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Shivaratri at Vinayak Temple
On February 12 Swamiji, Devi Ma and the Shiva Yoga community were invited by the trustees of the Vinayak Temple in The Basin to celebrate Shivaratri, the night of Shiva. Each year in India, the full moon of February is dedicated to Shiva. It is said that it is 1000 times more auspicious to repeat the Om Namah Shivaya mantra on this day than on any other.
After a long drive to the temple – on the slopes of the Mt Dandenong - we were warmly welcomed by the Temple community. After a dinner, we went into the beautiful temple: it was brightly coloured, light and the frescoes of deities made it festive.
We chanted Shiva Chants for more than an hour, ending with a slow Om Namah Shivaya chant and then we watched the intricate and loving detail of the Shiva puja (ritual worship) performed by the temple Brahmins . We all left feeling inspired by the welcoming environment, the beauty of the temple and love of the temple community.
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