Page 19 - OPIHI (English)

nAthdwArA 5

The self-manifested Deity of Although the temple now has
Çrénäthajé appeared, it is said, electric lights, torchbearers inside
from a big rock on Govardhana the temple still keep up the tradition
Hill in Våndävana. Physically He of shedding light on the Lord with
appears as a bas-relief, the front of torches (thick sticks topped with
His form emerging from the stone. cloth soaked in burning oil). When
He is dressed with cloth wrapped the Lord gives His darçana, beneath
about Him in a stylish and pleasing His lips shines a large diamond, said
manner. His dress is changed to be a gift from the Muslim emperor
several times throughout the day. Akbar himself.
The weather here, as in most of
Rajasthan, is ferociously hot in the After the maìgala-ärati, darçana
summer, cold in the winter. So in goes on and on. The mukhiyajés—as
summer He is lightly dressed, and the priests here are known—close
on winter mornings at maìgala- the curtain in front of the Deity,
ärati He is wrapped up so warmly but everyone cries for more darçana.
you can only see His face. So the curtain is raised and lowered
several times.

King-size sweets in the land of kings.