Rigid clock watching is definitely NOT
one of Simheswara Prabu's attributes and despite our plans to leave
before the rush hour traffic clogged the Kuala Lumpa roads, it was
nearly 7am-ish as he climbed into the truck to start our trip.
Alex and I had walked down the slight
hill from our rooms to the temple bright and early at 5.45am to
ensure we wouldn't delay the journey. Prabu had smiled
enthusiastically at our punctuality, ….. but had then disappeared
to complete some unknown chores while we sat in the morning coolness
enjoying the peace of the morning.
The drive to Penang was going to take
about 5ish hours and Prabu was concerned that we hadn't eaten
breakfast so, despite the lateness of the hour, he insisted we
stopped for breakfast at a tiny road side café that a devotee friend
of his ran!
(that are not free so should I call them Tollways?)
Alex dozed blissfully away in the front
of the truck while the county side rushed past.
About half an hour into the journey
Prabu announced that we were going to stop off to see if a Japanese
boy wanted to go with us.
The boy had made enquiries about coming to
the farm so Prabu figured he may like to come to the Rathyatra too.
About two hours later we pulled into a
rural area (I have no idea where!) and began to search for the
address Prabu had been given. The road the boy had mentioned was easy
to find, the avenue off the road and there must have been about
fifteen, was a different matter. We had a house number but not the
avenue number!
Three avenues and a few house visits
later we eventually found the correct place.
Prabu and the boy talked while Alex and
I stretched our legs and within ten minutes it was decided that Yokay
would come with us. While he went off to pack his bag, a Turkish boy,
who was also staying at the home-stay talked to Prabu about possibly
coming to the farm after the festivals.
Plans were tentatively made, smiles and
numbers were exchanged and with all our bags piled into the flat bed
at the back of the truck(the rain had luckily stopped!) we were on
our way again.
The temple in Penang is is situated
next to a three story building that presently homes the Deities, the
temple offices as well as kitchens and eating areas. The new building
that is being built is absolutely magnificent even though it is not
yet finished!
During the drive Prabu had explained
that they had had great difficulty in getting planning permission to
build the large new temple as there were already two Hindu temples,
(as well as a Chinese temple, a Mosque and a Church) in the area but
at the planning meeting they had pointed out that theirs was a Krsna
temple (totally different from a Hindu Temple they assured the
planning office!) and planning had eventually been given. Alex, who
had worked as a Planning Officer in the UK found it amusing that
other countries could twist or tweek the regulations just as much as
people tried to do in the UK.
We dropped our bags in Prabu's office
(we were getting good at office camping) and headed out into the
blazing sunshine to explore.
The temple is built over three levels,
not including the wonderful roof space, with the third level
connected straight to the third floor of the building we were staying
in.
Alex and I wandered around marveling at the detail and designs
already accomplished. Even in bare concrete this place was stunning.
Peacocks adorned the front stair case.
A glass roof allowed light to flood the
main temple area while the warm rising warm air was extracted with
the aid of huge yet quiet fans.
The alter that would eventually home
the deities was made of a single piece of teak that had been shipped
in after devotees had gone specifically to Bali to pick the piece of
wood they required. Although it was covered up we marveled at its
size.
Next door to the temple was a bird park
and the sounds of unusual bird calls echoed through the bare hall
ways from time to time.
We walked up onto the roof to wander
around the huge glass dome and to pear over the sides into the
courtyard below.
We walked along the connecting
corridors and down staircases.
Everywhere we looked we saw more and
more details!
Eventually we headed down into the
courtyard where the chariot was being prepared.
In the small temple room of the
existing building, three large Deities stood adorned in jewels and
opulent clothing.
Alex asked who they were and what the
festival was about so I explained, to the best of my ability and
through my limited knowledge, they were incarnations of Krsna (Visnu)
In the form of Jagannath,
his brother Balabhadra
and their sister Subhadra, these three
represented one of the most merciful incarnations of God.
Once a year
they were taken from their place of worship and placed on a chariot
that was moved along with the aid of long ropes pulled by devotees.
This chariot was then pulled all around the local streets as the
Deities were transported around the local area.
The lila (story)
behind the event had originated 5,000 years ago but the basics today
was to allow people who couldn't or wouldn't come to the temple a
chance to see the Deities as they passed by.
The Deities also enjoyed the event as
there was much dancing and singing as well as copious amounts of
offerings along the way.
The smiling faces of Jagannath,
Balabhadra and Subhadra shone down on us and even though Alex was not
a particularly religious person even she agreed they did look
wonderful!
At the designated hour the Deities were
loaded onto the chariot to the accompaniment of music chanting and
dancing. Offerings of coconuts, incense, fruit, flowers and flames
were delivered as more and more people gathered along the ropes that
had been lain out along the floor.
A stunning girl in Bharata Natyam
clothing performed a dramatic dance between the ropes before we
started to move and then, with a final blow on the conch shell, we
were off!
Pulling a large cart by hand is pretty
easy when you have about 80 people all wanting to help. Alex and I
found a place along the rope and more holding than actual pulling we
moved forward with the crowd and the music started once more.
