Hare Krishna!!

In my quest to get to know both the heart and spirit of India, I'm visiting as many temples as possible. Today, Virali and I visited the Chandigarh ISKCON Temple (International Society for Krishna Consciousness).

Come on, you've heard of them. Remember that time when the Beetles got a little bit further out? Remember this song?

ISKCON is one of the most popular Eastern religions in the US, as well as the UK, Europe, etc, etc. If you've seen the movie Airplane! you probably remember that scene with the happy dancing people in the airport with flowers.

Well, it's kind of like that.

Krishna and Gopi Dolls in Auntie's House

ISKCON is the religion to beat in terms of ceremonial fun. Their most popular ritual is a combination of music, singing, and dancing (from swaying up to what I call a "happy mosh pit"). At the heart of it all is the Hindu god Krishna, the fun-loving, mischievous, and lovable deity that might best be called the real “Lord of the Dance.” In his mythology, he's most frequently found playing pranks or dancing with the Gopis (female sheepherds); in one story he manifests many copies of himself so that each Gopi can dance with him. In the same way, each devotee can have a close, personal relationship with Krishna; he dances with each one. 

Krishna is an easy god to love, an easy character to love.  Due to ISKCON's reading of the Bhagavad Gita, he's viewed as the top god, the ultimate manifestation of the divine.

Quite a nice shrine (click to enlarge)

So as with other mandirs, people come to ISKCON centers to be close to Krishna. In my earlier post I described darsan, the act of seeing and being seen between deity and devotee. People come not only to worship, but to actually be with Krishna, to be seen by him. To express their love for him in a place where he has been asked to reside.

We arrive and go through some of the basic rituals of Hinduism: touching the threshold, prostrating, donating, more bowing, etc. We take a place toward the back of the crowd, to the right (women are seated in front of the goddess Radha), near the old women. The crowd sways and sings the chants, accompanied by a chant leader, (Indian versions of) hand drums, symbols, and various other instruments. At the front, a priest is making offerings to Krishna and his beloved Radha, then turning around to offer the items to those below. The crowd eagerly put hands into the air, palms toward the gifts. A burning oil lamp, water, flowers, incense smoke, on and on. A woman carries the burning lamp through the crowd, letting us ritually warm our hands and sweep the heat to our faces and over the crowns of our heads.
 

Prabhupada

What I love most about these Krishna houses is the mood; it's almost always cheery and as the ritual continues, grows more and more excited. I start to sing and sway along as the leader comes to a chant I know (Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna... thank you George Harrison). The life-like statue of Prabhupada, the Guru responsible for the spread of Krishna Consciousness, watches on. Occasionally it's a bit too lifelike and somewhat startling out of the corner of my eye. He always looks so very serious for someone who got to hang out with the Beetles. 

The band becomes more and more excited, moving among the men, inciting them to dance. The party takes off marching and dancing, via a back hallway circling the shrine . Circling Krishna, as the priest did with the offerings: Krishna, our lives revolve around you. 

From the shrine room, it sounds like the neighbors are having a party.

Tulsi

We circle and pause to round the tulsi plant, a living embodiment of Krishna. From a kettle, we're offered water to drink and put on the crowns of our heads, as well as sweet milk. That's one thing about India: it's nearly impossible to enter a building without being offered something for your gullet. 

As we sit in the shrine room, a toddler is playing nearby. This is one of the things that makes ISKCON such a nice environment; there are nearly always small children playing and dancing during these ceremonies. There are many stories in the Krishna mythology about the childhood of the deity; his young, rambunctious, mischievous childhood form is loved and revered. The child runs over to us and does a little baby form of a prostration: down on her knees, face to the floor, hands in front. The mother cracks up. It seems as though we laugh forever. 

As we're leaving, I ask Virali what was different from the way Hindus worship. "Everything!" she laughs. 


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There's a Krishna House in most every city in the US, as well as many other places, so if you get a chance to visit one, never pass it up. It's incredibly fun and very tolerant; ISKCON Centers frequently are religious homes to people from incredibly diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, etc, and you don't have to worry about being converted (against your will, that is).

 

It felt a bit rude to take a video of the going-ons, but here's one I took before. It's a Hare Krishna Festival on the National Mall (Washington DC) on July 4th, 2010. 

And if you're eager to hear more, here's George Harrison singing "My Sweet Lord," in which the background singing turns to the Hare Krishna mantra (towards the end).