Mark

So this review is for foreigners for whom the temple worship process is a mystery. Very quickly upon approach, "guides" start to approach you insist that for free; they will lead you through the process to see the temple and perform the Indian rites. They aren't terribly push, but mine was insistent that I would need help and to be honest he's right, but I didn't like the process. After depositing my shoes at a little drinks shop which clearly is part of this tourist process, I was urged to purchase some prayer items (bangles, flowers Lei and incense) for 100rp. Not much at all and I didn't have any issue with that. Now barefoot, my guide took off at a fast clip, me pushing through to keep up with him, as he took me to view three eyes of a goddess and then back out and around to an small temple worship area (I'm greatly shortening the process). We clearly went though a special line and avoided the hundreds of local pilgrims lined up the main queue, which we pushed by toward a special instant access entrance. This whole time I knew to be on the lookout for the "take" when my "free" guide would look for some money. I noted that throughout he made of point of telling me how poor the pilgrims were and how they depended on charity to eat; he said it enough that it was pretty clear there was a reason for it. The reason came as the worship process started, with me getting a bindi, doing some short rituals with the items I had purchased, all very perfunctory and rushed. Once done, my guide pointed to a big stack of 500 Rp bills and asked that I make a donation of "2000 or 3000 or even 5000 rp". So this is the take, I realized, as I am sure the guide comes back later for a cut of the donation that I'm supposed to casually leave nestled against the votive. I put down a 500rp note, and said that's all I had. We then had a little back and forth about how that wouldn't "feed the poor" and they couldn't accept so little. Do you have dollars you can give? No. Do you have any other currency you can give? No. I think he realized pretty quick I wasn't having any of it, and he backed off, but they meant a quick trip back to the start to get my shoes, where a lady suddenly appeared and asked for a "donation" for watching my shoes. I gave her 100 rupee. In all the experience cost me 800 rupee, which isn't enough to be fussed about overall. It could have clearly cost me quadruple that if I had played along with what he wanted though. I'd highly suggest the government shut that down and until they do, I'd avoid this site.