Just Another House

As I enter the premises I get a first view of the grandeur of the majestic mansion build out of white marble. If not for the sheer size of the building, the blinding light of the sea of whiteness overwhelm my senses. A thought comes to my mind - is this the house of someone of great importance? I take a walk along the stony pathway surrounded by luscious gardens and beautiful statues adorning them.

A series of steps lead me to the courtyard surrounding the house. It takes a few gasps of breath to imbibe the majestic view of the house from here. The main building is still a good fifty steps away. I can see throngs of people scattered around the courtyard. A family sitting on the ground raise their heads to sky to see the yellow flag fluttering in the strong wind a hundred feet above the ground.

A couple of school kids are busy taking pictures from their mobile phones. An old man with a stick to support his fragile frame, makes a strenuous effort to straighten his back, astonished at the enormity of the structure in front of him. A few kids run helter-skelter around the courtyard; a safe space for kids to wander around is a luxury in this modern world. A lady shouts at them to come back and join the group.

I make my way through the crowd and am greeted by giant wooden doors that give the first glimpse of the still mysterious interiors. A security guard looks at me with suspicion as I stand at the door to catch my breath, for a second time in last few minutes. The cooled air soothes the body and melodious sounds strike a pleasant cord with the mind. Further in I can see people standing in front of what I guess are the owners of this house.

Jai! Jai! The shouts of hail manage to subdue all other sounds and the echo seems to go right through my heart. I am not in front of a king I wonder, perhaps I am! The proud owners of the house are Shrimati Radhe Rani and Shri Krishna. Yes, it is a temple I have been in. Isn't a temple the house of Gods? It is so easy to just stare at the statues of Gods inside a temple and come out without a cent of feeling in the heart.

House of God

Temples are places of divinity but nothing seems to change in between the moments we go in and come out. However if we go inside a temple as a house and "meet" its owners, maybe even talk to them, then we might come out with a heart full of gratefulness and kindness. So next time you visit a temple, try and have a conversation with the residents. Just a simple 'Hi' and 'Thank You' could go a long way!

The boy gathers material for a temple, and then he is thirty, concludes to build a woodshed.

Henry David Thoreau