
By Amy Karafin –
As soon as I arrived at the temple, an old man caught my eye and directed me to the inner sanctum. It was hot outside, and the sun was strong. But it was even hotter in the temple, where hundreds of festivalgoers had gathered.
Once I walked beyond the crowds and entered the dark, smoky chamber, the air was cooler, though, with scents of burning ghee and faded coconut. The Hindu god Murugan, popular among the Tamil people of Sri Lanka, was in his alcove, garlanded in flowers and lighted by dozens of tiny oil lamps. I’m not a Hindu and tend toward agnostic, but my mother was sick, and the vibes here were strong. So I prayed.
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Roger Kumar / March 18, 2013
A well written article . People can now travel to Sri Lanka but with care . There are still many land mines not removed . When traveling in India and Sri Lanka one has to be extra careful about money and travel documents and not forget to take the required immunizations .
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DD / March 19, 2013
I liked this travelogue. Amy – thank you. And may your mother recover from her illness.
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