I had wanted to write this post for long, but somehow got postponed. Along with two other families, we went on a trip to Pittsburgh a month back. It was not the very best time to go on a long trip, taking into account that it was good 8 hrs drive and that it was raining cats and dogs, but we were bent on having a glimpse of Lord Venkateshwara!
The drive was uneventful with plenty of laughter and fun, dotted with intermittent stops at service areas for a hot drink to ward off the chill creeping into our bones. We reached the hotel early evening and after a quick freshening up session, our first stop was the temple.
Whatever the fact might be, the idol in Pittsburgh temple does have an aura and the positive vibes in the temple are pretty evident. It could be due to my belief or due to the magnetic forces.
The next day was a trip through downtown and to the New Vrindavan temple at Wheeling, West Virginia. The temple set in a serene setting calms the mind and provides one with a heightened awareness of the supreme being. But as luck would have it, the temple’s lights were out due to a storm the previous day and we had to satisfy ourselves with the daylight peeping in through the massive doors. The temple canteen provided us with warm food to fill our hungry stomachs and we were off to visit the Palace of Gold.
We were awestruck and touched by the monument which stands testimony to the devotion and dedication of Swami Prabhupada’s devotees, in a land far away from our own. The beautiful mansion adorned with intricately designed windows, each a masterpiece in its own right, pristine floors, gold leaf clad walls, carefully decorated interiors and a life size wax figurine of the Swami himself, which could easily be mistaken for a real person, highlights the fruitful labour of love and devotion.
