Watch the 12 Hour Kirtan from NYC live right now!

Listen to and download the kirtans here.

Read More…

With extreme anguish we inform the world of the disappearance of His Grace Aindra Prabhu on the night of July 16, 2010 in Vrindavan India. Sri Aindra Prabhu was the leader of the 24 Hour Kirtan in Vrindavan since 1986 which constantly chants the Maha Mantra 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Sri Aindra Prabhu was a inspiration to thousands of kirtaniyas and a spiritual guide to many. His importance and contribution to the kirtan movement will become more and more recognized and appreciated in the time to come. At this time we ask everyone to try and attend a kirtan within the next 48 hours to remember Sri Aindra Prabhu and appreciate his departure from this world.

He reasons ill who says that Vaisnavas die,
When thou art living still in sound!
The Vaisnavas die to live, and living try
To spread the holy name around.

-Bhaktivinode Thakur

Listen to a few Aindra Prabhu kirtans below. More can be downloaded from the 24 Hour Kirtan recordings page.

• 001 Aindra das – Hare Krishna Maha Mantra (24567)
• 002 Aindra das – Hare Krishna Maha Mantra (5957)
• 003 Aindra das – Hare Krishna Maha Mantra (3786)
• 004 Aindra das – Hare Krishna Maha Mantra (2103)
• 005 Aindra das – Hare Krishna Maha Mantra (1896)
• 006 Aindra das – Hare Krishna Maha Mantra (1694)
• 007 Aindra das – Hare Krishna Maha Mantra (1739)
• 008 Aindra das – Hare Krishna Maha Mantra (1677)
• 009 Aindra das – Hare Krishna Maha Mantra (1574)
• 010 Aindra das – Hare Krishna Maha Mantra (1579)
• 011 Aindra das – Hare Krishna Maha Mantra (1500)
• 012 Aindra das – Hare Krishna Maha Mantra (1496)
• 013 Aindra das – Hare Krishna Maha Mantra (1311)
• 014 Aindra das – Hare Krishna Maha Mantra (1298)
• 015 Aindra das – Hare Krishna Maha Mantra (1341)
• 016 Aindra das – Hare Krishna Maha Mantra (1211)
• 017 Aindra das – Hare Krishna Maha Mantra (1203)
• 018 Aindra das – Hare Krishna Maha Mantra (1235)
• 019 Aindra das – Hare Krishna Maha Mantra (1152)
• 020 Aindra das – Hare Krishna Maha Mantra (1151)

• Fri, July 9, 2010, 7:30 pm
  Cambridge YMCA Theatre
  820 Massachusette Avenue
  Cambridge, MA 02139-3296
  (617) 661-9622
• Sat, July 10, 2010, 7:30 pm
  Kripalu Center
  57 Interlaken Road
  Stockbridge, MA 01262
  www.kripalu.org
• Sun, July 11, 2010, 7:30 pm
  Yoga Sanctuary
  189 Main Street
  Northampton, MA 01060-3147
  $15 at the door
  (413) 585-9642
  http://yoga-sanctuary.com/
• Mon, July 12, 2010, 7:30 pm
  All That Matters Yoga Studio
  315 Main Street
  Wakefield, RI 02879
  $20 pre-registration or $25 at the door
  Phone: 401-782-2126
  http://www.allthatmatters.com/index.cfm
• Tues, July 13, 2010, 7:30 pm
  Block Island, RI:
  St Andrews Parish Center
  http://www.blockislandyoga.com/
• Thurs, July 15, 2010, 7pm
  Yoga Mandali
  454 Broadway
  Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
  $15 in advance, $20 at the door
  518.584.0807
  http://www.yogasaratoga.com/
• Sunday, July 18th, 2010, 4:30-7pm
  Radha Krishna Temple
  72 Commonwealth Ave
  Boston, MA 02116
  617-247-8611

Friday night there will be a special kirtan by Madhava (Switzerland).
Saturday morning there will be a lecture by Sivaram Swami on the topic of “24 Hours of Chanting – Preparing the Soul”.

