24 hour intoxication
Toronto, Ontario
Seventeen years ago a super enthusiastic devotional man from Orissa who immigrated to Canada years before wanted to bring back a charm from his childhood. It was an event called astha-prahar, a tradition of chanting the Maha Mantra without stoppage for twenty-four hours. Raja Saranghi the initiator of this virtuous and electrifying program passed away three years ago from a brain tumor.. Those who knew him felt his presence at this year’s venue at the Bharat Seva-Ashram Sangha located near the airport.
Popular amongst global new agers is a charismatic group that holds regular spiritual events near the Toronto Airport attracting people from all over the world for transformational experience. It’s called “The Toronto Blessing”. Now the 17th annual 24 hour chanting has been adding to the blessing-somehow!
For the 24 hour mantra chanting devotees come from Montreal and the States to cram themselves in a tiny but quaint hall. People of East and West Indian decent, people of Ukraine origin and Israel, English, French and all kinds of backgrounds participated. Whenever I am slotted for the use of the microphone and to lead the chant, I make sure to make it an inclusive experience. I pass the microphone around to give practically everyone the chance to sing. When it comes to moments of great identity I encourage people to come forward and to express their free lance dance. Some folks are shy so I will pull them into the circle of fun and let the shy guys understand what a real ice-breaking experience is.
Everyone then becomes enwrapped then in a special ecstasy and tastes a break from this mundane world. It is definitely an intoxication that is not found in the form of a bottle, capsule, or herb. It’s a love for the divine.
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