Krishna devotees observe vegetarian Thanksgiving

Should a turkey have attended dinner at the Krishna temple on Thursday, it would have been as an honored guest. All guests are welcome by Krishna devotees who celebrated the holiday with a vegetarian feast. Read more...

The ISKCON Experience

By Julie Achary Ray

Every month in Salt Lake City and around, ISKCON has at least one home program. Somehow for the past several months we have been attending one or the other. I am not sure what draws me there: to listen to an interesting presentation or to be a part of the invigorating Hare Krishna kirtan or simple amazement at non-Indian people being such ardent lovers of Krishna. Read more...

Krishna Temple Field Trip, Sp Fork Junior High

Krishna Temple Field Trip

by david.thacker | Mon, 10/25/2010 - 07:09

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Sri Hanuman showing the students how to do a push up

Attributions:

by: Laura Carter

World Geography students at Spanish Fork Junior High School had a field trip to the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple Tuesday, October 19. They were welcomed Caru Das. Sri Hanuman introduced the students to the animals they care for. Students were allowed to hold the birds, lead the llamas, and compete in a llama race up the hill to the temple where many of the llamas had different ideas about the race and dug in their heels.

Caru Das then gave the students an insightful presentation on India and the foundations for their beliefs. Upstairs, Sri Hanuman led the students in Yoga that left many students realizing how out of shape they really are. He really took our finest football players and athletes to task with push-ups!

Finally, the students were provided with a wonderful buffet lunch trying out many vegetarian dishes. Many students felt that cultural misconceptions were dispelled that day and many talked about taking their families there to experience this wonderful cultural resource in our community. We, students and Geography teachers at Spanish Fork Junior High School, want to thank the owners Caru Dasa for his great hospitality and willingness to teach us about their world.

A Guide to promoting a Religion in Mormon Dominated Utah

The whole website was excellently crafted. The Sri Krishna devotees were well aware that their religion was often misunderstood. They were especially sensitive to what was the common belief here in Utah. Read More...

Krishnas celebrating Diwali: The Festival of Lights

Krishnas celebrating Diwali: The Festival of Lights

Grand Diwali Mela in Los Angeles

Several devotees & members (Rajiv & Gita Sharma, Anand Rao, Jai Krishna, Divya Drsti, Julio, & Caru) travelling to Los Angeles this weekend to perform the same Ramayana we did at our recent Festival of India Sept.18th. The venue is Excelsior High in Cerritos, which is said to have 1,500 seats.

Our dear friend Roshan Khandpur is a committee member for this grand Diwali Mela, and made the invitations.

The main contingent leaves Friday afternoon in a rented mini van with five passengers, the 9' X 12' rear projection screen lashed on top, and all the costumes. Some will stay with Roshan in his home and others in a nice Motel on Pioneer Boulevard.

Richard Franklin, who played the role of Ravan in September, could not make the trip. Thus Caru Das will fulfill the double roles of being lead priest in the Diwali puja on stage from 4 pm - 5 pm, and then performing as Ravan in the drama 6 pm - 7 pm. What else is new?

GRAND DIWALI MELA
Organized By
HINDU COMMUNITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND
GLOBAL PEACE FOUNDATION, INC ( Non Profit Organization)
On Sunday, October 31, 2010 From 3 PM To 9 PM
At The Excelsior High School Auditorium, 15711 Pioneer Blvd; Norwalk, CA 90650
FREE Admission & FREE Dinner

Free Tea & Gifts For Everyone By Continental Foods
Diwali Pooja : Cultural Program : Booths ($100) & RAM LEELA BY Popular UTAH TEMPLE GROUP

Rangoli & Halloween Costume Competitions – Raffle Prizes

Supported By: Mandir, 16540 Aston St, Irvine CA 92606, Tel 949-222-2283

Sponsors: State Bank of India, Uka Solanki, Integrated Wealth Manangement Inc, Sambra Produce& Farm, Sona Chandi, Dr Krishna Reddy, Highglow Jewelers and others

Organizing Committee:
Manorama Sharma Gupta MD 714-846-1301, Kamini Khare 714-280-3774, Dilip Butani 562-569-6722, Amrit Bhandari 949-394-3103

Mohan Sharma 310-698-0183, Lal Thakarar 562-405-0160, Dr Jay Shah 562-279-3817, Ramesh Ramnani-310-409-3832

Usha J Shah 562-279-3819, Manu Patel 562-822-0725, Roshan Khandpur 213-923-1584, Ravji Patel 310-530-5037, PK Nayak 714-600-4900 Dr Kailash Dhamija, Amarjeet Dhamija 562 682-5598, Keshav Patel 714 816-9102, Prakash Pancholi 949 212- 0843, Vishwanath Tiwari

Program

3 PM To 4 PM -- Rangoli and Halloween Costume Competitions and Candy distribution to Children.

4 PM To 5 PM -- Diwali Pooja : 5 PM To 9 PM -- Cultural Program

Diwali Pooja: Suggested Donations $51, $101, $201, $501 Or more

Message from Lomasa Rishi

2010 October 22 Thursday 11:28 MDT

Dear Friend of The Utah Krishnas,

I beg to introduce myself. My name is Lomasha Rishidas. Authorized by Srila Prabhupada to travel the world treating ISKCON devotees with Traditional Chinese Medicine, I was blessed with the Darshana of Deities throughout the US and in ten other countries. Never have I seen a Divine Couple more Attractive than the Sri Sri Radha-Krishna Forms in Spanish Fork, Utah.

I would like to invite you to support the Utah Krishnas Temple Project by viewing a 3.5 minutes audio-video, and the Founder's Pool offer at this link:
http://NoWorrys.eFoodsGlobal.com

The website http://NoWorrys.eFoodsGlobal.com is owned by the Utah Krishna Temple. When you JOIN eFoods Global for FREE through this gateway, you support the Temple and the Krishna Billboard Project. You also obtain a similar website of your own, titled as you choose, such as YourCarfullyChosenWebsiteAlias.eFoodsGlobal.com, to help spread the idea that FOOD IS CURRENCY and earn additional Food Storage and monetary savings for yourself, your family, and The Utah Krishnas Temple Project.

You and anyone you invite to join us will also receive SIX FREE meals of Gourmet Vegetarian Survival Food. Delicious to eat now, or, with 15 year shelf life, to use as Food Storage and Survival Food in case of personal emergency or economic collapse.

NOTE: Some product selections have titles with the words "chicken" or "beef" in them, but the "meat" contents are Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP). A number of their products do not contain onions or garlic..

Your participation in eFoodGlobal contributes AUTOMATICALLY to The Utah Krishna Temple!

Please email me at CurrencyReveNution@Gmail.com or phone me directly at (801) 938-4639 with any questions you may have about The Utah Krishna Temple Project or about eFoods Global.

