My friend and I recently went to Sri Maha Mariaamman Temple in Jalan Bandar KL on the 6th October 2008. It was the 6th day of Navarathiri. With all the decoration, bhajans, dancing and of course the good food, it is a waste to miss the 9 days of Navarathri.
We both meet around 6.30pm in the temple. We realise that it was Merchants society turn to show their gratiude to GOD. The temple looked beautiful. The decoration done for Amman was simply breathtaking. There was this lady stood and stare at Ambal admiring Her. Probably she’s one of the merchants wife who’s pleased with the preparation done by the temple management.
By then we saw orphanage kids together with disable people coming into the temple. This make me think how fortunate I have been. I should complain less in life.
The day started with some good music, comprising of violin, ‘dolki’ and sangeetham singer. This was mixed with some brathanatyam performed by both adults and kids. Everyone was mesmerized when a small kid, about a year old transformed into Lord Krishna and was made to perform for a very popular tamil song. He stole the crowd. To tell the truth, I actually thought he’s going to run to his parents half way through the song, but he didn’t. He just stood there looking very cute and move a little to the beat. Very cute indeed.
By 8.30pm, me and my friend were getting a little tired. She told me to just hang on there and wait until the prayers finish. It has already been 2 hours we were sitting there in temple, hoping that it s going to end and we will be served with good food. They gave gift to the orphanage and disable people together with the performers of the day. It was sad to see them lining up to get their gift. There was this old handicapped man in a wheel chair that didn’t want to go, but in the end just have to give in and took his gift. Probably he was embarrassed with everyone looking at him. I salute not the temple management or the merchant club who organise the day, but the owners of these homes whose with them all the time.
By the time my friend ask the time again, it was already 10.00pm. Finally the poojas were over. No doubt it was very well organised, but it was just too long. By the time the food was served, we were just too tired.
The crowd at the food section was being very impatient. Devotees were pushing one another in an attempt to get the all the food provided. Me and my friend ate little of what we got. The unpleasant side of people pushing just spoils our appetite. Luckily, we did get some nice ice kacang.
At the other end of the temple, those so called ‘big shots’ were served on table, complete with napkin and servers, while the other devotees were made to ‘attack’ their food served in buffet style. By 10.00pm, people were just too hungry. The worse thing of all is that those unfortunate orphanage kids and disable people were made to sit down at the corner of a the pavement, where everyone was walking past them. Sincerely coming from deep down my heart, it was a very pitiful site to see them to be treated like that. At least, the management should made some place at the corner of the ‘mandapam’.
A friend of mine just told me that’s the usual time the Maha Mariamman temple will end their prayers during Navarathri. I wonder if this how Ambal wants us to pray to Her. Probably my friend and I shouldn’t complain of this ‘test’ we have to go through, but what about the children, senior citizen and of course the orphanage kids and disable people? Does Ambal want to ‘test’ them too? Or was it simply us human who wants to show our love to Her that just goes over the limit? This is for us individual to decide.
Despite all these, me and my friend are thinking of going again to the same temple the next day. We shouldn’t take our frustration against Ambal, but at least this time we’ll be well prepared.
*A POST BY SHAMY*
No comments:
Post a Comment