Final Schedule:

5:00 AM Mangala Aroti –
7:30 AM Darshan of Deities
7:40 AM Guru Puja –
8:15 AM Class – Sivaram Swami
9:00 AM Breakfast
10:00 AM Kirtan Outside in Mandap –
11:45 AM Sankalpa Ceremony
12:00 PM Harinam into Temple – Ananta Govinda
12:15 PM Madhava
2:00 PM Acyuta Gopi
3:00 PM Badahari Prabhu
4:00 PM Amala Kirtan (Brazil)
5:00 PM Sitapati Das (Australia)
5:45 PM Abhay NV
6:15 PM Gauramani Devi
7:00 PM Param Das (Standing Kirtan for Aroti)
7:30 PM Gaura Vani
8:30 PM Sivaram Swami
10:00 PM Ananta Govinda & Acyuta
11:00 PM Prema Hara (Keshavacharya and Kamaniya)
12:00 AM NJ Crew lead by Kalpavriksha
1:00 AM Kishori Yatra
1:45 AM Montreal Crew
2:45 AM Rina Mahapatra (Chicago)
3:15 AM Sgt. Caitanya
3:45 AM Rupa (NV)
4:15 AM Krishna Prasad (Baltimore)
5:00 PM Rupa (Florida)
5:30 AM Jahnavi Harrison
6:15 AM Rasa Caitanya (NV)
6:45 AM Varshana Swami
7:45 AM Sarvajay Gauranga das
8:45 AM Gaura Vani
9:30 AM Acyuta Gopi
10:15 AM Badahari Prabhu
11:45 AM Ananta Govinda
1:00 PM Lunch Feast

If you have questions or comments about the schedule, contact Gaura Vani at 240.423.9108 or schedule@mantralogy.com.

Join Gaura Vani, Ananta & Acyuta with special guest HH Radhanath Swami and many friends this Saturday, June 5th for 12 hours of kirtan (10am – 10pm) for the sixth monthly event.

12 Hour Kirtan – Saturday April 17th 10am – 10pm

Join Gaura Vani, Ananta & Acyuta with special guest Carmella Baynie and many friends this Saturday, April 17th for 12 hours of kirtan (10am – 10pm) for the fourth monthly event.

The next 12 Hour Kirtan will be on May 1st 2010 along with special guest His Holiness Radhanath Swami.

Pre-Order Mridanga and limited edition album shirt!

The Mayapuris will be releasing their debut album entitled Mridanga on June 22nd 2010. The Mayapuris have crash-landed into the kirtan/chant genre, quickly becoming the most talked about group in this growing culture of exotic world music. Their debut album Mridanga soars with fiery vocals, earth shaking rhythms and enchanting musical flavor. Named after the Mridanga, a clay and leather drum from Mayapur, India where kirtan/chant music originated, this album showcases the musical versatility of The Mayapuris and instruments they play. Special guests include grammy-nominated Jai Uttal, Gaura Vani & As Kindred Spirits and Benjy Wertheimer of Shantala. The album was produced by Gaura Vani at Avatar Studios in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Rapidly ascending as one of the most popular kirtan/chant groups in the world, The Mayapuris have been featured in stunning venues, from the inauguration inspired Chant4Change to the world’s largest gathering of kirtan musicians at Bhakti Fest. After a worldwide tour that brought them to six continents last year The Mayapuris are eager to expand and elate crowds with pulse-surging music as they roll along to the thunder of the mridanga drum.

The album will be available in yoga studios, select music stores and digitally via iTunes, AmazonMP3 and all the standard digital retailers. Special pre-order bundle to be available soon on www.Mayapuris.com and www.Mantralogy.com.

Last week was our second visit to Rutgers University. We were invited by Aksh Sharma, one of the facilitators of the Bhakti Club, and a good friend of ours. Over 220 students filled a large hall as Gaura Vani, The Mayapuris and Acyuta Gopi started the night with stories of the Ramayan and beautiful chants.

Towards the end of the evening Gaura Vani invited Gopika, a student from Rutgers and a facilitator of the Bhakti Club, to sing Hare Krishna while the Mayapuris got the crowd off their feet and dancing. What ensued can be described with a thousand words, or this one short video.