Your Servant,
Rishidas

Lomaśa Ṛṣi dasa, L.Ac. (ACBSP & TKG)


--
Please visit our web site at www.utahkrishnas.org

India fest Utah 2010

These are videos in two parts of the 24th annual Festival of India, held at the Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork. The first video covers stage performances of dance, including Odissi, Bharat Natyam and Kathak, and some enthusiastic kirtan & dancing in the temple room The lower video offers scenes from the Ramayana drama and the burning of Ravan with flaming arrows and spectacular fireworks.

We'd like to thank the cast members of the Ramayana. Rajiv and Geeta Sharma as Sita and Rama: Anand Rao as Lakshmana, Divya Drsti as Manthara, Ganga Shibonis as Keikeyi & ogress, Vishnu Priya as Suparnyakha, Jai Krishna as Hanuman, Bharat, & Maricha, Ritchie Franklin as Ravana & Dasaratha, Slavco as Jatayu, and Julio Frazier as monkey soldier.

Week in Yellowstone with Llamas

Charu,


Thank you for another great trip with your llamas. We had a great time and the girls were able to walk the trip just fine.

We returned late on Saturday evening so I didn’t bother waking you. The packs and tethers were left on the west side of your temple. The lead ropes were put on the fence into the llama pen with the haystack. The five llamas were put in the pen with the hay. Everything should be there and in the same shape that it was taken. We had no problems with the packs.

Llama Feedback


Rama was our lead llama. He still tends to jump a little more than the others over small streams or marshy areas. He would on occasion stop for a few seconds at certain points on the trail when he either smelled something or caught a glimpse of something through the trees. It didn’t happen a lot and when it did after a second or two he would move on. He could be led away from the other llamas with no problem.

Shiva seemed young and inexperienced. It was particularly evident the first day of our trip. After about four miles he would walk about 100 yards then stop. It would take some coaxing to get him going again. At first we figured there was something wrong with his pack. We unpacked and repacked his load but it didn’t change things. He probably stopped fifty to sixty times during the last 3 miles of the first day. Maybe he was just tired, his load was not the heaviest nor the lightest. As the week progressed he became better with less stops. On the last day we did ten miles in which he may have only stopped a half a dozen times. Shiva was also a little touchy when putting on the pack saddle. A couple of us were kicked by him when putting on the pack saddle.

Jagannatha was great. No problems, a great packer and good with everyone. His trademark was to get his tether rope the most tangled up each night.

Casper was good. He has improved a lot from the trip we had him on last year. He does like to sit down in the trail in real dusty spots. We learned to not stop on wide dusty spots in the trail and he was fine. He is not too far behind Jagannatha in his performance.

Pride was consistent and steady. Not a leader, as you know he generally had to be the last one in the group. Otherwise he was always stopping and looking back for any llama that was behind him. Other than that he was great.

Thanks again. Mike

Transcendental Birthday Party

Transcendental Birthday Party
(Public Celebration)

Click here for full Picasa slideshow!

Where: The Krishna Temple, 8628 S. Main St., Spanish Fork, Utah
When: Saturday August 28th, 8 pm
Contact: Charu or Vaibhavi: 798-3559/787-1510
www.utahkrishnas.com

The Krishna Temple at 8628 S Main St. in Spanish Fork has planned a transcendental birthday party to celebrate the Appearance Day of Shree Krishna. From 8 pm onward there will be Indian dance, drama, musical concerts, hot meals, exhibits, and gifts available to all.

This holiday for Hindus compares to Christmas Day. Five thousand years ago Shree Krishna appeared on earth to protect the pious, annihilate the miscreants, and reestablish the principles of virtue. This was accomplished in a span of 125 years even at the end of which the Lord appeared as a fresh blooming youth of 16 or 20 years. Before returning to His own spiritual abode, the Lord spoke the Bhagavad Gita (Song of God) to his friend and disciple, Arjuna, thus leaving behind Him a legacy of wisdom for the ages. So stimulating and profound are these words of Shree Krishna that there have been over 2,000 translations of Bhagavad Gita in the English language alone.

The word Krishna means “All-Attractive” in Sanskrit. Krishna, in his manifest pastimes, exhibited six opulences or "attractive qualities" in full: beauty, knowledge, fame, wealth, strength, and humility. No other incarnation of Godhead exhibited these qualities to the same degree, and therefore Krishna is worshipped throughout India as “The Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Devotees chant His Holy Names considering that the names of the Absolute are non-different from the Absolute Himself. Aside from the ubiquitous chanting there will be many other elements to celebrate His advent during the celebration of his earthly appearance.

Admission to this event is free to the public. Everyone is welcome. For more information contact Caru or Vai (801)798-3559/787-1510. www.utahkrishnas.com.

Schedule of Events:

1) 8:00 pm Kirtan in Temple Pavilion with Jai Krishna and Sri Hanuman.

2) 8:30 pm Govinda Ala Re: As Krishna did when a child, participants will climb on each other's shoulders to reach and break a high suspended pot full of butter and yogurt.

3) 9:00 pm Featured Bharat Natyam Dance performer Divya Narayanam with her troupe of students:

For Divya's Web site Click here...

4) 9:30 pm Musical pageant of Krishna’s Birth (includes Vasudev, Devaki, Kamsa, Putana, Narada, etc.)

5) 10:00 pm Abhishekam (Bathing Ceremony). Sponsors will assist the priest in bathing the Deity, and take home the kalashas along with other gifts.

6) Kirtans and Bhajans throughout

7) Midnight arati

8) Huge feast (everyone is welcome to bring preparations to augment the feast) sold up until the midnight arati and served free afterwards.

Pictured here are the Golden Kalasha (US $ 108.00) and the Deluxe Kalasha (US $ 251.00) which the members will receive after the gala Janmastami celebrations and abhishekam (bathing ceremony). Our grateful thanks to each and every one of the donors.

The kalasha abhishekam (bathing ceremony) will take place about 10:30 pm. We’d like to thank the many families who participated last year, and all those who have been regularly supportive over the years.

This year we were hoping for new members, or heretofore marginally supportive ones, to step up and help us double the number of kalasha sponsors. In expectation, we ordered 100 kalashas from Vrndavan, India.

For anyone who cannot be present to personally bathe the deities, we shall do the bathing in your name and send the kalasha and other gifts by post. To see and hear the festivities (except when we are doing the ratha yatra and the breaking of the butter pot outside) one can go to this web site, and click both the buttons for temple web cam and the radio buttons for live audio.

