India is a country that is home to many religions, the predominant one being Hinduism But Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Jainism and Sikhism have also made their mark on the subcontinent. Hinduism is rumored to be populated by around 33 million gods, so one can only imagine how many temples there are! It would be impossible to visit them all, but there are a few highlights found from Kerala to Himachal Pradesh.You can find a celebration of the divine everywhere in India—on the bus, a figure of Ganesh (the elephant-headed god) is surrounded by small, multi-colored blinking lights; in a rickshaw, a picture of Lakshmi (goddess of wealth) is garlanded in marigolds; and a hotel lobby has a shrine to Saraswati (goddess of wisdom) with incense burning below it.
India is truly a country where the sacred and the profane coexist. Kerala, one of the beautiful, tropical states of southern India, has more Christians than any other state in the country; as a result many of the “temples” in Kerala are in fact Christian churches. Portuguese Catholics first arrived on the Kerala coast in the 15th century and constructed their churches throughout the state, many of which are still standing in cities such as Allepy and Cochin. You can even see churches while lazily cruising along the beautiful backwaters on a houseboat. They look much like those in the Western world, but with an Indian twist on them: They are far more colorful and inviting than the sometimes imposing churches found in Christian-dominated countries.
From Kerala, the next state north is Karnataka with its coastal district of “Tulu Land” (the area where the Tulu language is spoken). A good first pilgrimage stop in Tulu Land is Mudbidri (also spelled Moodbidri), a charming town with a well-known, thousand-pillared Jain temple. Jainism is a pre-Buddhist form of Hinduism, though it rather resembles the former. Jains believe taking life to be an impure act, so they eat no meat or eggs. Jain nuns wear face masks and sweep the way ahead of them as they walk so they don't inadvertently kill any precious bug life (You never know! That fruit fly could be your mother's reincarnation!) You can easily spend hours wandering around this peaceful haven, but no photos are permitted to be taken inside. Put away your camera and just contemplate the beauty of the individually carved pillars.The Lakshmi temple in Kodyadka, a village very near to Mudbidri, is worth a visit. A giant Hanuman (the monkey god renowned for his great strength) statue graces the front and inside a dancing elephant bestows blessings (when she’s in the mood). Even when no one is around, the elephant dances all by herself, perhaps just for the love of it! On Wednesdays the temple serves food to all. People from all socio-economic levels sit together on the floor and accept the offerings from the temple.
Your next stop further north on the Tulu trail is Udupi where you’ll find a locally famous Krishna temple. Krishna is one of India's most well known and beloved gods, known for his mischievous tricks and as a lover of milkmaids. To call this place a temple feels like an understatement; in fact it should be called a Krishna complex. Inside this massive complex you’ll find every sort of depiction of Krishna, but the main attraction, the central idol, is a tiny, ancient, black stone carving of the god himself. To the untrained eye, it may seem less impressive than many of the other carvings, but it is an object of great devotion for Krishna’s worshippers. As Hindu pilgrims approach the tiny statue, they drop to the ground in furious display of devotion.From here it is worth moving inland to the holy city of Hampi. Hampi claims to be the largest of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. One thing is for sure—the whole place is absolutely covered in temples. In addition to this, one site contains the ruins of a deserted town and its temples. For some unknown reason the people of the area decamped about five hundred years ago. Wandering through its ruins almost feels like something out of Indiana Jones! After you explore these ruins, be sure to visit the Monkey Temple. It takes a climb of nearly 1,000 steps to reach it, but it is worth a look. Hundreds of monkeys live there and you get a good view of the world below.
After you exploring the goddess-worshiping south, a move to the much more god-centered state of Rajasthan will provide an interesting contrast. In Jodhpur, the Baba Ramdev Temple sits atop stairs, ladders and rocks. It seems an incredibly unlikely location for a temple considering that its location high up on a large piece of sandstone, balanced precariously on another piece of sandstone. The Brahmins who look after the temple excitedly tell tourists how they’re sometimes able to fit as many as three hundred people up there on that little rock!After Jodhpur, a trip out to Ossian (also spelled Ossyan) in the Rajasthani desert is a good next stop. Here, you’ll be permitted to take photos of a beautiful Jain temple and its incredible carvings. Outside of Ossian, in what seems like the middle of nowhere, you’ll find numerous sparsely decorated Hindu temples. It is incredible that even out here, where so few people live, you still find so many temples—one, it almost seems, for each person!
If you’re in India in March, you may have a chance to see the Dalai Lama give his annual teaching at the temple near his home in Mcleod Ganj. Mcleod Ganj has a fair number of Tibetan refugees, as well as Hindus, so it is interesting to see the mingling of Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism. His Holiness's teachings are inspiring to listen to and the all-encompassing warmth of Buddhism is refreshing—no talk of one god, one right way or threats of hell and damnation.The most spectacular temple in India is best saved for last because everything after it will seem unspectacular, comparatively speaking. From Himachal Pradesh, travel on to the Punjab and the city of Amritsar where you will find the Sikh Golden Temple. The massive complex surrounding the temple (which is made of 750 kilograms of gold) is so peaceful. Families from all over the Punjab come there on pilgrimage and the atmosphere is one of reverential worship. In addition to the beautiful temple and the peace and quiet it offers, the temple feeds pilgrims 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Pilgrims and local Sikhs alike serve and cook food, wash dishes and clean up the floor. Sikhs tend to be rather wealthy, but that doesn't mean they’re above performing kitchen duties!
Life in the Western world can leave you feeling sapped of energy and cynical about life. Visiting the temples of India can inspire you and show you the meaning of inclusive faith and real devotion. Perhaps you won't find your guru, but surely you’ll invigorate your spirit!
By Tabatha Smith
