Thursday 20 February 2014

Monday, February 17th, 2014

Where It Started              

Mayapura, India
 
Srivas Angan is the birth place of kirtan in the modern age. The home of someone by the name of Srivas Thakur is the location where just over five hundred years ago ecstatic chanting occurred. But it was not until four and a half centuries later that kirtan made significant inroads to the world outside south-east-Asia.
 
This afternoon a group of perhaps just over 150 people processioned to this place. The people- where did they come from? They hail from all over the world just as one of the saints Bhaktivinode predicted that Americans, Russians, Germans and more would converge at this sacred place and give glory to the one responsible for birthing the sankirtan chanting movement. That person was Sri Chaitanya.
 
It was an uplifting rhythm trek with kirtan that brought us to the Angan. This is the real way to execute pilgrimage, with song. I had the honor to lead the chanting on the way over but had to leave at some point, only to be somewhat annoyed. The traffic is aggressive here. Trucks, cars, scooters and bicycles rule the Bhaktisiddhanta Marg, the road with a width of an average North American driveway.
 
What will this mean ten years from now, in terms of traffic congestion?
 
I met my dear spiritual sister, Sishaka, on my return walk. She is an avid walker and cyclist. She expressed some concern about the energy of traffic on this pilgrimage trail.
 
As India gets more and more modernized and her national pride continues to surge while trying to catch up with the rest of the world, it might be smart to look at safe traveling trails.
 
What made the procession different  was the police escorts. In their presence there was traffic control. I love the police for this reason. They were backing the Pilgrimage and that's commendable.
 
May The Source Be With You!
 
5 KM

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