We are all excited to be going back to Rutgers University in October of this year. The student newspaper, The Daily Targum, also covered the night with an article posted here.

EXCERPT FROM ARTICLE

Students were able to tour the world through meditation and cultural celebrations on campus at the Busch Campus Center with the help of the University’s Bhatki Yoga Club.
More than 220 people experienced a night dedicated to musical meditation, cultural singing and dancing Thursday, as they listened to world-famous, Indian-style kirtan bands As Kindred Spirits and Mayapuris while performing Bhakti yoga.
“Kirtan is the sound of the soul singing. Its purpose is to reunite with the divine through the medium of mantra or sacred sounds and to clean the heart to reawaken our true identity. It helps us realize who we are really,” said Gaura Vani, leader of As Kindred Spirits.
Yoga in the western world is known typically as a physical workout leading to flexibility and muscle tone. But Bhakti yoga achieves a higher-level, inner awareness connection through the tradition of singing sacred sounds known as kirtan, according to the club’s Web site. READ MORE…

Recordings from the night coming soon…

In the summer of 2009, some of our Mantralogy crew members, including Gaura Vani and the Mayapuris, toured the USA. On one long drive we all discussed what it would take to make the fast—growing kirtan music “scene” stronger. Some of us have roots in the early 90’s punk rock, which relied heavily on zines, or small, fan-produced newsletters/magazines as a method of sharing insights and creating community around a shared passion: in this case, music. As some of the kirtan scene’s largest fans, we discussed how great it would be to create a zine for us and our friends in the kirtan world.

Although times have changed and most communication nowadays is digital, the printed word (and image) still could have a relevant place in the kirtan world today. At least, that is how we see it.

Coupling news and feature articles with the Mantralogy Lifestlye catalog, we have come to call our version of the zine a “magalog,” which is to be produced biannually. We hope to bring you a small taste of the kirtan scene with exciting products, events and music. We welcome collaboration in any respect, so if you have an idea or would like to contribute, please contact us here. Rasa Acharya, Editor

Download the first ever Mantralogy Magalog (magazine/catalog). Enter your email and name below and we’ll email you a link to download the digital version. If you want a physical copy, enter your address into this form and we’ll mail you one.

Rama 12 Hour Kirtan – Saturday March 20th 10am – 10pm

Join Gaura Vani, Ananta & Acyuta, the Mayapuris and many friends along with special guest Indradyumna Swami this Saturday, March 20th for 12 hours of kirtan (10am – 10pm) for the third monthly event.

This time we’re celebrating the birthday of Sri Ramachandra, the divine hero of the epic Ramayan, who exemplified the ideal character of a saintly king.

Rama is known to many through his famous devotee Hanuman, the divine Monkey who is constatnly signing Rama’s glories. We aim to carry on in this spirit!

A live webcast will be on GauraVani.com and Mantralogy.com.

See and Hear the previous two 12 Hour Kirtans at the Bhakti Center.

January 2010

February 2010

Schedule

Ananta Govinda /Acyuta Gopi             10:00-11:00

H.H. Indradyumna Swami                    11:00-12:30

Kancanamayi                                      12:30-1:00

Sanga                                                 1:00 to 1:45

Vishwambhar                                     1:45 to 2:45

Ghanasyam                                        2:45 to 3:15

Raghunath                                         3:15 to 3:45

Gopika                                              3:45 to 4:15

John Kruth                                        4:15 to 4:45

Ananta Govinda                                4:45 to 5:30

Nama Rasa                                       5:30 to 6:30

Gaura Vani                                       6:30 to 7:30

Kish and Bali                                    7:30 to 8:15

Acyuta Gopi                                     8:15 to 9:00

Gaura Vani – All hands on deck        9:00 to 10:00

See you there!

Here’s a little more about Carmella from her press kit. Carmella Press Kit (1429)

Carmella is a world renowned singer, composer, and voice therapist based in Sydney, Australia. She is an accredited voice and yoga teacher with over twenty years experience in the practise of yoga, meditation, martial arts, the dramatic arts, and singing. Carmella has dedicated her life to facilitating sound as a healing force, as a vehicle for transformation and vibrational healing.

