nothing special

I was fortunate to spend a weekend

in Mumbai recently, and in a single

jam-packed day participated in the age-

old traditions that have kept India alive

with vibrant spirituality: temple worship,

teachings of the spiritual masters and

holy festivals celebrated in grand style.

the day began with pre-dawn puja for

Lord Shiva at the Babulnath Temple

in the heart of the city overlooking

the Arabian Sea. Most of my time is

spent in South India where direct deity

worship is only done by the pujaris. So

it is always exceptional to visit temples

where flowers, fruit, milk, sandal paste

and other items are available for visitors

to do their own personal puja and

worship.

I then took a short cab ride to visit

the home of Advaita master Ramesh

Balsekar, who, at the age of 91, still

welcomes any and all to his home on

a daily basis for casual satsang and

question-and-answer sessions. He

delivered his straightforward message

on non-dualism with a delightful sense

of humor in the informal atmosphere of

his living room.

That evening, I joined

an overflowing and enthusiastic crowd

of devotees at the Radha Gopinath

Temple, also known as the ISKCON

Hare Krishna Hare Rama Temple, for

Pushya Abhishek to celebrate the first

day of spring. Imagine hour upon hour

of ecstatic chanting, dancing and being

showered with one ton of multicolored

flower petals, some shipped all the way

from Vrindavan. If George Harrison

had thrown a rave, it would have looked

something like this.

In these unsettling

times, ripe with threats of violence,

modernization and materialism, this

single day served as an uplifting and

comforting reminder that the customs

of ancient India are still alive and well

and readily available for all who have a

desire to participate.