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Published: October 8th 2007
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Sept 29: Today was a day of contrasts. First was the Miller Lite Chili Cookoff at Stone Mountain park, and then a visit to the recently constructed Hindu Temple in Lilburn.
The chili cookoff was a lot of fun. There were tons and tons of booths, each with a different theme. There was even a pirate ship! (And an old style diner, red necks, cowboys, firemen... you get the idea.) Even if you weren't a big chili person, there was also a secondary Brunswick stew and cornbread competition. It was a lot of fun wandering through the different areas and getting shot glass sized helpings of all the interpretations of what real chili/Brunswick stew should taste like! Outside of the competition booths were also sponsors. One radio station had a scavenger hunt with one of the items being a roll of toilet paper... I have a feeling that combined with all the chili, it put the port-a-potties in a world of hurt!
After the chili cook off, we decided to go see the new Hindu temple in Gwinnett County. It had been all over the newspapers, so we wanted to check it out for ourselves. It's beautiful and all
hand carved out of marble, but it certainly looks out of place in a town like Lilburn! Pictures are allowed outside but not inside, but you are free to go in as well - donations are appreciated. Because it was a spur of the moment decision, I was not properly dressed as I was in a tank top. Luckily, a shawl was loaned to me so that I was able to enter. As is tradition, shoes are left at the door and silence is observed inside... and what a beautiful inside it was! Everything is hand carved out of pure white marble and columns are intricately designed with hundreds of carved figures in the design. Lights cast an ever changing glow into the ceiling leading the eyes upward in reflection. The center of the large room is open, and area where people sit in peace and meditation, while the outer loop has sculptures in gold, silver, and other precious metals. Luckily, they had displays explaining the significance of each depicted person, so a gawker like me would understand.
Once we exited the main portion of the temple, stairs took us down into a lower room where you could purchase
videos, books, and the like. There was also a TV running an informative video about everything from the importance of slope in land selection, and even how the designers remain anonymous as a form of worship.
It is definitely worth the visit!
I'm also including some pictures from the Gwinnett County Fair on Sept 22. There were alot of rides, great BBQ, a Goat show, a stunt show, and a Krystal eating competition. The stunt show featured a boy doing balancing acts, and then later riding in a steel ball with his stunt bike.. along with 2 others, and a lady standing in the middle. Pretty scary!
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