September 4, 2006

Last night I dreamt that I was in the Thiruchendur Murugan temple. I was gathered amongst a group of devotees — we were all waiting and wondering where the priest was. We waited for quite some time but no priest came to commence the puja ceremony. So I noticed how the devotees were still waiting for the priest to commence the puja. Unable to bear the agony of watching Lord Murugan’s devotees being kept waiting, I took it upon myself to start the puja. I saw a pancha-paathram, poo-thatu, and katpooram aarathi. I picked these items and proceeded to the kOdi-maram (flag post) where there was a little ganesha at the base. I, then, commenced the Ganesha puja that I had learned over the past few months while studying a puja workshop CD from the Rochester temple. I recall chanting, “Aum Sumukaaya namaha…Aum Ekadantaaya namaha…etc.” while offering flower petals to the black Ganesha selai (statue). It was then when I awoke.