Lauren

Babies & Temple Bells

I’ve spent many hours sat soaking up the tranquil vibes on the marble floor of temples. I used to be a bit apprehensive and nervous to enter, fearing that someone would turn around and say, “hey, Lauren, you absolutely do not belong here”. That has never happened, in fact I have experienced the opposite. Sitting in temples, in reflective silence and prayer, helped me relax and untangle my thoughts.

When you become a parent, a huge chunk of your heart and soul is plucked from you in the form of another person. It’s indescribably special and incredibly terrifying all at once. You are entirely responsible for this amazing, perfect little person. A tear in their eye causes you physical pain and their laughter brings a tear to your eye. That’s a lot of emotions to go through all in one day, so we added a daily temple trip into our routine.

 

We recently came across a gorgeous little temple and a painting of baby Shiva sound asleep took my breath away. It reminds me so much of my little one taking a nap. It’s easy to see the divine in children (especially when they are sleeping peacefully).

A regular temple of ours has five brass bells located above the different deities, each with a different size, sound, vibration, energy. We gentle ring each bell and stand under them until they stop vibrating. Rohan looks up at the bells, fascinated, I’m sure he can probably hear the bell longer than I can. The sound of temple bells is uniquely relaxing, having the same effect as those beautiful healing Tibetan singing bowls.

Another sound in the temple we visit regularly, is the sound of the bhajans sang by the elderly women in white, cream and gold sarees who gather everyday to sing devotional songs to God. The women always meet when the afternoon starts to fade, and love cooing over Rohan, so we try to visit the temple at the same time. They always welcome me, insist we sit on the temple floor and join them. Something I would not have had the confidence to do when I first moved to India.

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11 comments

  1. How beautiful. I love these snippets of your simple everyday life.
    And temple bells are serene. While I never bother going to the temple, I love coordinating my evening walks with the evening puja so I can hear the bells as I walk. It is so relaxing and uplifting. I’m glad Rohan is getting these beautiful experiences.

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  2. At his age Rohan is exploring and enjoying the world around him. Soon he would want to ring the bell himself with little help. About the baby Shiva, I think there is a little story. When once goddess kali was in her fierce form, slaying demons, and the world was on the verge of destruction, the gods went to Lord Shiva with the request to calm her. Shiva tried his best to calm kali, but when nothing worked, he took the form of a child. Kali was drawn to the crying of the child Shiva, her maternal instincts were aroused and she calmed down. Fascinating story.

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  3. Shiva in Batukeshwar form. Batuk means child, Ishwar mean God. According to puraanas Shiva, the Self, is unborn and immortal. As Shiva is unborn, so He never have a mother. Even if Lord Shiva is everything but the Lord has never experience the love of a mother towards her child. So the Shiva incarnated (2 or 3 times as a child, not sure) as Batukeshwar to experience bliss of a mother’s love. Thats how great is love of a mother even dispassionate Shiva desires for it.

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  4. While Rohan is like a sleeping Shiva now, very soon he will become a naughty, cheeky Krishna, moving on swiftly to the destructive powers of Kali! Wait until he moves on from temple bells to making full drum kits out of kitchen implements! Life will only get more chaotic and noisy from this point on! Joking aside, you are totally right- children are most definitely divine – little balls of pure love (and noise)!

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  5. Oh, lovely, Lauren!! I keep reading your blog though cannot always respond. I love hearing how well you have fit in to your new life and all about Rohan. How beautiful that the elderly ladies include you in their circle. It must be thrilling in a way. Think of you often through your posts. Much love, Ellen

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