Burnaby, British Columbia
It Started With Fluff
Fluff floats in the air at this
time of year, which is actually seeds sent off by poplars. Well, that is what
is occurring in many places in North America, and the several acres off of
Marine Drive, the location of the “Sage the Earth” event at ISKCON, is also
having that magical touch.
Ananda Gauranga, the priest for
the event, is conducting the fire ceremony, not missing a beat with his Sanskrit
mantra pronunciation. “He sounds like an auctioneer,” happily blurted
out Patrick, the sound man at the main stage, as he readied for presentations
by dignitaries. The Mayor, Mike Hurley, came. So did Peter Julian, Member of
Parliament. When Peter volunteered to take up some Bharat Natyam dance steps, a
first for him, it got the audience quite excited.
I particularly felt some
exhilaration when some of the local musicians were jamming it up with
devotional songs with traditional lyrics. Jagamohan and others really gave the
program that sweet touch, although by that time the audience had thinned out.
Meeting and mingling are a big
part of a devotional event like this. I sat down with Navin Maharaja (origin
Fiji) and it was his dream-child to put on this event as a way to warm up the
community for a future fundraiser for the upcoming temple.
I want to thank the organizers
and the youth for their drama. It was our Vallabha Hari, from Toronto, who was
an excellent master of ceremonies. Congratulations to Krishna Shanti for her
receiving second initiation. Such a soft heart she is.
May the Source be with you!
4 km
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