This picture below is one of the many bhajan/kirtan groups that you can see all over the place here, and all over the world also. Basically they have musical instruments and chant the holy names of the Lord as much as possible, it is free to attend and attendance is most welcome by all!
The most beautiful part is seeing one of the local Indian men, with his arms crossed, not into it at all, and just a few minutes later his arms are in the air and he's singing and dancing with everyone
Prasadam - means "the Lord's mercy" but simply put, it is vegetarian food that is first offered to the Lord before being served to people. Normally comes served on plates made of leaves. It may look simple but it is very delicious and healthy!
Strike! Political Protest!
I had no idea what they were chanting but it was obviously political. I found out the next day, the prime minister of the province was coming by helicopter. So they had pictures of her face on the posters during this march. The most surprising part is how many people there were...this is a very small town, but it was a stark reminder of the over-population in India...the crowd of people literally went all the way to the horizon, and we were walking against the current!
Mother Ganga - or as we say, "the Gonjeez"
I have yet to bathe in Her, but I have made some offerings and wet my face with Her holy water.
Ekadasi Thali
Thali just means "set" as in set meal.
Ekadasi is a day for fasting, and this is how Indians fast!
Having a feast as usual, but, no rice or beans.
This might have been the best thali I've had in India.
One of my favorite things about this country is I can go anywhere in the country and say "veg thali" and get an awesome, healthy and delicious feast.
One of the many lectures in ISKCON.
They typically begin with a small kirtan (chanting/singing/dancing)
This one was mostly Russian women and children, so they all got on their feet and danced a lot, great to see! I was a little shy to dance, but I sang along and bobbed my head.
Kirtan Mela - Mela indicates a big festival that will last a long time. So this mela is actually a festival within a festival, and lasted about 6 days I think. Chanting, singing and dancing, 24/7. It's like a music festival but drugs and sex are STRICTLY prohibited. They even marked out areas by gender so males and females couldn't dance near each other.
Another lecture series. This one was all about family, marriage and children - how to juggle all of these things as devotees. Basically, all members of the family are servants to the Lord, so its about helping each other serve better. Basically, the complete opposite of everything I've learned growing up in the West.
Shiva Linga
Linga is the kind of stone you see here, round top and flat base, I've heard its the most ancient religious symbol, and symbolizes male and female genitalia in one shape/symbol.
This was a one day festival for Shiva, and lingas are accepted as symbols of Shiva. Many people were offering to the linga, coconut water, flowers, etc.
Happy birthday pizza for me. The Indian bro next to me was my Airbnb host. I only stayed with him 10 days, now I'm living in an Ashram right next to ISKCON campus for 1/3 the price. Good riddance! But oh my God, I miss having a proper toilet so much!
Huge nest!
These are two kids in Bangladesh that I sponsor every month with JAAGO foundation. I wasn't expecting a birthday message from them, and this one felt really special. The girl to the left is getting perfect grades and perfect attendance. The boy...well, let's just say he's a normal boy of this age ;)
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