Temple visit

They are dressed for the temple – Nikhil & Siddarth.

Siddarth, who has this inexplicable brand loyalty to GAP, is persuaded by his mom to make an exception whenever the family goes on an outing to a temple – which is once or twice a month. My wife and I were flattered to learn that Siddarth condescended to wear this dresswhen he was told that it was a gift to him from Mysore patti-thatha; and they would be pleased to see him wearing it.

Nikhil isn’t old enough yet, to acquire a dress sense. When I see him in this outfitI am reminded of the Chotiwalah eating house on the river bank at Rishikesh. Visitors to this place are greeted at the entrance by a pot-bellied panditji in dhoti worn in panchakachan style.(like Nikhil here). The Chotiwalah figure to this Rishikesh eating-house is its brand image, like the Maharaja to Air-India.

We rounded off the Sunday outing with lunch at Spice Hut, San Jose.

At the temple Siddarth poured milk over Shiva idol – it was fun, giving God a bath (a car-wash in Siddarth's terminology). Our young friend is programmed to spend a few minutes to recite a sloka in the presence of a deity at puja-room in his home or at a temple.

As we came out of the Lakshmi Ganapathy Temple,San Jose, Siddarth wanted to go to Livermore Temple. He said he liked it better. Why? Because, said our friend, ‘they give laddu in there (Livermore)’.