For sponsorship and to receive either the deluxe kalasha for a donation of US $ 251.00 or the golden kalasha for US $ 108.00, contact Caru Das at (801) 798-3559/787-1510, use Paypal as below, or send a check to the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple, 8628 South State Road, Spanish Fork, Utah 84660

2010 Donors (8/18)

Deluxe $ 251.00

Dinesh & Kalpana Patel, Utah
Avtar & Rakesh Singh, Utah
KK & Kokila Sodha, Cal.
Ramesh & Anu Goel, Utah
Jashwant & Kamu Chaudhari, Utah
Bhaskar & Sanchaita Ragula, Utah
Avdesh & Uma Agarwal, Cal.
Sohan & Krishna Dhir, Cal..
Murari & Indira Gupta, Cal.
Roshan & Kulwant Khandpur, Cal.
Dr. Vir Nanda & Urmila, Cal.
CM & Usha Srivastav, Cal.
Sohan Lal & Krishna Dhir, Cal.
Binak & Ameet Shankaran, Texas
Nilesh Patel, Fla.
Raman & Meena Kumar, Utah

Golden $ 108.00

Paul Anand, Cal.
Chandu & Madhu Patel, Cal.
Mulji & Sharda Chaudhari, Utah
Pramod & Surekha Nayate, Utah
Bill McGahey, Oregon
Manas Roy & Jayshree Chowdhuri, Cal.
Alanath & Sandhya Franks, Utah
Tota Gopinath & Jeanette Franks, Utah
Abhijit & Julie Ray, Utah
Peter & Mena Chaudhari, Utah
Gurcharan & Asha Singh, Cal.
Pratima, Anand Shah, Ohio
Yogesh, Pragna Shah, Utah
Divya Drsti Frazier, Utah
Nayna Patel, Cal.
Bill Van Der Sluis, Utah
N.S. Vishwanath & Asha, New Jersey

Donors in 2009

Deluxe Kalasha ($ 251.00)

Vin & Kiran Kamdar, Utah
Dinesh & Kalpana Patel, Utah
Harry Madison, Florida
Avtar & Rakesh Singh, Utah
Ram Krishan & Kulwant Khandpur, California
Sohan & Krishna Dhir, California
Bam Dev & Chander Sharda, Utah
Dhiru & Nirmala Patel, Utah
Sandeep & Manju Oberoi, Utah
Aras & Madelaine Ziemelis, Utah
Ramesh & Anushree Goel, Utah
Chandu & Madhu Patel, California

Golden Kalasha ($ 108.00)

Mahesvari Devi, California
Prabhakar & Devi Krishnaswami, Utah
Shishir & Devi Pandya, Utah
Brajesh Garabadu, Utah
KK & Kokila Sodha, California
Dwijati Pujaka Das, Oklahoma
Gurcharan Singh, California
Asha Singh, California
Raj Cholera, California
Mehul & Aishan Dhar, Wisconsin
Manohar & Nisha Ailawadhi, California
Binaka & Ameet Shakaran, Texas
Lynn & Vicki Napper, Utah
Tushar Patel, Utah
Karan Deep, Utah
Krishna Karina Patel, Utah
Jayant Patel, California
Triveni Patel, California
Divya Drsti Frazier, Utah
Ramesh & Keerti Rathi, Utah
Piyush & Pinal Patel, Wyoming
Jayant & Anjana Patel, California
Shyam, Kusum, Vandana Rangta, Utah
Ramesh & Hamsa Patel, Utah

Golden Kalasha $108

Deluxe Kalasha $251

Los Angeles Rathayatra 2010

This is a wonderfully moving video of the Los Angeles Rathayatra, not only the event but the preparations leading up to it. Conveys the incredible devotion of all those who participated in glorifying Lord Krishna in His form as Jagannatha.

LA Ratha Yatra 2010 from Prananatha Das on Vimeo.

Rathayatra in Southern California

Jai Krishna, Caru and Prem Avtar left Utah at 4:30 am the following morning after the Youth Minsitry show on Tuesday evening. Caru rented a mini van for a week, anticipating the donations of boxes and bags and suitacases full of slightly used Indian sarees, salva kameez, and kurtas.

The devotees, using an address list of California Life Members & long time friends, & with the help of a Magellan made GPS unit (named “Meg’ by Jai Krishna) arrived at the home of Chandu Patel in San Bernadino early afternoon. They followed the standard prgogram of chatting, having 10 - 20 minutes of kirtan, using mrdunga, karatala, and a small portable harmonium, and taking little fruit served by the host or hostess.

Next they travlelled to and toured the 75 million dollar Swami Narayana temple which is under constrctuion in Chino Hills, and finally arrived at Chiman Bhai’s and Bhanuben's home in Diamond Bar where they dined and spent the night in good company.

Manju Popat with Pranjivan’s grandson, Rittik, hosted the devotees for breakfast following morning. There was kirtan in the spacious temple room and fond memories shared of Pranjivan, His grandson played the mrdanga and even led one kirtan.

On two successive morning japa walks in Diamond Bar the devotees met Dr. Paul Anand. The second day, while the devotees were doing yoga in a grassy park, Dr. Anand approached them with a cash donation of $ 101.00. Everywhere devotees went, without even asking donations, every one gave generously, most notably Avdesh and Uma (who were only telphoned) giving $ 5,000 dollars. Grateful thanks to each and every one, who shared their homes, their meals and fruits, time, finances, and guest rooms with such kindness and love.

Next afternoon, after Caru visited Jayashree and Navnit Sodha in the same condo complex as Chiman, the threesome caught KK Sodha at home, where they did kirtan and KK contributed singing ‘Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya” in his own inimitable style. KK took the devotees to a Juice It Up where Caru got his 4 ounzes of wheatgrass and others had acai smooties. KK’s family owns a coupke of these juice franchises in Corona.

That evening there was kirtan and dinner with Murari and Indira Gupta, and their daughted Anjana in Villa Park. Anjana is a lawyer working in a firm which represents Los Angeles police officers. She had one or two good stories to tell.

Friday morning devotees visited Rajinder and Usha Battish in Brea, followed by Mani and Nisha Ailawadhi in Yorba Linda.

After that Caru drove almost two hours in the traffic to reach Woodland Hills off Ventura Fwy to the home of Sohan and Krishna Dhir. Much of the Dhir clan was gathered - son Sunil and his son Amrit and daughter Arpana, Devindra, Anita, and their son Rajiv, Suresh and Nilam, Sam and Neeraj with their small daughters, Leena and Kayla, and newest son Sam Jr.. Jai Krishna led several nice kirtans. Caru did one kirtan as well as spoke couple of times on Krishna Consciousnes in the intervals. Dinner was outside under the stars,.

Spent the night there, had a japa walk in the neaby hills, and set out for Culver City. Caru dropped the devotees off at temple there for prasadam and evening Harer Nama in Santa Monica. He drove to Saddleback Church where he attended the 4:30 services (along with 2,000 others) and heard a talk on “Dealing with Change” by Rick Warren. He learned a lot from being there how to improve the Sunday services in Spanish Fork. More on that later.

After the Rathayatra next day Caru drove took Jai Krishna to the airport and proceeded to Roshan and Kulwant, Buchi Khandpur’s home where they refreshed in the jacussi and pool, dined, and sent the night. Roshan (initiated as Ram Kishan Das) is one of Caru's dearest friends and visitng him is a high point of any Los Angeles trip). After posting this bulletin and some video of the Rathayatra, plan is to visit Chandrer Mohan Srivastav in Yorba Linda, pick up all the clothes donated and stored in Chiman and Bhanus’ garage and then see Dr. Nanda and tour the beatiful temple he built in Apple Valley.

