Sripuram Narayani Temple

From Ambur, we reached Sripuram, the now famous Golden Temple of Narayani.

I have never seen a temple which evokes such strong reactions. It is positively opulent. It is ostentatious whereas most temples in India reflect austerity. Glazed granite, golden pillars and the dazzling lights leaves you not speechless but dumbfounded. Other temples make you fall silent.

The circumambulation path, is not square or circular but star shaped.

I was just wondering how anyone who enters this temple with fountains and pleasure evoking contraptions could instil a sense of bhakti and humility. Pictures of the man - however great he may have been in constructing this temple - he is still a man - not to be placed alongside Gods/Godesses.

I was just fuming and then had the darshan from 15 feet away even though we had paid a hefty Rs.100/- as entrance ticket.

Then I saw a villager, who normally gets more awed than us city dwellers, just praying there - no dazzling lights, no opulence and no amount of gold could deter him from praying.

So it is not what outside or in the temple that counts. What counts is what you have in you - that is bhakti.

I came out totally humbled from this extraordinary temple, just as I come out of any temple. Better learned and even more humbled.

I am a more chastisised person now.

Refer Wikipedia for more info on this place.

Just see a pic gleamed off the net.