RE: [Guruvayur/Guruvayoor] My Experience of a Lifetime

[Guest guest]

Hare rama hare krishna

 

Om Sri guruvayoorappan saranam !!

 

I fully agree with jeyamma ,

 

In my experience guruvayoor temple is not a temple building but the

place where we can experience our soul flling with bhagavaan krishnan

 

Some years back I happened to read about chembai , I became a different

man after reading his life , every day I started reading narayaneeyam ,

that changed my life a lot. i have asked guruvayoorappan a flower but

guruvayoorappan guven me a garden.

 

I request you all to read Narayaneeyam every day atleast one sloka per

day

That will surely give you Ayoraaroogya soukyam

 

Om Namo narayanaaya .

 

Guruvayoorappan dasan

Shreehari

 

guruvayur [guruvayur ] On

Behalf Of jayamma69

Friday, July 15, 2005 4:17 PM

guruvayur

[Guruvayur/Guruvayoor] Re: My Experience of a Lifetime

 

Hare Krishna,

 

Guruvayoor temple is not merely composed of a temple building, Deity

and facilities. Everything therein is controlled by the Supreme Lord

of the universe Sri Krishna , Himself. He is pro-active with His

each devotee depending upon the quality of his/her Bhakti . If

mystic experiences are lessthese days, it is only because most of the

new devotees are not caring to implement the true Bhakti of, previous

generations' devotees like Vilwamangalam Swamiyar, Kurooramma,

Melpathur, Poonthanam , Manavendra Raja, Chembai Bhagavathar, etc.

 

The functioning of purely `satvic` Krishna temples like Guruvayoor

is different from Ayyappa or Siva temples. In the case of Lord

Ayyappa, He had two associates named Vavar ( a muslim) and Velutha (

a Christian) and therefore devotees belonging to all religions are

permitted to enter His temple. However, a few years back, the main

Pujari of Sabaraimala temple had worshiped in a local church near

Nilamel, thereby creating a controversy. Finally, Lord Ayyappan's

opinion was sought in the deva-prasna (that was held inside the

temple) wherein the furious Lord instructed immediate dismissal of

this Pujari. Immediately, the sabarimala-tantri (Thazhamon

Namboodirippad) took over the duties of Pujari . After this incident,

the practice of `Puappeda-santi ` (Santi is not allowed to leave the

temple premises till the end of his tenure) , was established in

Sabarimala.

 

Kerala was created by the divine Sage Parasurama (incarnation of

MahaVishnu) , who had put in place specific agama-sastra based

temples , associated rituals and required infrastructure to maintain

Kerala in accordance with vedic tradition. The great Sage had tested

and selected two elite vedic priests from Nelloore ( a district in

present Andhra Pradesh) and brought them to Kerala . After training

them, Sage Parasurama asked the first one (Tharananalloor

Namboodirppad) to administer Vaishnava temples , while assigning

Saivaite temples for the next (Thazhamon Namboodiripaad). Strict

codes of conduct exist for these authorized Tantrics who are ever

vigilant to administer these temples in strict accordance with the

Deity's wishes. Any failure to do so will be suicidal for the Tantric

and there are several historical evidences to confirm this

aspect . It is due to this purity in vedic tradition that, Kerala

is known as 'God's own country'. As such, Kerala's temple rituals

are unique and can not be compared with that of other places. Also,

please note that , many of the temples outside India are not

constructed and operated as per Agama-sastra . This sastra stipulates

vedic specifications to be followed for temples. According to

this,the entire temple premise is the body of the presiding `Deity'

and thereby necessitating strict discipline and purity of thought and

actions to be followed therein to ensure the sanctity of the temple.

 

As to Sri Krishna, only those people who had been His devotees

during their previous births and whom the Bhagavan requires only

could become His devotees. He has instructed in Gita ' Not to convey

Gita-rahasya to non-devotees' .

 

Often people are confused in their worship. Take for example Yesudas.

Sri Krishna is not his 'Ishta daivam' but just one among several

deities. His eldest son was not baptized only because the church

authorities refused it because of Yesudas's habit of visiting non-

christian religious institutions. However, his next (2) sons have

been duly baptized, as desired by both parties. Yesudas is not a

saintly devotee like his great Guru Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar

(who had surrendered everything at his cherished God

Guruvayoorappan's feet). It is a fact that , Chembai is one of

Guruvayoorappan's dearest devotees, and that the merciful Bhagavan

time and again blessed him with mystic experiences, including the

ultimate liberation as he had requested ( Pleae see the site

www.chembai.com) .

 

Sri Krishnaya Namah!!!

 

A humble Servant of Krishna

 

 

 

 

 

guruvayur , " Sunil Menon " <menon_sunil>

wrote:

> Dear Mohan,

>

> Thanks for sharing the details of your trip to Guruvayoor. I felt

> as if I was in Guruvayoor! Thank you.

>

> Obstacles and hurdles are lord's way of testing our bhakti. Blessed

> are the ones who pass the test with patience & faith. Let me quote

> your own words to explain it-

>

> " Overall, it was a pleasant trip. The Lord guided me well, when I

> thought I was at a " loss " . I managed to receive His darshan. I feel

> more complete now... "

>

> Hare Krishna!

>

> We will suggest to Devaswom about having the sign boards in English

> as well. I think most of the signs are in Malayalam and Tamil

> generally. Most of us (folks who can read Malayalam or Tamil) would

> not have noticed this - that is why suggestions from people like

you

> are of great importantace.

>

> > I have a question to ask, Why are non Hindus not allowed into the

> >Temple.

>

> Guruvayoor and many other temples in Kerala follow strict orthodox

> rules when it comes to who can enter a temple or what to wear in a

> temple. It is mainly a continuation of tradition more than anything

> else. Though non-Hindus are not allowed in Guruvayoor, Sabarimala

> temple welcomes everyone irrespective of their religion. So, the

> custom varies from temple to temple.

>

> I heard a true story from an American friend of mine (who is a

converted Hindu) that entering Guruvayoor was easy once she showed

her conversion certificate from Kanchi but she was not allowed in

Puri Jagannath temple. Puri authorities told her that they do not

care if she has converted to Hinduism or not as long as she does not

look Indian! She is one of the few devout Hindu's I ever came across

who has extensive knowledge of Hinduism and a practicing Hindu

> for 15 or more years now. She teaches Hinduism at Harvard.

>

> It may be time for a second look at many of these old traditions as

> you can not discriminate people by their looks or country of origin

> anymore. For example, we have many big temples here in US with

> majority of American worshippers. Back home, many of my cousins and

friends in Kerala wonders why " Churidar " is not allowed in the

temple. For the new generation in Kerala, Churidar is a normal day to

day dress.

>

>

> >I have even heard that Padmashri KJ Jesudas who has sung over 100

> >songs in praise of Lord Guruvayoorappan, was refused entry until

> >recently(This is hearsay, I confess)

> >

>

> Let me quote Yesusdas's own words from a rediff.com interview

>

> " You see, my father respected all religions. When I was five or

six,

> I was told in the Catechism class that we Christians go to Heaven

> after death. That had me worried. I asked my father, " If I die and

> go to Heaven, who will I play with? My non-Christian friends will

be

> somewhere else! "

>

> My father said, " Think about the answer to this question yourself.

