After spending a week in Cologne/Germany, offering a couple of programs and winding up my time in Europe, I embarked on my tour around India with the first stop being the temple in Seshadripuram/Bangalore. Being located on a plateau in South India - 900 meters above sea level - Bangalore has a very nice climate and is moderate even during the hot time of the year, with around 30 degrees during the day, always a fresh breeze blowing and cool at night.
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After spending one week in Zurich enjoying lively discussions in the association of eager devotees, I flew on to Copenhagen. I had visited here once before five years ago when I came during the pandemic to celebrate Janmastami with the devotees....
Some years ago, ISKCON purchased a nice house in a residential area of Copenhagen, with the temple room being in another building behind the main house serving as the abode of Sri Sri Gaur Nitai. A little court yard between the two buildings increases the temple's facilities. At the moment, a few elderly men are staying in the ashram, and a core team of several grhasthas regularly offer service in the temple. A good size congregation of Russian speaking, Danish, Nepali and Indian members participate in the temple activities. After spending a busy week offering programs around Zagreb in Croatia, and visiting Ljubljana/Slovenia for Radhastami, I flew to Munich and travelled out to Simhachalam to attend a double-wedding. Balaram Pran Prabhu married Lalita Mataji, and Gauranga Gunarnava Prabhu tied the knot with Merilina.
I arrived in Helsinki/Finland on the 12th of August and was grateful for the cooler temperatures and yet sunny weather. It was my first visit to this Vaishnava community - the devotees had eagerly requested me to stay on after Janmastami to offer some seminars. Their temple is a great place - in a central location, with lots of lawns and gardens around - a former center for old people. Some of the lawns belong to the city council, but the devotees are allowed to use them.
For Janmastami they made a great arrangement with a small stage for cultural programs and several tents offering all kinds of activities such as swinging Gopal, a book tent, prasadam tent, kids tent, shop, etc. Inside in the small temple room devotees engaged in ongoing kirtan, and a circular path allowed people to take darshan of Their Lordships. Around 3500 to 4000 guests visited throughout the day of Janmastami - mainly Nepalis and Indians; also some Western people attended the festivities. Everything was amazingly well organised by a 27-year old devotee from an Indian background. We were lucky with the weather - Janmastami was one of the last warmer days in this nordic area, with only very little light rain. After spending some days at the temple in Paris and conducting a few programs, I traveled out to New Mayapur/France - together with Janananda Maharaja in his car. As last year, I once again decided to visit New Mayapur for the festival of Lord Balarama's appearance. In any other temple in Europe, it would be a three-hour festival, but here in New Mayapur the devotees celebrate the event over three to four days...!
On the 20th of July, I flew from Kishiniev/Moldova to Vilnius/Lithuania to attend the Baltic Summer Festival which is always a nectarean event. This year it was graced by the presence of HH Bhakti Caitanya Swami, HH Ananda Vardhana Swami, Madhavananda Prabhu and his wife, Srutakirti Prabhu and his wife and Navina Nirada Prabhu as main guest speakers, and Sarvatma Prabhu and his wife, Sistakrit and Ojasvi Prabhus as main kirtaneers. Over 6 days around 400 devotees attended, swimming in the nectarean ocean of bliss while absorbing themselves in various kathas during the day and diving into blissful kirtans in the evenings.
Besides giving two seminar sessions on the topic of "Meeting Death With Joy" and one morning class, I spent every day all day at my book table reaching out and connecting with devotees - well known faces and new ones alike - giving personal guidance and distributing lots of copies of my books. The new book "The Vanaprastha Ashrama - Meeting Death With Joy" was especially popular and flew out like hot cakes.... My source of bliss and deep satisfaction....! It was more than 2 years ago that I was visiting Kishiniev/Moldova last, and now, on the 9th of July, it was nice to be back and meet all the devotees again. Moldova has such a sweet and hospitable mood - very similar to Ukraine. After all, Acyuta Priya Prabhu who is the leader in Ukraine also takes care of the devotees here in Moldova. For me, it was a refreshing dip into Ukrainian nectar, especially after having been in the Western world for a while, where people are more impersonal, emotionally dry and more centered on their own goals in life. Many sweet and precious memories from the "old days" resurfaced - the loving spirit of the Bhakti Sangam Festivals, and all the nice Holy Name Retreats we had immersed ourselves in. Truly special moments of the past, which may never appear again...!
After returning from Kenya to Germany, I spent one week at the temple in Cologne - catching my breath, doing a few programs and getting ready for my tour around Europe. Cologne has become my base in the Western world - I consider it to be the center of Europe. It is a convenient place for me to stop over, and the devotees are always welcoming and hospitable - eager to give support in so many ways. So it has become one of my homes...
I visited the preaching center in Eldoret for one week and joyfully associated with the local devotees - we assembled every evening to churn deep and relevant topics. Then I flew on to Nairobi to visit the main and biggest temple in Kenya for one week.
I stayed for one week in Kisumu - a temple which was established and inaugurated by HH Gopal Krishna Maharaja around 25 years ago. The community is rather small and consists mainly of people from Gujarati background - some having been here for several generations. But there are also a few people from Kenyan descent. Manasi Ganga Mataji, a senior devotee in Kenya, had come with two young girls to look after me and give me some company. We all stayed together in a spacious flat around the corner of the temple which was convenient.
Every evening we had a program in the temple churning deep and transformational topics, and devotees and guests were intrigued to attend them. On the last evening some participants shared heart-moving realisations which is always a rewarding experience for a preacher. |
Devaki Devi Dasi's Traveling DiaryDevaki Devi Dasi is sharing her realizations and adventures in her Traveling Diary. Welcome to relish this nectar! |
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