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I was recently at a temple in Mumbai. Its called the Siddhi Vinayaka temple and its located somewhere in the middle of Prabhadevi. Its a very famous temple across the globe, and at times, people queue up 2-3 km just to get the darshan. This is the official website of the temple where you can do live darshan online, without having to stand in queues. Now isnt that technology to the forefront?

But it wasnt technology I was after when I went there. No. It was the night time aarti. And believe me it was one of the most amazing aarti’s I ever attended. I have been to many temples across the country (not so many as some of my friends have, but still quite a few), but this one was different in a unique way.

Most temples in India would have an aarti with lots of drums, bells, loud singing, commotion and chaos reigning supreme et al. Infact, whats an aarti without the commotion? This was the first time I saw an aarti without instruments of any kind. No bells, no trinkets, no drums. Just people humming. Not singing…humming. Everyone in chorus. Just one diya in panditji’s hands, and that was it. And this in the heart of Mumbai, the commercial capital of the world.

Some of you might say that what kind of an aarti is that? In fact at the start of the aarti, I felt quite strange. I was wondering when the aarti is going to start? But as I realized what was going on, I felt a calmness inside me which I never felt before. Call it a spiritual experience, but I felt happier and lighter.

Maybe this is the way night time aartis are conducted in other temples as well. I wouldnt know since this was probably my first night time aarti. But the point that I am trying to make is that devotion and bhakti and shradhda are all things inside you, not outside. So the lesser you show them, or bring them out, the more you retain inside.

To tell you more about Siddhi Vinayaka, this is from what I read at the temple. Across the world, Ganeshji’s soond(trunk) is tilted to HIS left. Only when he becomes a part of the Siddhi Vinayaka (yes, he is only a part of it, there are 2 more deities in there as well) his soond is bent to HIS right. Those are the major differences between Ganesh ji and Siddhi Vinayaka ji. Of course there are more stories you get to hear and read at the temple once you go there. So next time you are in Mumbai, make sure you visit this temple at 9:30PM. Its a sight and sound which compares to no other. And remember to take a coconut, some pedas and flowers with you.