with Sri Ganesh

so outrageous (I have paid the school fees already!) that I fall mute and sign her to leave. … Some Rs. 30/- have been offered…

- 06-09-14:

… Some Rs. 30/- have been offered today… I am trying to do the puja a little differently: when all is ready, I light the inner deepam at Sri Ganesh’s base and ring one of the little bells and sing the Aarti at the same time, keeping the flame steady: I like it better but… is it acceptable? I almost fear what will happen if the headman attends that part and decides to shake the large bell at the same time… How to make him understand…?

- 07-09-14:

… P did the morning puja as on every Sunday, but L called me at home, from the Kalari Center where he was having lunch, asking whether he could bring “a group of friends” to the temple in the afternoon; as I was having an appointment there itself later in the day, for a special oil massage on my lower back (I decided to try and take their help, see if it would make any difference or teach me anything I could use by myself to heal the spine and reestablish free passage), I agree to open the shrine for them at 4 pm. It turns out that one of the “friends” and in fact the main guest is the elderly daughter of Panditji of Rameshwaram…! It is, they say, her first visit to the temple and she is curious about it, as her father’s own visit many years before had been widely reported (You mention it to Satprem I Your Agenda), during which he had declared that there was no need to worry about the temple care as Lord Ganesh would look after it himself… Panditji’s daughter had in fact had to take over his role as a teacher as no one had been found to replace him after his passing. My impression of her was of a strong character, a little gruff, very able – but not really open to You. She grilled me on how I was serving Sri Ganesh and when I was giving Abhishekam, the ritual bath; she was obviously displeased to learn that I was not doing it often and preferred to maintain cleanliness in other ways… Somehow, her group offered Rs. 50/-…

- 08-09-14:

… Rs. 10/- are offered…

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