Much ado about nothing....

July 6, 2008-(Sunday)- Amritsar/ Dharmasala, India

Part of my plans for the trip were to have a relaxed breakfast on Sunday, then run by the Mata Temple, and then head towards Dharmasala where I could spend an hour or two shopping. (Dharmasala is on the way back towards Palumpur) But NO ! Whiners wanted us in the lobby by 7:30 am ! They vacillated from wanting more time in Dharmasala, to wanting to be back in Palumpur by 7pm to get to the tailor’s. How did the whiners win out? There was me, bold most of the time, but restrained, the two whiners, and Anna and another girl who are passive and indecisive. They would neither agree with me, nor with the whiners, afraid to speak their minds. I was too frustrated and didn’t want a fight, so I gave in. I did make them stop so I could get my morning chai. We met the taxi driver at 8am. We asked him to take us to the Mata temple, and although he asked several people where it was, we never got there. Instead we ended up at another temple. Not the one we anticipated, but beautiful none -the -less.
• Shree Durgiana Mandir in Amritsar is a focal point of faith for the Hindus. Pilgrims flock to this temple not only from India but also from abroad. Over the years, it has become an epicenter of Hindu renaissance and rejuvenation. The complex is popularly known as the Durgiana, derives its name from the Goddess Durga. This connection with Goddess Durga is a sociocultural reference as Goddess Durga is normally invoked for protection and health while the soldiers go to war. The foundation stone of the premises of Durgiana ‘sarovar’ was laid on January 4, 1921. The foundation ceremony of Durgiana Mandir was performed in February 1921 on the auspicious occasion of ‘basant’ festival. The then Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, gave a grant of Rs 1 crore from his discretionary funds for face-lifting of the shrine. Designed on the lines of Golden Temple, Durgiana Temple is a revered place for Hindus. It is located outside the Lohgarh Gate. The Temple stands amidst a tank and has a dome. Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya laid its foundation stone. The Temple is also known as Lakshmi Narayan Mandir. Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and Narayan is a Hindu Deity known as Lord Vishnu - the preserver of the universe. Inside the temple are images of the Mother Goddess in her various forms, many of them done in mosaics made from pieces of colored tile. This temple was built quite recently, but the site is much older.

This temple was incredible. It was definitely as beautiful as the Golden Temple, and better yet, photos were permitted inside ! While I was there, I met up with two of the girls I had danced with the evening before at the border. They embraced me and their mother who was with them hugged me and kissed me on both cheeks! We talked a few minutes, took pictures, and said goodbye. It was incredible. Then it was in the car again for our 5-ish hour drive to Dharmasala. In Dharmasala, I did some shopping. We met up with two other groups of our volunteers who were there shopping as well. Soon, it was back to Palumpur. I unpacked, checked my email, and went to bed.