Creator of the acclaimed Voice in Yoga, Born Singing, and The Nada Method seminars, Carmella offers a unique and inspiring approach in her workshops and private consultations. Her methods include sound release, vocalizing and vocal training, breath meditation, chakra sounding, resonance and conscious sound vibration, mantra yoga and sacred singing.

You can find out more about Carmella at CarmellaVoice.com.

Enjoy these photos and MP3s from the second monthly 12 Hour Kirtan at the Bhakti Center. This 12 Hour Kirtan was a meditation on Sri Chaitanya who is the founder of the modern kirtan movement. Join us at the 3rd 12 Hour Kirtan on March 20th 2010 with special guests The Mayapuris.

To listen, click on the links below then press play. To download, Right Click on the word “Download” and select “Save As…” from the menu. Having trouble downloading? Read our Help Section.

• 01 Visvambhar - Hare Krishna (928)
• 02 Visvambhar - Radha Muralidhara (431)
• 03 Acyuta Gopi - Hare Krishna (699)
• 05 Dayal Gauranga - Hare Krishna (624)
• 05 Kevin Jones - Hare Krishna (653)
• 06 Ghanashyam - Hare Krishna (594)
• 07 Rasikananda - Hare Krishna (538)
• 08 Sanga - Hare Krishna (435)
• 09 Sanga - Hare Krishna (483)
• 10 Braja Kishori - Jai Nandalala (611)
• 11 Ananta Govinda - Jaya Sachinandana (682)
• 12 Ananta Govinda - Hare Krishna (796)
• 13 Namaras - Hare Krishna (764)
• 14 Visvambhara - Muralidhara (3035)
• 15 Kyoko - Gopala (1108)
• 16 Balaram Tirtha - Hare Krishna (1501)
• 17 Krsna Kishor - Hare Krishna (1974)
• 18 Acyuta Gopi - Jaya Radha Madhava (2500)
• 19 Gaura Vani - Jaya Gurudeva (1569)
• 20 Gaura Vani - Siksastakam (2286)
• 21 Raghunath - Nrsimha Prayers (1954)
• 22 Jagai Nitai - Hare Krishna (2001)

Join Gaura Vani, Ananta & Acyuta, The Mayapuris and many friends this Saturday, February 20^th for 12 hours of kirtan (10am-10pm) for the second montly event.

This time we’re celebrating the birthday of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the father and founder of the kirtan movement we all enjoy so much today. Sri Caitanya created a spiritual revolution around the chanting of the divine names that swept the Indian sub-continent in the 15^th century. This continues to change our lives even today, more than 500 years later.

Here are the recordings from the first of hopefully many 12 Hour Kirtans at the Bhakti Center in NYC. We are planning for this to be a monthly event that is co-hosted by Mantralogy. It is part “kirtan open mic”, part party and all blissful. The next event is schedule for Feb 20th and will have special guests the Mayapuris as part of it.

We are planning to have a webcast during the kirtan, so stay tuned to GauraVani.com on Feb 20th!

To listen, click on the links below then press play. To download, Right Click on the word “Download” and select “Save As…” from the menu. Having trouble downloading? Read our Help Section.

• 01 Rasanath das (516)
• 02 Dayal Gauranga das (328)
• 03 Krsnaa (277)
• 04 Kamaniya (300)
• 05 Sita Rama (342)
• 06 Isvari Devi (296)
• 07 Isvari Devi (238)
• 08 Rasikananda das (275)
• 09 Gabriel (205)
• 10 Hanuman Shakti das (271)
• 11 Yadunath & Beth (231)
• 12 Jagai Nitai das (231)
• 13 Raghunath (240)
• 14 Prema Hara (271)
• 15 Prema Hara (356)
• 16 Prema Hara (483)
• 17 Sanga (352)
• 18 Sanga (354)
• 19 Sanga (302)
• 20 Sanga (409)
• 21 Gaura Vani (670)
• 22 Gaura Vani (605)
• 23 Gaura Vani (939)
• 24 Laksmi Nrsimha Prabhu (714)

We are happy to announce all new clothing available now in The Store. All funds from the clothing helps support and expand our kirtan efforts and it keeps you looking sharp. Plus, check out the super deals we have with our special post-holiday bundles.

