Birla Mandir and Birthdays

Well I finally got to do some sightseeing last monday around New Delhi. My cousin Akshar and I visited three sites around Delhi in a few hours before coming back home to go to his cousin's (my 2nd cousin, once removed, I think - every one is an aunti/uncle anyway...) birthday party.

Our first stop was the Birla Mandir, first built in the 17th century but revamped almost entirely in 1939 by the Birla industrial family of India. A Vaishnav Temple, its main sanctum holds the gorgeous murtis of Laxmi and Narayan. Its shikhars (spires) rise over 110 feet into the air and the circular ribbed motifs are apparently a traditionally Orissan design style. The history of this mandir is particularly interesting. Its inauguration was done by none other than Mahatma Gandhi, but on the condition that everyone, regardless of caste, creed or color should be allowed to enter. The entry gate plaque makes this very clear. The walls on the inside contain quotations from the scriptures of India spaced every few feet apart. They come from the Upanishads, Vedas, Puranas, and the Geeta as well. The temple complex itself is actually quite large - it has a number of sanctums. Besides the main sanctum of Laxmi-Narayan, there is a Shivaling, a murti of Vishnu standing atop the earth with his Sudarshan Chakra, and Hanuman and Ganesh. (Note: All the links will take you to pages describing these Hindu deities, if you're interested.) Akshar and I did Laxmi-Narayan Dev's, Shiva's, and Ganesh's puja and then headed out. I wish I could have taken pictures of these murtis for you all to see, but cameras weren't allowed inside.

A stone's throw away from the Birla Mandir is the Kali Bari Temple. This temple is dedicated to Kali, or Shakti. In a tradition that I'm not entirely certain is in conformity with the scriptures of India, the (rather unnatractive) murti of Kali is served meat and liquor, which is then offered to devotees as prasad (food/drink that is offered to God and so considered holy). Nevertheless, the temple has an interesting aura. The murti of Kali has incredible eyes - they exude a power (or Shakti) that is befitting of Kali's legacy. I won't lie though, it didn't feel like a benevolent power though. Kali seems to be a God that devotees worship out of fear. It's not that they are literally scared of Kali's wrath, but that they worship that power. Over time, Kali's role as a ferocious, fear-inspiring deity, known for wrathfulness has been replaced by a more benevolent perception. But for all of those who think that the domain of God is too masculine, hear this - almost all Hindus offer obeisance (though usually not the meat and liquor) to Kali in some form or fashion, most commonly as the Goddess Durga.

The final tour stop of the day was to Humayun's Tomb. It has been declared a Unesco World Heritage Site and is actually fairly well-preserved. Humayun was a Mogul Emperor, and like the Taj Mahal (though Humayun's Tomb is a precursor to Shah Jahan's 1632 masterpiece), this large, traditional Mogul edifice is a mausoleum for him and his family. Though the grounds were very pretty, the highlight of the visit was the entry. See, NRIs (non-resident Indians) and non-Indians are charged more for visiting tourist attractions. In fact, almost every one (except Akshardham) charges tourists and NRI's 10-25X more for entry than they do for Indians. So my cousin and I went, and I told him to pick up my ticket because he speaks proper Hindi (and as long as I keep my mouth shut, they don't know that I don't). Except that I was wearing shorts and an Express t-shirt which made me look distinctly like an NRI. While my cousin is picking up the ticket, the gate guard, trying to be wise, decides he's going to test my Hindi. As I approach the gate, he asks, "Kya time huua?" (What time is it?) as he points at my wrist with his right hand which is nonetheless adorned with a gawdy (probably) fake gold watch. "Pone tin," I answer, adding "sahib" for good measure. I guess it's a good think I learned to tell time the day before. And in we go having paid Rs. 10/- for my ticket instead of Rs. 250/-. Did I mention that the giant cargo pockets on my very American shorts got my little Nikon Coolpix camera in for free too? Hehehe...

I have to write about Ishita's birthday party still, but I've typed too much, so I'm done for now. Pictures of these trips will come soon, promise.