Fox 13 Pre Llama Fest

Here are some photos taken by Sonia this morning during the Live Fox 13 Morning Show.

Big Budah was on hand for llama races, llama rides, llama babies, llama competitions, & Llama Fest food. The event will start tomorrow Sat. July 17th at 4 pm.

To beat the heat, most events will be held in a shady pavilion and for kids there'll be a water slide on hand. Entertainment will take place on three stages.

Below is some of the great video taken this morning from the Fox web site. Budah said "He'll come back every year from now on to preview the Llama Fest. He also said Caru's chili was the best he's ever eaten.

Big Buddha of Fox 13 to promote Llama Fest

Big Buddha will do the live morning show at the Krishna Temple/Llama Fest site tomorrow morning Friday the 16th, according to the following tentative schedule. Tune in.


6AM
6:15am 2.5 min segment: Activity: Buddha leading llama thru obstacles
Name of person we are talking to: Charu

6:47am 2.5 min segment:
Activity: Buddha sampling some Llama Fest cusine
Name of person we are talking to: Vai

7AM
7:23am 2.5 min segment: Activity: Llama Carrying a pack
Name of person we are talking to: Charu

7:45am 2.5 min segment: Activity: Llama racing
Name of person we are talking to: Charu

8AM
8:08am 1.5 min segment: Activity: Child riding llama
Name of person we are talking to: Haiti

8:27am 2.5 min segment: Activity: Dancers in costume
Name of person we are talking to:Natasssia

8:39am 1.5 min segment: Activity: Llama Baby
Name of person we are talking to: Vai

16th Annual Llama Fest

The 16th Annual Llama Fest will be held at Krishna Temple and Utah Valley Llama Farm two miles south of Spanish Fork on Main St. The event is scheduled for July 17th.

In their native Peru, Chile, and Bolivia, llamas carry heavy loads over terrain which is impassable to motorized vehicles. They are the trucks of the Andes. In America, life is much easier where they have become popular for carrying camping gear on weekend hikes and day trips. Many have found a niche as sheep guards on the open range. Still others, like an RV purchased with good intentions but somehow never used, spend their lives simply munching grass and looking gorgeous and exotic to passers by.

The Llama Fest was originally conceived as an opportunity to highlight Llamas and their owners in the most public way possible: in the overall cultural context of food, music, spinning and weaving demonstrations, music, dance, and competitions between the llamas and their handlers. “If an average attendance of 4,000-5,000 is a public enough event,” says festival coordinator Chris Warden, “ then we’ve been successful.

"This is an event which offers more than many festivals. Other festivals have booths, exhibits, and some food. Above that, any festival that has good, live entertainment will definitely be successful: if over and above that, you have llamas, which everyone likes, and which are relatively safe for children, then you have really got something that nobody else can offer."

‘We have over 50 llamas ourselves at Utah Valley Llamas and we encourage other llamas owners from all over the state to bring their animals. It’s a nice family outing where the kids will compete on the obstacle course and show ring with their llamas for ribbons, and the parents and grandparents will cheer them on.”

The Llama Fest features a baby llama (cria) corral where the children can fraternize with their animal counterparts.

Continuous live music and dance on the outdoor stage will come from Alborada, Kausachun Peru, Rhumba Rambo, The Glass Gentlemen, The Wiggins Brothers, & Center Stage Performing Arts. Richard Christensen has been to every Llama Fest since 1995. “Early on in the evening, it’s nice to watch the llamas and their handlers. The llamas are well groomed, graceful, and gentle. It’s like watching living art to the background music of the Andes. Towards dusk the beat picks up and many of the younger folks, like myself, like to dance.”

Food booths will offer such south of the border favorites as chili, nachos, emphanadas, braised vegetables with fried curd, bread pudding, spicy wraps, and lemon mango fruit drinks.

A good selection of Andean craft items like jewelry, rugs, shawls, carvings and clothing will be available on site. Please note there are 600 parking spaces on the temple property. Parking is free. There is no need to park on the road, and walk a long way to the event.

Bring the whole family for a fun and educational experience. Admission is $3.00 per person or $1.00/children. Llama Fest XVI is sponsored in part by a grant from the Utah Arts Council & The National Endowment for the Arts.

** Please note there are 600 parking spaces on the temple property. Parking is free. There is no need to park on 
the road, and walk a long way to the event.

Directions:
If you are coming south on I - 15, take exit 257, turn left at the bottom of the exit ramp and travel three miles to the temple. You'll proceed through Spanish Fork (about 5 traffic lights) on Main St. (which changes its name to State Road), and continue another 1 1/2 semi rural miles. The temple is highly visible on a hill to the right hand side. Coming north on I - 15 exit at 253, turn right at the exit ramp stop sign, and follow the signs to Krishna's Lotus Temple. (801) 798-3559

For more information, or to volunteer help before and during the event, call 798-3559/787-1510. Visit our web site at www.utahvalleyllamas.org

Volunteer information : the following volunteers at Llama Fest will be rewarded with a free meal and/or festival T-shirt (discretion of managers). Those who volunteer to help with parking will receive BOTH meals and T-shirt.

• Pre-festival cooking, Thursday, Friday July 15, 16, 
9 am - 1 pm. Come for all or part of the time.

• Grooming llamas and festival set up, Noon - 3 pm

• Parking Attendants (shifts) 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm or
 5:00 pm - 8 pm

• Traffic Control 3:30 pm - 7:30 pm

• Food Service 3:30 pm- 6:00 pm or
 6:00 - 8:30 pm

• Cria Corral 3:30 pm - 6:00 pm or
 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm.

All fees for admission ($3.00 adult $ 1.00 child) 
apply as well to volunteers.

'Mad Dog' Madsen

We'd had a booking for the Madsen family to spend part of their reunion in a two hour tour of the temple. The mother and father moved from California to Utah 5 years ago, and children, grandchildren congregated this Independence Day weekend from California, Colorado, Virginia, and Minnesota.

Vai haltered the llamas, the kids fed them, groomed them, raced them. They held the parrots, scratched the necks of the cows, and fed the koi in the lake.

Inside, Caru gave a short power point and about 30 family members had lunch at the buffet.

Caru got to talking to one very big tall good-looking Madsen, who appeared extremely interested in knowing more about Krishna Consciousness, and in fact, had previously been very energetic in peppering Vai with questions during the animal handling.

Caru asked him if he was related to the State Senator "Mark Madsen," who comes to the temple with his kids from time to time.

This fellow said, "I'm not related to him, but have the same name and met him when I played professional basketball."

After the family took their departure with grateful thanks for an enriching experience and good meal, Caru did a google search for "Mark Madsen basketball." Turned out Mark Madsen played for the Los Angeles Lakers two years when they won the NBA championship and later went to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

He was known as "Mad Dog Madsen" because of his unlimited energy not only on the playing floor but in cheering on and encouraging his teammates and the fans. Very nice fellow, extremely inquisitive about Krishna Consciousness. Enjoyed meeting and talking to him. He's pictured here feeding a carrot to Jiva, the llama.