The Russian devotees had traveled up
from KL in their own minibus and were the main instrumentalists. An
accordion, trumpet, cartels, cymbals and drums sounded out the rhythm
while one of the Mararajis (Spritual Masters) sang the call and
response verse of the Mantra.
Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna, Krsna,
Hare, Hare,
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare,
Hare.
The constantly growing crowd
enthusiastically repeated the song back while the chariot slowly
wound its way onto the main road.
The procession was due to finish at the
large parking area two spaces down from the Temple. A large marque
had been erected along with a stage and plenty of seating.
For now it stood devoid of people, save
for the final few completing the final touches, but in an hour or so
this place would become a hive of activity as plates and plates of
wonderful free food would be handed out to everyone, while a program
of stories, dances and other entertainment would be performed on the
stage.
Everything was done and given freely.
Donations, from those who wanted to give, would fund the event, while
book sales and other stalls would add to the funds.
(I paid for one of the 108 decorative icon that would eventually decorate the glass dome on the roof!)
As we reached the first intersection
police and stewards stopped the traffic as more and more people
joined the procession. By now more than 100 people pulled on the
ropes and our foot steps became smaller to prevent us stepping on the
heels of the person in front.
Where we walked I am not entirely sure
but for just over two hours we meandered along the roads, through
housing areas, through the main shopping area, along highways as cars
crept their way past.
All the while the music played, the
people sang and the crowd grew larger and larger.
At the large Hindu Temple on the main
road the procession stopped as a large part of the San Kirtan
(congregational chanting) rushed up the steps and filled the hall in
front of the deity who resided there. For over ten minutes the temple
erupted into song as people danced, sang and waved their arms in the
air in celebration.
The acoustics in the temple were
amazing and I grabbed Alex's hand to lead her nearer to the hub of
the music. Smiling and laughing we too danced and sang until, on some
unknown signal, the entire procession emptied back out onto the
street to complete the final leg to the stage area.
At this point I lost Alex for a while
and found myself in the mist of an excited crowd, all singing, all
smiling as the Deties were carefully lifted down and carried to their
place on the stage. Feeling incredibly humble I stood to one side to
let these devoted people nearer to their beloved Lord as he began his
journey through the crowd only to find myself suddenly by Jagannaths
side. The two devotees carrying him paused in their journey and for a
moment or two there was nothing between the Supreme Lord and myself.
I felt tears in my eyes as I realised how auspicious this was, I also
felt very unworthy as over the years my devotion to Krisna had lapsed
significantly. Yet here was one of the most beautiful form of the
Lord stopping by my side, I bowed my head with a silent resolve to
reaffirm my service.
The rest of the evening passed in three
blissful hours of stories, dance and musical entertainment.
It was
nearly eleven thirty when Alex quietly let me into the office and
after a brief conversation about her unusual evening, we went to
sleep.
Tomorrow we would do this all over
again but this time we would be in Georgetown on the Island of
Penang.
********************
Our sleep that night was restful and good, possibly due to all the excitement of the night before and Alex and I rose early to the sound of
rain and bird calls from the next door bird park.
.
I did my morning meditations on the
roof of the new temple until the rain forced me undercover.
If the rain kept up we worried it would
be a rather soggy procession that evening but in true rainy season
style a few hours later the sun shone down and turned every wet pool
into areas of steam and then dryness.
Later that afternoon, having shopped
and explored the area in search for
internet signal, Alex, Yokay and I headed off with Simheswara Prabu
to the next Rathyatra.
The set up was similar to the one we
had helped at the day before. One large chariot was to be pulled around the
town but this time we were accompanied by giants and horses
and peacocks
plus a bull cart!
Shops offered drinks and food to the
passing chariot pullers and dancers, while the Deities themselves
were offered trays brimming with offerings.
Bit by bit the crowd grew and grew
until there was no room on the rope, so Alex and I popped around the
back of the cart and pushed instead!
Our route took us through the heart of
Little India and the shops overflowing with wonderful clothes was too
much for me, by the end of the procession I was not only high on
chanting and dancing but I was also the owner of a new dress and
ear-rings!!
Fire works were set off along the route
and both Alex and were seriously impressed by both the bulls calmness
when faced with not only the huge crowd all dancing and singing but
also the fireworks that shot high into the air!
The rain returned sporadically but
umbrellas were put up and the crowd kept moving as the procession
continued along its route.
Eventually we reached our destination
at the large Chinese Communal Hall where a dancing Chinese lion came out to
greet the Deities.
A collection of Chinese drummers and the San Kirtan drummers battled for supremacy until the air was filled with noise, smiles and singing.
Again the Deities were moved onto the
stage before an evening of feasting, dancing and stories began.
Alex had decided to stay in Penang as
from there she could reach the Camaron Highlands, which was to be her
next port of call after the farm.
She had been an absolute pleasure to be with
and her enthusiasm had made the festivals even more enjoyable.
Yokay and I would be returning to the
farm along with Simheswara but for now we needed to get back to Kuala
Lumpa to meet up with an Italian couple who would be joining us at the farm for a few weeks and Kuala Lumpa was over five hours away!!
I curled up on the back seat of the van
and thanked Krsna for the most amazing two days (plus the fact that I wasn't the one driving!)!!!
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