Blog 10 - Klang Rathayatra

There was an air of excitement the next day as we gathered at the mini bus to drive to Klang. Yokay would be leaving us after the Rathyatra to return to Kuala Lumpa and then Japan, so his entire baggage was piled into the seats and floor space. Leah was also moving onto Thailand and her one bag was stored between her knees in the front.

Huge bags full from our crisp production days filled the back of the bus while drums and cartels were balanced on peoples laps. This was going to be my third Rathyatra in the space of a week and I was buzzing!!

As the journey continued I narrated the story of the Rathyatra to my new friends, filling them in on not only the happenings of the day but also the lila behind it.

By the time we arrived we were ready to party Krsna style!!

Being so close to Kuala Lumpa many of the KL devotees had traveled down to take part in the Klang celebrations including the Russian devotees. Again drums, trumpets, accordions and cartels sang out as the chanting began.

We marched down the streets pulling our chariot behind us,

As we walked we were fed halva in little pots, given fruit and drinks to refresh us as we danced, we were enticed with samosa's and pakoras to die for.

Everyone wanted to give, everyone wanted to serve, the atmosphere was intoxicating with love and good spirits.

It never ceased to amaze me the power that thought has at occasions such as these. For the entire journey around the streets I witnessed instant gratification for my every desire.

When I thought how nice it would be to have a drink, someone instantly appeared to hand me a carton of juice, when I began to feel hungry, a lady appeared within seconds carrying a huge tray of cakes that she handed out to me as well as everyone around me.

At one point I mentally admired the matching blue T-shirts the Klang devotees were wearing and within three paces a wonderful man had placed a T-shirt in my hands with a huge smile on his face.

I was even given a garland to wear!

The power of thought is an amazing thing. They say the world is made up of energy, every atom vibrating at a different frequency to make up the world as we know it.

Thought is also an energy and when we believe and release a thought into the Universe, it is amazing how quickly the Universe can respond!

As evening fell we danced like no body was watching, clapping and raising our arms while singing our hearts out and ........

............we shopped!!

Every time the chariot stopped to accept offerings Leah and I took the opportunity to dive into the shops and look around.

By the time we left the Little India area in Klang I was the owner of another dress and some stunning earrings.

Christmas had just past and the New Year was due in three days, everywhere we looked the streets were bursting with happy faces!


We eventually arrived at a good sized hall in a huge courtyard. Here, just before the Deities were transferred to their place of honour, a huge box of fireworks was lit. I pulled out my phone to record the dramatic explosions standing what I thought was a safe distance away on the edge of the crowd. Rockets burst upwards showering us all in tiny pieces of burnt paper and smoke. I watched transfixed as explosion after explosion flew upwards.

Smoke filled the air and as the last of the sparks died away my focus came back to my surroundings. It was only then that I realised that everyone had moved back about ten large paces once the fireworks had begun and I was now standing all alone about ten foot from the previously exploding box! Leah remarked on my risky positioning, I just smiled and thanked Krsna for keeping me safe!

As the deities were carried to the hall the San Kirtan continued with much drum hitting and cymbal clashing. Simheswara led the chanting as we all replied in unison.

Bit by bit the Deities made it to the stage and the evenings entertainment began.

Outside in the huge courtyard plates of food were being carried to an eating area. Everyone shiggled left and right making room for any new comers.

 People ate and fed children, they smiled and laughed, relaxed and reflected. As each meal was finished every scrap of food was cleared away leaving a clean place for the next person to sit.

Inside the hall music was playing and I quickly returned to watch the stage performances.

With the long drive back to the Farm it was also, unfortunately time to leave. I said my goodbyes to Leah and Yokay, introduced myself to the new people coming to the Farm, including the Turkish guy we had met nearly a week ago and climbed aboard the minibus to go home.

We had said goodbye to two and collected four new people! I squeezed myself into the foot-well at the front of the bus and settled to enjoy the ride still buzzing with energy and happiness.

As we travelled through the night I again told the lila of Jagannath. Gopeish chanted softly by my side driving yet also listening to my story.

I love story telling, I love the way a picture can be painted within the mind purely through someone's words and a touch of our own imagination.


The Story of Lord Jagannath .......

Many years ago in India there lived a King by the name of Indradyumn. Now the King was a very devote man and it came to his attention that the people of the hills were worshiping a beautiful blue Deity. Eager to visit this wondrous being, he sent his advisers out in search of the tribe. Many of his advisers returned saying that they had been unable to find the people he wished to meet but one man returned with a wondrous story to tell.

He had been one of the Kings high ranking brahmana when the King had first sent out his advisers to search for the Deity. He had walked for many weeks until he had reached the foot hills of the place he believed to be the home of the tribe, but everyone he spoke to knew nothing of the elusive Deity the King wished to worship. Coming to a village he took shelter for the night and was surprised at the amazing food he was served for his evening meal. These were but poor pig farmers yet the food presented to him was fit for a king. Curious he decided to stay a while in the village.

