Morning Temples

What passion, color, sound, vibrancy! This morning I woke up early and walked South of the tourist area into the local markets and temples of Kathmandu. The highlights were seeing all the women in their colorful saris, being the only white person for as far as I could see, and seeing the Hindu religion come alive through normal everyday people. I stumbled upon a temple that said, "open to all religions," so I stepped inside. When I say temple, I do not mean a clean, sterilized place where life stops and God speaks words of wisdom. No, a temple is a rising up of the city itself and the people to meet God in a normal, everyday, chaotic manner. Amid ten or so stone statues covered in marigolds, rice, incense, and surrounded by ghee candles, there is dog shit on the street, children playing barefoot in the dust, skinny old men and women begging with open hands.

I bought a small bowl made of leaves, filled with offerings (banana, flowers, a candle), and did my best to feed the gods of this place. I laughed at myself because I was so worried about doing something wrong, or offending somebody, but no one seemed to care what I did - they were all too busy praying themselves and crowding around the particular deity at hand. I got several smiles from some of the women - like they were tickled that I was trying to participate - and one woman even helped me out and showed me what to do. There really isn't a wrong way to honor the Hindu gods - as long as you throw some rice or flowers at them or light a candle, it seems that they are happy. It was so different to sense the energetic presence of benevolent spirits in that way, spirits who are fed regularly by humans so that their energy can grow and manifest. As I walked down the street I would look over and see another small Ganesha shrine, and actually sense and feel his personality.

There were way too many shrines and temples to count, but if I had to pick a favorite, I think it would be the one that was completely grown through with tree roots, so that ancient stone melded together with living wood. That tree was the tallest, largest one I've seen so far in Kathmandu, and there aren't many other trees around. I love the way it holds the shrine in its roots and branches upwards to the sky.