the fury was only more intense. Visitors frantically worked their way around the melee while traffic cops with whistles tried to direct the flow and keep it moving. I have uploaded a large video clip (link, 12.3 MB) which may show a little of how crazy it felt to be in there. Try to turn the sound all the way up so the whistles and the screaming are too much to take.
I just have to wonder to myself how anyone can have a quiet, meditative connection with divinity in this kind of environment. Maybe I'm too much of a simpleton, but all I could think about was my personal safety.
3 Comments:
Sean and Monica,
What an experience!! You will return home as changed people.
I love your blog. it is awesome to get updates as you travel. I've never been to India, but this blog makes me feel like I've been there. Reminds me of a bit of parts of China.
Love Dave
6:17 AM
Hi Sean and Monica,
thank you so much for sharing your experiences with the readers of your blot. It is an amazing trip you are on, and I am vey glad you are able to undertake it.
-Sarah Dougher
8:53 PM
i'm with you sean, i don’t think i would have had much of a meditation session w/ that crowd. i did have a teacher shed some light on the situation though. living in NYC my yoga classes often get filled with outside noise such as yelling or continual car honking. i once had a teacher tell the class to consider those distractions a blessing, something of an exercise. its easier to stay calm and focused when ones surroundings are quiet and maintained. usually its more difficult to keep cool when we need it the most, during situations that get frenzied or out of our control (personal relationships not going as planned, annoying bosses etc.) and its during those stressful times that we really need to bring our practice, well, into practice.
miss you guys!!
8:15 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home