Click here for the article Caru read about Mark Madsen.

Puja Snaps by Gonzolo

We are giving Bhakta Gonzalo, who worked as a professional photographer in Peru, assignments to do photo stories on the various happenings here at the Krishna Temple in Utah.

These are some shots of a mundhan ceremony performed for a family travelling thru from New Mexico to Portland. They'd heard from their parents in India the hair cutting for their two kids, Nikhil & Anika, had to be done Friday, no "ifs and or buts." So they desparately called us up and begged to rent a room in the ashram for the night and do the ceremony first thing Friday morning, before they resumed their journey.This was not a recreational trip. They were changing their residence from New Mexico to Oregon.

The various elements of the puja illustrated by the snaps are 'acamanam', purifying the hands, 'svasti vacanam' giving blessings, 'kalasha stapanam' installing the pot, 'mundhan' cutting the hair, 'havan' invoking the fire, 'nivedyam' offering bhoga.





















NivedyamwebSvasti_Vacanamweb

Seniors Tour

Bhakta Gonzales, who studied photography in his native Peru, did a shoot around the latest Seniors' tour of last Tuesday. Forty visitors from two combined Senior Citizens Centers in Salt Lake City, Liberty & Sunday Anderson, arrived in a huge bus at 11:15 am.

Gonzo, as we call him, snapped off shots of them petting the cows & llamas, feeding the koi in the lake, and holding parrots on their arms, all under the guidance of Vaibhavi. Caru Das presented his tried and true Power Point called “India the Cradle of Civilization.”

Upstairs in the temple room, more explanations were offered on the topics of reincarnation, guru, and deity worship, and questions answered. Hanuman, Wendy, & Caru performed kirtan.

Finally the group enjoyed the tasty buffet and salad bar, replete with many items from our own gardens, and shopped until departure time at 2:30 pm.

This blog is currently not allowing me to post photos. For the associated images click here.

Holi Photo wins AP award

by Dave Greiling
Last Edit: Jun 11 2010 - 11:22pm

Erin Hooley received recognition Thursday night for the outstanding work she did as a Standard-Examiner photojournalist during 2009.

The occasion was the annual awards ceremony for the regional Associated Press organization, which includes newspapers in Utah, Idaho and eastern Washington.
Erin's photos won first-place awards in the feature and general news categories.

And, to top off her night, the photo that won in general news, "Welcome Home Kids", was also picked as Best of Show. She shot the photo at Hill Air Force Base in May 2009 as airmen from the 388th and 419th fighter wings returned from duty in Iraq.

Erin said the winning photo was just one of several that she liked from among those she took at the homecoming.

"I think the judges liked it because it's Americana, kind of iconic," she said.

The judges called the photo well-composed and beautiful. The same photo also won top honors in the general news category in May 2009 in the National Press Photographers Association regional clip contest.

The Best of Show photo is shown with this column.

Her winning feature photo was shot at Holi, the festival of colors held at the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork.

Erin is a native of Boulder, Colo., and a graduate of the University of Colorado. She has been with the Standard-Examiner for two and a half years.

Dave Greiling is managing editor of the Standard-Examiner. He may be reached at 801-625-4224 or via e-mail at dgreiling@standard.net

New Playlists on our Youtube channel

New playlists have been added to our Youtube channel: "God & Science" as well as "Reincarnation".

Click here or on image...

Setting Godly Goals

Latest Sunday Talk & Power Point, "Setting Godly Goals Part 2," is available for download.

Click here or on above Image..

16th Annual Llama Fest

When: July 17th, 2010

Where: Krishna Temple, South Main, Spanish Fork
Contacts: Charu or Vai 798-3559/787-1510
Web Site: www.utahvalleyllamas.com


The 16th Annual Llama Fest will be held at Krishna Temple and Utah Valley Llama Farm two miles south of Spanish Fork on Main St. The event is scheduled for July 17th.

Music at Llama Fest In their native Peru, Chile, and Bolivia, llamas carry heavy loads over terrain which is impassable to motorized vehicles. They are the trucks of the Andes. In America, life is much easier where they have become popular for carrying camping gear on weekend hikes and day trips. Many have found a niche as sheep guards on the open range. Still others, like an RV purchased with good intentions but somehow never used, spend their lives simply munching grass and looking gorgeous and exotic to passers by.

The Llama Fest was originally conceived as an opportunity to highlight Llamas and their owners in the most public way possible: in the overall cultural context of food, music, spinning and weaving demonstrations, music, dance, and competitions between the llamas and their handlers. “If an average attendance of 4,000-5,000 is a public enough event,” says festival coordinator Chris Warden, “ then we’ve been successful.

"This is an event which offers more than many festivals. Other festivals have booths,Llama, Boy, & Ramp exhibits, and some food. Above that, any festival that has good, live entertainment will definitely be successful: if over and above that, you have llamas, which everyone likes, and which are relatively safe for children, then you have really got something that nobody else can offer."

‘We have over 50 llamas ourselves at KHQN Radio/Utah Valley Llamas and we encourage other llamas owners from all over the state to bring their animals. It’s a nice family outing where the kids will compete on the obstacle course and show ring with their llamas for ribbons, and the parents and grandparents will cheer them on.”

The Llama Fest features a baby llama (cria) corral where the children can fraternize with their animal counterparts. There is a beautiful baby contest as well as a costumed event.

Continuous live music and dance on the outdoor stage will come from Alborada, Kausachun Peru, The Good Karma Blues Band, and Center Stage Performing Arts. Richard Christensen has been to every Llama Fest since 1995. “Early on in the evening, it’s nice to watch the llamas and their handlers. The llamas are well groomed, graceful, and gentle. It’s like watching living art to the background music of the Andes. Towards dusk the beat picks up and many of the younger folks, like myself, like to dance.”

Food booths will offer such south of the border favorites as chili, nachos, emphanadas, braised vegetables with fried curd, bread pudding, spicy wraps, and lemon mango fruit drinks.

A good selection of Andean craft items like jewelry, rugs, shawls, carvings and clothing will be available on site. Please note there are 600 parking spaces on the temple property. Parking is free. There is no need to park on the road, and walk a long way to the event.

Llama Race at Krishna TempleBring the whole family for a fun and educational experience. Admission is $3.00 per person or $1.00/children. Llama Fest XVI is sponsored in part by a grant from the Utah Arts Council & The National Endowment for the Arts.

** Please note there are 600 parking spaces on the temple property. Parking is free. There is no need to park on 
the road, and walk a long way to the event.

Directions:
If you are coming south on I - 15, take exit 257, turn left at the bottom of the exit ramp and travel three miles to the temple. You'll proceed through Spanish Fork (about 5 traffic lights) on Main St. (which changes its name to State Road), and continue another 1 1/2 semi rural miles. The temple is highly visible on a hill to the right hand side. Coming north on I - 15 exit at 253, turn right at the exit ramp stop sign, and follow the signs to Krishna's Lotus Temple. (801) 798-3559

For more information, or to volunteer help before and during the event, call 798-3559/787-1510. Visit our web site at www.utahvalleyllamas.org

Volunteer information : the following volunteers at Llama Fest will be rewarded with a free meal and/or festival T-shirt (discretion of managers). Those who volunteer to help with parking will receive BOTH meals and T-shirt.

