1. Date, time, and place of observation
March 18,2023
Address: 635 middlefield road
Sri Ayyapa Samajam of Ontario
9 am to 11 am but on saturdays closes at 9:30
2. Specific facts, numbers, details of what happens at the site
- When entering the temple there's deities and statues
- Walk around shrine while chanting
- Incantations??
- Temple like structures, bells
- shri/amma is said before a god or goddess name
- Chant?
- Dnt take photos or videos,no shoes,wash feet (sign)
- Women cant be on their period
- There is a circle clock -black
- ceremony-statue/god is praised by priest
- Priest is in front, family line up and prays
- God- nandini in the form of a bull, people whisper their wishes into nandinis ear because
it can be delivered directly to the gods (heard someone explain to child)
- Fold hands
- Priest takes into the temple room specific to god you want to give an archanai? thats
what i heard and recite your family info along with you and say some blessings
- priests take your name and they recite something that’s like a verse to the god that you
choose and they do things like pour milk over the statues and flower petals
- walk inside the temple theres a basement where everyone removes their shoes & jackets
and there’s a place where you wash ur feet
- and then when u go upstairs there’s a table where there offerings that you can take
- No female priests like Islam
- See some making donations near a table
3. Sensory impressions: sights, sounds, textures, smells, taste
- Sight-people circle structures, many structures
- People dressed in cultural clothes
- Conservative ; shoulders should be covered , saris or shalwar kameez kurta and pajama
for men: red, blue , green bright colours mainly
- Floor is marble, really cold
- Sutures are stone, rough,cant touch
- Smells- incense -very strong,banana
- Taste- vegetable
- sindoor-red powder smells like that powder
