Temple of Realisation

It was so different. My body was quivering as I directed the baggages out of the cold and unfamiliar airport. I was not ready to accept that we have moved away from our birth place, into a foreign land, where we might be looked upon as outcasts. I was startled; change was not my thing. As we rushed out of the airport, the arid and dry climate swiftly nailed onto us. Immediately, my skin felt as though it was burning and cracking. I felt a layer of fire engulfing my body.

This was my mentality as I had not been immersed into the culture of this foreign land. Gradually, I was getting accustomed to life here. When I felt the environment was unforgiving, I was astounded by the way people behaved. I mean, in my culture I was moulded in a way where I respected everything; from non-living things to living. For example, last year when we just moved in, I saw kids throwing and kicking books in the school corridor. Many people also used their feet to move bundles of books, it made me feel uncomfortable. It might seem diminutive to you, but not to me because in Hinduism, books are glaringly respected, mainly because they provide us with knowledge, which is eternal wealth. These incidences made me feel the strong bond I shared with my culture, I felt that this bond will never be broken.

Last summer when I was 14, we had planned to go to Tamil Nadu , India for summer. I was seriously delighted by this, we were going back "home," after one whole year. I was eager to connect with my culture; the food, the people, the lifestyle, the crowded cities and sultry heat, and of course unify myself with Hindu temples.

As we landed in Chennai , I was not able to contain my emotions as I felt I would explode. From the airport, we took an auto-rickshaw home. It was nice to be in a rickshaw after a long time, it was a small, compact, three-wheeler that seated a maximum of 3 passengers, and was like a tuk-tuk. I felt devastatingly hot due to the black covering on top of the vehicle. It was like a furnace. The torn cloth and open-sides pushed the hot air onto my face, draining every droplet of water from me. I sensed my faced shrinking and dehydrating every second, until I explored my skin became like a raisin. In frustration I complained, "Aghhhh, why is it so hot and why is there no A.C?" After giving some thought to what I said, I felt a vacuum within me, "why would I say such a thing? Have I changed? Do I still fit into the lifestyle? " I was enmeshed by gloominess, reflecting on my perspective of seeing home from a transformed angle. As we zoomed through the crowded city of Chennai, I could hear the buzzing of the city. Vehicles honking, engines growling, street venders cheering at the top of their lungs trying to advertise. To my surprise, I did not feel home. All the noise and compact environment made my head feel heavy as though I had been knocked out with a hammer. I was not able to diagnose the sweet smell of corn and "Kadalai ." Generally the aroma of these exquisite street foods abduct me, but now I feel like it is making me want to leave. I did not feel comfortable.

The next day, we headed to Meenakshi temple in the centre of Madurai, which is a city in the southern parts of Tamil Nadu. I was more comfortable today. I felt dissolved into my religious culture as I stepped into the stone temple. The tall "Gopurams " towered high into the sky as though they were meeting heaven itself. Over 1000s of convoluted structures and statues of God made up this pyramid structure. I don't know why, but I felt an attractive force towards my values and culture. The open-spaces in the temple helped me diffuse into my religion, making me feel restored. As we headed into the main area of the temple, the subtly energizing sound of the bells discovered my ears. The Pandit began chanting religious Shlokas that made me slip into a spell of wonder. The essence of the song snaked into my ear, hooking me towards my values and religion. The rhythm of the songs began to match the rhythm of my heartbeat. I felt one with my home country, it was awakening.