• Pre-festival cooking, Tuesday, Wednesday July 16, 17, 
9 am - 1 pm. Come for all or part of the time.

• Grooming llamas and festival set up, Noon - 3 pm

• Parking Attendants (shifts) 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm or
 5:00 pm - 8 pm

• Traffic Control 3:30 pm - 7:30 pm

• Food Service 3:30 pm- 6:00 pm or
 6:00 - 8:30 pm

• Cria Corral 3:30 pm - 6:00 pm or
 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm.

All fees for admission ($3.00 adult $ 1.00 child) 
apply as well to volunteers.

SLC Urban article

Day 60 – Visit the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork.
By Andrew Stone • May 24th, 2010


While this is not in Salt Lake City, it is a close drive for all of us and a trip worth taking on many levels. Historical information, cultural information and more. The Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple is a beautiful place tucked away in Spanish Fork. Now tell me that you expected to find a Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork.

There is a wonderful article on Utah.com about the building of this temple and how a Hare Krishna Temple came to be built in Utah. Here is a short quote from the full article:

While the temple is a first for Utah, it is part of a growing worldwide movement that has placed temples in cities from Stockholm to Sao Paulo, and Miami to Mayapur. The Krishnas do not proselytize but the invite everyone to their weekly services and vegetarian feasts, as well as the annual LlamaFest in nearby Spanish Fork. They also exude amity with their peaceful outlook, karmic good will, and ohm-ing happiness.

Located at 8628 South Main Street Spanish Fork UT 84660, the Temple hosts seasonal festivals, weddings, receptions, and other weekly services for prayer and meditation. The Holi Festival or, Fetival of Colors, is anxiously awaited every year.

While visiting the grounds the Lotus Temple is certainly the centerpiece of your visit and is absolutely beautiful. There is always something going on and I highly suggest that you visit their website HERE for more information and a full calendar of exciting and beautiful events. The Llama Festival is coming up on July 16th.

If you're hungry and vegetarian is your thing the Temple also serves a vegetarian buffet everyday from 11am – 7pm.

Experience the traditional foods and spices of the world’s most diverse cuisine, but with a difference…….the entire buffet is blessed (every day) by Lord Krishna! Twice daily food freshly prepared food is taken from the buffet and offered to Krishna. When it is returned to the buffet, it is no longer bhog (physical food only) but is prasadam (blessed food). In that way, in addition to being filling, it has an uplifting effect on those who eat it. Join us for our specialties, which change daily…..


About 365 Things To Do In Salt Lake City: This series features 365 wonderful things you can do in Salt Lake City, one day at a time, they may be year long activities or single day adventures. If you have something you want us to feature in this series always feel free contact me and let me know. Follow 365 Things To Do on Facebook by clicking HERE

Kirtan at Ganesh Temple

Jai Krishna, Caru, Vaibhvavi, & Laurie went to Ganesh Temple in South Jordan at their invitation to do kirtan. It was the annual "Temple Day" celebrating the anniversary of the opening of the temple in 23003, I believe. We've participated in the Rathayatra with kritan for several years. Every year it gets more well organized and fun, as everyone will see from the following video.

Temple Organic Gardens

This is a photo of Hanuman on the temple's most recently planted garden plot. Alanath has been growing another for three years now. Between the two there is about 3/8 acre under cultivation, planted in lettuce, chilis, green, red peppers, cucumbers, red potatoes, eggplant, broccoli, etc. Looking for volunteers to help expand. We are committed to growing all our own produce and selling the rest. We even have at present extra trays of seedlings for sale. (801) 687-2730.

High School Classes

Yesterday had the best of three 1 and 1/2 hour classes at Mt View High, teacher Rod Jackman cooked curry, & Caru talked on Krishna Meditation. With live video feeds to 7 high schools total number of students reached was between 600 - 800.

Voice of America at the Krishna Temple

Joseph Mok, who filmed the Holi Festival for Voice of America, posted a 7 minute segment on Youtube. It is a very well, professionally done piece which will be featured in "Cultural Odyssey", a TV show which is viewed by 30 million Chinese in Taiwan, the Mainland, Singapore, and Macao.

Bhaktivinode on National Prayer Day

These are remarks which Caru Das made Thursday evening in the Provo Taberanacle as part of the National Prayer Day Observances across the country. Though it was conceived as an opportunity for Americans of different faiths to pray together & unite, the evangelsts generally feel that Hindus, Muslims and Mormons do not pray to the same God, and pointedly exclude them from the majority of services, which are organised by the National Prayer Day Task force. Caru opens his message by quoting the son of Billy Graham on the subject, & proceeding to Bhaktivinode Thakur.

For more on the controversies surrounding the National Day of prayer, click on these links. Salt Lake Tribune, Deseret News which briefly quotes Caru, and Jews on First

Caru's rermarks

"In an interview Tuesday, Franklin Graham, Honorary Chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, mocked Muslims and Hindus and said they "do not worship the same God I worship." Bhaktivinode Thakur, 130 years ago, in 1880, commented on this mentality, whch is nothing new. It's elevated prose so I’ll enunciate carefully.

“The true critic is a generous judge, void of prejudices and party-spirit. Thoughts have different ways. Both the Western Christian and the Eastern devotees will utter the same sentiment, but they will fight with each other only because they have arrived at their common conclusion by different ways of thoughts. Thus it is, that a great deal of ungenerousness enters into the arguments of the pious Christians when they pass their imperfect opinion on the religion of Devotion.

Plato looked at the peak of the Spiritual question from the West and Vyåsa made the observation from the East. They both hunted after the Great Spirit, the unconditioned Soul of the Universe. They could not but get an insight into it. Their words and expressions are different, but their import is the same. They tried to find out the absolute religion and their labors were crowned with success, for God gives all that He has to His children if they want to have it. It requires a candid, generous, pious and holy heart to feel the beauties of their conclusions.

Party-spirit––that great enemy of truth––will always baffle the attempt of the inquirer, and will make him believe that absolute truth is nowhere except in his religious book. Some, thinking in their own way, can never see the beauty of the Christian faith. The way, in which Christ thought of his own Father, was love absolute and so long as one will not adopt that way he will ever remain deprived of the absolute faith preached by the western Savior. The critic, therefore, should have a comprehensive, good, generous, candid, impartial and a sympathetic soul.

God is the soul of the principle of goodness! (strong emphasis) The incarnations of that principle are innumerable! They are not limited to only one conduit for all people, all times and all places and all circumstances! As thousands of watercourses come out of one inexhaustible fountain of water, so these incarnations are but emanations of that infinitely good energy of God which is full at all times.” We are allowed to call such sages as Vyåsa and Nårada Muni, as avatars of the infinite energy of God, and this spirit goes far to honor all great reformers and teachers who lived and will live in other countries.

