Why Temple runs?
Born into an orthodox Indian Hindu family, my life almost necessarily revolved around temple trips, most probably involving pilgrimages if not minor traditional rituals. In growing up what I realized is these temples speak a lot of stories all different and unique. But people may not find these relevant unless they are “connected” to these stories. I was “connected” into these stories by default.
Typical stories go like - a temple fortress door at Hampi that need two elephants to move on or the pillars of music at the Vittala temple that echo the octave sound. And a story of that miracle iron pillar at Delhi that cannot rust and you still can pass a paper through its base. Temples way beyond ages into Ramayana and before, today are under caves, lit only by the oil lamps and candles at the Thirupparamkundram Murugan Temple Madurai.
Rituals too are part of the colorful stories - Theyyam for eg emanates a lasting impression in a child’s mind with its night long fire lit colorful deities procession. These local stuff are all along the belt and region of South India’s rich heritage temples.
My enthusiasm further only helped me to expand this geographical border and reach out to a bigger canvas.
Whats packed in there for everyone else?
Most temples reveal a lot of art, contain a huge heritage and history, all of which visitors can exclaim upon absorbing the glory. One can glimpse the ancient architecture and the lost links to the past because of raids across borders. And also witness a variety of traditions that have been preserved across ages that add huge value to the Community around these temples.
Churches, Mosques are there too but Temples uniquely identify themselves through a social message of service unlike others. Community festivals (like Holi in Mathura) and the ever running community kitchens that serve food throw an altogether different experience of giving and sharing. The largest camel trade market in Pushkars adjoin a series of mythological events reproducing the very essence of one world one family living.
People who visited such places given names to their trips - Finding oneself, Soul search, Faith drills etc. All these ultimately mean the same - the visitors got connected to the stories these places have told.
How many are out there to explore these?
Ofcourse many. While people take a visit and forget, some take it to their blogs and express. We don’t know how many are exactly interested in a focused topic like Temple arts, Temple Culture, Heritage Sites etc. So that when they do explore the locations from unknowns (like Lakkundi) to the famous sites, they can come down to share on a platform like this and even leave some official information too.
My exact idea of having an end to end trail of a Temple run would be to connect its past (through the official history keepers), the present (through the present care takers) and to make it fascinating for the public to involve in the future (active showcasing and interactive preservation). In case of my experiences, I have been exclusively trying hard to involve, Dept of Archaeological studies, The ASI and the local folks around the mentioned habitats of most Heritage Sites in India. Its important to note that there are many places still just around these renowned ones that still need upliftment or focus. My special attention goes to them.
This integrating act can thrive the existing ecosystem of Temple tourism and let the world showcase its vast stories to the travelers albeit with much of authenticated information and a genuine “story” to connect to.
How good is a Local Guide at this?
To explore you need the Local Guide, but the Local Guide needs passion to recognize the essence of a new place, its context in the history as a whole and any present day biases or local socio political influence the place is projecting (eg. present situations around Sabiramala in Kerala or Shanisingnapur in Maharashtra).
Local guides bring in much stuff to the platform here, I would only wish much of it to have been validated one.
Opinions or reviews without the adjoining facts are always preferred less. And a great focused team for a particular area, geography or tracking event will do much better job than individual Guide. I wish to join as many teams like such while keeping my interests to the subject around Temples and traditions of a place.
Google Maps to reach? great but certainly avoid these map suggestions
One thing around Accessibility feature on Local Guides is map suggestions. I actively provide feedback on route suggestions to demote as they are seriously driver unfriendly or sometimes just dangerous with a blind V bend. Such of my feedacks I find not reflecting immediately or even late into few days as corrections.
If Local Guides feedbacks are weighted into maps suggestions and maps feedbacks I guess we will have a much richer content validated to the core.
I hope to grow into a much diverse panorama by engaging myself into Local Guide Connect Live -2019.
Where in I can put forth much of my above thoughts and equally accept some brilliant things from the participants there. My personal wishes (and some of my post work plans) are tied up into this “what comes up next” moment.
All the best to the event- Connect Live 2019