Hobart (Tasmania)

Waking up to the beautiful sunshine in Tasmania was something that I had been looking forward to over many years. Elements of material desires are still there !! Many travelers had encouraged me to make a visit and I decided that I would do so this summer. No sooner had I woken up today, I made my way to the Tasmanian Information Centre where a waiting guide took me to a ferry. As I waited. I noticed how beautiful the water, the sky and the boats looked.

After a 30 minute ride or so, I undertook an exploration of the extensive wildlife and spectacular coastline of the South Bruny National Park, a remote and wonderful place – unchanged for thousands of years. A few pics below :

Natural Monuments

I have hiked through mountains before but I cannot recollect seeing such massive rock monuments ever. Felt very tiny and vulnerable. These monuments with flat surfaces were formed after millions of years of water hitting against them. No matter how strong the rocks look, it’s the weak looking water through its patience that has smoothed the roughest of rocks. That’s what I need, waters of devotion hitting against my rock-like heart. Will wait.

Life on rocks

Can you spot the bird flying? If not, look where the other’s are looking. That picture was taken on an instinct. Very happy I got it. There were plenty of such birds on the rocky surface and with their constant excretion had made the rocks dirty. Similarly in devotional life, even if the waters of devotion smooths out our pride and ego, there are still so many material elements and distractions flying out there which can tarnish our progress and achievements.

Seals on the rocks

I was wondering what these animals might have been in their past birth? Perhaps, sea travelers wasting their time exploring the bays? Oh Oh. Better get back to land and start chanting !

It was a great day beholding the nature as it is. The amusement parks of humans are nothing compared to the ones created by Krishna. Whether they be small or big, crawling or flying, land or water, stone or living – they are just plain beautiful. And a great way in making one humble.

Walking from Bourke Street to Swanston Street in downtown Melbourne city can be an interesting affair. You can see everything here. People with interesting clothes, hair styles, food, career and sports, all in a 2 minute walk. Few days ago, as I was in the process of taking my wild and prowling stomach to Gopal’s for a sumptuous feast, I was stopped in my tracks by a wide variety of people with missions and causes they supported.

The first person who sprang forth in front of me was Aaron from Plan. With a strong British accent, he said, “Sir, Do you have some time on you?” I gave him the time. Only 15 minutes though.

He spoke about his organization. He said that Plan Australia is one of the largest community development organizations in the world hoping to eliminate poverty and ensure that kids have the right to education and good life. As he spoke, I couldn’t help thinking about the Krishna Consciousness perspective. I wanted to tell him that if all NGO’s could work with the Hare Krishna’s in eliminating the poor fund of knowledge on love of God in the world, we would have really helped most of the short comings in the world. But I didn’t. I listened and took a copy of the flyer. Aaron wanted me to donate $ 1 a day. I promised him that I would go through his website and decide in time whether I would work with them closely or not. But I told him that I appreciated his hard work on the streets.

No Slaughter they say !

Next in line was “Animals Australia”. They carried the above signboards which displayed graphic photos of animals in captivity. I have always liked this concept. If more people saw the gruesome treatments animals have to go through before they end up on someone’s sandwich, there is every chance people will stop eating them. Last week, I met a gentlemen who said after 47 years of meat-eating, he chanced upon a documentary which showed explicit images of animal slaughter. It seems his stomach turned, eyes filled with tears, the bulb came on in his head and within 24 hours he stopped all meat-eating.

Using the pig, they said, "Stop Factory Farming !"

On the streets, they actually had a pig run around pedestrians. As people turned to see if they actually saw a pig amongst them, a volunteer would step up, hand over the above flyer and explain to them in details about factory farming of animals, the need to pity the animals and how they can donate money towards a worthy cause. The flyer was well designed, had important statistics, contact details and how to donate. I particularly liked the starting lines on the front page :

“Animals raised for meat and eggs are much like the animals we share our homes with. They are just as intelligent, just as social, and they experience joy, pain and fear just like cats and dogs.”

I think we must aggressively promote cow protection in a similar way. Our volunteers can wander the busy streets with signs like “Save Cow Now” or “Cows need compassion too” and we can hand out flyers with explanations, stats, donations forms etc. There are many ways we can attract people to the Krishna consciousness society. We have them all – Music, yoga, music, animal protection, food, travel (pilgrimages), books etc. Something for everyone’s interest. Cow protection awareness is vital.

Supporting budding bands

The above music band called “The Wishing Well”, was a big hit. I sat and listened to them for about 45 minutes. There is something about a guitar that attracts me strongly. Only if I had the patience and the inclination to study the instrument. Of all guitar music, I am attracted to those composed by Spanish Gypsy families. Haunting and soothing. Anyways, the above group moved one and all. I particularly liked the 3rd song they sung which had a nice line in it, “Before you knew me, I was already lost“.

I couldn’t help wondering if we also could take a spot in the city where we can perform some wonderful kirtans and bhajans. I know we have the street harinams but I am talking about a music performance at a single spot. We can roll out an exotic Kashmiri carpet for seating, have the harmonium, the mrindanga, the flute, karatals and the devotees. We can have a small book table like how the above band had a table for selling their records.

Stronger street messages....

Then there was this man who wore no audiences. He stood at the same spot for a long time before he would plant himself at another place. Surely, he attracted a lot more photographers.

And the cause of all times !!

And yes, finally I brought myself to a stop in front of some of the devotees who were busy with their book distribution. They stopped the people on their tracks too and spoke about Science of Self Realization, The Perfect Escape and Bhagavad Gita. Of all the causes, only if people donated their time and efforts to spirituality. Some stopped to listen while others ignored.

Nanda Mandir prabhu approached me : Prabhu ! Hari bol ! Nice to see you here…

Me : Hari bol ! Nice to see you all again..

Nanda Mandir : Why don’t you distribute some books too?

Me : Sure…

And on Swanston Street, inches away from Crossways and Gopal’s Vegetarian restaurant, my original destination 2 hours ago, I too volunteered my efforts and time. I spent about 30 mins but I distributed 5 books ! There is a sense of achievement when you acquire 1 customer out of 5 or 8 who would have ignored you or rejected you. There was a point during that time when a lady approached us and said, “You boys are doing a wonderful job. Keep going. Merry Christmas !“

I love volunteers. They have hearts of gold. They all believe in their mission, see themselves as an instrument in bringing about a change in the world and persevere all rejections. I wish them all the best, Seasons Greetings and Merry Christmas too.

To one and all !!!!

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. –  Margaret Mead

Service to others is the payment you make for your space here on earth –    Mohammed Ali

Today, as I was walking by, I heard a familiar laughter. A laughter I have heard many times before in the Australian bushland during my trekking expeditions. It was a loud one and meant to get my attention. There were no one around…just me and the source of the laughter. No..it can’t be..near my home? Is it?

A Kookaburra !!!

It was sitting on its own swing outside a cafe. Kookaburra is my favourite bird. I think in some of my previous posts I might have said a sparrow or a peacock. Begging for apologies from all the devotees, I withdraw my statements. It’s the Kookaburra. I like this bird. To me, its a well-mannered creature. It’s beautiful, most of the time alone, thinks a lot and has a roaring laughter. A good package. Like me almost…kidding !

As I walked past the cafe, it began to laugh. Surprised I looked around and spotted it on that branch. Shouldn’t it be flying away? But it didn’t. I responded to its laughter with a soft whistle. It immediately turned around and looked. It remained silent. Whistled a few more times. It didn’t move. Its not scared. So, I took tiny steps and walked towards it, bit by bit. It remained there. I reminded myself that I shouldn’t be encouraging such an activity lest it causes me to form a strong bond with the bird. Didn’t want to be like that king who bonded deeply with a pet deer and had to be borne as one after his death. But temptation was strong.

I reached so close that I was right below it. It looked down with one of its eye. There was no panic. Maybe, it could recognize a vaishnava in the making. Maybe, it was laughing at my spiritual progress before. Anyways, it watched my actions. I moved my hand to my pocket. Its eyes went wide. I began to pull out my mobile phone. The eyes zeroed in. It moved slightly to its left. I turned on the camera. It moved its head slightly up. Click ! And that is the picture above.

I moved my other had slowly up to the bird. Nothing happening. It watched. My index finger reached near its body. And very gently, I touched its tail. I rubbed it a few times. The beautiful big bird just sat there. And then, it flapped its wings, gave a mighty laugh and undertook a fabulous take-off and glided away. WoW !!! I touched a Kookaburra in the wild ! My first ! Is this a record of some kind ?!! I was so excited today. And my chanting well too.

According to an Aboriginal legend, the kookaburra’s famous chorus of laughter every morning is a signal for the sky people to light the great fire that illuminates and warms the earth by day. And this Kookaburra might have been the reason why the temperature touched a melting 35 C today !

By the time I came back from some of my engagements during the day, it was  approaching evening time in Jaipur. This was my first trip to this city. I had heard about this place since my younger days but I actually got to see much of it through tourism brochures, Bollywood movies and TV documentaries. It portrayed camels, citizens in ethic wear, palatial 5-star hotels and the pink cities. It looked perfect for a long getaway. However, when I spent the day driving around, I must say I was a bit disappointed. I felt it was like any other city in India – crowded and polluted. My heart sank a little. But then this is a city. The beauty would be somewhere out there beyond the bustling city. But that will have to wait another time. All day I had been thinking about one place that I wanted to go and see – the Govindaji temple.

My driver turned up few minutes late. The car was light green with many dents and no a/c. Austerity begins now, I thought.

Driver : Namaste Saab.

Me : Namasate Ji.

Driver : Where would you like to go?

Me : Do you know Govindaji temple? I don’t have the address…

Driver : Ha Ha..who doesn’t know Govindaji Thakur?

And with that, we moved out of the hotel and into the remainder of the hot sun. As we went wildly through the streets and i began to look at the buildings and down at the people, the driver continued on how he knows Sri Govindaji right from when he was born. He seemed very happy, proud and more eager than me to go the temple. After a ride of 30 minutes, we finally reached the temple. The driver knew exactly where to find a parking spot in a crowded car park. He quickly got out and asked me to join him as well. As we entered through the gates, there were numerous flower garland sellers, each one lifting their priced creation to attract the devotees and guests. I moved to the one who had the brightest smile.

Flower seller

He did have the biggest smile and I told him that. He smiled even more. He seemed so happy to be there and seemed very caring about his garlands. He treated them with so much respect and did not force his customers into buying one. He just stood behind his table and smiled at people as they glanced at his garlands. He had made them for you. And for Him.

Flower Seller : Hare Krishna

Me : Hare Krishna !
He had managed to note the bead bag covering my hand. Hooray! He knows us!

Flower Seller : Please take this garland for Govindaji…
Like a snake charmer, he picked up a garland made of Jasmine.

Me : Sure…but why this? And not that?

Flower Seller : That is also nice, very fresh and I just made it

And he held out a garland made of rose. He was hoping that I would take many rolls of one of the kinds he had on the table. But I had other plans.

Me : I think Govindaji would like everything you have made here for him…Give me one of every kind on this table, as much as you can…I will let you decide on the length.

The driver was proud of me. He stood closer to me to partake a little bit of the blessing that would soon reach us from the flower seller, who seemed a bit surprised. Coming back to his senses, he began to think and roll out the lengths of rose, jasmine, tulasi and other flower garlands. The moment he had finished packing, my driver quickly jumped in front of me and took the many bags of flowers.

Driver : I want to carry it Sir…

Me : No problem…go ahead

And he began to walk quickly ahead. “Faster sir…faster !!!, he yelled out, “It will close soon !!”

Facing the devotees

Boy ! It was crowded. I mean it was jam-packed. And there was a calm pushing amongst people to reach the front or to look over one’s shoulder. Everyone looked at one direction only. Towards the Lord. From the left side there were a few ladies singing a bhajan. Behind me, there were a group of old men singing the same bhajan. And together, it was beautiful. The sun had just started to set and it was getting cooler. The marble floor was clean and the smell of incense was strong. I saw a few ISKCON devotees amongst the crowd with bead bags in hand. “Hari Bol”, was exchanged between us. The pujari stepped out with a huge ghee lamp and began circling it over the Deities, over the crowd. The crowd cheered. I wanted to get closer to Govindaji and started to look for an opening in the crowd.

Driver : Dont worry sir…everyone will get a chance to get closer to Govindaji. Bit by bit, we will be taken to Him.

Seemed like he was giving a Bhagavatam class to me. Yes, He is calling all of us to Him. Slowly but steadily. As long as we are patient and we put in our efforts of devotion to Him, He is bound to assist us in bringing all of us closer. I could feel some dust under my feet. I managed to get down and rubbed my hand on the floor. Got up and rubbed the dust on my forehead. My driver smiled. He motioned me to take a few steps forward as soon as he saw a space. His flower bag was held high in the air. My bag, I recollected. Slowly pushing through the crowd, we went at snail pace forward. No one minded the push as everyone seemed to understand each other’s love for the Lord.

Facing the deities

And finally we came to the front. Right there…in front of the deities. But we couldn’t go any further as there were barricades around. But I was happy. It was great to stand there with my keen driver and silently gaze at the beautifully decorated deities. The driver began to recite in rocket speed many prayers and I sang in a low voice, “Jaya Radha Madhava…”. The deities were big and long flower garlands adorned them. Below is a beautiful video recording of the darshan shot by a devotee 2 years ago. I just got it of the web. Do watch it…its beautiful.

After many minutes of gaze, I was interrupted by the beautiful bhajan that was now sung only by the men, far far behind. There were no microphones or speakers. Just old men with nice voice, singing as loudly and sweetly as they could. As I began to people gaze and I could see so many people with tears in their eyes. The tears never fell but it stood there clinging to the white flesh. Their faces looked as if they were lost and it was expressionless. I can’t recollect such impressions on people anywhere else. To me it looked as if they truly missed their Radha-Krishna.

Paying respects

It was impossible to fall to the ground and pay one’s obeisance. It was packed. If you wanted to pay the full dandavats, you had to go right to the very back behind the bhajan singers, where there were not many people. So, people in the front just had to kneel on the floor and bring the top of the body over the raised marble floor of the deity area. I did the same but only stayed there much longer. Then deciding not to be too selfish and to let other people have a chance too, I got up and moved towards my driver. The flower bag was still with him. And he held it as if it had millions of dollars.

He moved to the left, away from the crowd. We climbed a few steps and behind the women was a room. We walked in and there was a mountain of flowers garlands. A devotee inside was collecting the flowers. He didn’t look up much. He collected your’s and gave you an offered one. And he went back to reading his little book. I gave it a quick look.

Me : You are reading Bengali prayers?

Him : Oh..you are Bengali ?!

Me : No..No..I recognize the script…we also have some Bengali prayers

Him (looking at the bead bags and my neck beads) : Hare Krishna…

Me : Hare Krishna…

After connecting to the Gaudiya Sampradaya lineage within our minds, confirmed by a half-smile from both of us, the driver and I, moved to circle the deity room. As we finished halfway, I managed to look up at the red wall, on which hung a painting. I knew it only too well.

Hari Bol !!!!

Oh wow ! I never thought I would see Gaura-Nitai in such a large form here. Now, it fully felt like an ISKCON temple. The familiarity was making sense now. The devotees, the well decorated deities, cleanliness, constant bhajans and kirtans. It was like being at home at one of our temples. And as people paid their obeisances against the wall, I finally got the chance to pay a full dandavats on the floor. Smeared with the dust of devotees on my shirt and my nose tip touching the cold floor, all I could say to Them was “Thank you!”.

Once we finished the circling, I decided to soak myself in the beautiful music in the temple courtyard. By now the deity room was closed, yet people thronged to see it open again. I sat right behind the kirtan gang. Closed my eyes and began to follow each of their words. I couldn’t understand much but I gathered words like Krishna, Govinda, Radha, Gopala.

It was getting dark...

As more people entered the temple complex, there were those returning back to the crowded streets. I was one of them. After spending a good 2 hours here, it was time for me to go. To go to another temple that I was eager to visit. As I collected my slippers and walked through the path taking devotees out, I looked at some of the shops selling merchandise. I love such shops. There are 3 shops I like – Books and Stationery, Trekking and Camping and Temple merchandise shops.

The one I stopped by was a large one. The young store keeper was busy. He was handing out books and photos for people to inspect with one hand, with another he collected cash, with his third hand he wiped the sweat of his face and with few other hands he was cleaning the items that people had inspected. He was busy ! Really busy and he was getting tired.

Shop Keeper : Hare Krishna !

Me (surprised again) : Hare Krishna prabhu !

Shopkeeper : Yes prabhu…what are you buying?

After looking around the stall, I decided to get a few of the photo prints of the Lord. As I began to check the sizes and colours of the numerous photos that lay in front of me, my driver silently stood next to me and watching. I knew that look. It’s the look in the eyes that would say something like, “Only if I had some spare money like this passenger, I too would be buying many flower garlands and surely most of these photos of my Govindaji….”

Me : Do you have Govindaji photos like these?

Driver : No saab…they are expensive…I have a very small photo in my house…but the ones you are buying is so beautiful…

Me : Do you want one? Hey prabhu…give this driver any photo print of Govindaji he likes !

For me? - the driver and his photo print

Now, isn’t that beautiful? Even I didn’t buy one that was framed like that. The driver was over the moon and universe. He couldn’t hold back the surprise and happiness. He said how he couldn’t wait to take it home and put it on his altar. He kept cleaning it as we went back to the car. Carefully, he laid it on the front seat while I took the back. He began to thank over and over again. I was liking it actually. When you give something to someone, both the giver and recipient are happy.

Driver : Ok ji..to the hotel Saab?

Me : Nope…there is one more temple I need to go to…

Driver (releasing the hand breaks and changing gears) : Which mandir Saab?

Me : ISKCON

Driver : ISK…What saab?

Me : ISKCON mandir…Hare Krishna mandir

Driver : ISKCON..Hare mandir? I don’t know any such temple

Me : Really? Ohhh..Here is the address

Driver (studying it, while driving) : I have never heard of such a temple…is it new?

We drove around for over 1 hour trying to locate the temple. We asked scores of people on the street and shops. The driver was on a mission. He was going to take me to ISKCON mandir.

Me : “Don’t worry…everyone eventually gets to ISKCON mandir“, I said jokingly.

Driver : What is ISKCON saab?

And over that one hour of driving through the dark roads of Jaipur, I explained the history. I told him about an elderly gentleman at his advanced age leaving Vrindhavan and going to America by himself on a ship, the heart attacks, how he eventually taught the people in that land about Sri Radha-Krishna, how to do puja, how to cook vegetarian food, translating Gita to English and how they together built hundreds of temples across the world. All on the orders of his spiritual master. The driver remained very silent. He listened but spoke nothing. It was dark inside the car and I couldn’t check his facial expressions. After my summary, I also felt good. It was like having finished a good japa session. About 4 years ago, I knew nothing of the ISKCON history. Now I know enough to tell newcomers and make them feel like I did when I first found out. Satisfied.

Finally, very far away from the city centre, we managed to find a board by the roadside that pointed us to the ISKCON temple. It read – Sri Sri Giridhari Dauji Mandir. The driver read it out aloud. “We have found ISKCON mandir Saab ! My brother also works here nearby ! “

He started it.

Once inside, I introduced him to Srila Prabhupad. I said, “He is the one who left Vrindhavana to give Sri Radha Krishna to everyone“. The driver stood there with folded hands. He had the respect. As I got down to pay my obeisance, he too immediately  got down to pay his. I told Prabhupad while on the floor to help this driver too. As i got up, I noticed that my driver wasn’t where he was few minutes ago.

His turn to gaze in my temple !!

The driver was in his own world now. He had wandered over to the deity area. He didn’t have to push anyone to make his way forward. All he needed was curiosity and an attraction to the deities. Here too, there was a nice kirtan going on. Matajis to the left. Prabhus to the right. All in all, there would have been about 20 people in the hall.

The Brothers !

It was like being at Sri Krishna Balaram mandir at Sri Vrindhavan dham. The deities of Lord Balaram and Lord Krishna looked exactly like the ones over there. The driver joined me. He had just gotten up from the floor after paying his obeisance, even before me. He was learning. He was watching others get on the floor from left side to the right. Then coming up half way and then another touching of the head on the floor, he got up. He stood there watching the Lord. He didn’t say anything. I introduced The Brothers to him. And pointed out Gaura-Nitai as well. I planned to explain about Them to him on our way back.

Kirtan time

The driver was still quiet. He was observing. He was listening. It looked like he had forgotten all about me. With respect and folded hands he took a place near the kirtaneers. He smiled and greeted a few of the devotees. I sat behind him. I had photos to take. Sitting there, he listened to the Hare Krishna mantra being sung. Seeing other’s singing after the lead, he also started to sing along. After a few minutes, he clapped hard. At one stage, he had closed his eyes, looked down, continued clapping and singing the maha mantra. I was happy.

It was getting close to 9 pm. As the kirtan came to an end, he got up to look for me.

Me (from behind) : I am here..

Driver : Namaste saab… Aap kaha thein? (Where were you?)

Me : Right behind you…did you enjoy?

Driver : Yes saab..it was very good…

And he began to ask more questions on Prabhupad, the deities, the history etc. I asked him to follow me. And took him to the book store.

At the bookshop

At the bookshop was a young devotee with such a pleasant personality. He didn’t just sell books. He preached. As guests came to his stall and enquired about an item or a book, he would give such an enlivening summary of the content inside. The driver stood there mesmerized. Looked like he wanted to befriend him.

Me : Hare Krishna prabhu

Bookshop devotee : Hari Bol

Me : Prabhu, this is my driver…and this is his first time hearing about ISKCON and it’s his first visit to an ISKCON temple

Bookshop devotee : Hari Bol…

Driver : Namaste Saab…

Bookshop devotee to me : You have done such a nice thing…

Me : Thank you..Prabhu…do you have a Bhagavad Gita..in Hindi and maybe a Hare Krishna kirtan CD?

After looking through the CDs and choosing one, a fresh copy of the Bhagavad Gita arrived. A tulasi mala was added to the shopping list.

Bookshop devotee : That will be Rs. 200

Me to driver : These things are for you

Driver (again surprised at the charity services) : Saab..I…don’t have any money…I will get it later..

He looked sad again. Only if he had a high paying job, he must have been wondering.

Me : Driver saab…I am getting this for you…don’t worry.

Driver : No saab…you already got me Govindaji photo…please don’t spend anymore for me

Me : It’s ok…it’s a gift…will you read the Gita? Everyday?

Driver : Saab..no..really…I like the Gita…I have read it many times..not this book though…

And to our surprise he recited couple of verses from the Gita.

Driver : I think I almost know all the verses of Gita. I have been reading it ever since i was young.

Me : Now you can learn what the verses mean !

Me to devotee shopkeeper : Prabhu..I am leaving Jaipur tomorrow…and I am leaving this driver with you all..please take care of him…I am sure he will come here often

Devotee Shopkeeper : I am sure you will also come back…everyone comes back to see Sri Sri Giridhari Dauji !

With that, I left the temple along with a very happy and thoughtful driver. For the next 45 minutes, as the driver gently took me back to the hotel, I listened to him singing a melodious bhajan as he drove. This city wasn’t disappointing after all.

“Transcendental devotional service cannot be complete and cannot be relishable without the association of devotees. We have therefore established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Anyone who is trying to be aloof from this Krishna Consciousness Society and yet engage in Krishna consciousness is living in a great hallucination, for this is not possible. From this statement by Dhruva Maharaja it is clear that unless one is associated with devotees, his devotional service does not mature; it does not become distinct from material activities. The Lord says, satam prasangan mama virya-samvido bhavanti hrt-karna-rasayanah.” – (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.25).

I was walking past a study table and I noticed this -

Smiling away

On Sunday, I accompanied Nanda Mandir prabhu to a bicycle shop near the temple. It was a sunday and the sun was doing its job for a good part of the morning. We could have had a nice 10 minute walk but he preferred to take the car. Car can be an addictive thing.

At the checkout counter...

As Nanda prabhu parked his car and walked up to the shop, a little girl playing with her dad stopped mid way in her sport. She stood there gazing. Who is this Orange-Man? Dad took her in his arms, possibly to stop her from gazing at strangers. Once inside, the sales boys looked nervous. “What do we do?”, they must have wondered. Their sales training had never equipped them to manage the Orange Man. Nanda prabhu helped himself and was busy going through cycle chains, bike oils and later on moved to study some mountain bikes on the wall. I spotted a classic bicycle by the entrance. It was exactly like the ones we see in India on the roads…you know those cheap ones….but this single piece was priced well over A$2000 !! Made in France, it said.

It’s amazing how a whole shop can go silent when a devotee in his devotee clothes enters the premises. I have seen this in grocery stores, petrol stations or even from customers outside our booths at prasadam tents. Most of the time, it’s the teenagers and the young in general that goes all quiet. But I am sure its out of respect. I think they are not sure how to talk to people in spiritual outfits. So what they see an Orange Man or those with markings on their forehead, they prefer to stay out-of-the-way, opt to speak less, takes care to be extra polite and serves/orders quickly. Actually, that’s good customer service.

Finally, a middle-aged person, possibly the owner walked up to Nanda and said, “Hey Mate !! How are ya? Haven’t seen you in a while !”And he proceeded to sell Nanda prabhu, a tube for the tyre and some lubricating oil. Nanda prabhu was happy. He was going to ride bikes again. Just like the old times. He hadn’t noticed anything different at all in the cycle shop.

Today, I opened up the newspaper to read some world events. I chose, “The Age” for no particular reason. Perhaps, it looked larger than others on the library shelf. Only when I sat down to read it, did I realize that I had picked up the weekend copy by mistake. No time to turn back. I was lazy. Besides, I hadn’t kept up with world news last weekend as I was at the temple listening to the glories of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Goswami maharaj. When I opened up the newspaper, I was truly surprised to see the front page of the Saturday edition !

Religious leaders

I was happy with few things here – (1) The bold and promising heading (2) The many faiths together (3) Presence in the main newspaper. Surely, millions of Australians would have seen this picture, the heading and the article that accompanied it, possibly thinking that it’s nice to see all the different religions working together.

The above article was in response to the “Parliament of the World’s Religions” event that took place in Melbourne few days ago. I had received numerous automatic email alerts from the organizers, who were trying to get my interest to attend the event. But, procrastination made me forget all about it. I wish I had gone. Too late now. The news article basically talked about how it was important to give religion a chance to solve today’s world problems. It was a small article though. For that size of the photo, the article should have been at least a full page, highlighting the teachings and advice for the people in general.

The opening statement was good though - POLITICIANS around the world are holding back the fight against poverty because they do not understand or trust religion, an American specialist on development said in Melbourne yesterday. ”Politicians think religion can’t help, and that’s a huge handicap. They do not know what religion does and they are scared of it,” Katherine Marshall told the opening program of the Parliament of the World’s Religions.

You can read the complete article here : Religion ‘denied key role’ in poverty fight – The Age

As I completed the article, I couldn’t help thinking if ISKCON could have brought out / initiated such events the world over. I understand that there was such an event hosted at Mayapur many months back. But it would be great if ISKCON could bring leaders and their followers of many faiths together under one roof in major capitals of the world and have discussions on topics such as – World perception on spirituality, Role of spiritual education in today’s schools/universities or Eradicating world poverty through God, Understanding the Universe through ancient Science or How to take care of your body, mind and Soul etc. Creating such platforms would establish even more credibility and familiarity in people’s mind. And through such events, we can give many more people a chance to know about Krishna. We should initiate and not just participate, I am thinking.

Very nice

Today, during the Srimad Bhagavatam class, a middle aged man walked through the attentive crowd and placed a box of mangoes in front of Lord Jagannath and His relatives. Jai !

After 2 days of harinams on the rainy streets of Melbourne, the devotees, the public and the actors all gathered together for an evening of Eastern culture at St. Kilda City Hall, few hours ago. The building in itself was impressive and it was my first trip there. The building was supported by huge Victorian styled pillars with a lovely garden in the front. The drive to the main entrance resembled the path from the main gate to the door as seen in Indian 5-Star hotels. At the doors, were lovely mataji’s in deep blue sarees distributing the evening agenda.

Many people were walking in not knowing what to expect. Some looked nervous. Others looked curious. And there were others who were excited and they were the devotees. The hall was big and could accommodate about 600. Chairs were laid out neatly and people began to plant themselves where they could. It was like school. The eager-beavers right in the front, the semi-interested in the middle and the “just-checking-this-out” crowd was somewhere at the back. Parents with little kids were in that vicinity as well. As the rain subsided outside and the vegetarian cuisine aroma increased inside, people relaxed a little and began to wait for the 7:30 pm start. And just before 7:30pm, it started.

The MC for the evening - Mr. Sri Prahlad !

The evening would showcase the following :

- A bhajan
- Manipur Drummers
- Yoga
- Bharatanatyam dance
- The Warrior
- A Bollywood dance
- Return of the warrior
- A Spiritual talk
- Shyam Dance
- Team Kirtan

Those are my titles above. The program actually had different names for each show…but you get the drift, don’t you? Since a picture speaks a thousand words, I will let some photos I took do the talking.

The melodious kirtan

Manipur Drummer's make an entrance

Drummer's gets the crowd excited !!!!!

Getting the stretch right - Yoga show

Really stretching it !!! - Yoga

The Warrior !

The Warrior and his weapon of protection

After the performance of the warrior, it was time for THE GITA. In this session, actors portrayed the essence of the Holy Book Bhagavad Gita. This is the audience’s first interaction with spiritual philosophy for the evening.