We are ready to honor all great men, because they are filled with the energy of God. Pure goodness is not intended for a certain class alone but it is a gift to man at large in whatever country he is born and whatever society is bred. Ultimate goodness is the Absolute Love binding all men together into the infinite unconditioned and absolute God. May peace reign for ever in the whole universe in the continual development of its purity by the exertion of future heroes, who will be blessed with powers from the Almighty Father, the Creator, Preserver, and the Annihilator of all things in Heaven and Earth.

Pure devotion does not allow us to ask anything from You Lord except eternal love towards You. The kingdom of the world, the beauties of the local heavens and salvation itself are never the subjects of pure prayer. We meekly and humbly say, “Father, Master, God, Friend and Husband of my soul! Hallowed be Your name! I have sinned against You and I now repent and solicit Your pardon.

Let us pray.

Let Your holiness touch my soul and make me free from grossness. Let my spirit be devoted meekly to Your Holy service in absolute love towards You. I have called You my God, and let my soul be wrapped up in admiration at Your greatness! I have addressed You as my Master and let my soul be strongly devoted to your service. I have called You my friend, and let my soul be in reverential love towards You and not in fear! I have called you my husband and let my spiritual nature be in eternal union with You, forever loving and never dreading. Father! let me have strength enough to serve You as the consort of my soul, so that we may be reunited in eternal love!” “Om shanti shantihi shantihi.”

A Hindu Experience in Utah

The Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple: A Hindu Experience in Utah
April 6, 2010

Though it may seem that Utah has a less-than-dynamic cultural milieu, occasionally a place or an event will challenge that sentiment. Such is the case with the Sri Sri Radha Krishna temple located right off of Main Street in Spanish Fork, Utah.

Read whole article...

Om Shanti Retreat Videos

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Here are two 10 minute videos with segments of the OM Shanti Retreat Aporil 16 - 18th. They include Friday evening music & mixer, Saturday llama hike & kirtan with Jai Krishna, yoga with Alan Siegel, & cooking class taught by Mina Kumar.

Spring 2010 Retreat Wrap Up

Sunday around 2 pm we were reluctant to say goodbye to all our new friends from the Retreat Weekend. We met amazing people and heard fascinating stories. Happy trails, until we meet again. Below are some comments, and ratings for the various activities.

“The weekend far exceeded my expectations. I learned a lot about yoga and am excited to do more. The presentation of yoga as a tool toward heightened spirituality was appreciated. I loved meeting everyone and, as Caru mentioned in the beginning, the relationships were what I will cherish most and take with me. I’m getting everyone’s contact information.” Randy Salt Lake City

“I really liked the opportunity to get to know the people & share experiences with each other. Even though we’ve all been different places, learned different things, and accomplished different things, it really felt like we were all just friends and fellow travelers, sharing a bit of the road together. I just want to mention that it's always been a dream of mine to have a homestead where friends, strangers, and travelers would be welcome to stay as long as they need, and rest from their stressful situations for as long as it takes them to find inner strength again. It seems to me that your temple and grounds proved that such a thing is possible, and I found it very refreshing. I would like to pattern my future home or hospice close to what I have seen and experienced this past weekend.”
Naarah, Provo

“Would like to take a longer retreat/4-5 days/this seemed too short. Will always recommend to others.” Bonnie, Salt Lake City

“I am going to recommend this retreat to my friends. The weekend was calming & relaxing. I would like more explanation re philosophy & background. Everyone was very helpful. Caru & Vai were excellent hosts & very informative - also they seem to radiate serenity, peace, & acceptance. I had fun & plan on returning. The food was delicious. I enjoyed the tour & chanting very much.” Kathy, Salt Lake City

“The retreat was not what I expected - it was better. I liked the relaxed nature of the retreat & the interaction with the other participants. The yoga was fantastic - I especially enjoyed the outdoor yoga. i would absolutely recommend this retreat, and plan on attending again! Very welcoming respectful atmosphere also.” Claire, Salt Lake City

“I had a great time. Everybody was very friendly.” Marissa, Provo

“It was wonderful. I would recommend to others. Thank you so Much.” Jenny, SLC

“The retreat exceeded my expectations. It is now my home away from home. The staff was friendly & accommodation. They make you feel as if you are family. My needs were always met with a smile. I would recommend this retreat to everyone. It was fun, educational & very peaceful. I feel renewed & refreshed. Thank you.” Laurie, Long Island

These are the average ratings of 9 respondents based on the scale 1 to 5. 1 is Very Dissatisfied and 5 is Very Satisfied.

Mina Cooking Class 4.9
Alan Yoga Classes 4.9
Buffet Meals 4.6
Accommodation 4.6
Caru Cooking Class 4.6
Candlelight meditation 4.6
Hiking 4.5
Gita Class 4.4
Saturday Kirtan 4.3

One of the Fabulous 50

http://blog.uvmag.com/2010/fabulous-50/

Caru Das was named with 49 others in the March 2010 issue of Utah Valley Magazine.

"Fabulousness is cropping up all over Utah Valley. We’ve got do-gooders who remain down-to-earth, innovators who thrive by going against the grain, and great minds gaining ground in their fields. And the best part of all? Our 50 most fabulous people are all homegrown — they live and work locally, blooming where they’ve been planted. Read on for a look at 50 of Utah Valley’s most fabulous people."
Caru Das
Whether it’s culture, cuisine, art, architecture, animals, festivals, yoga or philosophy, the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork has something for everyone.
“Between tours, festivals, shoppers, diners, yoga classes and retreats, there are about 50,000 visitors annually,” says Caru Das, the temple’s president.
And that doesn’t count the visitors who use the temple’s offerings virtually.
“Our lives have been enriched by exposure to the Krishna Conscious lifestyle,” Caru says. “We wanted to use the most up-to-date technology to pass it on.”
That technology now includes Facebook (Caru has more than 1,700 friends), daily Tweets, multiple blog posts each week, a YouTube channel with close to 100 videos, and temple webcams for devotees who want to see the altar. In less than three months, the temple’s iTunes channel has seen 1,100 downloads of its Sunday lectures.
“A lot more interested people have been orbiting around the temple, both physically and in cyber space,” Caru says.

colors.mov

True Colors

Artistic video of the Colors Fest. Sound track, "True Colors."

New Holi Video from TK, Kalki Productions

TK (Titiksava Karunika) took this video footage from the stage on March 27th.

Om Shanti Retreat April 16 - 18

Om Shanti Retreat

The next Om Shanti Retreat is coming up April 16-18, 2010.

====== Register Now ======

Click here for full Picasa slideshow!

Click here to read what others have written about past OM Shanti Retreats

"I loved the yoga outside & time for great discussions. I enjoyed a schedule that was not too structured but was educational & enlightening. I enjoyed the cooking classes & would like more education on the preparation & recipes. I would highly recommend this retreat to others. I loved being a part of the singing, chanting, & music. This group is very talented & inspirational." -- Aubrey, Orem

Enjoy a relaxing retreat at the Krishna Temple. At the foot of the Wasatch Mountains in Utah, the structure itself is a landmark Rajasthani-style temple wherein Krishna resides. For a weekend, all amenities are provided in a devotional atmosphere. Experienced leaders offer an unhurried schedule of events for deep relaxation and inward-turning focus.....

