Have you ever visted a South Indian temple ?,especially in the legendary culture of Dravida race ?
If not get the bags packed and go for it. It worth going there cause it all about a special feeling ,blend with yellowish rituals and a nocturnal spiritual feeling will certainly steal your heart.
So I prefer night walks through the aisles of the temple so that you can feel its divinity as it is.
I went there once , with my friends and it changed my previous prejudiced conceptions about a Hindu temple and I started loving its mysterious spirituality.
It’s a magical world of spirituality. I was in thrilling mood to see the sights of that special occasion with all curiosity. I found nothing but the unconditional faith of people which often puzzled me with a thousand mysterous questions. Any way I enjoyed being a lone visitor of its yellowish rituals and it was a superb experience to me to feel such a heaven of great culture.
A scapegoat, actually sacrificed in those late hours of that midnight and it was the only thing I can regret about my divine journey. It reminded me of those parables that I had seen in the holy chapters of the Old Testament where Abraham sacrificed a lamb before God to be an ever obedient son, but an unfortunate father I think. Yeah but.... a life, a precious life of a goat ends there to be a blessed one. Sounds crazy....? Let it be anyway cause that’s my own concerns.
"That’s it and that’s life here". They said in unison. "That’s the way things ought to go here " my friends replied. I found no one of my kind diplorably.
Even my friends’ brother who is a disabled person, both hearing is impaired and unable to speak anything, showed his astonishment in gestures of knowing me both as an unfortunate veggie and a hatred of killing animals. He gestrued me the need to be a strong fellow by consuming goat meat. I smiled at him. Anyhow he accepted me of being such an unfortunate veggie by taping his hands gently on my shoulders.
At first I was a little shy and ignorant about how to communicate with him. Later we became good friends and althrough the long walks to see the shrine of Holy Mariyamman we exchanged our words in great mutual understandings.
It took long time’s walk to the temple from the place we camped and we all friends were enjoying such nocturnal walk in all means. Navaneethan got to go through the rituals of the night. We reached river. By the time reached there, the atmosphere was seemed so divine with the sounds of drums and the rituals of carrying hot pot in one’s hands with elegant flames in it. Some danced so wildly and spritually before the one who is chosen.
"The God is coming, see " Prasant told me as we watched the extremeness of the night’s rituals.
I smiled at him then turned towards to see Atchudhan.He appeared so tired and sleepy. We got into the river and it wasn’t that much deep. Children made it as a park and they seemed so happy.
" Friend ! How’s the festival ? good no? " Nandhni frequently enquired to me whenever we exchanged our sudden glances in the midst of the processions. It's one of the best part of the temple festivals where people give themselves to the river, and letting the river wash away their sins. Diplorably the river seemed so poor where water levels were no more than our knees . But I couldn't survey it properly since it was night time.
"Yeah it’s good, superb " I replied with a smile.
"Then why did you say that you will not be come with us ? " she asked again and I said I was not well that’s why.
The tick tick sounds that raised in a harmonious manner from the river banks. They say it for invoking the God in you. It's pinnacle showed the wild dance of devotees and I could perceive God's appearance in many of them. Their relatives were busy filming their dearest ones God appearance so I started filming it.
Inside temple her mother asked everyone to go through some rituals where one lays down on an yellow clothing and there given some prayers by placing lights all over ourselves.I hid behind my friends. But at her insistence and my friends’ persuadings I obeyed for it.
" It’s alright pa... there is nothing other than anything in it, just go through it " her Amma said with all concerns.
The whole night seemed yellow in colour and I started to feel some mysterious affection towards that divine colour.