Seeing Double

[Fireside_Hindu]

Namaste all,

I've noticed that in a lot of the temples I've been to in the US, there are multiple versions of the same murti, sometimes right next to each other. For example, next to the small Hanumanji in the Ram Parivar set, there will be a larger, Separate Hanuman in it's own shrine or designated space. At one temple I go to occasionally their are two Shiv Lingams.

I attribute this to the slow progression and development of smaller Hindu communities in the west. Communities start off with a small murti perhaps and then as the community grows and gains more financial support, they purchase a new, larger murti that makes it easier for more people to take darshan.

I'm realizing that at least for myself, I find the doubling up of similar murtis to be a bit distracting. I feel like my attention is pulled between the two and I don't know where to focus.

There are a few exceptions. For instance, some temples have a lingam and a statue of Mahadev in his "human" form. I find I can compartmentalize them visually then. Another temple has a beautiful Radha Krishna pair but also a BalaKrishna below - again, I can seem to separate the two in my vision.

There is a lovely temple nearby that I have only been to twice, partially because, despite having beautiful murtis there are about 10 different forms of Devi, 5 of Mahadev and who knows how many of Lord Vishnu. I find the proximity of so many devis in particular to be overwhelming.

Am I the only one who feels this way?

 

[SomeRandom]

Mate, if you find that distracting I would advise you don't go to anyone's house temples lol!
I remember as a kid whenever we would go to someone's house, you know for like a sort of group/community "house pooja", you could definitely tell who their "favourite" deity was. Like hot damn! It's just like, wow Uncle-Ji I didn't realize it was possible to have that many photos of Sai Baba in the exact same pose (but different coloured clothes.)
My Hare Krishna Aunty has more murtis of Krishna than there are saris in her cupboard. Again not something I thought was possible lolz!
Though my favourite was my cousin's house back in the day. It was like he had devoted his entire life to collecting every murti of Lord Shiva in existence!
Seeing double? More like seeing squared!! lol

 

[Vinayaka]

Fireside, I share your feelings. Personally, I like focus. In the multi-sect temples, it's nice to at least have the darshan sight line separated. When they're all together in one place, you never know who to focus on. Our home shrine is really uncluttered too.

Here at the temple I attend, we have two Ganeshas, exactly for the reason you mentioned. The smaller one is really separated but it was the one that got the whole temple going. When we finally hired the stapathi, we had to get a bigger one just to abide by the agamic temple design. So the smaller one still has prominence, the first stop in circumambulation rounds.

Still, it's all just taste, or varying traditions.

 

[Jainarayan]

This is one of the things that struck me when I first started going to the temple, and still somewhat rattles me. My understanding is because the temple is southern style, there are regional variations of the deities.

Let's review (each of these are separate shrines):

Sri Guruvāyūrappan, the presiding deity (Krishna as he appeared to Devaki and Vasudeva at his birth).
Sri Radha-Krishna.
Sri Venkateshwara.
Sri Satyanarayana Swami (two, a big one and a small one).
Lakshminarasimha and Srinivasa.

Sri Shiva, the huge main lingam with Nandi, and a smaller one devotees can do water abishekham.
Nataraja.

Tridevi: Durga, Saraswati and Lakshmi.
Kanyakka Parameshwari.
Sri Ambika.
Maha Lakshmi.
Sri Andal.
Gayatridevi.

Sri Rāma Parivar.

And separately Sri Hanuman; Sri Ayappa,; Sri Subramanya, Valli, Devasena; Sri Ganesha; Navagraha; Garuda.

I've observed that I'm not the only one who stops at each and every shrine when I go in, though there are some people who don't do that, they just go to a few of the shrines.

I feel creepy, like I'm snubbing them, if I don't visit every shrine. But on the other hand it feels similarly awkward to stop at all of the "duplicates". I also feel a lack of focus. And given the size of the temple floor (17,500 sq. ft.) it can take some time to make it around.

 

[Fireside_Hindu]

I like what my former temple did in Indiana - They had multiples but each one has its own housed in shrine, so one gets a lot of division.

 

[Jainarayan]

I like what my former temple did in Indiana - They had multiples but each one has its own housed in shrine, so one gets a lot of division.

That's beautiful. It looks like mine. Each of the deities, with the exception of Tridevi are in individual shrines. There are five hee-yooge ones: Sri Guruvāyūrappan, Sri Venkateshwara, Sri Ayappan, Sri Shiva (lingam), Sri Satyanarayana Swami.

Those are large enough that three or four priests can enter, stand up and move around in. The rest are smaller ones that are barely large enough for a priest to enter to do abishekham.

One of my coworkers told me the shopping mall design reflects one of the temple complexes in India. She said there is a main shrine, with others nearby. They are outdoors, however, like small buildings. She said at that temple complex people do just visit the ones they want, rather than going to all of them.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Namaste all,

I've noticed that in a lot of the temples I've been to in the US, there are multiple versions of the same murti, sometimes right next to each other. For example, next to the small Hanumanji in the Ram Parivar set, there will be a larger, Separate Hanuman in it's own shrine or designated space. At one temple I go to occasionally their are two Shiv Lingams.