> When you grow up, you'll know the answer. "

>

> I was very keen that my children should not be baptised. It was not

> that I was against baptism, it is just that I thought the right

> approach was to let them grow, become good human beings first, and

> then let them choose whether they wanted to be baptised.

>

> Rediff - What about the reverse? Did the Hindus object to your

> performances in temples?

>

> Well, the Ayyappa cult in Kerala is a very unique one. They have a

> dargah and a church in their complex -- their philosophy is very

> deep. I have sung there often.

>

> I was not allowed into the Guruvayoor temple, however. Some private

> temples in Kerala were also very strict about that. But in Tamil

> Nadu, things are different, more liberal. "

>

>

> > Lastly, I do hope to be able to make an archana for my baby girl,

> >Tarisha Maya Mohan, someday.

> >

>

> You can send a check/money order/or draft for the same to Guruvayur

> Devaswom and request a pooja for your daughter. Check the Devaswom

> web site for the details of the pooja and how to contact them-

>

> www.guruvayurdevaswom.org

>

>

> > A suggestion: If members in this group one day decide that a trip

> >should be made to the Temple in a group, I would love to be part

of

> >that group. Please let me know.

>

> A great suggestion. Many of us are getting to know each other and

we

> are gradually becoming a part of a devotee family, a group trip to

> Guruvayoor can be a possibility in the future for sure.

>

> May God bless you all. Hare Krishna!

>

> Om Namo Narayanaya:

>

> Sunil Menon

> Moderator, www.guruvayur.com

>

>

>

guruvayur , Mohan Ramakrishnan

> <counselmkrk> wrote:

> > Dear all,

> >

> > Thank you so much for the advice, though some may be

contradictory

> in as far as the procedure is concerned. I will probably go on

> chanting the Gayathri Mantra just as how I have been doing. The

ever

> merciful Mother shall forgive me if I have erred in Her Devotion!

> >

> > My trip to India was quite an eye opener in so many ways. The

busy

> roads, the poor people etc.How disorganised they were, especially

on

> the roads. Man O' Man, I am beginning to like this country. I

didn't

> dislike them at all.

> >

> > I headed that very day to Thrissur. The atmosphere was different

> in Kerala. The weather is about the same as in Malaysia, lots of

> greeneries, my problem was my not so fantastic Malayalam, but I

> managed through.

> >

> > I was all so excited to be heading to Guruvayoor. It was amazing

> to find so many chappels all the way to Guruvayoor. As I have said,

> 4 Christians and a Muslim took me there. Once we reached the

> Ambalam, there I was, all alone. I had to go into the Temple all by

> myself. Oh My God! The Temple was so crowded. Where do I start?

> These questions were ringing in my head.

> >

> > Me being myself, I put up a brave front and was trying to act

> cool, as if this was my 100th visit to the Temple. When I walked

> into the Temple, I realised most if not all notices were in

> Malayalam. I was again stuck, because I can't read Malayalam. Now,

> where do I start? I was also hoping to perform an archana for my

> baby girl who is 6 months old, as instructed by an Astrologer.

Where

> do I do this?So, as they say, when you are at a " loss " , there is

> only one thing that could be done, I raised my hands in prayer and

> screamed, " Ende Guruvayoorappa enna rekshikkane " . I walked to the

> registry of the Temple, it was all so crowded. I asked a man, I

> would presume a devotee like me, and he said he didn't know. After

> walking a little aimlessly, I asked this gentleman, and he said

that

> archanas could only be done at 5.00am. I was disappointed.

> >

> > I told myself, even if I do not perform the archana, my prayers

> there and my presence before the Lord would also bless my daughter

> and family. With that in mind, I walked along around the Temple and

> found a long queue. I walked right into the queue and waited for my

> turn. It was about 1.15pm. I was just hoping that the queue was

> moving towards the Main Temple Hall and not towards towards a lunch

> hall (if there was one). The fervent chanting of the Maha Mantra

and

> singing of songs praising the Lord calmed me down. I started

> chanting the Maha Mantra, and in the process as I was walking

> towards the Main Hall where Guruvayoorappan was, I even managed to

> learn and memorise some of the songs sung by the devotees.

> >

> > I reached my destiny. I was about to see Guruvayoorappan, the

> queue was moving faster. Suddenly, there I was standing in prayer

> before the Lord Himself. All I could say to Him at that point

> was, " Find us a place at Your Feet " . It was very emotional. The

> duration was short, very short actually. All I could say is that it

> was worth every moment of my lifetime.

> >

> > I would want to go back, once again. I have felt His presence in

> my life ever since. I have seen problems being untangled, I am

> seeing opportunities, to better myself as a human being, as far as

> my career goes etc.

> >

> > I guess the only thing that should be improved is the signages. I

> would have preferred to see signages in English as well, so that

> there will be less " aimless " guys like me, trying to find out about

> details. The Guruvayoor Temple being the 4th biggest Temple in

India

> as far as crowd visits are concerned, should consider having an

> Information counter to help devotees...errrr...unless there was one

> which I did not see.

> >

> > Overall, it was a pleasant trip. The Lord guided me well, when I

> thought I was at a " loss " . I managed to receive His darshan. I feel

> more complete now...well, thats the feeling that I get.

> >

> > I have a question to ask, Why are non Hindus not allowed into the

> Temple, when there are so many who are just too eager to receive

> Lord Guruvayoorappan's darshan? Aren't we all His children? Is it

> their mistake to have been born into the family of a non Hindu? I

> have even heard that Padmashri KJ Jesudas who has sung over 100

> songs in praise of Lord Guruvayoorappan, was refused entry until

> recently(This is hearsay, I confess)

> >

> > Lastly, I do hope to be able to make an archana for my baby girl,

> Tarisha Maya Mohan, someday.

> >

> > A suggestion: If members in this group one day decide that a trip

> should be made to the Temple in a group, I would love to be part of

> that group. Please let me know.

> >

> > OM NAMO NARAYANAYA!

> >

> > PRAISE BE WITH THE LORD!

> >

> > Mohan

> >

 

 

 

 

 

 

Om Namo Narayanaya:

 

[Guest guest]

Dear Shri Shreehari,

Its wonderful to know that you read the Narayaneeyam regularly. It is surely a very powerful prayer. Moreover, the stories of Krishna avatar are so wonderful to read. It gives us the joy of visiting Guruvayur daily. For the benefit of all the members of the group, it will be very nice if you can share with us the life story of Chembai.

