The ISKCON Temple in Bangalore sits on Hare Krishna Hill in Rajajinagar, not in the crowded center of the city. The hill is not high. The climb is short. The temple is not ancient. It was inaugurated in 1997 by the former President of India, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma. The stone is not old. The … Read more
The Siruvapuri Balamurugan Temple sits in the village of Siruvapuri, about forty kilometers from Chennai. The city is behind you. The highway is straight. The fields are open. The temple is not on a hill like Palani. It is not on a seashore like Tiruchendur. It is in a village. The deity is not a … Read more
The Peddamma Temple sits in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, surrounded by high rises and busy roads. The area is posh. The cars are expensive. The temple is not. The stone is not marble. The gopuram is not tall. But the power is. The goddess is Peddamma, the mother of mothers. Pedda means great. Amma means mother. … Read more
The Mogal Maa Temple sits in Bhaguda village, in the Mahuva Taluka of Bhavnagar district, Gujarat. The land is flat. The fields are green. The temple is not large. The devotion is. The goddess is Mogal Maa, a fierce form of the divine mother. She holds a sword in one hand and a serpent in … Read more
The Golden Temple in Vellore is not old. It was consecrated in 2007. The stone is not worn smooth by centuries of feet. The gold is new. But the temple is not a monument. It is a statement. The temple is covered in pure gold foil, over 1,500 kilograms of it. The path to the … Read more
The Eklingji Temple sits twenty two kilometers north of Udaipur, in the town of Kailashpuri. The road passes through dry hills and small villages. The temple is not on a hill. It is in a valley, surrounded by walls. The deity is not a lingam in the usual sense. It is a Chaturmukha Shivling, a … Read more
The Salasar Balaji Temple sits in the small town of Salasar, in the Churu district of Rajasthan. The land is dry. The wind is hot. The town is dusty. But the temple is not dusty. The marble floors are clean. The queue moves. The devotees chant. The idol is Hanuman, but not the Hanuman you … Read more
The Maihar Devi Temple sits on Trikut Hill, in the town of Maihar, Satna district, Madhya Pradesh. The hill is not high. The climb is not easy. One thousand and sixty three steps. The steps are stone. The trees are thin. The sun is hot. But the devotees climb. They climb for the goddess. Her … Read more
The Sri Bhadrakali Temple sits on a hill beside the Bhadrakali Lake, in the city of Warangal, Telangana. The water is still. The hill is dry. The temple is not large. The idol is. The goddess is Bhadrakali, a fierce form of Durga. She has eight arms. Each holds a weapon. Her eyes are wide. … Read more
The Ghati Subramanya Temple sits about sixty kilometers north of Bangalore, in the village of S.S. Ghati, Doddaballapur Taluk. The city is behind you. The fields open. The hills rise. The temple is not on a high peak. It is in a valley, between rocks. The deity is not one. It is two. Lord Subramanya … Read more