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.
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:
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
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.
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.
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.