Temples

PARTHASARATHY TEMPLE

BRAHADEEWARAV TEMPLE

Today I went to go see the temples in Chennai and Thanjavur. It was a nice trip as I was able to get out of the house and really get to know Alaina's host family. Their last name is Gupta. There is a husband and wife with us today. Their oldest son is studying at college in Delhi. I got to learn a lot about the family by going to these temples. I learned today that there are many more Hindu gods/goddesses than I could ever imagine and it seems as though half of them live in the Parthasarathy Temple! The outside of the place is gorgeous. Each statue is hand carved, I would say, almost to perfection. The details are incredible. I could not have imagined how many hours the temple took to build. The Brahadeewarav was another interesting temple. While it was not as extraordinary like the Parthasarathy temple, it was beautiful in its own way. Mrs. Gupta told me this afternoon that this is a place of peace and comfort for her. Her grandmother used to take her when she was young and now she takes her children. Indian people are very family oriented. They are also very welcoming. I myself feel as though I am part of the family already.