Children at temples

[Fireside_Hindu]

A few days ago the Ramnavami celebrations began. Every evening there is Ram Katha and a Bhajan/Kirtain program followed by mahaprasad. On the first night it was so interesting to see two very different dancers putting on a show for Lord Rama. Two little girls, both between age 3-4 were dressed in their best and both were dancing during the singing.

The first girl, who, judging from her very deliberate movements, had seen a relative do classical dance or maybe she is evening starting to learn it herself. She was very serious. It wasn't that she was unhappy, just very focused on what she was doing. The second girl, all smiles, flung herself around in front of the main shrine with no rhyme or reason but was having a terrific time. It made me think about how temple dancers are all but extinct now and it made me a bit sad, but on the other hand, it hasn't completely faded. Maybe these two can bring it back. Girl #1 can bring the precision. Girl #2 can bring the Bhakti.

 

[Jainarayan]

I may have mentioned it elsewhere. There's a man that comes with his toddler daughter. Usually she has her jammies on and is sometimes asleep on his shoulder, but when she's awake she's quite the little devotee. She visits the deities and other devotees, she sits for Sri Vishnu Sahasranama, and is very well behaved even when she's tired. Always smiling. She makes me think of Cindy-Lou Who from Whoville, but with black hair.

 

[Aupmanyav]

.. and is very well behaved even when she's tired. Always smiling. She makes me think of Cindy-Lou Who from Whoville, but with black hair.

Why does Cindy-Lou has to come to the temple when she is tired?

 

[Jainarayan]

Why does Cindy-Lou has to come to the temple when she is tired?

Good question. But's around 6-6:30 pm.

 

[Vinayaka]

Why does Cindy-Lou has to come to the temple when she is tired?

Babies get tired off and on all the time. I've seen lots of babies fall asleep in koyil. One kid could sleep right neat thavil and nadeeswaram, lol. I thought you had kids and grandkids. They can fall asleep eating.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Yeah, they can, if things are not interesting enough for them, and they are restricted from their usual pranks. Put two together and they will never feel sleepy.

 

[Vinayaka]

Yeah, they can, if things are not interesting enough for them, and they are restricted from their usual pranks. Put two together and they will never feel sleepy.

I'm talking babies, and they don't do pranks yet. You're talking toddlers, and for some the pranking never ceases. I wish i could sleep like a baby. Still can prank like a toddler.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Well, Good Night (here). May my wife sleep like a baby. I always do it that way.

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

On the morning of Ram Navami we were all sitting in the temple listening to the bhajans and waiting for Balram to be revealed in his jhula when the little dancing girl from my post above (#2 - the one with all the bhakti but no technique) came in with her mother. She was dressed in her finest dress and she also had mehendi on her tiny hands. She caught sight of me clapping with the music and I smiled at her. She came up to me and quietly held out her hands and started speaking Hindi to me. She told me her mother did the Mehendi and then said something about school (I didn't get it all exactly. She had a cute little voice. Probably said she got school off to come for the celebration). Then she hopped away to do more of her famous dancing.

 

[Vinayaka]

I chatted with a nice couple from 3 hours away today. They had their little girl sort of buzzing around, lots of people, a few other kids. So I was telling them about our annual festival, and they said they did come up a couple of years ago, and thought they remembered me. In the conversation about kids, it came up how some can actually go to sleep right beside the thavil (the very loud South Indian temple drum), and they pointed at their daughter. Together we wondered if it was her that I saw.

Today was a 31 day after death, return to the temple, feed everyone day. The meals are always amazing, 10 different curries, vadai, fruits, sweet rice, pyassam, etc. the whole shebang. I always wonder if it confuses the people who are just dropping in to have darshan, not having been told about the feast. They sure must be thinking, 'My, this temple sure serves up quite the prasadam." Hope they don't come back next week hoping for more of the same.

 

[Nyingjé Tso]

Vanakkam,

That little boy yesterday insisted to apply his tilaka by himself...
When he came back, he was the most proud boy in the temple...

... Also his forehead was ENTIRELY covered in a mess of vibhuti and kumkum !

I couldn't help but laugh as his mother was trying to prevent him From doing the same with his two sisters.

Then I Saw one of the Priest (the one who chose my name) looking at me with that elder Brother look... And I stopped laughing because I remembered that am a children too there :v

Aum Namah Shivaya

 

[Vinayaka]

Yesterday we learned that an 8 year old could blow the conch. He's so humble or nonchalant about it he didn't let us know. So today he got the instruction of just when to blow it. A nice addition to all the other loud sounds at festival time. (Festival time again here)

 

[Aupmanyav]

Some conch shells are easy to blow, some are not. So a good conch and a good blower together create a great noise.
We lost a large conch to another customer in Bet Dwarika by seconds. It was priced at Rs.50 (0.80 USD).

