Who Do You Worship?

While at the Ujjain Kumbh Mela, my friend Abhimanyu and I returned to the Mahakaleshwar Temple. It is the most prominent and important temple in Ujjain and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Mahakaleshwar Temple was once the focal point for calculating time in India before Greenwich mean time became the standard. People from all over India make the pilgrimage to visit this temple.

When we arrived, there was a very long line, perhaps five people wide, moving slowly to get inside the temple. I guessed that it would take about 90 minutes, standing in sweltering heat, to gain access. Since I felt no need to go inside, I stationed myself in the shade of a tree and decided a better choice was to put my camera to use.

I had not been there long when Abhimanyu tapped me on the shoulder to point out that the temple’s head priest had joined us—a rare coincidence. Abhimanyu, who knew the priest well, began to introduce me to him.

Rather than making eye contact with the priest, I continued to look through the viewfinder of my camera to photograph my surroundings. As I did so, I asked, “So you are the worshiper of Shiva?” Then I proceeded to ask him the difference between the worship of Shiva and all other forms of worship.

Without hesitation the priest answered, “What is most important is the act of worship itself. Our temperament and traditions lead us to choose the object of our worship. There is no difference between the worship of Shiva or any other. They are all one. It is only our lack of understanding that causes us to see them as differently. We are all so busy surviving, making a living, raising a family, sleeping, and entertaining, that we do not have any time left for contemplation of God. We are all forms of God.”

I thought to myself: Here was an imminent, high priest whose duties were to perform rituals. I had been judgemental of his perspective and therefore asked him questions that were cynical and baiting. Yet, philosophically, he and I were totally aligned in the belief that there was only one God.

Upon this internal reflection, I pulled my camera away from my face and asked the priest with love and humility, “May I take your photograph, sir?”