2013-12-17 
【Aiden in English】
Bang! Bang! The noise of the drum was earsplitting. While the people were praying, the drum made the only sound that could be heard for miles. We were at the Kudroli Gokarnath Temple in Mangalore, an auspicious place in India. It was dedicated to Lord Gokarnath aka Yogi Shiva, the Hindu deity of destruction in one of the three most influential denominations. The temple was built in the shape of a pyramid and covered with gold. The tall pillars supported the ceiling and multiple different shrines to hold offerings to the deities.
Alongside the temple, there was a pond surrounded by numerous life-like statues of deities in their animal forms. The one that stood out to me was the Karnataka tiger, a symbolic hero. This was the only animal that looked dangerous and vicious. Nevertheless, they seemed to be looking at the tranquil water. The palm trees had ripe coconuts hanging down from the branches and a thick carpet of grass grew as green as it could get. All of it looked like a natural ecosystem of peace around the temple.
Unlike the Elephanta Caves, the locals not only came to worship Lord Gokarnath but also Lord Hanuman, or the deity of food. He had the face of a monkey and was a famous legend for saving a prince's wife according to the Indian epic Ramayana. Interestingly, Lord Hanuman resembled the monkey king in the Chinese story of Journey to the West. What an amazing similarity between the two nations in literature!
In the Kudroli Gokarnath Temple, even the poorest people of the city gave up their most precious possession to the deities. As I turned around, I saw a whole class of students giving offerings to the deities. It was so shocking to see kids still in kindergarten gave things up and prayed to the deities. The Hindu religion seemed like a savior for people to vanquish poverty and live in harmony.
【红霞译文】
咣﹗咣﹗每当人们烧香拜佛求主保佑，震耳欲聋的锣鼓声立刻响彻云霄。
我们置身印度卡纳塔克(意指“高地”)邦被誉为吉祥之地的芒伽罗(意指“黎明前”)市，瑜伽吉祥神庙专门用来供奉印度教中三大主神之一瑜伽吉祥神，其外部形如金字塔，被装裱得金碧辉煌；里面柱梁高大结实，上撑天花板，下托祭坛，为教会募集各路侍奉奠定基础。
主庙旁边有一池塘，池边设立很多动物模型，它们实为各种神的化身，其大小也与真人真物相匹配，正面对着我的动物是“高地邦之虎”——民族英雄的标志，这是唯一一个血气方刚的家伙。不管怎样，所有动物都静观池中，仿佛心如止水；池外棕榈树上垂挂串串椰子，四周绿草丛生，这样一个自然生态系统，着实衬托出寺庙本身祥和的氛围。“学童之眼还从未曾看到过像它那样的一处仙地”﹗
与孟买(意指“母亲”)象岛石窟不同，当地人来此不仅敬拜吉祥神，而且还向主管食物的哈努曼神祈祷，智慧神实际上是一只神猴，印度史诗《愉快之旅》说它曾经救过王子的娇妻。真是无巧不成书，这印度神猴与中国《西游记》中描述的美猴王竟然在相貌方面如此雷同，“智慧之耳也从未曾听说过世上还有可与之匹敌的任何国度”﹗ 前来瑜伽吉祥神庙祈福求安的教徒不分贵贱一律诚心侍奉，我发现甚至连学前班的幼童也不例外。印度教如同救世主一般，吸引人们提高征服贫穷和睦相处的信念。 Today in History(历史上的今天): 2012: Easter Island, Chile(智利复活节岛) 2009: 新西兰天籁之声(Sounds of Heaven, NZ) 
Gokarnath Temple (吉祥神庙 12-17-2013) 
Sizzling Day @ Gokarnath Temple Decorated w/ Murals of Various Gods & Goddesses “烤焦脊梁啦”儿歌不无感慨！ (瑜伽吉祥神庙·装饰各种神灵及女神壁画 12-17-2013)
Statue of Shiva @ Gokarnath Temple Pond (寺庙池塘·吉祥毁灭神雕像) 
Karnataka Tiger, A Symbolic Hero (高地邦之虎·英雄象征) 
Lord Hanuman @ Gokarnath Temple (瑜伽吉祥神庙·神猴 12-17-2013) 
Lord Hanuman, the Deity of Food (神猴·食物之神) 
Transept @ Gokarnath Temple (瑜伽吉祥神庙·耳堂 12-17-2013) 
Elephant, A Symbol of Good Luck, Wisdom, Fertility & Protection (大象·吉祥、智慧、丰产和保护的象征) 
Milagres Church (奇迹圣母教堂) 
Idgah Mosque (祈祷清真寺) 
St. Aloysius Chapel (守望者礼拜堂 12-17-2013)
The Altar of St. Aloysius Chapel (守望者礼拜堂·祭坛) 
The Mural of St. Aloysius Chapel (守望者礼拜堂·壁画) 
Chapel of St. Aloysius College (守望者天主教私立学校 12-17-2013) 
8th-Grade Students from Chapel of St. Aloysius College (守望者天主教私立学校·五年级小学生异地偶遇初三学霸们) 
Mrs. Joan Peres & Mr. Greg Peres @ Belmont House (美山之家——恩慈·磐石与守望·磐石 12-17-2013) 
Belmont House (美山之家 12-17-2013) 
Achal Industries Cashew Factory (腰果不动产工业工厂) 
All Female Workers @ Achal Industries Cashew Factory (腰果不动产工业工厂·全为女工) 
Downtown @ Mangalore (“黎明前”市中心) 
Women are not inferior to men (巾帼不让须眉) 
Port @ Mangalore (“黎明前”港) 
Nautics Lounge @ Nautica Oceania (“大洋·航海”号游轮—航海休息室 12-17-2013) Crosslinks(相关博文): India(出游印度)
Across the Indian Ocean(穿越印度洋) |
