I typed this out this past Friday because again, I have been so busy with service and traveling this past weekend to Baltimore for the Ratha Yatra festival I didn't have time to post it or add more to it until now. So this is an update of the past week!
<<<<>>>>>>
I'm here typing in the registration house (a guest house me and Govinda were preparing for a swami who is visiting tomorrow) because it started down pouring while I was helping with the gardening outside, planting flowers outside the temple. I'm amazed I've even got a chance to have a second to write , lol. Malati keeps us (me and Govinda, the other girl who will be traveling with Malati) busy with service which is good. Just would like even a few moments to post on this blog and share the nectar at least.
So far my few days here it has rained everyday. But whats different about this rain compared to rain in Texas is how refreshing it feels. It's cool and just feels cleaner, don't know any other way to describe it.
NV has to have this to keep it's rich green color all aroun
NV has to have this to keep it's rich green color all aroun
I have to say it's only been my third full day and I officially love New Vrindaban.
A lot of firsts, and new experiences have just happened within such a short time, and we haven't even started traveling yet!
A lot of firsts, and new experiences have just happened within such a short time, and we haven't even started traveling yet!
The First full day I woke up at 4 am for mongalarti (they have it at 5 am instead of 4:30 am I found out) which was awesome considering I didn't even set my alarm. Attended Mongalarti and saw the beautiful deities they have here. At first I couldn't help feeling an affinity for Kalachandj but these deities are growing on me. I still have a soft spot for Kalachandj though.
They have a huge life size set of Jjagannath, Balaram and Subhadra which I love! X ) Their faces are the most ecstatic I've seen of any of the versions of the three before. And their huge of course.
They also have a huge larger than life deitie of Lord Nrasimadave, beautiful as well as the form of the boy they have next to him. Nityagora is to the left of Krishna and Rahdarani and to the right is the boy form of Krishna lifting Govardan hill with a real (biggest I've ever seen) piece of Goverdan hill next to him. This dieitie of Krishna as a boy is the only one at the temple here I just find a big strange looking, the facil expression maybe throws me off a bit. But Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra's face wow! Like Kalachandjis I swear their expressions look like they have changed! They are very beautiful.
They also have a huge larger than life deitie of Lord Nrasimadave, beautiful as well as the form of the boy they have next to him. Nityagora is to the left of Krishna and Rahdarani and to the right is the boy form of Krishna lifting Govardan hill with a real (biggest I've ever seen) piece of Goverdan hill next to him. This dieitie of Krishna as a boy is the only one at the temple here I just find a big strange looking, the facil expression maybe throws me off a bit. But Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra's face wow! Like Kalachandjis I swear their expressions look like they have changed! They are very beautiful.
Anyways ,after Mongalarti
(I don't even remember right now what I did after mongalarti...I didn't finish this sentence for some reason....)
So yea this is my hilarious break down of the week that flew by...if people want details just ask and I'll edit it and add more later anyways lol...
Wednesday 05/25/11
-served Malati cleaned Prabhupadas books and shelves and cleaned out a temple room.
-Than met Shadrannana and went over to her house with Kearney (awesome devotee brand spankin new to KC haha she's awesome) and had tea and dried fruits
watched Prabhupad movie
-got a garden tour! Learned a lot about gardening, Bhakta Tom educated himself very well.
-milked a cow for the first time with lalita, she drank the cow pee, I missed my chance because I was wearing a sari and chickened out. Kissed a cow and had fresh milk squirted in mouth (will drink cow pea later)
-more tea and fresh salad from the garden
-danced in kirtan, saw Krishna
-again had fresh milk from the cows but boiled this time with cinnamon yum
Thursday 05/26
-Went to Mogalarti later , woke up at 7:30 to Malati waking us up in the hall ways.
-chanted in the morning
-served Malati and temple, cleaned krishna and rhadhas huge swing, dusted other Lord Chaitanya books
-Helped in the garden and planted some lettuce seedlings for first time than started pulling out weeds and transplanting chocolate mint plant!
-Got more sari's lol. And some weird punjavis to wear around here. Malati likes it classic.
-Had most amazing cheese cake maha i've ever had in my life. Will have to learn this recipe.
-Played some uke kirtan for ayee and his wife sundanna, more lettuce and tea and philiosphic talk about kirtan and chanting and what that is allowed and not allowed.
-got jaganauth maha from puja devotee and pretty garland. Very sweet
Friday 05/27
-Woke up mongalarti! On time and chanted
-Served malati and temple, dusted charitot in temple, dusted books and shevles, swept stair way for devotee's to their rooms, Helped clean out room for swami to visit. Took out trash
-Helped with some garden work again
- Got caught in some auspicious rain
-Replaced lock on my door to my room with lots o help.
-went to bed
Saturday 05/28
-Mongalarti in the morning,
-traveled 5-6 hours to Baltimore,Maryland for Rathe yatra
-Arrived at a older couple devotee's house that we stayed at 2 nights.
-since we arrived the day before the Ratha yatra we helped make garlands for Lord Jagganath and decorations for the cart. I remember Malati saying afterwards how she wanted us to help decorate the cart and decorations for Lord Jagganath because any decoration you do for the cart and Jagganath is no different from direct service to Krishna
Also connected with a sweet devotee named Shilla. She had actually trained up for a year in the temple with the other male monks! crazy cool haha She gave me a tour of the temple which was a roomy three story house converted into temple. It's not a new temple by any means though, was around in the early 80's , Prabhupada even visited it. Saw the beautiful deities there, Jagannath was sick of course so wasn't able to see him till tomorrow.
Sunday
The big day! My third Ratha yatra, we got there after breakfeast, set up the table and got it ready for us to be at after the Rathayatra. We had pamphlets advertising New Vrindaban for people to come visit (the most important part and point of the table Malati expressed) and cd's, Festival of inspiration t shirts, and of course Vrindaban Ghee...which is what people kept being attracted too when they came to the table. I mean half the time I was just explaining to people what Ghee was....they didn't take though!
Ok so after that we chanted on a hill for 20 min's, made our way to Lord Jagannath cart, Jai Jagannath!
Malati gave us a little bit of Jagannaths story to us and we started the Ratha Yatra. There were hundreds of people there to say the least. I said this was the biggest Ratha yatra I had ever been in she laughed and said this one was small in comparison.
So tired will continue writing this another time. Add ons will come later.
Haribol
~Kim
No comments:
Post a Comment