Six Hours, Three Different Temples

Stardate 64498.5

23:13 - The vast presence of different religions in India surprises me. Growing up in a country that prides itself on being a place to worship as you please, I have always felt that the U.S. could accept any religion and respect its followers. Yet in India, differences in religion are facts of life, not just a small characteristic. Today, we visited jest three of the major religious sites in Delhi: The Lotus Temple, Akshardham Temple, Gurdwara Shri Bangla Sahib.

The Lotus Temple created by the Baha'i faith rises up as a large marble lotus surrounded by nine pools.  We entered the temple in silence and immediately felt the meditating mood wash over us. Encircling the cold marble floors of the temple with my bare feet, I stopped by a window to see another temple rising out of the Delhi fog, the Hare Rama Hare Krishna Temple (Hindu).  I reflected on the idea of sitting inside a religious site in the U.S. and seeing another church/temple/mosque through a window. In College Station, we have Church Street, which has multiple Christian Churches; but Church Street only contains different sects within Christianity not other faiths. As I put on my shoes, I couldn't help realize that I have never really come across a truly diverse religious society.

Our next destination was the magnificent Akshardham Temple built to honor a deceased guru. The Akshardham Temple compares to the many of the cathedrals of Europe with every inch of marble carved and its towering domes. Again shoe-less, I traveled around admiring the carved lotuses and elephants and came upon a side ceremony. A priest of the temple took me in and explained the ceremony. He told me about his Hindu faith and how they have expanded around the world.  He told me about the temple they built in Houston. Upon further clarification, he showed me the address in Sugar Land, Tx. I have been to this temple; in fact, it was the first way I was exposed to Hinduism. Thousands of miles away and we found a connection despite being a part of a ceremony totally foreign to me.

The Sikh Gurdwara Shri Bangla Sahib was our final destination and last occasion to take off our shoes. Different from the shininess of the other two sites, the Sikh Gurdwara had a unique feel to it.  We sat on the side as they sang. I watched as the local Sikhs traveled clockwise around the temple. This temple seemed used. All of the business men, housewives, toddlers with little turbans and children following behind gave the impression that the public used this space as more than just a symbol of their religion, but the working part of their faith.  As part of their complex, the Sikhs had a small tent set up to serve food to any one passing by, especially the multitude of homeless people living near by. This temple reminded me of my own Catholic Church at home with its dim lights and passion for social services. We were told that even the Sikh Prime Minister works a shift at the temple.

In the U.S., we have all three of these religions present, but not vocal. Despite our freedom of religion, I would argue that we do not have religious diversity. We have one major religion with other religions operating on the parameter. In India, many religions exist and almost balance each other. Even though Hinduism has the most followers, it does not hold the majority. As we in the U.S. move towards accepting more immigrants with different religions, we should take India's example into account and not fear the decentralization of our 'culture' or national 'identity'.  We should celebrate this decentralization and trust in our faith that freedom of religion will take us forward.