Spirituality

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Spirituality

Facing the entrance, a man of indeterminate age, draped in an orange cloth, wears a thick beard. Yellowish-gray, frizzy like steel wool, it covers the entire lower part of his face and gives him an air that is both authoritative and inviting. Intrigued by our visit, he bows slightly and invites us to follow him. The man in the tunic exchanges a few words—probably customary greetings and instructions—with Sanjay, then leaves us free to wander.

The temple

 In small alcoves, hundreds of candles illuminate icons depicting Hindu deities. Sanjay names them for me, explaining one by one their different roles and powers. I commit to memory the three most important: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.

Men like host ship

Sadhus, coming from northern India, pass through this place of worship, an essential stop on their pilgrimage. As a visible minority, I become a source of curiosity. Rather than alarming them, my presence sparks a storm of smiles, prostrations, and murmurs. Faces marked by truth, calm, kindness, and openness. One of these men steps forward, observes me, hesitates, and finally invites me to follow him. Dressed in a flowing white cloth, he moves with lightness. A generous mass of hair, tied in a bun, crowns his head. What unsettles me most is his gaze. Eyes, framed by long black lashes, that call for peace—but not just any peace—a tangible inner peace that goes straight to the heart.

following

With his right middle finger, which he respectfully brings close to my face, he traces a red dot in the center of my forehead, takes my hands, and recites a mantra. At that precise moment, my whole body vibrates; I feel overwhelmed by an indescribable sensation, as if I had touched, for a split second, nirvana. Composed again from my emotions, we wander through a maze of corridors, passing through a hall where statues with multiple arms, eyes turned toward the sky, seem frozen in time. Worn by years of devotion, prayers, and festivals, the building bears witness to the past. In places, the ceramics, once brightly colored, now show faded, even dull, hues. Far from diminishing its beauty, these marks of time, on the contrary, give it a unique character. Hoping to capture its energy, I slow down, letting my fingers brush the uneven texture of the bas-reliefs. Eyes closed, I feel tiny irregularities, almost like Morse code revealing its secret. Curious, I examine it and detect an oval shape, followed by a smooth space, then a vertical line. 

following 2

Below, I detect a cavity that I associate with a joint connecting two pieces. I slightly open my eyes to get my bearings, then resume my tactile exploration. The surface of the next one reveals nothing in particular; the misshapen engravings retain their mysteries.