Sunita

shreehari.pillai wrote:

Hare rama hare krishna Om Sri guruvayoorappan saranam !!I fully agree with jeyamma ,In my experience guruvayoor temple is not a temple building but theplace where we can experience our soul flling with bhagavaan krishnan Some years back I happened to read about chembai , I became a differentman after reading his life , every day I started reading narayaneeyam ,that changed my life a lot. i have asked guruvayoorappan a flower butguruvayoorappan guven me a garden.I request you all to read Narayaneeyam every day atleast one sloka perday That will surely give you Ayoraaroogya soukyam Om Namo narayanaaya .Guruvayoorappan dasanShreehariguruvayur [guruvayur ] OnBehalf Of jayamma69Friday, July 15, 2005 4:17

PMguruvayur Subject: [Guruvayur/Guruvayoor] Re: My Experience of a LifetimeHare Krishna,Guruvayoor temple is not merely composed of a temple building, Deity and facilities. Everything therein is controlled by the Supreme Lord of the universe Sri Krishna , Himself. He is pro-active with His each devotee depending upon the quality of his/her Bhakti . If mystic experiences are lessthese days, it is only because most of the new devotees are not caring to implement the true Bhakti of, previous generations' devotees like Vilwamangalam Swamiyar, Kurooramma, Melpathur, Poonthanam , Manavendra Raja, Chembai Bhagavathar, etc. The functioning of purely `satvic` Krishna temples like Guruvayoor is different from Ayyappa or Siva temples. In the case of Lord Ayyappa, He had two associates named Vavar ( a muslim) and Velutha ( a Christian) and therefore devotees

belonging to all religions are permitted to enter His temple. However, a few years back, the main Pujari of Sabaraimala temple had worshiped in a local church near Nilamel, thereby creating a controversy. Finally, Lord Ayyappan's opinion was sought in the deva-prasna (that was held inside the temple) wherein the furious Lord instructed immediate dismissal of this Pujari. Immediately, the sabarimala-tantri (Thazhamon Namboodirippad) took over the duties of Pujari . After this incident, the practice of `Puappeda-santi ` (Santi is not allowed to leave the temple premises till the end of his tenure) , was established in Sabarimala.Kerala was created by the divine Sage Parasurama (incarnation of MahaVishnu) , who had put in place specific agama-sastra based temples , associated rituals and required infrastructure to maintain Kerala in accordance with vedic tradition. The great Sage had tested

and selected two elite vedic priests from Nelloore ( a district in present Andhra Pradesh) and brought them to Kerala . After training them, Sage Parasurama asked the first one (Tharananalloor Namboodirppad) to administer Vaishnava temples , while assigning Saivaite temples for the next (Thazhamon Namboodiripaad). Strict codes of conduct exist for these authorized Tantrics who are ever vigilant to administer these temples in strict accordance with the Deity's wishes. Any failure to do so will be suicidal for the Tantric and there are several historical evidences to confirm this aspect . It is due to this purity in vedic tradition that, Kerala is known as 'God's own country'. As such, Kerala's temple rituals are unique and can not be compared with that of other places. Also, please note that , many of the temples outside India are not constructed and operated as

per Agama-sastra . This sastra stipulates vedic specifications to be followed for temples. According to this,the entire temple premise is the body of the presiding `Deity' and thereby necessitating strict discipline and purity of thought and actions to be followed therein to ensure the sanctity of the temple.As to Sri Krishna, only those people who had been His devotees during their previous births and whom the Bhagavan requires only could become His devotees. He has instructed in Gita ' Not to convey Gita-rahasya to non-devotees' .Often people are confused in their worship. Take for example Yesudas. Sri Krishna is not his 'Ishta daivam' but just one among several deities. His eldest son was not baptized only because the church authorities refused it because of Yesudas's habit of visiting non-christian religious institutions. However, his next (2) sons have been duly baptized,

as desired by both parties. Yesudas is not a saintly devotee like his great Guru Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar (who had surrendered everything at his cherished God Guruvayoorappan's feet). It is a fact that , Chembai is one of Guruvayoorappan's dearest devotees, and that the merciful Bhagavan time and again blessed him with mystic experiences, including the ultimate liberation as he had requested ( Pleae see the site www.chembai.com) .Sri Krishnaya Namah!!!A humble Servant of Krishnaguruvayur , "Sunil Menon" <menon_sunil> wrote:> Dear Mohan,> > Thanks for sharing the details of your trip to Guruvayoor. I felt > as if I was in Guruvayoor! Thank you.> > Obstacles and hurdles are lord's way of testing our bhakti. Blessed > are the ones who pass the test with patience & faith. Let me quote > your own words to

explain it- > > " Overall, it was a pleasant trip. The Lord guided me well, when I > thought I was at a "loss". I managed to receive His darshan. I feel > more complete now..."> > Hare Krishna!> > We will suggest to Devaswom about having the sign boards in English > as well. I think most of the signs are in Malayalam and Tamil > generally. Most of us (folks who can read Malayalam or Tamil) would > not have noticed this - that is why suggestions from people like you > are of great importantace.> > > I have a question to ask, Why are non Hindus not allowed into the > >Temple.> > Guruvayoor and many other temples in Kerala follow strict orthodox > rules when it comes to who can enter a temple or what to wear in a > temple. It is mainly a continuation of tradition more than anything > else. Though non-Hindus are not allowed in

Guruvayoor, Sabarimala > temple welcomes everyone irrespective of their religion. So, the > custom varies from temple to temple. > > I heard a true story from an American friend of mine (who is a converted Hindu) that entering Guruvayoor was easy once she showed her conversion certificate from Kanchi but she was not allowed in Puri Jagannath temple. Puri authorities told her that they do not care if she has converted to Hinduism or not as long as she does not look Indian! She is one of the few devout Hindu's I ever came across who has extensive knowledge of Hinduism and a practicing Hindu> for 15 or more years now. She teaches Hinduism at Harvard. > > It may be time for a second look at many of these old traditions as > you can not discriminate people by their looks or country of origin > anymore. For example, we have many big temples here in US with > majority of American worshippers. Back

home, many of my cousins and friends in Kerala wonders why "Churidar" is not allowed in the temple. For the new generation in Kerala, Churidar is a normal day to day dress.> > > >I have even heard that Padmashri KJ Jesudas who has sung over 100 > >songs in praise of Lord Guruvayoorappan, was refused entry until > >recently(This is hearsay, I confess)> > > > Let me quote Yesusdas's own words from a rediff.com interview> > "You see, my father respected all religions. When I was five or six, > I was told in the Catechism class that we Christians go to Heaven > after death. That had me worried. I asked my father, "If I die and > go to Heaven, who will I play with? My non-Christian friends will be > somewhere else!" > > My father said, "Think about the answer to this question yourself. > When you grow up, you'll know the answer."

> > I was very keen that my children should not be baptised. It was not > that I was against baptism, it is just that I thought the right > approach was to let them grow, become good human beings first, and > then let them choose whether they wanted to be baptised. > > Rediff - What about the reverse? Did the Hindus object to your > performances in temples? > > Well, the Ayyappa cult in Kerala is a very unique one. They have a > dargah and a church in their complex -- their philosophy is very > deep. I have sung there often. > > I was not allowed into the Guruvayoor temple, however. Some private > temples in Kerala were also very strict about that. But in Tamil > Nadu, things are different, more liberal. "> > > > Lastly, I do hope to be able to make an archana for my baby girl, > >Tarisha Maya Mohan, someday.> > >

