I saw myself with my parents, my sister, my naani and few other people at this HUGE magnified amphitheater filled with thousands of people. The main holy lake was at the depth of the center of layers and layers of amphitheater style circular sitting areas. The amphitheater echoed with the roars of cheers and chanting around me while the drums rolled when a new batch dipped into the holy lake.
The rest of the temple area itself was very huge and it was all stone and marbles under my feet wherever I walked, and not the sand, except the giant holy banyan tree that was at the center of the temple area. It was an isolated area that was not out of reach or bounds for the devotees but no one went there, many didn't even realize it was there, but it stood there and witnessed the activities in the temple, outdoors and indoors. It was there to maintain the balance in the life of the temple.
I could see it and I felt like walking towards it but somehow I didn't want to leave the stony path to walk on the sand. But all the time the tree was in my line of sight I could feel it was watching me and I looked back once in a while at it, standing there as always.
I was pleasantly surprised to run into my college friends at the main temple courtyard. It had just rained and the floor was still wet though not very slippery as it was stone floor. The marble flooring was in the main temple indoors. So there we stood talking while my family did the darshan. Suddenly this very well dressed lady in a sari came up to me and greeted me very nicely. I said a quick hello and looked away, hoping she would go away. I thought I knew her but I wasn't sure. I felt she wanted to talk to me about something but seeing me with my friends, she realized I didn't want to meet her then so she stood there for a few seconds, then amid the looming silence she walked away, feeling embarrassed I guess. I felt really ashamed and couldn't even talk to my friends properly after that. The tree must have seen this as I felt this strong unsettling sensation of guilt that I never got while standing in the courtyard of any ordinary temple.
The rest of the temple area itself was very huge and it was all stone and marbles under my feet wherever I walked, and not the sand, except the giant holy banyan tree that was at the center of the temple area. It was an isolated area that was not out of reach or bounds for the devotees but no one went there, many didn't even realize it was there, but it stood there and witnessed the activities in the temple, outdoors and indoors. It was there to maintain the balance in the life of the temple.
I could see it and I felt like walking towards it but somehow I didn't want to leave the stony path to walk on the sand. But all the time the tree was in my line of sight I could feel it was watching me and I looked back once in a while at it, standing there as always.
I was pleasantly surprised to run into my college friends at the main temple courtyard. It had just rained and the floor was still wet though not very slippery as it was stone floor. The marble flooring was in the main temple indoors. So there we stood talking while my family did the darshan. Suddenly this very well dressed lady in a sari came up to me and greeted me very nicely. I said a quick hello and looked away, hoping she would go away. I thought I knew her but I wasn't sure. I felt she wanted to talk to me about something but seeing me with my friends, she realized I didn't want to meet her then so she stood there for a few seconds, then amid the looming silence she walked away, feeling embarrassed I guess. I felt really ashamed and couldn't even talk to my friends properly after that. The tree must have seen this as I felt this strong unsettling sensation of guilt that I never got while standing in the courtyard of any ordinary temple.
