Names, people often use them as https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple ; only the rhythm of arrival matters. Repeat the small syllables that steady you and the space will answer. This is the beginning of attention made visible. So, welcome to “Our Half Hour Halo Visit : In Out Blessed & Dusted”.

I come not with grand gestures, but with the gentle burden of a day and the soft yearning for a small mercy. Recall those ordinary evenings when they shift toward something sweet and tender. It is in this space that our memories take root.

To know the deets of from our balcony’s to the world on new year’s eve, click on From Our Balcony To The World : New Year’s Eve – Wander, Feast & Thrive

In Out Blessed & Dusted : Our Half Hour Halo Visit

It was the evening of Vaikunta Ekadashi and we took the subway from North York Centre to York Mills. We boarded the 95A that was waiting and then, by luck, an express 995 arrived so we hopped off the 95A and onto the 995. We got off at Midland and walked the short stretch to the temple, the air already carrying that late-evening hush.

The parking lot was full of cars and the hall inside had been arranged into neat zones. We took off our shoes and boots, hung our jackets on the coat stands, and joined the queue in Zone 1. A desk near the entrance sold tickets for Archana; the tickets were for offerings or for entry, and that small clarification felt like a private relief.

The line grew longer by the minute, and more people joined us, each with their own stories and expectations. As we approached the gates, they carefully sent five individuals through at a time, creating a steady, almost soothing rhythm of movement. In what felt like no time at all, we found ourselves in Zone 2, and then, without any grand announcements, we stepped inside the temple, a collective breath of awe shared among us.

We began with Shridi Sai Baba, then moved to Lord Ganesh, offered our prayers to every deity we passed, and finished with Lord Hanuman. The darshan was quick and clear and the prasad was warm in our hands. Exiting followed the same orderly flow; queues shepherded us through a hall where a stall sold sarees and dhotis but we walked past without buying.

Put On Our Shoes & Jackets Back & Onto Cold : In Out Blessed & Dusted

We put our shoes and jackets back on and stepped into the cold. We missed a bus and huddled in the shelter to warm up while waiting for the next one. When the bus arrived it was empty except for the driver; we boarded and rode to Kennedy and Ellesmere, thinking Mumbai Express might still be open for dinner.

Mumbai Express was closed and the disappointment was immediate but small. We caught another bus toward York Mills and decided on A&W after checking that it was open. The bus ran like an express and dropped us at York Mills subway station where we took the subway down to Sheppard Yonge.

Dinner was simple and exactly what we needed: prasad first, then a burger and a slice of pizza. We came home, refreshed, put away yesterday’s food, and let the quiet of the apartment settle around us. Exhausted and satisfied, we closed the day with the small, steady contentment that comes after a night that turned out better than we expected.