For this year only, starting at the same time as the Chinese New Year, and my birthday, is Gaura Purnima; a month long festival celebrating the appearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, 500 years ago.
Before His birthday on March 2nd, we prepare by doing Parikrama (pilgrimage) The first place is his birthplace, there is a temple, and the same tree where He was born.
This is the neem tree where Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was born. It's not too far by walking, so I've been back to this same spot several times. Many people come to the root of the tree and put the dirt on their head/foreheads. If you zoom in, you can also see the branches of this tree are decorated with dozens of...things. "Prayers" I guess, not sure the right word in English or Sanskrit!
Russians.
Bloody Russians everywhere in Mayapur.
One reason the Krishna Consciousness movement has been so successful in Russia is how they preach. The most famous preacher will get a stadium full of people for what's called something like, "Psychology 3000" some kind of motivational self-help course. Then he starts talking, he'll say, "And then the Supreme Personality of Godhead says, 'blah blah blah' in Bhagavad-Gita chapter 2." So everyone in the audience says to themselves, "What? What on Earth is he talking about?" They research it later, and that seed eventually sprouts in their hearts and minds.
The most beautiful cow I've ever seen.
Also those milk bags are full and ready to go!
UPDATE: Yesterday I went back here for my roommate's birthday, and the Indian guy working here slapped one of the cows in the face, just so he could walk by them and open the gate. Unbelievable behavior for an Indian man in one of the holiest temples in India...This is evidence, along with many other pieces of evidence, that we are actually in the darkest of times. Technology is meaningless if we are assholes!
My roommate JP, from Lithuania.
He became a devotee at the age of 13, and has traveled all over the world. He is a citizen in Lithuania and the USA, and a permanent resident of India. Really happy to have met him, and early on, we caught the same train from South India to Kolkata together, by chance. He is more advanced spiritually than me, but we are similar in personality; we hate the big crowds here, and hate the bureaucracy that seems to corrupt all institutions. Also, JP's birthday is just 11 days after mine. At 2AM on his birthday we woke up to an incredible thunder and rain storm, the only rain we will see in our month-long stay here.
The bag in my right hand is called Japa
It is for holding Mala beads - 108 beads made of Tulasi (Holy Basil) wood, for chanting.
The right index finger is not inside the bag while chanting because that finger is the fault-finding finger. Next time you find fault in others, or yourself, make sure to notice the unconscious twitch/response in that finger, this is likely a universal trait of the human nervous system, not a cultural thing that only applies to Hindus. Also notice, the natural behavior of the left index finger is more exploratory in nature, as it connects to the right brain hemisphere.
#ScienceRules
Never thought the first time I'd see a mongoose it would be two of em makin' more of em!
The Sun was very bright this day :)
24/7 Chanting booth.
#Literally
More bloody Russians. Lol.
I really liked this group though, their musical skills were incredible, even the local, older and shy Indian men jumped in to dance with everyone!
I remember being so damn hot and tired I couldn't close my mouth.
Woke up at 5am this day to get to the bus in time for pilgrimage.
Actually I missed the bus by 2 minutes, but some Indian bros took me directly there on their brand new Yamaha motorbike :)
"A wizard is never late, he arrives precisely when he means to"
This little hut is actually a significant temple with some deities inside. I didn't know it at the time, and I was sooooo hot and tired so I just hid in the shade.
It's a holy place, so if you roll around in the dirt the holiness will rub off on you, right? :)
One of the most terrifying deities in India is at ISKCON Mayapur, Nrishimadev - the half-man, half-lion avatar of Visnu. Anyway, I went to Him to offer a bracelet. The Pujari, who is the devotee who takes care of the deity (the middle-man between the people and the deity Himself), made eye contact with me and I thought he would take the bracelet to offer, but instead he gave me this flower garland and filled my hand with tulasi leaves. I was really humbled and shocked, I'd never seen this before. Normally the white garland like this one is only worn by gurus and spiritual leaders. It smelled incredible. And while wearing it, it made the top half of my body very cool. But after one day, the flowers lost their magic, and I took it to the Ganges river to offer it back to Her.
