It is not a grotesque sequel to Ramayana set to 'Papa don't Preach'. It is not a Hollywood thriller either. Rather these names are part of the identity of the venue we visited this crisp Sunday summer morning.
Mount Madonna is a hilltop about 30 miles south of San Jose aka Silicon Valley. It sits amidst redwoods and eucalyptus forests with a cloak of fog that burns off by 9 am. We made it to the mount earlier than that around 7'ish. It was cool and breezy and given there were no visitors/traffic at the summit at that impossibly early hour (even for the devout) we drove all the way till road's end.
At the corner is a gate that opens into a new (being) built monastery. A 20' tall white marble smiling Buddha sits staring calmly, the sun glinting of his cheek, with his legs folded under him and hands in his lap. There is no one around but some cawing of peacocks that shatters the calm.
There are other deities or forms of the Buddha being minted in the distance including one that is seen reclining.
It is a quiet place for a walk and take in the atmosphere. A bamboo fence shrouds this campus from the parking lot. After reflecting on how peaceful the place was we drove back to see the actual attraction - the grounds for 'Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple'.
A Hindu temple honoring the monkey god that was a die hard fan and servant of Lord Rama - an incarnation of Vishnu or Krishna, the mythical dude that runs the show we call the Universe. Since we had not checked the Hindu calendar unfortunately the temple complex gate was shut and announced that it would only open 10 hours later. What? Ya!! Another older sign indicated it was likely not opening at all. Saturday for Hanuman devotees (and perhaps the priest) is an action packed day as it is a day they worship this particular god and so perhaps they called Sunday a day of R&R. Bummer. So I looked up some info on the temple online (their own website is down but visitors have done the needful and here is what I gathered)..
This temple has been open for business (when the priest feels like it I suppose since the actual operating hours cannot be found on any website) in its full glory within the last decade, since during our last trip within that time frame it was still under construction. Today it sits adjacent to a Ganpati temple and an Ayurveda School. The inspiration of the Ayurveda school and Hanuman temple apparently came from a Baba Hari Das who is an ascetic from India that also preached the benefits of herbal remedies.
After loitering in the woods outside for a bit we decided to head to see some other local attractions. Found ourselves at a south bay water reservoir named for the grapes (Uvas in Spanish) that grow in the region. It was a good time for a hike along the dry shoreline - even with a healthy rainfall you can make out the water levels are down with four years of prior drought.
Oh well - a good bit of exercise in the fresh air although the date with Hanuman proved as elusive as trying to meet Madonna.
Mount Madonna is a hilltop about 30 miles south of San Jose aka Silicon Valley. It sits amidst redwoods and eucalyptus forests with a cloak of fog that burns off by 9 am. We made it to the mount earlier than that around 7'ish. It was cool and breezy and given there were no visitors/traffic at the summit at that impossibly early hour (even for the devout) we drove all the way till road's end.
At the corner is a gate that opens into a new (being) built monastery. A 20' tall white marble smiling Buddha sits staring calmly, the sun glinting of his cheek, with his legs folded under him and hands in his lap. There is no one around but some cawing of peacocks that shatters the calm.
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| Long Nap - always a good idea |
It is a quiet place for a walk and take in the atmosphere. A bamboo fence shrouds this campus from the parking lot. After reflecting on how peaceful the place was we drove back to see the actual attraction - the grounds for 'Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple'.
A Hindu temple honoring the monkey god that was a die hard fan and servant of Lord Rama - an incarnation of Vishnu or Krishna, the mythical dude that runs the show we call the Universe. Since we had not checked the Hindu calendar unfortunately the temple complex gate was shut and announced that it would only open 10 hours later. What? Ya!! Another older sign indicated it was likely not opening at all. Saturday for Hanuman devotees (and perhaps the priest) is an action packed day as it is a day they worship this particular god and so perhaps they called Sunday a day of R&R. Bummer. So I looked up some info on the temple online (their own website is down but visitors have done the needful and here is what I gathered)..
This temple has been open for business (when the priest feels like it I suppose since the actual operating hours cannot be found on any website) in its full glory within the last decade, since during our last trip within that time frame it was still under construction. Today it sits adjacent to a Ganpati temple and an Ayurveda School. The inspiration of the Ayurveda school and Hanuman temple apparently came from a Baba Hari Das who is an ascetic from India that also preached the benefits of herbal remedies.
After loitering in the woods outside for a bit we decided to head to see some other local attractions. Found ourselves at a south bay water reservoir named for the grapes (Uvas in Spanish) that grow in the region. It was a good time for a hike along the dry shoreline - even with a healthy rainfall you can make out the water levels are down with four years of prior drought.
Oh well - a good bit of exercise in the fresh air although the date with Hanuman proved as elusive as trying to meet Madonna.
Only a Mad-man would do Mad-onna and Hanu-man together.
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