Hindu Temple

Last Friday we went to a Hindu Temple in Aurora Illinois. I was Very excited and anxious for this trip! Like so many of the religions we have learned about I didn't know a lot about Hinduism and it has always seemed really interesting to me.
Apart from the three hour drive (and very cold weather) the day started of really well. Within the first few minutes of being at the temple our guide really impressed me. He was very welcoming and you could just tell that he was happy we were there. He was also very knowledgable and did a good job of bringing up points of interest that weren't repetitive of what we'd already learned but instead helped us gain a better understanding of the worship space and hinduism.
Being able to try food at the temple was a really cool experience. Hinduism has very strong ties with India so understanding India is a way of better understanding the long history of that country - tasting the food helped with this. The yogurt didn't agree with my taste buds but I really enjoyed the rice!
The main temple part (upstairs) was not exactly what I had expected, but in truth I really didn't know what to expect and in no way was it a disappointment. Everything that we learned was so new and interesting. The guide did such a good job with the amount of information he gave - it wasn't so much that you couldn't take in anymore but it was just enough so that you had an understanding of what was going on.
The whole time well at the temple I felt so welcome. The people there were so willing to share there religion - never have I been to such a welcoming place. My favorite part of any of our field trips was being able to participate in the blessing. I had already felt as if I wanted to participate in this religion that had no reservations for sharing its beliefs when one of the priests warmly invited my fellow classmates and I to be blessed. He explained what he was doing with every step which helped me feel even more open to the ritual.
The whole time we were upstairs with the gods I felt as if it just emanated a holy place. I loved the experience of being there! If I ever have the opportunity to do so again i definitely will!