Could this be Sai baba, the president told us that he was a recent deitie,
No, Sai Baba is a guru not an actual deity, although his many devotees believe that he is an avatar (not the kind we have here on HP as our pics), God in human form. There are millions of Hindu gods. I believe Venetian is referring to a Goddess called Santoshi Ma...
The atmosphere of a Hindu temple can be very uplifting. And there are always people there, worshipping in their own time. For me this is the big difference with Christian churches: in a Christian church service, everyone does the same thing at the same time; get up, sit down, sing a hymn, listen to the sermon...it's all so formal. But in a Hindu temple anarchy reigns and people do their own thing.
I'm 60 next year and I've been told that I should do a big fire puja - a homa - preferably in my own home, but officiated by Hindu priests. My Indian friends were surprised when I said that Fire regulations wouldn't allow me to have an open fire in my living room! Anyway, I'm going to see about having it done at one of the Hindu temples in London. The only problem is that it's bound to cost a lot of money as so much stuff goes into the fire (special wood, fruit, in India whole saris!) At the end we get to put all our negativities and fears into the fire. It's a very cathartic ceremony. Here's a picture of a priest sitting at a firepit before performing a homa in Kerala:
The other thing I love about Hindu temples is that they affect all your senses: there are colours and scents and textures and tastes (when they give you blessed food to eat) and of course, lots of bells and chanting....
Actually Sunanda come to think of it, the president may of said Sai Baba being an Avatar, it was all a little confusing.
The homa sounds very interesting, could the temple not apply to the community for a grant or something?
Well this Hindu temple certainly affected my senses, especially sound, sight and smell. There was a community kitchen and dining area next to them temple and the smells coming out were amazing. At the end of the session, the president asked if there were any questions, and one little boy in our class, raised his hand and said, "Yes, when are you serving lunch?" It was mouthwatering.
Angel x