How a temple priest reached White House

When Kalpenn Modi, associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, and others in this office were discussing the Diwali event with community activists, the latter were asked if they could assist in getting a priest and the mithai (sweets).

Obama lights up the White House

Shekar Narasimhan, a former trustee himself of the Sri Siva Vishnu Temple in Lanham, Maryland, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary later this year, told rediff.com that after discussions the Temple chairman, president and other trustees assured that they will do whatever to 'support this historic Diwali ceremony'.

"They said, why don't we select the senior-most priest in the temple, and so he (Narayanachar Digalakote) got selected."

Digalakote, originally from Andhra, but who lived most of his life in Bangalore, has been with the Sri Siva Vishnu Temple for the past 12 years, and according to Narasimhan, "Since he has been in the US for quite some time, he knows the customs, can speak English quite well and very articulately."

"The temple doesn't have a head priest, but since he is the senior-most priest and when I asked the chairman, president and the temple trustees, they said, 'Let us just pick the senior-most priest, and he will (Digalakote) will do just fine."

And, providing the sweets was a no-brainer, and each box -- placed in the nearly 150 chairs in the East Room -- carried a sticker, which said: 'Deepavali Greetings from the Sri Siva Vishnu Temple'.

Narasimhan said that during the brief private meeting with a few of the guests before the Diwali ceremony in the East Room, Obama had been presented with a shawl, courtesy of the Temple, which was draped on the President by Digalakote.

"As you know, this is a traditional symbol that we do in India just to honour someone who visits your temple or home by gifting them with a shawl."

"The mithai could not be given to the President, because it was not screened by the Secret Service. But the priest gave him the shawl and put in on him and took a picture with him wearing the shawl."

Initially, when the idea of presenting the President with a shawl and draping it on him had been suggested, there had been a few White House officials who had not been too taken with the idea saying, "You don't drape things on the President and so on."

But Narasimhan said, "When we went in, Narayanacharsaab said to the President, 'This is our offering,' and I said, 'It's an honour,' and he (Obama) said, 'Yes,' and he (Digalakote) draped it on him and a picture was taken."

After the brief interaction, Digalakote took his place on the stage and was there throughout the President's remarks -- beginning his chant and salutations when Obama was lighting the diya (lamp) and stepping off the stage only when the President exited -- and then coming over to speak to rediff.com and some of the other journalists standing at the rear or the room in the section cordoned off for the media.

Image: Digalakote chants the Vedic hymns even as President Obama lights the lamp
Reportage: Aziz Haniffa | Photograph: SnapsIndia