 

[Jainarayan]

Also his forehead was ENTIRELY covered in a mess of vibhuti and kumkum !

You saw me at temple the other night!? I invariably wind up looking like someone took a Louisville Slugger to my face.

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

Even though I'm not a Krishna Devotee, the children that show up at temple on Krishna Janmashtami make the visit during such a crowded festival totally worth it.

Last night during the Kirtan, there were several funny run-ins with some of these 'new people' (As I like to think of them).

1.) Little Girl (3 years old) who is normally dressed to the nines in traditional girl clothes shows up dressed as BalaKrishna, complete with flute. She uses it mostly to command the other children around.
2.) Wee, little baby boy, also dressed as Krishna, crawls non-stop all over the temple looking for attention. I'd never seen a more fearless baby. At one point he crawled right into my lap. I held him for a bit and he stared wide-eyed at me like he wasn't quite sure what he'd done or what I was. I am not a baby person per-say, but I can tell you that little person is better than me by far.
3.) The pandit noticed a little girl (about 5) who had her baby doll with her. He offered to tie the mauli thread around the doll's wrist and the little girl was so pleased.
4.) A baby (maybe 2?) - couldn't tell if it was a boy or girl. (wearing overalls in "boyish" colors but had tiny bangles on). he/she was wandering around just looking at everything but had obviously watched his/her parents at temple previously because she/he would periodically approach the front shrine and tap the step with her right hand and touch it to her forehead. Looks like good habits start young. =)

 

[Aupmanyav]

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui was refused a role in a Ramlila in his village Budhana, district Muzaffarnagar, in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, on the basis of his religion. He thanked his son's school for giving the 2-year old Yani, the role as Krishna.

 

[Jainarayan]

I think the little kids that dress as Krishna and Radha (yes, I've seen that) are beyond adorable.

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

There were many charming tiny humans at temple during the 9 nights of navratri. But one in particular sticks in my mind.

A father with his infant (Almost at the 1 year mark perhaps) stood in front of the Matarani (Durga) murti in the center of the hall. (There is a permanent murti in marble as well, but the one at the center of the hall is given equal attention during Navratri as it is the murti that is danced around during Garba and Dandia). The father gave Namaskaram and handed a dollar bill to his tiny baby and pointed at the murti - directing him to drop the dollar in Mataji's lap. The baby seemed to understand at first reaching out and leaning down. The father leaned in to make the drop easier but at the last minute, the baby brought the dollar bill to his lips in order to eat it. (as small babies tend to.) Luckily, dad caught the tiny hand just in time and took the dollar, dropping it in front of Durga maa with an amused smile, as if you say, "You try to teach them young right?"

 

[Shantanu]

There were many charming tiny humans at temple during the 9 nights of navratri. But one in particular sticks in my mind.

A father with his infant (Almost at the 1 year mark perhaps) stood in front of the Matarani (Durga) murti in the center of the hall. (There is a permanent murti in marble as well, but the one at the center of the hall is given equal attention during Navratri as it is the murti that is danced around during Garba and Dandia). The father gave Namaskaram and handed a dollar bill to his tiny baby and pointed at the murti - directing him to drop the dollar in Mataji's lap. The baby seemed to understand at first reaching out and leaning down. The father leaned in to make the drop easier but at the last minute, the baby brought the dollar bill to his lips in order to eat it. (as small babies tend to.) Luckily, dad caught the tiny hand just in time and took the dollar, dropping it in front of Durga maa with an amused smile, as if you say, "You try to teach them young right?"

That is a sweet story the way you have described it.

 

[ajay0]

H.W.Poonja as a child used to have Krishna visit him at night before bedtime, wanting to play with him , as per Poonja's narrated account.

His mother, was Swami Rama Tirtha's sister, and often came to his room hearing the commotion, and asking Poonja who he was speaking to. Krishna disappeared when the mother came, and returned after she left.

As an adult Poonja mentioned this to Ramana Maharshi, who advised him to be with a God that is always with him rather than a God that comes and goes, and introduced him to Advaita or nondual perception , which lead to his enlightenment.

This was similar to Ramakrishna's experience with Kali, until he met Totapuri, who introduced him to advaita and lead him to the state of enlightenment.