In Oct 2008 Gaura Vani  & As Kindred Spirits joined some Brazilian kirtaniyas for the first “24 Hour Kirtan Brazil” in the amazing community of New Gokula Dhama, 2 hours from Sao Paulo.

The 24 Hour Kirtan Brazil has been getting bigger and bigger and naturally attracting kirtan lovers from different parts of the world. Now, the project will run at least 4 times an year! This event is organized by the Festival of India Association in Brazil.

On 2nd and 3rd 2010 at the same paradise scenario in New Gokula Dhama and at the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda, great kirtaniyas such as Jagi (Alachua, FL) and Amala Kirtan Das (Dallas, TX) as well as other Brazilian kirtan signers will begin 2010 with another incredible 24 hours Kirtan!

For further info visit – www.kirtanbrasil.com (Portuguese) or www.festivaldaindia.com.br (English)

Hope to see you there!

Yamuna Dasi sings Govindam with Gaura Vani & The Mayapuris

Gaura Vani & As Kindred Spirits with The Mayapuris – Jiv Jago

Just off the busiest street in all of Europe, is a small temple, that has existed since 1969. Inside are the most beautiful deities of Radha Londonisvara (meaning Krishna, the Lord of London) and a family of wonderful devotees that has grown from four in 1969, to hundreds in 2009!

stopped through London on our way to South Africa to take part in the celebrations. On the night before the anniversary, a huge event was held at the stylish Troxy club in the East End. Hundreds of volunteers teamed up to decorate, organise, cook, run sound and lighting, host, photograph and video and perform for the event, all in honour of the contribution that this beautiful temple has made to the city of London since its inception.

It was our honour to perform ‘Govindam’ prayers (two verses from the Brahma Samhita – spoken by Lord Brahma to Lord Krishna at the beginning of creation) with Yamuna devi, one of the original six who gave their lives to start the temple in the 60s. These six struggled through every kind of difficulty imaginable, and within a very short time began to achieve great success, striking up a friendship with George Harrison and John Lennon that eventually resultedin the famous Harrison produced ‘Radha Krishna Temple’ album.  The ‘Govindam’ prayers from this album are now played in ISKCON temples daily all over the world, and it was a real treat to accompany Yamuna devi’s devotion-filled, soulful singing.

We were also blessed to collaborate with many other friends in London, including Tulasi, jahnavai’s sister, who sang beautifully and played kartals; Jaggi, who also sang sweet harmonies and played electric guitar; the Subhadra dancers- four local young Bharatanatyam dancers who specially  choreographed a dance to ‘Hey Nath’; and our new dear friend Colin, whose crazy saxophone playing and infectious humour brightened every moment of our experience.

You can see more photos from the events courtesy of David Crick, who kindly sent us the links:

The Troxy – Saturday 21st November

view: http://davidc.zenfolio.com/troxy/slideshow

download: http://davidc.zenfolio.com/troxy

Soho Street – Sunday 22nd November

view: http://davidc.zenfolio.com/40years22ndnov/slideshow

download: http://davidc.zenfolio.com/40years22ndnov

We had a fun time squishing into the tiny studio and got to have a couple of short kirtans, answering some funny questions in between (watch the video for more).

New videos from the Kuli Mela 09 Gala Event at the John Anson Ford Theatre in Hollywood CA. Among the performing artists were the Mayapuris and Gaura Vani & As Kindred Spirits!

Mayapuris – Drumming

Gaura Vani & As Kindred Spirits – Jiv Jago

Mayapuris – Hare Krishna

Many thanks to Pablo Larrea at Ideal Concept and all the Kuli Mela organizers.

Our last three days of the Mantralogy Tour were spent in Joshua Tree, California, where a large gathering of kirtaniyas and yogis was being held. Joshua Tree is a beautiful place – a desert studded with strange, shaggy, Dr Seuss-like trees and cactuses. At the retreat centre where the festival was held, tents were set up over a large site with an impressive stage at the heart. For 24 hours a day, different singers and bands chanted – celebrating the different names of the divine. Our friends from the Burning Man Krishna camp were there too, tirelessly serving up delicious meals (and fresh coconuts!) throughout the festival.

