Varadaraja Temple in the rain
December 23, 2006
After being in the smoke filled Navaratri Yagya room for 10 days, it was great to get out and do a little temple visiting. This is the Varadaraja temple which is directly across the street from our yagya stala (house). Right out the front door you can see the huge thick stone walls that surround the ancient temple.
As we walked the two blocks to the entrance, it became clear that the days of hot weather were going to end with a cooling rain. So we walked quickly to get into the temple before it started. Once inside we stood under the stone roof and enjoyed the rain. Being from California, I don’t get to enjoy rain all that often and as odd as it may seem, it was a real treat. There was something nice about walking in the rain on the large blocks of stone that pave the corridor, knowing that countless individuals have done the same thing for well over a thousand years here.
After walking around the back there is a stairway that leads up to the Vishnu temple. The Vishnu here is very large and the temple has a wonderful friendly feel.
I particularly like the rough hewn columns that support the stone roof. Back in its day, they must have been an impressive feat of engineering.