After I had been at the Mela for a few days, I thought to myself that I would like to go to visit the encampment and activities near the Mangalnath Temple. It was approximately six kilometers away from where I was staying, and there was hardly any transportation available. The only option was to walk, and it was 115 degrees Fahrenheit outside. I abandoned the idea.
Within ten minutes, K.B. Mohan, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, who was staying in the same guest house and who had become a friend, came and said that he was sitting in his room when it occurred to him that we should go to Mangalnath Temple today! Soon we were off in his jeep. Another coincidence?
Even at nine in the morning, the sun was blazing hot. The crowds had already started to move in for one of the special days, which was to occur within 24 hours. Almost everyone was traveling to the temple on foot, and I felt guilty riding comfortably in a jeep that was barely edging through the crowds. The few automobiles, buses, and auto-rickshaws were asked to park a great distance from the temple. But since we were in a police jeep, we were able to go almost to the doorstep.
The crowd was suffocatingly thick. According to Indian custom, men and women formed different lines in order to climb the incline that led to the temple atop a small hill. In order to manage the immense flow of worshipers and to avoid a stampede, police officers guided temple goers into enclosed areas and released one group at a time to enter the temple in a controlled manner.
At the temple, we had a long visit with the priest and his son, who impressed me from the start with their wisdom and intellect. They told us of the Mangalnath Temple’s energy as one defined by a relationship between earth and Jupiter. They explained that before the advent of humankind, when other consciousness moved on the earth, this location had been selected as a point of powerful contact between the two planets. They told us that Jupiter has a great impact on the lives of human beings and that, by coming to this location on certain astrologically-determined days, one could benefit from those energies. The way in which one would benefit would depend on the individual and their free will in utilizing these energies.
The priest asked if I had my horoscope, which would help him determine the impact of Jupiter on my life. It so happened that I was carrying a copy of my horoscope for just such an opportunity as the one that now presented itself. The priest and his son studied my horoscope and remarked that Jupiter was protecting every step of mine and had a great impact on my life and that of my family. This was not news to me, as many other astrologers had told me the same thing.
The priest left our company to attend to the many temple visitors, but I continued to speak with his son. I explained to him that, after having lived decades in the United States, I was on a mission to understand the treasures and wisdom of Indian culture. I asked him for guidance as to how to pursue my quest. The priest’s son said to me, “There are many valuable things that the world can learn from India. Things beyond comprehension for the layman. For centuries these things have been subject to neglect. Therefore, quite a bit has already been lost. It is not only important to be willing to give this knowledge, but the receiver also must be ready. If the receiver is not ready, then that moment of transference is lost forever in eternity. If you are ready to receive it, then there are many people in India who are most eager to give you what you are seeking. In fact, we have been waiting for a long time.”
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