Walking Temple.

People visit temples in many ways. Some go every day or every week. Some go on festival days, on special occasions, or whenever they are able. Others may not visit a temple. The Walking Temple does not replace a temple visit.

As the garlanded murti and devotional singing pass through the neighbourhood, everyone on the street, whatever their own practice, has an opportunity to pause, fold their hands, and turn towards God for a moment. The group walks slowly and does not stop traffic.

The practice centres on a murti, a visible form of God used in worship. In the bhakti tradition, form (saguṇa) and the formless (nirguṇa) are understood as two ways of approaching the same God.

हृदयीं वसे विठ्ठल

Vitthal dwells in the heart.

saguṇa and nirguṇa · both became Viṭhobā.

Sant Tukārām Mahārāj · abhang · 17th century Maharashtra

Sant Kabir expressed the same understanding in another image.

jal meṁ kumbh · kumbh meṁ jal hai · phūṭā kumbh · jal jalahi samāno

Water in the pot, pot in the water. Break the pot, water meets water.

Sant Kabīr · doha · 15th century Banaras

In this understanding, the murti is an outward reminder of God. Three centuries after Tukaram, Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi spoke of the same presence through the path of jnana.

The outward practice helps people remember the divine presence within themselves.

This inner presence is sometimes called the hṛdaya-mandira, or temple of the heart. The murti and singing can be heard and seen on the street. Their purpose is to support a quiet moment of remembrance.

People on the street may pause, pray, or simply watch as the group passes.