I spend as many nights as I can hanging out at a 4000 year old temple down at the Burning ghat called Maha Kal. The great death temple is a Shiva temple, his death or destroyer aspect. Small inside with three shivalingams, a fire pit with skull over top. Every night at 8:30 the puja begins, the Brahman priest adorns the lingams with wreaths of flowers, om symbols and prasad then we starton the Damru( drum) Ghanta (bell), incence and smoke fill the room till your eyes burn and water. Outside people are burning there dead on huge funeral pyres. Dogs come to the door and wait to be given prasad( or a gift that gives happiness, this was a sweet) , one came and sat at the door with paws just resting over the threshold so politely waiting. It was so cute!!!
Diwali festival was last night, fireworks went off all night. Not just little firecrackers,but huge banging suckers that you felt the air pressure hit you. I got no sleep.
Namaste
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