October 2026 — Witnessing My Lord Shiva in a Child

One morning in October, I went to the Denupureshwarar Temple in Madambakkam.

A dance performance was taking place inside the temple. I sat in the shade and watched it for a while. Once the performance was over, I went inside to see my God.

As usual, I had nothing to ask Him. Even if I had wanted to ask for something, it would probably have been this: “Please take care of everything and just let me relax.” 😂

After all, He is Mahakaal—the Lord beyond time, the One who transcends time itself and knows the past, present, and future.

But coming back to our story, the temple was crowded because it was Navratri. I stood at the back and could barely see my God properly.

Then, on the opposite side, I noticed a baby with her grandfather.

She might have been five or eight months old; I really don't know. I found myself looking at her, completely captivated by her innocence.

There was something so pure about her. I couldn't help smiling as I watched her. For those few moments, I was so absorbed in her innocence that I found myself looking at the baby instead of the deity.

I had never experienced that feeling quite like this before. Something about her innocence touched me deeply, and I felt as though my own Lord Shiva had appeared before me in the form of a little child.

All I wanted was for her to look at me and smile.

But she was so innocent and so absorbed in her own little world that she looked at me for less than a second before turning away.

And still, I felt happy. 😊

She had looked at me, even if only for a moment.

After finishing my worship, I left the temple, but I couldn't get that little face out of my mind. Her innocence stayed with me, reminding me of my beloved Lord Shiva.

And then I came to a simple conclusion: perhaps I hadn't needed to see God in the way I had expected that morning. Perhaps I had already witnessed Him—in the innocence of that child.

I went to the temple to see my God, but I returned with a memory of Him that I hadn't expected.

It's been two weeks since that morning, and I'm writing this now to preserve that beautiful moment in my heart.

Some moments last only a second, yet their feeling stays with us for much longer.

Om Namah Shivaya. 🙏