Date:	March 22, 2025 at 8:23:55 AM GMT+5:30
	Location:	Biswa Bangla Sarani, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

# Dakshineswar Kali Temple

I walked into the Dakshineswar Kali Temple at 5:55am. After a nearly sleepless night trying to book airline tickets with a poor internet connection. Fighting with the internet in my room, unable to connect to wonky Druk Air and Birman air lines. 
I abandoned my hotel room and sat in the frigid lobby, elegantly decorated, but with a heavy cloying perfumed scent and cold enough to hang meat. The Internet was faster but I was still unable to process the purchase of the tickets, the website was poor but also Mastercard must have perceived that there was security treats . Each frustrating time a decline. At some point I was taken to a pay site that was trying to get me to use a UPI payment system by scanning a QR Code. But I had no QR payment app set up. I tried Apple wallet but after no success, read  that it is not supported. Another website said use Google Pay. I think the last time I tried to use it was in the Philippines 17 or 18 months ago. Or was it years, tonight’s experience was at least a year. Time is relative. And it was relatively long. I reinstalled the app and when attempting to use  Google Pay, it said it was no longer supported,  and use Google wallet. There was no app for Google wallet in the App Store, just a website . Well after several attempts at using it, I figured out that the UPI system was for Indian people in India to process payments. Not for a crazy, frozen, western yogi, who was feeling pretty un yogic at the moment. Several times employees would turn off the lobby lights. All the while still talking very loudly, for going on 2:00am India time. And remember the song. Nothing much good happens after 2:00 am. After multiple failed attempts, tired, slightly frustrated, but mostly just despondent, and not getting anywhere I walked to the front desk.  And apologized for grumping at them, but proceeded to politely grump at them .  I explained the situation and that it certainly was not there fault that I was trying to buy airline tickets in the middle of the night, but if the Internet in my room worked I would have been able to do it in the comfort of my room. They apologized profusely in that very Indian way , that for me is slightly uncomfortable, and asked if I wanted assistance from IT. I explained, with my inflated ego that I was very much capable of connecting to a website, I just wanted the internet to work better. The night manager explained he could perhaps assist me getting on another network Taj inner circle 

Credit card declined multiple times 

Thin pleasant IT guy 

and Had to turn in my phone. No shoes no phone. A pleasant middle aged Bengali explained no phones and no pictures in the temple. I thanked him and he motioned for me to follow him. I explained I still had to pay for my shoe storage. A hundred people waiting in line, to see the Kali deity. Also was the home of two famous saints Ma and Rama Krishna, and  Swami Vivekananda who first carried the message of yoga to the western world . People wait in line the crowd builds. Hundreds of people wait in line with baskets of flowers, women in pretty colorful saris looking like a bunch of multi colored skittles.  After perhaps a hour in line Saw Kali , then sat with a group of Kirtan singers and drummers , the small cymbals. Chanting the women ululating in joy. Several people in the crowd at back were screaming in rage or ecstasy, one woman wearing black saree collapsed on the floor. A few Others,  men and women howled. People would walk over and touch them and bow, these are people close to Kali.

I asked my driver to take me back to the hotel. I wanted to go to a couple of stores but they would not open for another hour and a half. 

My taxi driver had a little English but not much. He didn’t understand that I wanted to be dropped off and then picked back up later. When he dropped me off he was going to have me sign that the ride was completed. I used google translate to put it into Bengali and asked that he come back at 9:45. The driver took my phone and walked to the tall regal doorman , Bikash, with the elegant peach turbaned  head,  and radiant smile, like a Punjabi Raj, and showed him my phone.  Punjabi Bikash quickly and quietly asked him in I believe Bengali to come back. Apparently the taxi driver could not read .