> You can send a check/money order/or draft for the same to Guruvayur > Devaswom and request a pooja for your daughter. Check the Devaswom > web site for the details of the pooja and how to contact them- > > www.guruvayurdevaswom.org> > > > A suggestion: If members in this group one day decide that a trip > >should be made to the Temple in a group, I would love to be part of > >that group. Please let me know.> > A great suggestion. Many of us are getting to know each other and we > are gradually becoming a part of a devotee family, a group trip to > Guruvayoor can be a possibility in the future for sure. > > May God bless you all. Hare Krishna!> > Om Namo Narayanaya:> > Sunil Menon> Moderator, www.guruvayur.com> > > > > > > > > > --- In

guruvayur , Mohan Ramakrishnan > <counselmkrk> wrote:> > Dear all,> > > > Thank you so much for the advice, though some may be contradictory > in as far as the procedure is concerned. I will probably go on > chanting the Gayathri Mantra just as how I have been doing. The ever > merciful Mother shall forgive me if I have erred in Her Devotion!> > > > My trip to India was quite an eye opener in so many ways. The busy > roads, the poor people etc.How disorganised they were, especially on > the roads. Man O' Man, I am beginning to like this country. I didn't > dislike them at all.> > > > I headed that very day to Thrissur. The atmosphere was different > in Kerala. The weather is about the same as in Malaysia, lots of > greeneries, my problem was my not so fantastic Malayalam, but I >

managed through.> > > > I was all so excited to be heading to Guruvayoor. It was amazing > to find so many chappels all the way to Guruvayoor. As I have said, > 4 Christians and a Muslim took me there. Once we reached the > Ambalam, there I was, all alone. I had to go into the Temple all by > myself. Oh My God! The Temple was so crowded. Where do I start? > These questions were ringing in my head.> > > > Me being myself, I put up a brave front and was trying to act > cool, as if this was my 100th visit to the Temple. When I walked > into the Temple, I realised most if not all notices were in > Malayalam. I was again stuck, because I can't read Malayalam. Now, > where do I start? I was also hoping to perform an archana for my > baby girl who is 6 months old, as instructed by an Astrologer. Where > do I do this?So, as they say, when you are at a "loss",

there is > only one thing that could be done, I raised my hands in prayer and > screamed, "Ende Guruvayoorappa enna rekshikkane". I walked to the > registry of the Temple, it was all so crowded. I asked a man, I > would presume a devotee like me, and he said he didn't know. After > walking a little aimlessly, I asked this gentleman, and he said that > archanas could only be done at 5.00am. I was disappointed.> > > > I told myself, even if I do not perform the archana, my prayers > there and my presence before the Lord would also bless my daughter > and family. With that in mind, I walked along around the Temple and > found a long queue. I walked right into the queue and waited for my > turn. It was about 1.15pm. I was just hoping that the queue was > moving towards the Main Temple Hall and not towards towards a lunch > hall (if there was one). The fervent chanting of the

Maha Mantra and > singing of songs praising the Lord calmed me down. I started > chanting the Maha Mantra, and in the process as I was walking > towards the Main Hall where Guruvayoorappan was, I even managed to > learn and memorise some of the songs sung by the devotees. > > > > I reached my destiny. I was about to see Guruvayoorappan, the > queue was moving faster. Suddenly, there I was standing in prayer > before the Lord Himself. All I could say to Him at that point > was, "Find us a place at Your Feet". It was very emotional. The > duration was short, very short actually. All I could say is that it > was worth every moment of my lifetime.> > > > I would want to go back, once again. I have felt His presence in > my life ever since. I have seen problems being untangled, I am > seeing opportunities, to better myself as a human being, as far as

> my career goes etc.> > > > I guess the only thing that should be improved is the signages. I > would have preferred to see signages in English as well, so that > there will be less "aimless" guys like me, trying to find out about > details. The Guruvayoor Temple being the 4th biggest Temple in India > as far as crowd visits are concerned, should consider having an > Information counter to help devotees...errrr...unless there was one > which I did not see.> > > > Overall, it was a pleasant trip. The Lord guided me well, when I > thought I was at a "loss". I managed to receive His darshan. I feel > more complete now...well, thats the feeling that I get.> > > > I have a question to ask, Why are non Hindus not allowed into the > Temple, when there are so many who are just too eager to receive > Lord Guruvayoorappan's darshan?

Aren't we all His children? Is it > their mistake to have been born into the family of a non Hindu? I > have even heard that Padmashri KJ Jesudas who has sung over 100 > songs in praise of Lord Guruvayoorappan, was refused entry until > recently(This is hearsay, I confess)> > > > Lastly, I do hope to be able to make an archana for my baby girl, > Tarisha Maya Mohan, someday.> > > > A suggestion: If members in this group one day decide that a trip > should be made to the Temple in a group, I would love to be part of > that group. Please let me know.> > > > OM NAMO NARAYANAYA!> > > > PRAISE BE WITH THE LORD!> > > > Mohan > >Om Namo Narayanaya:

[Guest guest]

Om namo bhagavathe vasudevaya

 

Sunitha,

 

In my early days of life, to me guruvayoorappan

was like any other god , guruvayoor was like any other temple , I would like to

thank my parents for arranging a yathra to guruvayoor on my birthdays . our

parents have celebrated each of my birthdays in guruvayoor,

They don’t belileve in blindly imitating

western culture like cutting Cakes , arranging a posh party to every one , each

of my birthday we will be in guruvayoor to thank guruvayoorappan for giving one

more successful year. But in my childhood I was not aware of his love towards me.

 

I don’t know how, the master of all arts

given me the interest towards carnatic music. So I happened to hear the concerts

of chembai, (when I was studying my degree) soon I became a great fan of chembai

, so I bought a book on chembai written by his disciples. After reading the book

I have started reading Narayaneeyam , I have got some divine attraction towards

guruvayoor ,

 

One day I went to guruvayoor for Ekadashi (

first time I am going for ekadashi ) . my father told , you will not get the darshanam

,that much rush will be there, you can go only up to Kodimaram’ like

that. But I went guruvayoor

I will not forget that day . Guruvayoor was

really a vikundam that day . Chembai sangeetholsavam , Panjavadyam , bhagavat

namarchana full of utsavam .

 

After standing 5 hrs in queue I saw

bhagavan ……really bhagavatha swaroopi …. My both eyes and soul

filled with tears…..

 

After that I stood to have bhagaval prasadam

, I met lots of millionaires standing with me in same queue, i got a part of lotus

from my food. My eyes again filled with tears. I really felt his blessing ….

 

 

I took a portion of the food to my home and

distributed among my family, my father got surprised to see that on ekadashi day

I had guruvayoor darshanam , and had prasadam too .

 

 

In my family If we have to take any important decision or in a dilemma we

will put a lot in front of guruvayoorappan and obey him.

 

I will send you chembai incidents in my next mail

 

Till then

Hare rama hare rama

Rama rama hare hare

Hare krishna hare krishna

Krishna krishna hare hare…

 

 

 

 

 

 

guruvayur [guruvayur ] On Behalf Of Sunita ramanthan

Sunday, July 17, 2005 2:17

AM

guruvayur

RE:

[Guruvayur/Guruvayoor] Re: My Experience of a Lifetime

 

 

 

Dear Shri Shreehari,

 

 

Its

wonderful to know that you read the Narayaneeyam regularly. It is surely a very

powerful prayer. Moreover, the stories of Krishna

avatar are so wonderful to read. It gives us the joy of visiting Guruvayur

daily. For the benefit of all the members of the group, it will be very nice if

you can share with us the life story of Chembai.

 

 

 

Sunita

 

 

 

shreehari.pillai

wrote:

 

 

Hare rama hare krishna

 

Om Sri guruvayoorappan saranam !!

 

I fully agree with jeyamma ,

 

In my experience guruvayoor temple is not a temple

building but the

place where we can experience our soul flling with

bhagavaan krishnan

 

Some years back I happened to read about chembai ,

I became a different

man after reading his life , every day I started

reading narayaneeyam ,

that changed my life a lot. i have asked

guruvayoorappan a flower but

guruvayoorappan guven me a garden.

 

I request you all to read Narayaneeyam every day

atleast one sloka per

day

That will surely give you Ayoraaroogya soukyam

 

Om Namo narayanaaya .

