Camphor Quest

[Guest guest]

Does anyone know of an online source for camphor in large chunks or

big cubes? (I live way out in the boondocks and the only Indian

food store within reasonable distance doesn't carry camphor. The

only camphor I have found online is from Dharmaware and it's the

Stag brand of tiny cubes.) TIA

[Guest guest]

Dear Karen,

Reading your request reminded me of a funny story...I was

thinking of you lighting up one of those big chunks of camphor.

Anyway, once I was serving as the swami assistant at a

pranapratishta ceremony for a new murti...my job was to prepare

everything and hand it to him as needed (believe me, I was

definitely "on my toes" for this one). At the end, of course, there

was Arati and, before that, the waving of the camphor lamp. I was

thinking how auspicious this occasion was and kept putting more and

more squares of camphor on the tray to be waved before the murti. So

the pujari stood up and I lit the camphor for him and WHOOOOOOOSH! A

GIGANTIC flame rose up (like Shiva appearing as a pillar of

light)...the entire front row leapt up from their asanas and jumped

back. Luckily, being camphor...it didn't cause any damage but I

noticed after that, someone else always manged to prepare the

camphor for puja before I got anywhere near it.....so, don't light

all those big chunks up at once! (only teasing; I'm sure you know

all about it). However, another interesting thing (to me, anyway)is

that they are no longer permitting camphor to be used in alot of the

South Indian Temples because the priests were developing lung

problems from all of the pujas...now the use of camphor is forbidden

in many temples! Interesting!

sadhvi