Sightseeing Part 2: The Temples

So yesterday I talked about the overall tour itself now let’s talk about the actual sights I saw. The first place we went when we actually started the tour was ISKON Temple. ISKON Temple is the international headquarters of the Hare Krishnas. For those that don’t remember them or haven’t seen Airplane the Hare Krishna’s are the people who just to sell flowers at the airports until that was banned. The ISKON Temple is partially a product of all those flower selling endeavors. It is a giant structure that looks like you split a glass and steel building in half and inserted a Hindu temple in the middle.

I didn’t understand everything the guide said about it but it has 4 temples that have gold statues and was built at a cost of 40 million blah (I couldn’t understand if he said Rupees or Dollars). They are most determined to protect all that gold because they require that you check your camera at the entrance of the temple. Then you have to got thru an Airport like security check (remember my mistake of going thru the Tel Aviv security? About like that). Now I know that many Indian Temples don’t allow photos of the inside but really… confiscating my camera? Making me check it with some guy who hung it on a hook? My NEW camera?

I don’t want to really give a flavor of what the temple is like so I will apologize if any Hindus find this description irreligious. As soon as we entered the Temple I was reminded of Walt Disney World, specifically the It’s a Small World ride. You know how in Disney parks you are fed into a line that curves back and forth? Well that is the same setup that the ISKON temple has. Also, when you are waiting in line at Disney World for the It’s A Small World ride you hear the “It’s a Small World” playing over and over again on the loud speakers? Well at the ISKON Temple they have “Hare Krishna” playing over and over. For those that don’t know this catchy tune it goes “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare” repeat that line over and over. Just like the “It’s a Small World” song after about 2 minutes of that you can’t get the song out of your head.

As you wind thru the lines you see signs everywhere “Beware of Pickpockets” which is a bit strange for religious site. The line winds you thru the four Temples. After you wind thru the fourth temple the line sends you into a huge gift shop (that you also have to wind thru) just like Disney World ride always spits you out into the gift shop. The gift shop had books, DVDs, idols, jewelry… etc… everything but the ubiquitous T-shirt. Then if you make it thru the gift shop you are kicked back into the line to pick up your checked camera and out the temple. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the temple due the the confiscation of my camera.

After we left the ISKON Temple we went to see a more traditional Indian temple the Nandi Bull Temple. I really liked the Bull Temple. It had a warmer more earthy atomosphere. Of course it has a really big carving of a Bull. The bull is carved out of a single block of granite. It’s really white granite but has been turned black by the oil the rub on it. The bull is really rather cool looking. Based on my recent discoveries about Cows and Oxen... I beleive this is an OX... I checked and it has hump.

That concluded the Temple section of the tour and I was glad because it meant I could put my shoes on. Indian temples don’t allow footwear. I don’t mind shucking my shoes at the

entrance but the ISKON temple makes you check your shoes at the beginning of the line so you have to walk thru the whole switchback line system barefoot on granite. Why do they put carved lines in granite when you know people will be barefoot? Anyway that is all for today. Tomorrow some of the other sights.