 

Guruvayoorappan dasan

Shreehari

 

guruvayur

[guruvayur ] On

Behalf Of jayamma69

Friday, July 15, 2005 4:17 PM

guruvayur

[Guruvayur/Guruvayoor] Re: My Experience

of a Lifetime

 

Hare Krishna,

 

Guruvayoor temple is not merely composed of a

temple building, Deity

and facilities. Everything therein is controlled

by the Supreme Lord

of the universe Sri Krishna , Himself. He is

pro-active with His

each devotee depending upon the quality of

his/her Bhakti . If

mystic experiences are lessthese days, it is only

because most of the

new devotees are not caring to implement the true

Bhakti of, previous

generations' devotees like Vilwamangalam Swamiyar,

Kurooramma,

Melpathur, Poonthanam , Manavendra Raja,

Chembai Bhagavathar, etc.

 

The functioning of purely `satvic` Krishna temples like Guruvayoor

is different from Ayyappa or Siva temples.

In the case of Lord

Ayyappa, He had two associates named Vavar (

a muslim) and Velutha (

a Christian) and therefore devote es belonging to

all religions are

permitted to enter His temple. However, a

few years back, the main

Pujari of Sabaraimala temple had worshiped in a

local church near

Nilamel, thereby creating a controversy. Finally,

Lord Ayyappan's

opinion was sought in the deva-prasna (that was

held inside the

temple) wherein the furious Lord

instructed immediate dismissal of

this Pujari. Immediately, the sabarimala-tantri

(Thazhamon

Namboodirippad) took over the duties of Pujari .

After this incident,

the practice of `Puappeda-santi ` (Santi is not

allowed to leave the

temple premises till the end of his tenure) , was

established in

Sabarimala.

 

Kerala was created by the divine Sage

Parasurama (incarnation of

MahaVishnu) , who had put in place specific

agama-sastra based

temples , associated rituals and required

infrastructure to maintain

Kerala in accordance with vedic tradition.

The great Sage had tested

and selected two elite vedic priests from Nelloore

( a district in

present Andhra Pradesh) and brought them to Kerala

.. After training

them, Sage Parasurama asked the first one

(Tharananalloor

Namboodirppad) to administer Vaishnava temples ,

while assigning

Saivaite temples for the next (Thazhamon

Namboodiripaad). Strict

codes of conduct exist for these authorized

Tantrics who are ever

vigilant to administer these temples

in strict accordance with the

Deity's wishes. Any failure to do so will be

suicidal for the Tantric

and there are several historical evidences to

confirm this

aspect . It is due to this

purity in vedic tradition that, Kerala

is known as 'God's own country'. As such, Kerala's

temple rituals

are unique and can not be compared with that of

other places. Also,

please note that , many of the temples outside India are not

constructed and opera ted as per Agama-sastra .

This sastra stipulates

vedic specifications to be followed for

temples. According to

this,the entire temple premise is the body of the

presiding `Deity'

and thereby necessitating strict discipline and

purity of thought and

actions to be followed therein to ensure the

sanctity of the temple.

 

As to Sri Krishna, only those people who had

been His devotees

during their previous births and whom the Bhagavan

requires only

could become His devotees. He has instructed in

Gita ' Not to convey

Gita-rahasya to non-devotees' .

 

Often people are confused in their worship. Take

for example Yesudas.

Sri Krishna is not his 'Ishta daivam' but just one

among several

deities. His eldest son was not baptized only

because the church

authorities refused it because of

Yesudas's habit of visiting non-

christian religious institutions. However, his

next (2) sons have

been duly bap tized, as desired by both parties.

Yesudas is not a

saintly devotee like his great Guru Chembai

Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar

(who had surrendered everything at his cherished

God

Guruvayoorappan's feet). It is a fact that ,

Chembai is one of

Guruvayoorappan's dearest devotees, and that the

merciful Bhagavan

time and again blessed him with mystic

experiences, including the

ultimate liberation as he had requested ( Pleae

see the site

www.chembai.com) .

 

Sri Krishnaya Namah!!!

 

A humble Servant of Krishna

 

 

 

 

 

guruvayur , " Sunil

Menon " <menon_sunil>

wrote:

> Dear Mohan,

>

> Thanks for sharing the details of your

trip to Guruvayoor. I felt

> as if I was in Guruvayoor! Thank you.

>

> Obstacles and hurdles are lord's way of

testing our bhakti. Blessed

> are the ones who pass the test with patience

& faith. Let me quote

> your own wo rds to explain it-

>

> " Overall, it was a pleasant trip. The

Lord guided me well, when I

> thought I was at a " loss " . I

managed to receive His darshan. I feel

> more complete now... "

>

> Hare Krishna!

>

> We will suggest to Devaswom about having the

sign boards in English

> as well. I think most of the signs are in

Malayalam and Tamil

> generally. Most of us (folks who can read

Malayalam or Tamil) would

> not have noticed this - that is why

suggestions from people like

you

> are of great importantace.

>

> > I have a question to ask, Why are non

Hindus not allowed into the

> >Temple.

>

> Guruvayoor and many other temples in Kerala

follow strict orthodox

> rules when it comes to who can enter a temple

or what to wear in a

> temple. It is mainly a continuation of

tradition more than anything

> else. Though non-Hindus are not allowed i n Guruvayoor,

Sabarimala

> temple welcomes everyone irrespective of

their religion. So, the

> custom varies from temple to temple.

>

> I heard a true story from an American friend

of mine (who is a

converted Hindu) that entering Guruvayoor was easy

once she showed

her conversion certificate from Kanchi but she was

not allowed in

Puri Jagannath temple. Puri authorities told her

that they do not

care if she has converted to Hinduism or not as

long as she does not

look Indian! She is one of the few devout Hindu's

I ever came across

who has extensive knowledge of Hinduism and a

practicing Hindu

> for 15 or more years now. She teaches

Hinduism at Harvard.

>

> It may be time for a second look at many of

these old traditions as

> you can not discriminate people by their

looks or country of origin

> anymore. For example, we have many big

temples here in US with

> majority of American worshippe rs. Back home,

many of my cousins and

friends in Kerala wonders why " Churidar "

is not allowed in the

temple. For the new generation in Kerala, Churidar

is a normal day to

day dress.

>

>

> >I have even heard that Padmashri KJ

Jesudas who has sung over 100

> >songs in praise of Lord Guruvayoorappan,

was refused entry until

> >recently(This is hearsay, I confess)

> >

>

> Let me quote Yesusdas's own words from a

rediff.com interview

>

> " You see, my father respected all

religions. When I was five or

six,

> I was told in the Catechism class that we

Christians go to Heaven

> after death. That had me worried. I asked my

father, " If I die and

> go to Heaven, who will I play with? My

non-Christian friends will

be

> somewhere else! "

>

> My father said, " Think about the answer

to this question yourself.

> When you grow up, you'll know the answ

er. "

>

> I was very keen that my children should not

be baptised. It was not

> that I was against baptism, it is just that I

thought the right

> approach was to let them grow, become good

human beings first, and

> then let them choose whether they wanted to

be baptised.

>

> Rediff - What about the reverse? Did the

Hindus object to your

> performances in temples?

>

> Well, the Ayyappa cult in Kerala is a very

unique one. They have a

> dargah and a church in their complex -- their

philosophy is very

> deep. I have sung there often.

