Kadur temple

December 29th
Chikkajajur- A small village near Davanagere

After a long 6 hrs drive we reached our uncles place. Freshened up there and left to visit our Coconut farm.

After taking a look at our trees, we visited my father-in-laws burial place. On our way I had to prepare my daughter to bow to her grandpa. All the while my mum-in-law kept thinking on what to tell my daughter. So
I told her, tata(grandpa) has gone to shami(god).
Daughter asked "why is he with shami".
I said...he was old just like ajjajjja (my grandfather- who died at the age of 90 a few months back)...so God said that he will take care of him and took him.
So daughter said, but tata was not old know (the photo we have at home, he doesn’t look old).
So I had to actually convince her that he got old but we did not take his latest snap so we don’t have one.
The thoughts which my daughter had were good enough to bring back a nice smile on my mum-in-laws face.
After paying respects to my father-in-law we left for Kadur temple. That night was very pleasant. Our cousins had organized for some program for the children and the elders which went on till 12.00A.M. After all the hungama, the crowd was in the bed by 1.00A.M.

December 30, 2007

Kadur’s Eswara temple, near Chikkajajur

Otherwise a quiet place, that day it was jam packed with people all over. It was the day for “kenda” a festivity in which selected devotees walk across glowing charcoal.
Previous night we slept over at the temple itself. Morning was pleasant, we got to see the sun rise. All of us freshened up and moved towards the main temple area. Rudrabhishekha was about to begin. All of us seated ourselves inside the temple the rituals began. The poojas went on for close to 1 ½ hrs. So our legs went numb by the time we were allowed to get up! Curtains were pulled immediately after rudrabhishekha, to dress the Lord. When the curtains opened The Lord looked beautiful…the bells started ringing, eyes closed, hands came together, the aarti lamp was brought out…and I got goose bumps. After the aarti & tirtha, all of us came out of the temple to take part in Kenda. One of the village elders lit fire to the woodstack which was kept. The God used for festivities was brought on a palanquin by 6-7 people. They walked on the charcoal with the God. The moment the God was being brought back, all of us seated ourselves on the ground in a row so that the palanquin passed over our heads- a way to get blessed. These 6-7 people walked on the charcoal 6 times. With lunch being served to all who were present there, the kenda came to an end.

Lord Eswara during Rudrabhishekha

View from the temple

My princess with the village crowd :-)

all in a row

Walking over Kenda