Places of Worship

Wondering whats happening to our places of worship. They are performing every other function than the one they are meant to do, to provide that close connection/ proximity to the supernatural power. Instead, they are becoming tourist centers with economies surviving on pilgrims. They are crowded, mis-managed and to add insult to injury you can buy a costlier ticket to an earlier/ faster/ closer 'darshan' (look) of God.

In the last 9 months I have made three trips. First to Shirdi in December 07, the second to Vaishno Devi in April 08 & the last one to Salasar in July 08. On all instances I was left with a bad taste. Huge crowd, loud, pandas/pandits or other people approaching you for special pujas, darshans and prashads, long lines, security & noise all around. There are cameras for security & also for beaming you the picture of inside sacred hall so that you don't spend too much time there.

I don't know if I am the only one here, but I would like my religious visits to be quiet, those rare opportunities to connect with my spiritual side. These visits leave me more tired and disturbed than provide inner peace

Btw : I left my phone & contact list in India. Yes yet again. Don't blame if I haven't called you if you haven't given me your number in the last few weeks

Books Update : Hannibal by Thomas Harris of the 'Silence of the Lambs' (Work in Progress)
Movie Update : Tropical Thunder (Genre : Comedy, Rating : Average). Ben Stiller is good and I did not recognise 'Tom Cruise' till the credits.