My first sacred site on Thursday was the Golden Temple. That is where one of the 12 jyotirlingams in India lives. The jyotirlingams are the most sacred of the Shiva Lingams. I visited number 9 on the list. It was my first jyotirlingam, but certainly not my last. I'd love to see them all in this lifetime!
I traveled to the Golden Temple on the back of Narayan's scooter, which was a real thrill. Going through the alleys and streets of Varanasi on a scooter is a delightful experience! Upon arrival, I had to present my passport, and Narayan handed me over to a Bhahmin priest, who escorted me through the temple.
It was so powerful. I could feel the shakti (energy) of the Lingam all around the temple grounds. The top of my head was vibrating and it felt like my head could float right away. There were long lines of people waiting to have darshan of the Lingam. The lines moved quickly, so I didn't get to drink in the sight of the jyotirlingam as much as I would have liked to. I could have stayed there all day. I'm sure many of the people there could relate to that feeling. I really wanted to sit down and meditate after my darshan, but the priest kept me moving. Having to be functional in that state is great practice for being self-realized! You can just make out the top of the Golden Temple, which houses the jyotirlingam, here.
The priest took me around to several stations (for lack of a better term) where priests were sitting. They gave me blessings and applied bindis to my forehead. Bliss on bliss on bliss! The scooter ride back was just as joyous. One jyotirlingam down, 11 to go!
What an amazing journey. You look transformed! I look forward to each post.