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| August 2008 ~ Issue 1 : : email: janananda@yahoo.com |
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Dear Prabhus,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
We leave Hungary - a tremendous storm as we drive - and cross the border into Slovenia.
Radha Shyam Hungary - goodbye
Life goes on SLOwly in SLOvenia and SLOvakia
Slovenia
We join the Padayatra in Slovenia in the picturesque town of Maribor. Surrounded by hills, the area is being blessed by lots of kirtan, prasadam, books, Gaura Nitai and devotees. Around 50 devotees, chanting through the towns and villages.
Hari pulls the Padayatra cart in Slovenia
Padayatra in Slovenia
The people here are amazingly receptive and incredibly friendly. They practically call the devotees into their homes. They love the chanting and the prasadam – here come the devotee book distributors –
The people come out of their houses to enquire, “What’s this?” For many it is the first time they have seen anything like this. One devotee gives them prasadam, another talks about what we are doing here -
“Please take a book which explains what we are doing. We are bringing peace, happiness and harmony into the world. Respect for each other. We want to uplift everyone’s consciousness and then automatically we will relate to each other and the environment far more favourably.”
“How much?”, they ask. “Hold on”, they say, and go inside to bring a donation.
Each day the devotees distribute at least 300 big hardbound books on their way through the sporadically populated villages. We rush to Ljubljana, the capital of this small country, for the Sunday programme which is always well attended. Slovenians are really pious people with a natural interest in spiritual life. Here are beautiful Panca Tattva Deities.
Sri Sri Pancatattva in Ljubljana
Slovakia
A 6 hour drive from Maribor to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, for an evening programme. Next morning we fly to the far east of Slovakia to ISKCON’s remote farm nestled in the hills. A small community of devotees reside here at new Ekacakra Dham. They have arranged a two day padayatra around the local villages. So far from the madding crowd, we walk and chant through isolated terrain.
Padayatra Slovakia going through the villages
Dharma and Samba - the bulls who pulled the cart
Quieter and less responsive than Slovenia, until we reach an all-gypsy village. They have a marked similarity to Indians in their appearance, with their very dark complexion. (rumours have it they came originally from Rajasthan. Even the ‘shanty’ nature of the buildings bears a resemblance.
In a gypsy village
Dancing Gypsies
Children run to join us. The crowds swell – young and old. Hundreds gather around – they follow us on the road, dancing and chanting with gusto. Then,prasadam distribution. More chanting – they are simple folk. They love it. I just wish we were in a position to do more. They are really poor. Many have rags on their bodies amongst other things. Somehow in this poverty stricken condition they are easily attracted to Lord Caitanya’s movement. It is so heart warming to see hundreds of them dancing in circles with us – arms upraised and roaring out the holy names. A teeny bit of compassion awakens within. “Please deliver them, Oh all merciful Lord. We can but do our part of passing on the message. Now it is between You and them.”
Neighbouring gypsy kids love chanting Hare Krishna
Getting ready for Prasadam
Harinama in Kosice
Dancing in the park
Kosice The Strength of Bala....
Czech
A short visit this time to attend Prague’s first ever Rathayatra. A two day festival – the first day being a hall programme for the devotees. Titiksu prabhu has come over from London with the Rathayatra cart. Deities have just arrived from India of Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra. They are very big and extraordinarily gorgeous. It took 3 devotees to hold Lord Jagannatha.
The route goes right through the centre of the city – an historic place full of tourists, pedestrain streets and squares. However, today is a bit quiet as the rain drizzles down.
Prague Rathayatra
The kirtan begins – 2-300 regular devotees and hundreds of supporters gather around the cart. The rain slows. The parade begins. The kirtans explode. The devotees dance like fury. As the kirtan rises higher and higher so do the hands of jumping devotees. Back and forth like waves of a celestial ocean.
The kirtan begins
Paramgati Swami is here. He is in ecstasy. His first visit to Prague. I have never seen a Rathayatra with so much absorption by all the devotees in kirtan and dancing. It rates amongst the best Rathayatras I have been too. Hours pass – the visible crowd is not so big due to the weather. But the invisible crowd is unlimited. One can practically feel the presence of the higher beings gleefully watching from above – maybe in the crowd – who knows? If only we could carry on forever like this! Jagannatha is so merciful.
The kirtan rises higher and higher
Sweeping Swamis - better than Sleeping
We reach the final square in the centre of the city– Vrndavana. Stage, booths, chairs and fortunately tents have been arranged for the devotees and guests to sit whilst taking prasadam and watching the stage programme. After a few minutes of arriving Indra (the Demigod of rain) unable to control his emotions, turns up in full force with lots of his assistants and other Demigods. He begins to shower down torrents of ecstatic tears over everyone. It is said that when the tears are cold they are in ecstasy. He was definitely in ecstasy. Despite the rain, everyone was in bliss. As we were all preparing to leave, Kadamba Kanana Maharaja arrived – he had missed his flight earlier – and delivered the closing speech. An apt conclusion to a glorious festival. We hope that each year the mercy will increase. Jaya Jagannatha!
Kadan
A small town in the north west of the country. After a nice programme in one devotees home we propose to go for Harinama in the town. The devotees inform us that never before has this been done there on the streets. All the more reason to go – another step towards fulfilling Lord Caitanya’s prediction – “in every town and village”.
Lets go. Small, quaint, quiet and conservative. “Who are they? What is this?” surprised looks and queries from the passers-by. We weave on – gradually the people warm up – as does the weather. Around again and this time they are comfortable with us. Laughs and waves break out. We pass a sleazy looking pub and several drunks pop out – raaha hara Kasna Harrr Kasnar – ugh – They try to dance with us holding hands and circling. Cameras flash – forget the externals these souls are taking part in Harinama – they are glorious. One of them seems familiar – Wow he is the father of one of the full time devotees in Czech. And here he is in this sleepy little town – "drunk as a Lord", dancing with us and trying to chant. Just see the mercy and fortune of having a devotee son.
Around again and more and more response. How easy, how sublime how effective. The solution to all problems. Everyone is eligible to chant the holy names. We just have to take it and pass it on.
Harinama sankirtan ki jaya!
World Holy Name Week
Schedule 2008 |
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| August 11th | Sydney |
| August 18th | New Govardhan farm near Brisbane |
| August 21st | Brisbane |
| August 26th | Fiji |
| August 31st | Auckland |
| September 1st - 21st | New Zealand |
| September 22nd | Malaysia |
| September 26th | Philippines |
| October 9th | Malaysia |
| October 11th | Mumbai, India |