My second to last stop in my whirlwind tour of Delhi was a Hindu temple ... and there is a special story to this particular one.
It is the first temple to allow outcastes to enter it ... It was inaugurated and dedicated by Mahatma Gandhi ... and his stipulation for doing so was that the temple should be open to all humanity, no matter their class.
One man built this temple as an act of charity and generosity (sorry - don't remember his name) ... it seems that all the men in his family would die when they reached 45 years old. Believing that there was a curse involved, the man sought out a guru to find out if there was anything he could do. The guru instructed him to perform an act of pure generosity and charity for all people ... and so this temple was built.
It is actually an entire complex that includes the temple, a hospital, an orphanage, a school and a pilgrimage center. By the time all of it was completed and opened to the public, this man was 89 years old. He lived a little bit longer ... building more temples in other cities ... and he eventually died at the ripe old age of 97.
This man's family still maintains the temple and its precints to this very day. They set aside 20% of their income each year toward its upkeep and operations. The city of Delhi does not have to pay for anything ... and it remains open to all.
No photos are allowed inside the temple ... had to check my camera at the door ... but the experience was quite incredible ... there are intricate carvings all over the place with many shrines to the Hindu gods and goddesses. My guide spent a great deal of time explaining the symbolism of the statues ... why they were holding certain objects, why they were dressed in a particular fashion, and so on.
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