Wotae: 16.10.2024
Good morning,
it's just before 4 a.m., and I haven't slept much, as two more roommates arrived during the night. At exactly 4:30 a.m., Harsh arrives, and we drive to the Hindu temple in an Indian manner. I'm surprised by how many people are on their way to the temple. We store our shoes on a shelf, and we're immediately in the middle of the action. People are singing, clapping, and dancing, throwing themselves on the ground or stretching their hands towards the sky. The atmosphere is festive. The focus is on a shrine with the figure of Krishna; many devotees circle the shrine while others play their brought instruments to energize the crowd. The dance and song escalate until suddenly the curtains in front of Krishna close, and it becomes suddenly quieter. The ceremony is over.
We leave the temple and head towards the monkey temple, located on the outskirts of the city, nestled between rocks and inhabited by hundreds of monkeys. The water, which flows from a spring in the mountain, is collected in a basin, where the devotees immerse themselves multiple times and pray. The complex is very old, but it looks stunning in the light of the sunrise. I observe the activity of both people and animals while Harsh explains several things to me.