Old Vajeshwari Temple

Here's a funny story for you. My friend Prashant offered for him and Nitin to accompany me to the Vajeshwari temple (or so I thought). I always appreciate being able to visit these sacred places with a local, so I said yes without hesitation. 

We planned for Thursday at 10am, and I invited another solo traveler staying at Yogini's to join us. Gajanan picked us up in his tuktuk and we headed down the hill to meet Prashant and Nitin. They were waiting for us in front of the temple with a couple bags of garlands. We headed off in the opposite direction of the Vajeshwari temple. I understood us to be taking a back road. I even told Rebecca how much I enjoyed a back road. 

It was a little tight in the tuktuk with three of us in the back seat. The jungle roads we were driving were pitted and rough. About a half hour into the trip, I understood that I had misunderstood Prashant. We weren't going to the Vajeshwari temple - we were going to the old Vajeshwari temple. Okay, cool.

An hour into our journey, we stopped for water and I asked how much longer. My body had been talking to me from the bumpy ride and close quarters. I was told it was a 30km journey. 30 minutes later, we arrived. The story my mindchad written about the morning was that we would be home between 12-12:30. It was almost noon when we arrived. Lol!

This site holds two ancient temples and a cold water kund. A kund is a reservoir of water. There are several kunds around Ganeshpuri that are fed by hot springs. The hot spring kunds on the temple grounds are sanctified. Many people take holy baths there. I do not, but I wash my hands and feet with that water, and sprinkle it on my head. This kund is also on temple grounds and therefore sanctified. It is fed by cold springs.

Prashant climbed down and threw water at us so we could be blessed

The first of two ancient temples

The second

There is a number posted to call someone who will come open things up. Nitin called. We waited.

I took the opportunity to do some yoga. My body needed it after that long rough ride!

Nothing beats a tailbone release!

Once inside, we did a pooja to honor the Goddesses represented by the statues. Prashant blew the conch while Nitin chanted.

We all took turns waving the flame, including Gajanan, our tuktuk man

We offered garlands of flowers before we chanted and waved the flame. Here, pooja in the first temple is complete.

The second, smaller temple contains even older statues. The original Goddess statues. We offered garlands to them as well.

And chanted and waved the flame

Then we settled in for a 10 minute meditation in that small temple. The air was thick with Shakti. My meditation was deep and timeless. That expansive moment, which could have been a minute or an hour, made the entire journey worthwhile. Afterwards, we took pictures.

Rebecca (the other solo traveler), Prashant, me, and Nitin

A local village boy on the left, and the man with the keys on the right