I have always lived in Bombay ,and that to near Siddhvinayak temple .At that time round of temple was a routine to get handful of prasad .There was no Q .Ganpati Bappa had not achieved the todays status.Since the long Q started ,I only looked at them in wonder and never wished to visit again .Then of course the threat of terrorist ,enclosed the Ganpati Bappa into all the more unapproachable situation for ME and I never thought of going in , in fact after a visit to Vithal temple i Pandharpur , I decided never to go to a temple which is Famous .I am happy with small roadside shrines and as for God granting my wish I think they are accomplished by my prayer and by blessings of smaller Godsand gods from my small family shrine at home. A friend of mine got up at 2.30 am cooked for the family then walked all the way from Irla to Siddhi Vinayak temple, stood in the line for two hours and then went for her job as school teacher every Tuesday for many many years.Actually I did not find her peaceful at all with this experience but anyway ,she beleived in doing and she did it.
As for me I kept hearing stories about how at Tirupati you can pay so much and get a VIP darshanand how you could get special prasad etc .There were many who boasted about how they had influence in all temples and they could get you Darshan for few hundred rupees . They believed in their shraddha , and did not mind paying up.Where as to me it was a bribe which I thought was amoral especially for Gods.All said, aap ko bulawa ayga tab jaana padega.
And really the bulawa came in form of a friend who rarely visits Mumbai ,it was Friday so I agreed saying noQday today .But what do we find there were three rows of winding line to get in .We were looking lost in the scenario when lie flash one young man approached my friend and offered VIP Darshan for few hundred rupees ,my friendwho must be used to this n seconds parted with the amount ,and there I was in situation I did not want to be in ….I smiled inwards thinking this is your wish Ganpatibappa.,and I went in .The Darshan was pleasant indeed , I looked at the peacful image of God and wondered what does he care what humans do , he is there unmovable as ever.
Whatever we humans do is our own logic ,he does not ask for Modak nor for red flowers ,not any silver Mukut or Gold ornament .It is wish of the devotee that rules over these things..
HE IS NOT MOVED BY ANY OF THIS THINGS.,I ,brushed aside all the thoughts,
I filled my vision with Ganpatibappa’ image prayed to him with all my heart and stepped out.
Ganpati Bappa Morya.
I am Chhattisgarhi Maharashtriyan, born and studied in Raipur but very much like Marathi Taung…I have seen a Marathi movie “Majha Navara Navasa Cha” and known about “Ganpati Pude”…I very much wish to go there…Can you tell me about the place…?
What you said,i truely agree with you!! but ….still i have a desire to visit siddhi Vinayak!
well done…you discovered at last that the ”extra” bucks being charged/levied [whether at Tirupathi Lord Venkateswara''s abode or at Mumbai''s Siddhivinayak''s Temple or at Shirdibaba''s place]is all to cut short on the longgggggggggggggggg waiting queues that well up due to the large influx of ”devotees” - GOD doesn”t seek nor ask.GOD BLESS ALL!!
Exactly!
you realy did not have to stand in a que. you could have simply told god what you wanted to tell him. you did not even have to go to the temple too. sit in your chair and tell him. he will listen and hear.
I go there mostly in the evening, about half an hour before the temple is to get closed, and I reach inside in 4 to 5 minutes flat
That is not a trick, but that is the time I get to reach there for some recent times… And Siddhivinayak is one of my favorite temples – He answered my prayers! Yes, I see people going there on foot, starting the previous night. It is their decision, and in fact it has a spiritual meaning. A Hindu gong to Temple, then reaching the garbhagriha where deity is installed is symbolic of our atma – self - traveling the path of enlightenment and reaching to meet paramatma – God.
I go there mostly in the evening, about half an hour before the temple is to get closed, and I reach inside in 4 to 5 minutes flat
That is not a trick, but that is the time I get to reach there for some recent times… And Siddhivinayak is one of my favorite temples – He answered my prayers! Yes, I see people going there on foot, starting the previous night. It is their decision, and in fact it has a spiritual meaning. A Hindu gong to Temple, then reaching the garbhagriha where deity is installed is symbolic of our atma – self - traveling the path of enlightenment and reaching to meet paramatma – God.
I go there mostly in the evening, about half an hour before the temple is to get closed, and I reach inside in 4 to 5 minutes flat
That is not a trick, but that is the time I get to reach there for some recent times… And Siddhivinayak is one of my favorite temples – He answered my prayers! Yes, I see people going there on foot, starting the previous night. It is their decision, and in fact it has a spiritual meaning. A Hindu gong to Temple, then reaching the garbhagriha where deity is installed is symbolic of our atma – self - traveling the path of enlightenment and reaching to meet paramatma – God.
interesting observation. me too have similar misgivings and confused thoughts that keep ringing in me but, I find my solace in the little divine precinct in my dwelling. Though I feel guilty that I don”t visit Saibaba on thursdays despite his proximity being within a 100 yards, yet i find a lot of solace visiting him on sundays,when not many devotees are seen around. A little meditation becomes a possibility then. still one can meet god where ever one likes since he/she is a friend and would not mind, don”t you think so?
Just b connected to the divine and divine will take care of rest!!
feel free to hate the ques but some strive for it too (as a mild form of penance) , what is imp is how you want to connect , that’’s ur choice
GOD BLESS YOU. God is always for the LESSERS like me.
nice post………..
GOD BLESS YOU. God is always foer the LESSERS
Very nice post. Ganesha understand our prayers even when we fail to find words to say them. Om Ganeshaya Namaha
you realy did not have to stand in a que. you could have simply told god what you wanted to tell him. you did not even have to go to the temple too. sit in your chair and tell him. he will listen and hear.