Arul Mihu Navasakthi Vinayagar Temple,Seychelles – Being Pure Vegetarian

Sairam friends,

The past few days I am trying to create Star Sai into a place where people come and feel divine and experience something beautiful that relaxes their mind and takes them closer to Saints, Gods and Nature . There are few ways to do it

1. Present devotees with divine Music – Mantra or any Instrumentals

2. Take devotees to different places which is filled with Natural Beauty and elegance

3. Write about ordinary people I come across, write about Inspiring people

4. Present beautiful Photography * Since I don’t get opportunity to travel much, I am trying to use other Photographers hard work with a little courtesy note which is all I could do.

5. Write about Sai…I write what comes to my Mind and Sai inspires me as I start to write !

I agree the writings about my own personal life at times goes beyond limits…he he but hopefully Sai will show me a way soon.

I am going to post few photos of Birds in Seychelles and natural beauty along with the Ganesha temple situated in Island.

Sai keeps making me think about Seychelles – Beautiful Island country situated in Indian Ocean:

The past couple of days my heart keeps asking me to learn about Seychelles, the beautiful Island country situated close to Africa in Indian Ocean. Seychelles is actually a collection of 115 islands.

Arulmigu Navasakti Vinayagar of Seychelles:

The Arulmigu Navasakti Vinayagar Temple is the first and the only Hindu temple in Seychelles, has Ganesha as the presiding deity. Since 1999, Ganesha has been. Apart from the presiding deity, icons of Murugan, Nadarajah, Durga, Sreenivasa Perumal, Bhairawa and Chandekeswarar are enshrined in the inner mandapam of the temple. Prayers are performed for the different deities on special occasions.

Taippoosam Kavadi Festival, which started in 1993 in Seychelles in the inner courtyard of the temple, is now conducted in the outer courtyard and a chariot kavadi is also taken out in procession. This festival has gained popularity as a national festival so much so that as from 1998 the Government has declared it a holiday for Hindu

Plants in Seychelles:

The granitic islands of Seychelles are home to about 75 endemic plant species.

Birds of Seychelles:

The avifauna of the Seychelles includes a total of 238 species and there’s a beauty about it. One of the island itself is called as Bird Island.  Bird Island is named in honour of its spectacular colony of around 700,000 pairs of Sooty Tern that nest on the island. The birds arrive from late March, laying eggs in May and remaining until October before leaving the island.

Now coming to what I wish to Share

Being Pure Vegetarian:

I had always tried to be Pure Vegetarian and wanted to inspire people to try their best to have Vegetarian Foods. Years back I was having Egg but even that came to an end as my Mom said “If you worship Lakshmi Narasimhar” you must be very pure”. So i avoided that too.  We usually have only Vegetarian foods at home from childhood and my parents are also Veg but they din’t restricted us from having Non-Veg foods.

Probably, if they have restricted then I would have not been Pure Veg today. I honestly believe, any thing that’s forced won’t work for long.

When ever my friends at work ask me to come to non-veg work, I go with them but I try to have some Veg foods. I mean to say that I am not the one see someone having Non-Veg as impure and someone having Veg as being Pure. Its just their choice of taste and addiction to some extant.

I used to have Non-Veg foods 12 years back very rarely I mean once every 3 -4 month as I could not avoid it when everyone has it. A German friend of mine Stephanie asked me

“Are you not feeling pity for the birds and animals being killed which you eat. You speak about Sai and is this how much you care?”

I felt little ashamed of myself and gradually from 2003 my Mother too kept telling me its good to be Pure Veg. I too loved to have Vegetarian foods and continued to remain like that. I never object anyone having Non-Veg food but honestly believe its my responsibility to help people try to become Pure Veg.

Last week when I launched ElephantGuru.com , I also made a resource Site to help people have Vegetarian Foods. I din’t know what to write and kept it idle.

My experience in Nagasai Mandhir:

Last evening as usual, I went to Saibaba temple in my home town and went near the shop to get 3 lamps which I lit every day. The guy in the Shop who are my friends had some little Puri ( Paani Puri) and called me very affectionately to come inside shop and have it with them. I went inside, Sat in floor and had the puri.

I asked them “what kind of Idea is this. You bought Puri in a pack, pouring Sambar inside it and having? ”

The guy was telling me “Sambaar Illa na, Kuruma, saapdunga”  ( Its not Sambaar, Its Kuruma, Have it) My Mom never asks me if there’s salt or any ingredients less or more in anything she cooks because I am a dumb fellow who doesn’t really know what I have has what….I just eat if its tasty..he he..

I continued to have lots of Puri…While I was about to finished, another guy took something and said “See its Chicken Kolambu”. I was shocked and got really upset. I asked what? Is it not Kuruma? Everyone were laughing and said “that its only Kuruma and Vegetarian”. I told him, Its OK to tell me truth but say me what’s it.

