Visit a temple as part of your regular routine if you are depressed and unsure of what to do. It might be the closest temple to your home, even if it is just the little one built at the tree where your house crosses. You might also visit a well-known one in your community. Feel free to attend a particular temple if you have a strong predisposition towards a certain god, Devi, or Devata, but always make time to visit a temple. It is more important to visit a temple than to find the right deity.

My parents used to take me to the prominent ISKCON temple in Mumbai, which was also the nearest to our home, when I was a little child. My family is from North India and has a long history of worshipping Shri Krishna. I have had a strong sense of devotion since childhood and enjoy visiting temples, but only when they are not overcrowded. I would go to the temple and pray for good marks in my exams, partly because that was what I thought my family and teachers wanted from me. Later, I felt that temples were constantly packed, so I started going to little temples near my home.

In Hinduism, there are numerous Devi and Devata. Go to whatever temple you want to visit. Gods frequently summon us to their sacred shrines. When I was in school, I used to visit the Lord Ganesha temple near my house to pray before exams and results. Later, I discovered that Ganesha is the God of Wisdom, who teaches you wisdom; thus, my initial desire to worship Ganesha was not erroneous. As a result, you will often feel tempted to worship the Devi or Devata that you are most likely in need of at the time. Follow your heart.

Carl Jung, a psychologist, claimed that we must express our inner subconscious through mandalas and objects. This, I believe, is why the Hindu faith includes so many deities, each representing a different natural energy that exists within us. If someone wants bravery from within, they pray to Lord Hanuman; if they want knowledge, they pray to Lord Ganesh or Maa Saraswati. The energy is within us, which we seek outside. In India, I discovered that people are drawn to the diet that they most need in their lives, even when they are not guided by a mentor or guru.

Therefore, you are free to visit a temple whenever you like. Something like a daily or weekly routine would be helpful. You can even select the day based on the god you wish to honour. The days that are best suited for a god’s worship include:

Monday: Shivji Tuesday: Hanuman, Ganesha Wednesday: Ganesha, Krishna Thursday: Shivji, Vishnu Friday: Lakshmi Devi. Saturday: Hanuman, Shivji, Sunday: Shri Rama

This is only a guideline and not a rule; feel free to visit any temple any day of the week. In the modern period, there is no obligation to visit a place of worship on Sundays, as other religions have. Furthermore, it is not required to visit a temple solely with family. If you choose, you can visit it on your own. In reality, I have seen many people in India attend temples alone.