Your reasoning is correct, but don't ever be surprised by what Hindus do. In case of multiple murtis, there is always a main one which get full worship. The others are bowed to and/or presented with a flower/flowers, or a coin for the care-taking priest.

Kotilingeshwara Temple and its legend:
"Before Kammasandra village was known as "Kammasandra" it was known as "Dharmasthali" and was where Manjunathasharma (CE 788-827) or Bhakta Manjunatha lived. Bhakta Manjunatha was born in Dharmasthali to a family of Shaivite Hindu Brahmins and was always a man of good character, but was an atheist who insulted Sri Manjunatha ever since he was little. He ran a local wrestling school and participated in local vigilantism instead of working in his family's catering business and participating in religious traditions. Later in his life, he realized the divinity of Sri Manjunatha and became an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. Then, one day when Bhakta Manjunatha and his family visited the local Sri Manjunatha temple a few bad omens occurred and every Deepam became unlit. The other devotees accused Bhakta Manjunatha as the cause. Maharaja Ambikeshwaravarma, a local sub-ruler for the ruling Rastrakuta Dynasty and another Shaiva devotee, happened to be there at that place. He asked Manjunatha to prove his innocence by making every Deepam glow again. Bhakta Manjunatha sang the devotional song Mayakaya Deepam by Maharshi Veda Vyasa and made them glow brighter than ever before. Everyone realized that Manjunatha was a changed man and was the greatest devotee of Lord Shiva. He is believed to have insulted Sri Manjunatha ten million times in his lifetime, therefore, to acquit himself of his past sins, Bhakta Manjunatha, under the patronage of Maharaja Ambikeshwaravarma and help of his family, created ten million lingams, hence the name "Kotilingeshwara" where 'Koti' means 'crore,' and installed them in the area now known as Kotilingeshwara Temple."
Kotilingeshwara - Wikipedia

And each of these is worshiped by priests every day.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Sri Guruvāyūrappan, the presiding deity (Krishna as he appeared to Devaki and Vasudeva at his birth).
Sri Radha-Krishna.
Sri Venkateshwara.
Sri Satyanarayana Swami (two, a big one and a small one).
Lakshminarasimha and Srinivasa.

Sri Shiva, the huge main lingam with Nandi, and a smaller one devotees can do water abishekham.
Nataraja.

Tridevi: Durga, Saraswati and Lakshmi.
Kanyakka Parameshwari.
Sri Ambika.
Maha Lakshmi.
Sri Andal.
Gayatridevi.

Sri Rāma Parivar.

And separately Sri Hanuman; Sri Ayappa,; Sri Subramanya, Valli, Devasena; Sri Ganesha; Navagraha; Garuda.

Beautiful - and I sympathize with you. Bow to all and go to your chosen deity, 'Ishta'. In its worship, all deities will find pleasure. Krishna said:

BG 9.16: But it is I who am the ritual, I the sacrifice, the offering to the ancestors, the healing herb, the transcendental chant. I am the butter and the fire and the offering.
BG 9.17: I am the father of this universe, the mother, the support and the grandsire. I am the object of knowledge, the purifier and the syllable oḿ. I am also the Ṛg, the Sāma and the Yajur Vedas.
BG 9.18: I am the goal, the sustainer, the master, the witness, the abode, the refuge, and the most dear friend. I am the creation and the annihilation, the basis of everything, the resting place and the eternal seed.
BG 9.19: O Arjuna, I give heat, and I withhold and send forth the rain. I am immortality, and I am also death personified. Both spirit and matter are in Me.

 

[Shantanu]

Namaste all,

I've noticed that in a lot of the temples I've been to in the US, there are multiple versions of the same murti, sometimes right next to each other. For example, next to the small Hanumanji in the Ram Parivar set, there will be a larger, Separate Hanuman in it's own shrine or designated space. At one temple I go to occasionally their are two Shiv Lingams.

I attribute this to the slow progression and development of smaller Hindu communities in the west. Communities start off with a small murti perhaps and then as the community grows and gains more financial support, they purchase a new, larger murti that makes it easier for more people to take darshan.

I'm realizing that at least for myself, I find the doubling up of similar murtis to be a bit distracting. I feel like my attention is pulled between the two and I don't know where to focus.

There are a few exceptions. For instance, some temples have a lingam and a statue of Mahadev in his "human" form. I find I can compartmentalize them visually then. Another temple has a beautiful Radha Krishna pair but also a BalaKrishna below - again, I can seem to separate the two in my vision.

There is a lovely temple nearby that I have only been to twice, partially because, despite having beautiful murtis there are about 10 different forms of Devi, 5 of Mahadev and who knows how many of Lord Vishnu. I find the proximity of so many devis in particular to be overwhelming.

Am I the only one who feels this way?

As you must be aware in our HIndu mind each murti needs to be focused on and the essence of god seen from an individual perspective. If there are more than one murti of a particular god it conveys the importance paid to that diety in the temple.