I went to Dwarakamai and sat for a while. Then I went to terrace of Saibaba temple to offer Garlands to all Big Sai statues. I came back and went near Shop. The boy was laughing at me and said “Why you worry for this. Its all in Saibaba’s Hands. Its all fine.”

I got irritated with him. A aunty who comes regularly to Temple also told me “Its OK. You did it unknowingly. Even if you ate Knowingly Say sorry to Sai”

Another devotee too told me, “I don’t think its Non-Veg, so be happy and go sit in Dwarakamai”

I told that boy that I din’t had any Non Veg food for almost 12 years and he must have told me when I had. He told me how can I stop you while eating and laughed.

He said “No matter what happens in life, Be strong, Be Happy”

I told him “Odi Poidu” …Get away from me !

I told him that I was planning to make a website to inspire people to try their maximum to have only Vegetarian foods and going to write what ever happened today.

I came home and started thinking what to write in my New Vegetarian Site but honestly I don’t know what to write. It was 1 o clock when I simply kept thinking how to proceed. Since parents might wake up anytime, I silently went to sleep. I woke up with a beautiful dream.

Blessed with dream of Shirdi Sai Baba

One of my friend drops me in his Bike but he actually gets into the main hall of temple itself in Bike and am still wearing my chapals . I run out side the temple and say a lady “What will devotees think of me ?”. The lady replies “Don’t worry about what others think of you?”

Then I see Sister’s Child Katya was sitting inside the main hall of Nagasai mandhir looking at Bhajan of famous singer. My Mom was also there. A girl comes near me and shows me a Pencil. Surprisingly, there was a little LCD Viewer in that Pencil side in which I could see Katya listening to Bhajan and looking at Sai devotedly. I ask the girl, How come, I can see Katya in this pencil. She says, Its all possible.

That’s it

When I woke up I realized, Sai means to Say two things

1. There are devotees who sit in varanda of Saibaba temple and if they see any devotee innocently keeping their feet in the Temple varanda with foot ware, they immediately Shout as if they did a big sin and ask them to remove chapals and come inside.

I realized, Sai means to say, What really matters is one must come inside temple with Pure mind. Its easy to leave foot ware outside and come into temple but who knows what’s running in our mind. We carry all our good and bad thoughts in our mind.

2. I felt someday Katya will read Star Sai when she grows up and realize that she too must have only Vegetarian Food. You see many children living abroad are adopted to have Non Vegetarian foods especially because they give it in School right from childhood and they start to like it. Once Katya told me excitingly

“Venkat Mama, I’ve got something for you”

I asked what? She replied “Chicken Nuggets”..he he..

She keeps asking me to come to meet her in U.S..Hope I hug her soon and carry her as I always wish to.

So what’s the moral of the Story?

1. Saibaba want’s me to create the Vegetarian Site as it might help people try their best to be pure Veg.

2. We all know Sai himself cooked Non-Veg food and even to the orthodox devotees, Sai used to purposely tease them asking “Will you have Non-Veg food that I give you as prasad”  I think Sai believes in being true to what you are. One must have their own will and wish to choose if they want to be pure veg or otherwise. They must never be forced by family members or friends. Its their choice.  Someday, If you realize, we must not have tasty foods killing innocent animals and birds, then surely you can turn to be Veg. If you Say, if everyone becomes Vegetarian, then we will have demand of Food in world, I am not here to argue with you. Its your own wish.

3. I agree Saibaba cooked his Veg and Non Veg foods for devotees in two pots. But did not Saibaba also said

“I live as antaryami in every Animal, Bird and every life you see on Earth”

So if you realize Sai lives in every life, try to be pure veg..Of course its not a rule. Its your wish. Your own self realization. Your own taste !

Now lets write about Ganesha Temple in Seychelles

Arul Mihu Navasakthi Vinayagar Temple -Seychelles

The NavaSakthi Vianayagar Temple in Seychelles is the only Hindu temple situated in the Island country. I felt truly blessed to have a look at the photos of this beautiful temple. Thanks to all the Photographers and devotees.

Hinduism in the Seychelles

There are a little over 1,500 people of Tamil descent living in the Seychelles who practice Hinduism. Tamils have a long and proud history in the Seychelles as businessmen and advisors to the government. In May 1992, a Hindu temple, the Navasakti Vinayagar Temple, was consecrated on the island of Mahé. The deity presiding over the temple is the elephant god Ganesh.

I hope the Photography and the beauty of Arul Mihu Navasakthi Vinayagar temple in Seychelles made you feel Blissful friends..

I wish to receieve more information about Seychelles and also the Ganesha temple there from devotees there..

Am really getting late for work now…oh God already 8….

About having Vegetarian Food, please consider….try your best or its your wish

I told the boy in temple “I am not going to have food in your shop here after as you play with me”

He felt sad about it and gave me a pack of Vilva (Bilva leaves as they call in hindi) and said don’t say like that Anna ! Be happy what ever happens in Life.. Sai is there…

What ever food you have, I believe if there’s love and humanity in you, that makes your life good

Tata now friends

Love,

Venkat