The heat was intense, but the desert evenings once the sun had set were beautiful. One night we did 7 hours of kirtan on stage, including our two hour slot of chanting, dance and dynamic drumming by the Mayapuris. On another day we played for a yoga class by Shiva Rea. Deities of Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra brought by Shakuntala Zakheim presided over the class, and after chanting throughout, we all joined together for an energetic circle dance (raas-garba) kirtan.

MC Yogi led more chanting of the maha mantra, performing the track ‘Bhakti Boombox’ from his album, and Shyam Das closed the class with a sweet meditation on the divine form of Lord Krishna. After that we carried the deities outside in procession and had the most wonderful spontaneous outdoor kirtan. People joined us as we walked, and by the time we got to the main stage, we were surrounded by a huge crowd, taking pictures and chanting ‘Jagannath, Jagannath!’

With no prior rehearsal, we were really open to discover the potential beauty in the juxtaposition of poetry, rhythm and sacred chant. Over ten evenings, we hopped from Block Island, to the Berkshires, to Boston. In each place we were delighted to receive a warm welcome and enthusiastic voices to join ours! It was also a pleasure to meet with many friends along the way who collaborated with us, such as Keli Lalita, Tom Lena and band, and our new favourite clarinetist Warrick Moses, who we bumped into in a twist of fate on Boston Commons. You can hear his stunning playing in the recordings from Boston Rathayatra and our concert at Back Bay Yoga.

Check out the recordings for some unusual mixes – Govinda Jaya Jaya with a hip hop rap, and Sita Rama to the beat of the spaceship-like hang drum!

Rhode Island 9/19/09

• 01 Gaura Vani - Guru Gauranga Jayate (218)
• 02 Gaura Vani - Siksastakam (195)
• 03 Gaura Vani - Sri Krishna Govinda (211)

Kripalu 9/23/09

• 01 Gaura Vani - Guru Gauranga Jayate (188)
• 02 Gaura Vani - Hare Krishna (308)
• 03 Gaura Vani - Sita Ram (185)
• 04 Gaura Vani - Radha Ramana Hari (214)
• 05 Gaura Vani - Jaya Radhe (175)
• 06 Gaura Vani - Hare Krishna (200)

Yoga Mandali 9/24/09

• 01 Gaura Vani - Guru Gauranga Jayate (135)
• 02 Keli Lalita - Hey Natha (184)
• 03 Gaura Vani - Govinda Jaya Jaya (227)
• 04 Gaura Vani - Sita Ram (310)
• 05 Gaura Vani - Krishna Murari (394)
• 06 Gaura Vani - Hare Krishna (561)
• 07 Gaura Vani - Jaya Radhe (329)

Yoga Sanctuary 9/25/09

• 01 Gaura Vani - Guru Gauranga Jayate (261)
• 02 Gaura Vani - Siksastakam (304)
• 03 Gaura Vani - Sita Ram (266)
• 04 John de Kadt - Drum Poetry (339)

Litchfield CT 9/26/09

• 01 Gaura Vani - Krishna Murari (435)
• 02 Gaura Vani - Guru Gauranga Jayate (399)
• 03 John de Kadt - Sita Ram (798)
• 04 Gaura Vani - Gopala (1103)
• 05 Gaura Vani - Jaya Radhe (1071)

Back Bay Yoga 9/27/09

• 01 Gaura Vani - Guru Gauranga Jayate (1126)
• 02 Gaura Vani - Siksastakam (1526)
• 03 Gaura Vani - Sita Ram (1095)
• 04 Jahnavi - Bol Hari Bol (1582)
• 05 Gaura Vani - Govinda Jaya Jaya (1668)
• 06 Gaura - Jaya Radhe (1694)

Gaura Vani & As Kindred Spirits and the Mayapuris are currently touring all around Australia. Our hosts have provided free live streaming audio from all the events. To listen, sign in at WorldSankirtan.net.

