I went for a stroll this evening and returned home with a very calm and peaceful mind. Partially, the weather in Nasik eased a lot of tensions but majorly it was the visit to Muktidham temple that did the trick. What a beautiful temple it is! Just amazing! It’s not just the replicas of many Gods but also the vibes that prevail in the vicinity of the temple that helps you find peace.
The narrow road that takes you to the temple is a busy street. Junk food vendors ply on both the sides of the road. There are so many people coming and going to and fro from the temple. After making way through such crowded street, the moment you enter the temple it feels like having come in a different world all together. The temple has a big courtyard. The best part that I liked about it is that it is so clean! And at the end of the courtyard proudly stands the magnificent Muktidham! The entire structure is made out of marble and it houses all the Gods that you may have ever heard of. It is simply magical to see so many Gods at one place. The sculptures of these deities are so beautiful. 18 Chapters from Geeta are archived on the interior walls of Muktidham. Also, pictures describing epics of Krishna, Bharata, Sant Tukaram etc are carved in marbles on the walls.
If you take an entire round of the temple and you will see Lord Ganesh, Goddess Saraswati, Goddess Kanyuakumari, Balaji Tirupati, Jhulelal Maharaj, Mahavir, 12 Jyotirlingas, Navagrahas, God Satyanarayan, Lord Dutta and many many more.
There is a continuous flow of visitors and surprisingly the crowd does not make the surroundings dirty. Or should I say that the people who offer services at the temple continuously keep doing the thankless job of cleaning the temple and the premises and minding the footwear of the visitors. Whatever it may be, the atmosphere there is simple overwhelming. In the city like Mumbai where iconic temples like Siddhivinayak and Mahalaxmi are now commercialized (with all due respect to the God and the Goddess, I have a problem with the management of these temples because more than running a holy place, they are driving business out of it), it is impossible to find a shrine similar to Muktidham. Hence an escape to Nasik is inevitable. Unlike the temples that we have in our city where standing and worshipping God even for a couple of minutes is impossible, Muktidham is just as opposite. You can take your time to worship the God, linger around to see the sculptures, read the chapters on the wall and nobody will shoo you away.
I don’t have apt words to explain and describe that holy place. Rather than reading this blog you must visit the temple itself. Like I said before, the experience is amazing not because the temple and the surroundings are beautiful; it’s because of the vibes of the temple. The vibes hold your mind from wandering towards evil, destructive and distressing thought and pass on tranquility and serenity. The lifestyle that we have adapted to, and the thought process that we have adopted keeps us far from such kind of experiences and we never come to know what we are missing until we reach a place which leaves a mark on your mind. I feel that we should try and grab every opportunity to explore such places which in turn will help exploring the real you!
A Bit of Wisdom & A Bit of Play! 