Tirupati Tidings

[Guest guest]

 

 

  "Caru Das Adhikary" <carudas (AT) earthlink (DOT) net>

Date:  Mon Jan 31, 2005  8:32 am

Subject:  Tirupati Tidings

from the , "KrishnaKulture"

 

 

 

In my last installment I called Tirupati the most wonderful place in

India not only because of the Venkateswara Temple on Tirumala Hill,

but also because the devotees in the local ISKCON temple are the

kindest, most enthusiastic, and hospitable of any I have met. The

devotees such as Rupesvara, Sanatan Gouranga, and several others look

after our every need, as if we were visiting royalty. This kindness

extends to every devotee in the temple. The temple president, Revati

Raman, has been ill and secluded throughout our sojourn, but I can

imagine he is a great soul to have imparted such a sterling example

of etiquette to the devotees in general

And when they learned I could give lectures and Jai Krishna lead

good kirtans, forget about it! I gave Bhagavatam class on Saturday

morning, again on Sunday morning, and again that evening for the

Sunday feast crowd of 300. Jai Krishna led the Saturday evening

kirtan in the temple room for an hour and a half, and then for

another hour and a half on Sunday morning led the outdoor chanting

party along the streets of the neighborhood.

Jai Krishna and I staged our little drama of Valmiki and Narada

Muni at the Sunday feast after the lecture (which was appreciated and

cheered). Even more than in our home temple, we had full resources of

costume people, make up men, sound and light devotees. Our little

play, with all the support and back up the temple provided, had the

impact of a major production. When Valmiki's chants of "Mara, Mara"

turned into "Rama, Rama" the crowd went deliriously happy. After the

end of the drama the devotees and some guests jumped spontaneously

onto the stage, and had a big kirtan.

Presiding over the temple are the beautiful Sri Sri Radha Govinda

Deities. The present temple room is small, but adjacent there is a

huge three story "Lotus Temple" under construction, as well as a much

larger guest house. Rupesvara gave me a tour of the construction,

which I have on video. The project was begun in 1996, and the gala

opening is expected at Janmastmi this year. As 25,000 pilgrims come

every day to Tirupati, and over 100,000 on holidays, this will be a

very important center. It is located on one of the two main routes to

Tirumala Hill, and is very visible from all parts of the hill. I'm

sure when this temple opens, Tirupati ISKCON, with its well rounded

perspective, encompassing the best of human qualities, the performing

arts, grand deity worship, book distribution, hari nama,

congregational development, and cuisine, will be a stunning model of

success for the ISKCON world. I shall never again visit India without

stopping over here to draw strength and inspiration from these

special devotees in this especially holy place.

True to form, on the second morning we were here, the devotees had

arranged tickets and transportation for darshan of the world famous

Balaji Deity on top of Tirumala Hill. Two days later, Jai Krishna and

I were to take the 2 3/4 hour walk up the hill, but today we ride in

a brand new Tata Suma-India's version of an SUV. With the special

200 hundred rupee tickets the devotees purchased for us, it only took

about 3.4 of an hour for us to come before this most powerful, famous,

richest, and well loved Deity.

To be continuedS..