After a 24 hour journey we finally reached Australia! It’s spring here and the beauty of the season is completely enchanting – magenta sprays of bougainvillea, clustered lilac jacaranda trees with branches like embroidered thread, long carob pods, and brilliant red flame trees. We’ve tried to just relax today but went down to a local park where we came across a Hang drummer. We couldn’t resist getting into a little jam with him and inviting him to the Brisbane Maha Kirtan on Saturday.

Our week was a little more relaxed than the previous one, after the intensity and high energy surrounding the book launch. We had some opportunities to visit local pilgrimage spots. Not far from the temple is Banganga, a huge water tank said to be fed by an unexplainable water source. The water is considered non different from the holy Ganges and it is also said that Shri Chaitanya, the founder of kirtan, came here to bathe and pay his respects hundreds of years ago. We dropped some of the water on our heads, and explored the village streets around the tank. Despite being so close to the middle of the city, the atmosphere was rural, with geese running here and there, and old temples squeezed between every few houses. Just as we were about to leave, a middle aged woman with a bright face approached us and practically begged us to come to her temple down the road.
‘Please,’ she pleaded, ‘You come see my Lord. You will like very much.’
We followed, a little hesitantly. She led us into a tiny dark stairway, and up a small flight of water logged steps.’Be careful, your head,’ she warned as we ducked under the low doorway.

We found ourselves in a room the size of a closet, where an old man lay on a string cot. He jumped up when we entered, welcoming us in broken English. They both ushered us into the adjoining room, where to our surprise, a beautiful, black stone deity of Lord Balarama, Krishna’s brother stood. The lady explained that the deity had been in her family for generations, and right now, just her and her father cared for him. As her father sat us down and eagerly served out blessed food from the deity (Indian tea biscuits and rock candy!) she told us the story of their life and in suprisingly good English, explained how she wanted to build a three storey temple here, so that many people would be attracted to come and worship Lord Balarama. We were enlivened by her devotion and touched to unexpectedly see the old deity – in kirtan, we always pray to Lord Balarama, as he is represented by all of the instruments used to glorify Lord Krishna.

Other highlights of the week included getting to know many sincere and devoted members of the community; seeing, hearing and driving through the raucous Ganesh Chaturthi festivities that put the city at a standstill as countless processions take to the streets; and getting to enjoy many wonderful early morning kirtans with the Chowpatty temple residents. Their enthusiasm has rightly gained a reputation, and their spontaneous dancing has to be seen to be believed!

The week came to a close with two events. First, a youth evening at Shanmukananda Hall, a 2500 seater auditorium which was filled with 3000 students for the duration of the evening! We were blessed to have many accomplished musicians from the community join us on stage, including Rupa Manjari singing, our friend Rupa Manjari (number two!) from Florida, playing piano, and Prabhu Gouranga, a senior student of Hariprasad Chaurasia, playing bamboo flute. Ananta Nitai and Bhakta Gauranga from the local temple kirtan band completed the group.

The next day was Radhastami, the holy birthday of Shri Radha, Lord Krishna’s eternal companion. Early in the day, after a thunderous morning kirtan, we got to do a special thank you kirtan for all of the staff of ‘Govinda’s’. This on-site restaurant serves hundreds of delicious dishes daily, including stone baked pizza that has an incredibly Italian flavour (almost unheard of in India). During our stay the staff had served us every day, doing everything possible to make us comfortable and cared for. Now we joined with them in singing the names of Krishna and Radha, who is the patron goddess of all who cook for Lord Krishna.

Later in the day, there was time for a few more hours of kirtan, as the deities were ceremonially bathed with susbstances such as coconut water, honey and fresh fruit juice. Hands were raised, bodies whirled, and every voice called out with great sincerity and joyful abandon, especially when Radhanath Swami joined us in leading the kirtan. We knew we had to leave at 9pm to make our flight back to London. By 9.20, we were still in the thick of the kirtan – we couldn’t even see the doorway and the balconies on either side of the room were packed with bodies. By 9.30, we had to drag ourselves away, completely overwhelmed by the spiritual mood of the day, and the incredible devotional attitude of everyone we came into contact with during the magical two weeks.