Chazotte 1

Jack Chazotte
Mrs. Lucarelli
Comparative Civilizations
9 November 2015
Religious Ceremony Events:

Arrival
Removed our shoes.
We entered the lower level.
We entered the upper level.
We entered the room of prayer.
We roamed around the shrines and witnessed the private prayers.
Taking part in the first of two ceremonies. The priest put tea into my right hand and crowned my

head with an object before moving to the next person.

We took part in Aarti. The priest presented a candle and we hung our right hand a few inches
over the flame. We then rubbed our eyes with our hand and passed over our head.
We put our shoes on.
Departure

My family wouldnt be characterized as religious. We believe in god, and we know his

importance to millions, but we rarely go to church. The few times we do however, it is
structured, colorless, and lengthy. However, the ceremony I attended at Sri Guruvayurappan
Temple reminded me little of my past experiences.

Chazotte 2
When I arrived, the building was extremely colorful, plastered with ornate shapes, deities,
stone, and animal sculptures. There were people crushing coconuts to bless their cars, home, or
families along with people arriving dressed in their finest outfits ready to pray. However, the
entrance to the temple was more subdued. The people outside became silent as they removed
their shoes before continuing to the bottom floor. Inside was a roomy transition area with
separate rooms for different activities, such as morning or blessing something. Additionally, there
was a flight of stairs leading to the main prayer room.
When I first entered the prayer room, the lavish materials, open ceremonies, and pleasant
aromas took me aback. The elaborate shrine and deities around the room also amazed me. My
experience in the temple displayed the way Hinduism is practiced around the world, and how
distant religions are from different areas. Throughout the visit I partook in Aarti and other
customs, which had multiple variants across India and the world according to one woman I met
in the temple. While I walked around, I was also interested to see the religion was more selfguided with only occasional help from priests in ceremonies or private prayer.
With my lack of experience in religious diversity, I found the Sri Guruvayurappan
Temple to be an experience that allowed me to witness firsthand the practices and beliefs of areas
and cultures I was unaware of. The different shrines, structure, and openness are some aspects
that will remain in my mind.