>

> I was not allowed into the Guruvayoor temple,

however. Some private

> temples in Kerala were also very strict about

that. But in Tamil

> Nadu, things are different, more liberal.

"

>

>

> > Lastly, I do hope to be able to make an

archana for my baby girl,

> >Tarisha Maya Mohan, someday.

> >

>

> You can send a check/money order/or draft for

the same to Guruvayur

> Devaswom and request a pooja for your

daughter. Check the Devaswom

> web site for the details of the pooja and how

to contact them-

>

> www.guruvayurdevaswom.org

>

>

> > A suggestion: If members in this group

one day decide that a trip

> >should be made to the Temple in a group, I would love to be part

of

> >that group. Please let me know.

>

> A great suggestion. Many of us are getting to

know each other and

we

> are gradually becoming a part of a devotee

family, a group trip to

> Guruvayoor can be a possibility in the future

for sure.

>

> May God bless you all. Hare Krishna!

>

> Om Namo

Narayanaya:

>

> Sunil Menon

> Moderator, www.guruvayur.com

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> guruvayur , Mohan

Ramakrishnan

> <counselmkrk> wrote:

> > Dear all,

> >

> > Thank you so much for the advice, though

some may be

contradictory

> in as far as the procedure is concerned. I

will probably go on

> chanting the Gayathri Mantra just as how I

have been doing. The

ever

> merciful Mother shall forgive me if I have

erred in Her Devotion!

> >

> > My trip to India was quite an eye opener in so

many ways. The

busy

> roads, the poor people etc.How disorganised

they were, especially

on

> the roads. Man O' Man, I am beginning to like

this country. I

didn't

> dislike them at all.

> >

> > I headed that very day to Thrissur. The

atmosphere was different

> in Kerala. The weather is about the same as

in Malaysia,

lots of

> greeneries, my problem was my not so

fantastic Malayalam, but I

> managed through.

> >

> > I was all so excited to be heading to

Guruvayoor. It was amazing

> to find so many chappels all the way to

Guruvayoor. As I have said,

> 4 Christians and a Muslim took me there. Once

we reached the

> Ambalam, there I was, all alone. I had to go

into the Temple

all by

> myself. Oh My God! The Temple was so crowded. Where do I start?

> These questions were ringing in my head.

> >

> > Me being myself, I put up a brave front

and was trying to act

> cool, as if this was my 100th visit to the Temple. When I walked

> into the Temple, I realised most if not all notices

were in

> Malayalam. I was again stuck, because I can't

read Malayalam. Now,

> where do I start? I was also hoping to

perform an archana for my

> baby girl who is 6 months old, as instructed

by an Astrologer.

Where

> do I do this?So, as they say, when you are at

a " loss " , there is

> only one thing that could be done, I raised

my hands in prayer and

> screamed, " Ende Guruvayoorappa enna

rekshikkane " . I walked to the

> registry of the Temple, it was all so crowded. I asked a man,

I

> would presume a devotee like me, and he said

he didn't know. After

> walking a little aimlessly, I asked this

gentleman, and he said

that

> archanas could only be done at 5.00am. I was

disappointed.

> >

> > I told myself, even if I do not perform

the archana, my prayers

> there and my presence before the Lord would

also bless my daughter

> and family. With that in mind, I walked along

around the Temple

and

> found a long queue. I walked right into the

queue and waited for my

> turn. It was about 1.15pm. I was just hoping

that the queue was

> moving towards the Main Temple Hall and not

towards towards a lunch

> hall (if there was one). The fervent chantin

g of the Maha Mantra

and

> singing of songs praising the Lord calmed me

down. I started

> chanting the Maha Mantra, and in the process

as I was walking

> towards the Main Hall where Guruvayoorappan

was, I even managed to

> learn and memorise some of the songs sung by

the devotees.

> >

> > I reached my destiny. I was about to see

Guruvayoorappan, the

> queue was moving faster. Suddenly, there I

was standing in prayer

> before the Lord Himself. All I could say to

Him at that point

> was, " Find us a place at Your

Feet " . It was very emotional. The

> duration was short, very short actually. All

I could say is that it

> was worth every moment of my lifetime.

> >

> > I would want to go back, once again. I

have felt His presence in

> my life ever since. I have seen problems

being untangled, I am

> seeing opportunities, to better myself as a human

being, as far a s

> my career goes etc.

> >

> > I guess the only thing that should be

improved is the signages. I

> would have preferred to see signages in

English as well, so that

> there will be less " aimless " guys

like me, trying to find out about

> details. The Guruvayoor

Temple being the 4th biggest Temple in

India

> as far as crowd visits are concerned, should

consider having an

> Information counter to help

devotees...errrr...unless there was one

> which I did not see.

> >

> > Overall, it was a pleasant trip. The

Lord guided me well, when I

> thought I was at a " loss " . I

managed to receive His darshan. I feel

> more complete now...well, thats the feeling

that I get.

> >

> > I have a question to ask, Why are non

Hindus not allowed into the

> Temple,

when there are so many who are just too eager to receive

> Lord Guruvayoorappan's dar shan? Aren't we

all His children? Is it

> their mistake to have been born into the

family of a non Hindu? I

> have even heard that Padmashri KJ Jesudas who

has sung over 100

> songs in praise of Lord Guruvayoorappan, was

refused entry until

> recently(This is hearsay, I confess)

> >

> > Lastly, I do hope to be able to make an

archana for my baby girl,

> Tarisha Maya Mohan, someday.

> >

> > A suggestion: If members in this group

one day decide that a trip

> should be made to the Temple in a group, I would love to be part of

 

> that group. Please let me know.

> >

> > OM NAMO

NARAYANAYA!

> >

> > PRAISE BE WITH THE LORD!

> >

> > Mohan

> >

 

 

 

 

 

 

Om Namo Narayanaya:

 

[Guest guest]

OM NAMO NARAYANAYA

 

Dear Mr. Shreehari,

 

You have indeed been blessed by Lord Guruvayoorappan.

 

Just like you, I too knew very little about Guruvayoorappan, apart from paintings and pictures. Yet, only quite recently, I began longing to go to Guruvayoorappan's Temple. It was from well within. To be frank, after my prayers there, I had no heart to leave the Temple, and I was just walking around the Temple, whilst they were preparing to close the Temple. So as not to be thrown out by the security, with a heavy heart.

 

As for me, that was my destiny. Only upon returning to Malaysia, did I begin reading about Lord Guruvayoorappan and the Temple. Now, my day begins upon full praise to the Lord himself.

 

I am a Lawyer, and work gets pretty stressful all so often, when I have to deal with tough nut, edgy and demanding clients (not all), Court officials, sometimes irritable and meticulous Judges and tight datelines. As they say, When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. However as for me, When the going gets tough, I only think of the Lord to help me get going. I have seen His Blessings in so many ways, especially now, when am more conscious about His presence around me. These days, am taking whatsoever that comes in my direction, well within my stride, whence the good happens, I bestow all praises to the Lord for His guidance, whilst if the situation gets complicated, I leave the same at His Lotus Feet.

 

Hare Krishna.

 

Mohan

shreehari.pillai wrote:

 

 

 

Om namo bhagavathe vasudevaya

 

Sunitha,

 

In my early days of life, to me guruvayoorappan was like any other god , guruvayoor was like any other temple , I would like to thank my parents for arranging a yathra to guruvayoor on my birthdays . our parents have celebrated each of my birthdays in guruvayoor,

They don’t belileve in blindly imitating western culture like cutting Cakes , arranging a posh party to every one , each of my birthday we will be in guruvayoor to thank guruvayoorappan for giving one more successful year. But in my childhood I was not aware of his love towards me.

