In 1993, in San Francisco, USA, a traffic barrier that was dumped in the Golden Gate Park was noticed by a Hindu man for its shape. He thought the shape looked similar to Lord Shiva's shrine. People from the Hindu community started visiting and worshiping it. On Monday, they used to offer their prayers, flowers, and poured milk and honey to worship and request a blessing from Lord Shiva.
New-agers used the rock to meditate, while others used it to practice yoga, play flutes, and utter devotional mantras in front of it.
Many worshipers wanted this to become a permanent temple. The state authorities had different plans. They decided to remove the stone from the park and move it to the modest studio of a Sunset District artist.
According to the Washington Post, Deborah Learner, a Golden Gate Park planner said, "They are very, very nice people. Being a conscientious civil servant, though, I felt I should explain what the issue is. It's not appropriate for a religious shrine to be operating in a public park."
