Surprise at a Hindu Temple
Sri Lanka, 2005 One of my classes in Sri Lanka was analyzing E. M. Forrester's masterpiece Passage to India , one of the most important works of the 20th century. In an attempt to convey the mysticism of India to these young people, I learned about a very unusual Hindu temple in Colombo. In short order, I arranged a field trip. The picture above represents the type of structure we would see around Colombo. But the temple we visited was unlike any Hindu temple in Sri Lanka. After talking about proper behavior in a holy place, we traveled to this temple. I wish I could remember the name. Arriving, I was struck by the concrete structure before us, nothing like I expected. Fortunately, there were only about twelve students, and they huddled around me as we entered the dark interior, leaving our shoes at the door. Unexpectedly, we had come on a particular holy day. Hundreds of candles lit the interior, creating an otherworldly sense. Devotees had brought offerings of flowers wh...