 

I don’t know how, the master of all arts given me the interest towards carnatic music. So I happened to hear the concerts of chembai, (when I was studying my degree) soon I became a great fan of chembai , so I bought a book on chembai written by his disciples. After reading the book I have started reading Narayaneeyam , I have got some divine attraction towards guruvayoor ,

 

One day I went to guruvayoor for Ekadashi ( first time I am going for ekadashi ) . my father told , you will not get the darshanam ,that much rush will be there, you can go only up to Kodimaram’ like that. But I went guruvayoor

I will not forget that day . Guruvayoor was really a vikundam that day . Chembai sangeetholsavam , Panjavadyam , bhagavat namarchana full of utsavam .

 

After standing 5 hrs in queue I saw bhagavan ……really bhagavatha swaroopi …. My both eyes and soul filled with tears…..

 

After that I stood to have bhagaval prasadam , I met lots of millionaires standing with me in same queue, i got a part of lotus from my food. My eyes again filled with tears. I really felt his blessing ….

 

I took a portion of the food to my home and distributed among my family, my father got surprised to see that on ekadashi day I had guruvayoor darshanam , and had prasadam too .

 

 

In my family If we have to take any important decision or in a dilemma we will put a lot in front of guruvayoorappan and obey him.

 

I will send you chembai incidents in my next mail

 

Till then

Hare rama hare rama

Rama rama hare hare

Hare krishna hare krishna

Krishna krishna hare hare…

 

 

 

 

 

guruvayur [guruvayur ] On Behalf Of Sunita ramanthanSunday, July 17, 2005 2:17 AMguruvayur Subject: RE: [Guruvayur/Guruvayoor] Re: My Experience of a Lifetime

 

 

Dear Shri Shreehari,

 

Its wonderful to know that you read the Narayaneeyam regularly. It is surely a very powerful prayer. Moreover, the stories of Krishna avatar are so wonderful to read. It gives us the joy of visiting Guruvayur daily. For the benefit of all the members of the group, it will be very nice if you can share with us the life story of Chembai.

 

Sunita

 

shreehari.pillai wrote:

 

Hare rama hare krishna Om Sri guruvayoorappan saranam !!I fully agree with jeyamma ,In my experience guruvayoor temple is not a temple building but theplace where we can experience our soul flling with bhagavaan krishnan Some years back I happened to read about chembai , I became a differentman after reading his life , every day I started reading narayaneeyam ,that changed my life

a lot. i have asked guruvayoorappan a flower butguruvayoorappan guven me a garden.I request you all to read Narayaneeyam every day atleast one sloka perday That will surely give you Ayoraaroogya soukyam Om Namo narayanaaya .Guruvayoorappan dasanShreehariguruvayur [guruvayur ] OnBehalf Of jayamma69Friday, July 15, 2005 4:17 PMTo:

guruvayur Subject: [Guruvayur/Guruvayoor] Re: My Experience of a LifetimeHare Krishna,Guruvayoor temple is not merely composed of a temple building, Deity and facilities. Everything therein is controlled by the Supreme Lord of the universe Sri Krishna , Himself. He is pro-active with His each devotee depending upon the quality of his/her Bhakti . If mystic experiences are lessthese days, it is only because most of the new devotees are not caring to implement the true Bhakti of, previous generations' devotees like Vilwamangalam Swamiyar,

Kurooramma, Melpathur, Poonthanam , Manavendra Raja, Chembai Bhagavathar, etc. The functioning of purely `satvic` Krishna temples like Guruvayoor is different from Ayyappa or Siva temples. In the case of Lord Ayyappa, He had two associates named Vavar ( a muslim) and Velutha ( a Christian) and therefore devote es belonging to all religions are permitted to enter His temple. However, a few years back, the main Pujari of Sabaraimala temple had worshiped in a local church near Nilamel, thereby creating a controversy. Finally, Lord Ayyappan's

opinion was sought in the deva-prasna (that was held inside the temple) wherein the furious Lord instructed immediate dismissal of this Pujari. Immediately, the sabarimala-tantri (Thazhamon Namboodirippad) took over the duties of Pujari . After this incident, the practice of `Puappeda-santi ` (Santi is not allowed to leave the temple premises till the end of his tenure) , was established in Sabarimala.Kerala was created by the divine Sage Parasurama (incarnation of MahaVishnu) , who had put in place specific agama-sastra based temples , associated rituals and required infrastructure to maintain Kerala in accordance with vedic tradition. The great Sage had tested and selected two elite vedic priests from Nelloore ( a district in present Andhra Pradesh) and brought them to Kerala . After training them, Sage Parasurama asked the first one (Tharananalloor Namboodirppad) to administer Vaishnava temples , while assigning Saivaite temples for the next (Thazhamon Namboodiripaad). Strict codes of conduct exist for these authorized Tantrics who are ever vigilant to administer these temples in strict

accordance with the Deity's wishes. Any failure to do so will be suicidal for the Tantric and there are several historical evidences to confirm this aspect . It is due to this purity in vedic tradition that, Kerala is known as 'God's own country'. As such, Kerala's temple rituals are unique and can not be compared with that of other places. Also, please note that , many of the temples outside India are not constructed and opera ted as per Agama-sastra . This sastra stipulates vedic specifications to be followed

for temples. According to this,the entire temple premise is the body of the presiding `Deity' and thereby necessitating strict discipline and purity of thought and actions to be followed therein to ensure the sanctity of the temple.As to Sri Krishna, only those people who had been His devotees during their previous births and whom the Bhagavan requires only could become His devotees. He has instructed in Gita ' Not to convey Gita-rahasya to non-devotees' .Often people are confused in their worship. Take for example Yesudas. Sri Krishna is not his 'Ishta

daivam' but just one among several deities. His eldest son was not baptized only because the church authorities refused it because of Yesudas's habit of visiting non-christian religious institutions. However, his next (2) sons have been duly bap tized, as desired by both parties. Yesudas is not a saintly devotee like his great Guru Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar (who had surrendered everything at his cherished God Guruvayoorappan's feet). It is a fact that , Chembai is one of Guruvayoorappan's dearest devotees, and that the merciful Bhagavan time and again

blessed him with mystic experiences, including the ultimate liberation as he had requested ( Pleae see the site www.chembai.com) .Sri Krishnaya Namah!!!A humble Servant of Krishnaguruvayur , "Sunil Menon" <menon_sunil> wrote:> Dear Mohan,> > Thanks for sharing the details of your trip to Guruvayoor. I felt > as if I was in Guruvayoor! Thank you.> > Obstacles and hurdles

are lord's way of testing our bhakti. Blessed > are the ones who pass the test with patience & faith. Let me quote > your own wo rds to explain it- > > " Overall, it was a pleasant trip. The Lord guided me well, when I > thought I was at a "loss". I managed to receive His darshan. I feel > more complete now..."> > Hare Krishna!> > We will suggest to Devaswom about having the sign boards in English > as well. I think most of the signs are in Malayalam and