Each day he talked to the people, to the head man, to the children but each day they evaded his questions and went about their business. One day as he pondered his difficulties in getting the villagers to talk to him he became aware of a beautiful young woman coming out of the head villager's home. Transfixed he asked her name only to discover she was the daughter of the tribes chief. Waves of love washed over him and within a few days he requested her hand in marriage. The Head man was not eager to have the brahmana as a permanent member of his clan but the honour of such a high born man wishing to marry his daughter could not be ignored and at last he agreed.

The wedding took place and the brahmana settled into village life. Yet still he wondered about the amazing gifts and the good food the village received each day. He had noticed the headman disappearing into the forest each evening but every attempt he had made to follow him had ended in failure.

He became depressed and asked his wife over and over again to share the secret of the village with him. Now that she was his wife she could not bare to see him suffer and so she told him of the blue Deity who resided on the hill behind the village. Each evening, she said, her father would go up to the clearing hidden in the trees and offer the respects of the village. So beautiful was the Deity that even the demigods brought offerings to him. These offerings were then passed to the head man who shared them throughout the village.

Eager to see the Deity the brahmana persuaded his wife to lead him to the clearing. Together they walked through the thick forest until at last they stood at the edge of the trees. There in the centre of a small clear area, the brahmana saw the form of the Lord in the most amazing array of light and beauty. Demigods showered foods and flowers from the heavens as the headman knelt in prayer.

After a few moments of rapture the brahmana returned to the village and packing his bag set off to inform the King of his discovery.

The King was overwhelmed to hear the news and immediately set forth with gifts to worship at the clearing but when he arrived all that they found was a pile of golden sand. The King was distraught. He so much wanted to serve, wanted to love and show his devotion but the form of the Lord was gone.

That evening the king had a dream in which he was told to build a temple to honour the Lord. In the dream he was given the location and design and in the morning he began work!

Weeks passed and then months as the temple was slowly completed. Each day the King supervised the work, each day he wondered about the lack of Deity to place in the temple. As the temple neared completion the King had another dream. In the dream he was told to search for a large piece of wood with sacred symbols on it, it would come from the sea, he was informed, and from that piece of wood the Lord would show himself.

Each day the King sent men to the coast to look for the wood until at last a huge trunk was spotted and brought to the palace. The King then sent for the best carpenters but as each man stepped forward to work the wood his tools would break or the wood would not carve. In desperation the King called for every man who had ever worked with wood to present himself at the palace. One by one the men tried to work the wood, one by one they failed.

At last there was only one very old wizened man left. As he stepped forward he looked at the King and in a quiet voice announced that he would only work on the wood in private. In twenty one days, he claimed, he would create the Deities that the King had searched for ...BUT …. for those twenty one days he was not to be disturbed. His meals would be placed on a tray outside the room and the door would remain locked.

Not knowing that the carpenter was actually Visnu in disguise and in total desperation to have some Deities, the King agreed. For thirteen days the King would come and stand outside the room listening to the tap tap tap, on the fourteenth day however he heard no tapping! He called to his wife, to the guards, to his advisers. Each of them listened but no one could hear any noise from inside.

Worried the King asked for the door to be opened but his wife stopped him and reminded him of the carpenters conditions. “But he is so old,” cried the King, “What if something has happened to him, what if he needs our help, is sick or has died!!” At the Kings insistence the doors were opened only to find the carpenter happily sitting in front of his carved forms in peaceful contemplation.

Having been disturbed however he jumped up and declared that the conditions of his work had been broken and with that he disappeared!

The King rushed to the Deities. The trunk had been cut into three blocks and three rough faces had been shaped along with arms but no legs or hands had been carved. Distraught the King cried and begged for forgiveness. His worry for the well being of the carpenter had caused a disaster but the Lord, as they say, works in mysterious ways.

This was the form the Lord wished to take, as Jagannath, his brother Balarama,and their sister Subhada, they would be able to share so many aspects of Gods love with their devotees.

They were the ultimate forgivers of transgressions done through love and it was in this form that they chose to leave their temple each year to travel around the town to greet their devotees.

If I wasn't going to work during my stay at the Farm, at least I could Story tell and spread the tales of Krsna.

We arrived back at the farm at midnight and, after a quick rearrangement of room allocation, soon settle for the night.

I did make it to Arti that morning but I confess that I went straight back to bed after and missed my chop chop duties.

I apologised to Ganesh at breakfast but he just smiled and told me I was working too hard and had needed a day off anyway!!!

That day the Italians and I worked until our evening meal making crisps. With everyone being so kind and understanding what else could I do!!

Just found this on Utube-
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brl97HZEgOg 
I am the one in green wearing the garland at 2.58!!! x x x