About the Retreat
In a time when demands are increasingly placed on our lives, the Om Shanti Retreats offer a variety of workshops and weekend retreats for people from all backgrounds to explore, reflect, and nurture the self. Our retreat enables people to explore and understand their own spirituality.

New Kusum Sarovar ("Temple on a Lake of Flowers") has been created as a special place for reflection, located alongside of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains of Utah. The calm, natural environment complements the temple's purpose -- to offer the experience of peace and self-realisation.

The atmosphere is warm, simple, and wholesome. We have several guest rooms. Three vegetarian meals are served daily. During your free time, relax at the lake waterfall, or browse through the gift store where a wide range of books and CDs are available to help deepen individual spiritual understanding and meditation.

"I feel this retreat was one of the best of my life. I have been on several with many different kids over the years. Very relaxing, educational, fun on every level. What a great group to enjoy this sacred time with. I loved everything about this weekend and plan to come again soon." -- Alan, Ogden

Discounted prices for couples & students.

Sample Schedule from a recent Retreat
Note : Guests are free to follow as much or as little of the schedule as they like.

Friday
3:00 - 5:00 pm Check In, Buffet Meal
5:30 pm Gentle Yoga with Alan Siegel (all yoga classes suitable for beginners)
7:30 pm Mixer & Music in the Ashram
9:15 pm Herbal Tea & Film

Saturday
7:30 am Gentle Yoga with Alan Siegel
9:15 am Breakfast
10:30 am Llama Hike
12:30 pm Picnic Lunch
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm Pranayana & Asanas, w/ Alan Siegel
Cooking Class & Dinner 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm Gwen Nitya, Ayurvedic Practitioner
Gwen will teach the art of making 'Kitchorie,' a favorite North Indian dish,
which is also popular in the South under the moniker 'Pongal.'
7:30 pm Kirtan with Jai Krishna Das and Sri Hanuman
9:00 pm Candlelight Meditation

Sunday
8 am Yoga and Meditation with Alan Siegel
9:30 am Breakfast
11:00 am Cooking Class with Mina Kumar (Indian Breads - Puri, Parata, Chapatti, Nan
1 pm Lunch

Holi: Festival of Colors bring Utahns out from hibernation

Newspaper of SLC Community College

N.L. Thi

• Page 1 of 1

Media Credit: N.L. Thi Holi Festival participants stand at the Krishna Temple is elevated on a 15 acre plot and stands 50 feet high.

Media Credit: N.L. Thi Thousands flocked to Spanish Fork, Utah for Holi: Festival of Colors on Saturday, March 27.

Media Credit: N.L. Thi A cloud of color descends on the participants of Holi: Festival Colors on Saturday, March 27.

Media Credit: N.L. Thi Some crowd surfing took place as a band plays on stage during Holi: Festival of Colors.

People from all over Utah, across state lines, even international borders, came to Spanish Fork, Utah on Saturday, Mar. 27. Situated on the edge of Spanish Fork, beside open land spotted with cattle, sitting atop a steep, rolling green hill was the Krishna Temple. Elevated on a 15 acre plot, standing 50 feet high with a 25' diameter main dome, 12 surrounding domes, 108 arches and columns, sculptures and murals, the temple is a sight to see. It's especially impressive when carpeting the surrounding grounds, the upper tier of the temple, every staircase, all around the fountain, flooding the amphitheater, spilling into the parking lot with some still marching there, were thousands of people, pouring in to gather round, toss powdered colors and celebrate Holi.

Holi, The Festival of Colors, is a traditional Indian holiday that marks the burning of an evil Hindu demoness named Holika thousands of years ago.

Spanish Fork houses the biggest Holi celebration in the U.S. where people from California, Nevada, Texas even the U.K. and China came to celebrate. Though it's open to all and requires no admission fee, the chalk, your ammunition, is $5 for three packs. Food and souvenirs are also not free. However, nothing is pricey and the memories are priceless.

People of all nationalities, creeds and religions came to join the festival. There were two celebrations, one at noon and one at 4:00 p.m. with the temple boasting dance, mantra, cuisine, music and a bonfire. With a crowd of over 10,000 last year, the national following, especially among young college students, festival coordinators and church members wanted to kick things up a notch. They decided to upgrade everything, provide more parking and especially more colors. For, Holi, The Festival of Colors is like the name sounds, a festival of lots and lots of colors.

This year, the number of excited, eager Holi goers doubled, with a crowd of 20,000.

Event coordinator and temple priest, Caru Das, said everything went better than planned. Spreading the event into two was very effective as well as providing more parking which cut down on traffic. Though, understandably, there was quite a bit of congestion.

During some points of the festival, there was some very real congestion that had nothing to do with traffic. Even if you try to avoid it, it's almost impossible not to get some chalk in your sinuses. At times, it was impossible to see through the haze of chalk being tossed into the air. Other times, out of nowhere, you'd be pelted by a flash of bright blue or magenta. Sometimes, you'd wade through the crowd and come out painted without ever knowing how or what hit you. No one comes out unscathed. People with the cleanest shirts are attacked with the most ferocity.

"Thank you for forcing me to come; I'm having a blast," Kevin Fivas said to his friend while taking a break from the action.

As Fivas' friend Dustin Ominski of Magna said, it was a beautiful day, no one was at work. He didn't think anyone had room to complain.

On one of the outdoor stages, a band played away, shredding guitars, beat on the drum set and chanted mantras while the crowd of thousands followed. Unlike hymns, mantras are just the names of Gods. However, like saying "Our Father who art in Heaven," repeating a name, like Hare Krishna derives power in just vocalizing it. Saying the name makes for a more intense experience. The crowd called the names in order by heart, jumping up and down to the beat, dancing and even hosting people up to surf along the crowd.

Not one person left without feeling energized, happy and covered head to toe in colors.

Faces were blotted out to become indistinguishable painted masks. Most people wore their splotches of rainbow streaks proudly like battle scars and badges of honor. Most clothes turned the same non-descript russet orange/brown/red mix from the constant assault of powder. Hair was turned tie-dye and people blew out purple into tissues. Getting pegged in the face is almost impossible. Just breathing meant bringing in a rush of dust and powder, sometimes clogging the sinuses and temporarily blinding people.

However, there wasn't a single person who didn't vow they'd recommend this to anyone and everyone. Everyone pledged to come again next year and be ready, armed and waiting.

With the friendly atmosphere, the playful attitude, the delicious smell of samosas and food, the thrumming drums, chanting and bright, vivid colors, Holi is not an event to miss.

"We all arrive different people," Ominski admitted with a smile, "but we leave the same. We're all colored up and ugly."

For more information on Holi as well as other events hosted at the Krishna Temple, visit utahkrishnas.org.