Tamil > generally. Most of us (folks who can read Malayalam or Tamil) would > not have noticed this - that is why suggestions from people like you > are of great importantace.> > > I have a question to ask, Why are non Hindus not allowed into the > >Temple.> > Guruvayoor and many other temples in Kerala follow strict orthodox > rules when it comes to who can enter a temple or what to wear in a >

temple. It is mainly a continuation of tradition more than anything > else. Though non-Hindus are not allowed i n Guruvayoor, Sabarimala > temple welcomes everyone irrespective of their religion. So, the > custom varies from temple to temple. > > I heard a true story from an American friend of mine (who is a converted Hindu) that entering Guruvayoor was easy once she showed her conversion certificate from Kanchi but she was not allowed in Puri Jagannath temple. Puri authorities told her that they do not care if she has converted to Hinduism or not as long as she does not

look Indian! She is one of the few devout Hindu's I ever came across who has extensive knowledge of Hinduism and a practicing Hindu> for 15 or more years now. She teaches Hinduism at Harvard. > > It may be time for a second look at many of these old traditions as > you can not discriminate people by their looks or country of origin > anymore. For example, we have many big temples here in US with > majority of American worshippe rs. Back home, many of my cousins and friends in Kerala wonders why "Churidar" is not allowed in the temple. For the new generation in Kerala, Churidar is a normal day to day dress.> > > >I have even heard that Padmashri KJ Jesudas who has sung over 100 > >songs in praise of Lord Guruvayoorappan, was refused entry until > >recently(This is hearsay, I confess)> > > > Let me quote Yesusdas's own words from a rediff.com interview> > "You see, my father respected all religions. When I was five or six,

> I was told in the Catechism class that we Christians go to Heaven > after death. That had me worried. I asked my father, "If I die and > go to Heaven, who will I play with? My non-Christian friends will be > somewhere else!" > > My father said, "Think about the answer to this question yourself. > When you grow up, you'll know the answ er." > > I was very keen that my children should not be baptised. It was not > that I was against baptism, it is just that I thought

the right > approach was to let them grow, become good human beings first, and > then let them choose whether they wanted to be baptised. > > Rediff - What about the reverse? Did the Hindus object to your > performances in temples? > > Well, the Ayyappa cult in Kerala is a very unique one. They have a > dargah and a church in their complex -- their philosophy is very > deep. I have sung there often. > > I was not allowed into the Guruvayoor temple, however. Some

private > temples in Kerala were also very strict about that. But in Tamil > Nadu, things are different, more liberal. "> > > > Lastly, I do hope to be able to make an archana for my baby girl, > >Tarisha Maya Mohan, someday.> > > > You can send a check/money order/or draft for the same to Guruvayur > Devaswom and request a pooja for your daughter. Check the Devaswom > web site for the details of the pooja and how to contact them-

> > www.guruvayurdevaswom.org> > > > A suggestion: If members in this group one day decide that a trip > >should be made to the Temple in a group, I would love to be part of > >that group. Please let me know.> > A great suggestion. Many of us are getting to know each other and we > are gradually becoming a part of a devotee family, a group trip

to > Guruvayoor can be a possibility in the future for sure. > > May God bless you all. Hare Krishna!> > Om Namo Narayanaya:> > Sunil Menon> Moderator, www.guruvayur.com> > > > > > > >

> > guruvayur , Mohan Ramakrishnan > <counselmkrk> wrote:> > Dear all,> > > > Thank you so much for the advice, though some may be contradictory > in as far as the procedure is concerned. I will probably go on > chanting the Gayathri Mantra just as how I have been doing. The ever > merciful Mother shall forgive me if I have erred in Her Devotion!> >

> > My trip to India was quite an eye opener in so many ways. The busy > roads, the poor people etc.How disorganised they were, especially on > the roads. Man O' Man, I am beginning to like this country. I didn't > dislike them at all.> > > > I headed that very day to Thrissur. The atmosphere was different > in Kerala. The weather is about the same as in Malaysia, lots of > greeneries, my problem was my not so fantastic Malayalam, but I > managed through.> > > > I was all so excited to be heading to Guruvayoor. It was amazing > to find so many chappels all the way to Guruvayoor. As I have said, > 4 Christians and a Muslim took me there. Once we reached the > Ambalam, there I was, all alone. I had to go into the Temple all by > myself. Oh My God! The Temple was so crowded.

Where do I start? > These questions were ringing in my head.> > > > Me being myself, I put up a brave front and was trying to act > cool, as if this was my 100th visit to the Temple. When I walked > into the Temple, I realised most if not all notices were in > Malayalam. I was again stuck, because I can't read Malayalam. Now, > where do I start? I was also hoping to perform an archana for my > baby girl who is 6 months old, as instructed by an Astrologer.

Where > do I do this?So, as they say, when you are at a "loss", there is > only one thing that could be done, I raised my hands in prayer and > screamed, "Ende Guruvayoorappa enna rekshikkane". I walked to the > registry of the Temple, it was all so crowded. I asked a man, I > would presume a devotee like me, and he said he didn't know. After > walking a little aimlessly, I asked this gentleman, and he said that > archanas could only be done at 5.00am. I was disappointed.> > > > I told myself, even if I do not perform the archana, my prayers > there and my presence before the Lord would also bless my daughter > and family. With that in mind, I walked along around the Temple and > found a long queue. I walked right into the queue and waited for my > turn. It was about 1.15pm. I was just hoping that the queue was > moving towards the Main Temple Hall and not towards towards a lunch > hall (if there was one). The fervent chantin g of the Maha Mantra and > singing of songs praising the Lord calmed me down. I started > chanting the Maha Mantra, and in the process as I was walking > towards the Main Hall where Guruvayoorappan was, I even managed to > learn and memorise some of the songs sung by the devotees. > > > > I reached my destiny. I was about to see Guruvayoorappan, the > queue was moving faster. Suddenly, there I was standing in prayer > before the Lord Himself. All I could say to Him at that point > was, "Find us a place at Your Feet". It was very emotional. The >

duration was short, very short actually. All I could say is that it > was worth every moment of my lifetime.> > > > I would want to go back, once again. I have felt His presence in > my life ever since. I have seen problems being untangled, I am > seeing opportunities, to better myself as a human being, as far a s > my career goes etc.> > > > I guess the only thing that should be improved is the signages. I > would have preferred to see signages in English as well, so that > there will be

less "aimless" guys like me, trying to find out about > details. The Guruvayoor Temple being the 4th biggest Temple in India > as far as crowd visits are concerned, should consider having an > Information counter to help devotees...errrr...unless there was one > which I did not see.> > > > Overall, it was a pleasant trip. The Lord guided me well, when I > thought

I was at a "loss". I managed to receive His darshan. I feel > more complete now...well, thats the feeling that I get.> > > > I have a question to ask, Why are non Hindus not allowed into the > Temple, when there are so many who are just too eager to receive > Lord Guruvayoorappan's dar shan? Aren't we all His children? Is it > their mistake to have been born into the family of a non Hindu? I > have even heard that Padmashri KJ Jesudas who has sung over 100 > songs in praise of Lord Guruvayoorappan, was refused entry until

> recently(This is hearsay, I confess)> > > > Lastly, I do hope to be able to make an archana for my baby girl, > Tarisha Maya Mohan, someday.> > > > A suggestion: If members in this group one day decide that a trip > should be made to the Temple in a group, I would love to be part of > that group. Please let me know.> > > > OM NAMO NARAYANAYA!> > > > PRAISE BE WITH THE LORD!> > > > Mohan > >Om Namo Narayanaya: