Lord Krishna Takes Manhattan
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
The other day, a Sunday, I woke up in a very bad mood. While brushing my teeth, I hear the noise of drums on the streets. Still with the toothbrush and toothpaste mess in my mouth, I rush unconsciously to my bedroom front windows facing Central Park, and suddenly let the toothbrush and toothpaste fall to the floor. With my mouth still open in awe that old saying bounces in my mind: ”If Mohamed does not go to the mountain, the mountain goes to Mohamed.”
Mohamed is me, and the mountain is India. I smell my beloved India at my feet, Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, Central Park!!!! I get dressed; I still don’t believe what I just saw. I ask my housekeeper Ana to pinch me while I call the elevator in Hawaianas (Flip Flops) making sure my digital Nikon is loaded with a mega-gigabite of memory and battery. I can believe India is waiting for me downstairs to go for a ride. Could it be possible? Am I dreaming? Is this some kind of holiday I don’t know about? Why nobody told me before. Where is my Saree from Rajasthan? My Mexican housekeeper Ana is 18 and she does not have the faintest idea what is a Saree, even less about Rajasthan, and, by the way, I don’t even know if she really understands when I speak to her in my Spanish from Italy and Telemundo TV channel. ”No,” I tell Ana. ’’I will loose them: voy a perderlos.” She nods without knowing still what or who I am talking about, but the elevator arrives and, the hell with the Saree or Ana; I’ll go down just the way I am.
I find out that it is the New York City India June Festival taking place, and more exactly I am joining the Festival of the Chariots or Ratha- Yatra Parade beginning at 12 o clock Sharp from 59 marching down Fifth Avenue 50 blocks to Washington Square Park by 2pm.
The Ratha-Yatra festival is perhaps the oldest continuously celebrated spiritual festival in the world. As far back as human records and memory extends, the chariots of Lord Jagannatha have rolled each summer in the sea-town of Puri (in the State of Orissa, down from the) Bay of Bengal, to the delight of millions of joyous pilgrims. Throughout the year, the Deity of Jagannatha is worshiped in a great Temple with its massive stone tower dominating the city of Puri. According to the devotees, the Deity is not a mere statue. By His supreme potency, the Supreme Lord agrees to personally enter the form of the Deity just to accept the loving service of His devotees. In this sense, the Deity is non-different from the Lord Himself. And once a year Lord Jagannatha comes forth in His entire magnificent splendor to enjoy the Ratha-Yatra parade and show Himself to all, and now on Fifth Avenue.
The Founder of the Hare Krishna movement, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, was a great devotee of Lord Jagannatha since childhood. At the tender age of 5 years, he personally organized a Ratha-Yatra in his neighborhood, engaging all residents in the performance of this festival. Born in 1896, in Calcutta, in a Vaishnava family, he is the Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
So, finally I understand that basically I got myself in the middle of the New York Krishna network walk around town. Excellent, probably what I needed for my bad mood. A Jewish man with a nice Star of David necklace and last winter collection Prada gym shoes dressed in a hand spoon cotton Khadi (the same Gandhi used to wear) is calling me to know if I wish to assist a Wheel Guard to protect the cart wheels. After thanking the honor, I explain to him that I’d rather take some important pictures of the Parade for a blog that I am writing on Lifestyle.
Young and very attractive women in colorful Sarees and impressive decorative Indian jewelry, girls and small children joyfully dance and chant “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare,” passing by stores such as Barnes & Noble, Luis Vuitton and Cartier.
From one of the three red canvas canopied chariots, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in a nirvanesque smile salutes the crowd in front of the JP Morgan Chase Manhattan building, visibly proud with the continuously increasing number of devotees independent of sex, race, or religion. An African Rastafarian headed women wearing a mixture of Arabic belly dancer belts over Turquoise Indian silk textiles certainly home-made “Sareed style” sing as loud as her voice can do on a slight Hip Hop beat: “Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.” Saint Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue witnesses orange banners going by, among noisy drummers and singing children offering cookies for good fortune.
It’s already 2 o’clock and my camera has loaded more than 250 pictures. India’s energy is keeping me busy as usual; Krishna sound of Reservoir of Pleasure is transcendental. It’s true, each of us, every living being, seeks for pleasure. Pleasure, as any child would know, is pure consciousness, a symptom of our reality and our spirit soul. The Bhagavad-Gita (The Song of God) and the flower worship made me drunk with ecstatic will and desire to run home to download the uncountable captured moments of this radiant morning that –above having positively interfered in my bad mood–inspired me to enlighten others for eternity.
Namaste
Petter Hegre's
Fantastic.
Certainly the finest blogs I have ever come accross. The expression embedded with sensuality, research, detailing and realities of life. All this served on a platter of absolute intellect.
Absolutely fascinating, the level of knowledge that goes behind this is incredible.
Keep up the good work.
Sincere most regards, now and always.
Aditya (India)