The war amongst cousins

Arjuna - Pondering over hate, love, relations, God

Krishna - The Supreme - Helps Arjun with answers

“The GITA” show was very much appreciated by the audience. The applause, cheers and a few whistles reached the stage, much to the delight of the actors who waved back to the crowd and disappeared into their green rooms.

Manipur Drummers are back with a vengence !!

A giant leap - The drummers get the crowd going crazy with delight !!!

The drummers are surely the crowd favorites. The sounds of the drum, the ethic wear, the yells thrown at the crowd by the drummers, the leaps and the rhythm were all perfect to get the Australian crowd to sit and up take full notice.

Once the high voltage performances were done and the performers began to get ready for their final act, His Holiness Indradyumna Swami walked over to the centre of the stage. All watched. Devotees were thrilled in their hearts. Calmly, he took centre stage and adjusted the microphones. A single bright light from above shone brilliantly on his face. The stage was now truly set.

"This is the Gita", he declared and the crowd pays attention

Over the next 50 minutes or so, His Holiness gave a superb commentary on the Gita to the lay man seated. Even devotees – seniors and juniors listened as if it was their first time. And we wouldn’t want it any other way. He explained the importance of utilizing the human form of life, the importance of non-violence towards all creatures, understanding the body as matter, the hovering area of the soul in the body, how it was “ok” to take in such rich wisdom from an Eastern land even if it was foreign, “like Pizza…an Italian dish so prevalent in Australia…if it tastes good, then you will have it here too“. People understood. Sure they did. I saw them nodding. I saw them take deep breaths as it was beginning to make sense to them. He continued to talk about how people in general are mesmerized by science and how humans are out of balance. People were in agreement. The silence said it all. Even the noisy kids from the background seemed to be quiet. He invited the crowd to get a copy and read it. Thanking the crowd and collecting people’s love, he too walked away. Surely, the entire sampradaya was in the room. We couldn’t see them but the intensity of the talk made us feel their presence.

The Shyam Dance - Great music

Sri Krishna, Srimati Radharani, the Gopis as well as a spirit soul caught in the deep sadness of separation from the Divine Couple took centre stage. Through a beautiful English song, they all danced their way into Krishna’s lovely arms. He, too had been waiting and longing for such associations. His smile said it all.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

The much awaited kirtan now began to steal everyone’s heart again. It was so beautiful to see the Australian public tap their feet to the ground, a few others catch the mantra right and a few to my right had their eyes closed and resting a smile on their lips, began to move from side to side. The cleansing had begun. The journey has started for all there. There was appreciation all around. Already, 2 hours had passed and I don’t think anyone knew about it.

The perfect companion for a kirtan - the harmonium

The kirtan reached a soft climax and the people knew it was coming to an end. Everyone began to clap and cheer again. Yes, it was worth it to attend after all, they must have wondered. The rain didn’t seem to hamper anyone’s enthusiasm. The performers and the audience looked after each other very well. One party gave, the other took. It was a perfect evening I thought. The room looked almost full when the lights came on. “Thank you for being such a wonderful and an attentive crowd!”, swami exclaimed over the microphone. And with that the show came to an end.

In the morning Bhagavatam class, His Holiness Indradyumna Swami maharaj made a very nice statement. He told us, “The difference between material people and devotees is this  – materialists perceive the world through their intelligence. Whereas the devotees perceive the world through the intelligence of their spiritual masters“.

Tonight, through his spiritual master’s order to preach boldly and armed with all their devotion, sacrifices and love, His Holiness had helped the Melbourne public perceive the world too. It was all balancing out.

Hari Bol.

Hope you enjoyed this early morning blog post. I do this only once a year.  Its 1:40am and I am happily going to bed. If any of you are planning to watch the show, below is the info. Go, I say !

Sunday : 06th December, St. Kilda Town Hall
Friday: 4th December, Fitzroy Town Hall, 201 Napier St, Fitzroy
Saturday : 5th December, Fitzroy Town Hall
Wednesday, 9th December, Wyndham Leisure and Events Centre, 80 Derrimut Road, Hoppers Crossing

Show Time : 7:30pm
Vegetarian food : from 6pm onwards.

As I was walking past a building, I noticed this poster from an atheist society :

GOOD LUCK !!!!!!