Festival of India -- A Tour Along the Baltic Sea Coast -- Poland

So we first came to Poland with Indrajundu Maharaj about 15 years ago. It was just at the end of the communist era and we planned to visit for about two weeks. We came and the devotees organized some what they called open programs. In those days there were closed programs that were just for devotees in the communist times and then there were open programs which were public programs.

In those days, the people didn't have much sense gratification and they hadn't had much contact with the West. And so they were very interested in anything new that was coming into the country. The people of that time were very, very simple, eager and ready to participate almost on any level. The Maharaj was so inspired by that response. the devotees were excited by the response of the people and so they offered that Maharaj if you stay a little longer we can organize more such festivals we traveled with about 10 or 12 devotees in a couple of cars other devotees were hitchhiking or catching trains to follow the tour and it was very very exciting for everyone who was involved and that was the beginning of the summer tour that was the first summer tour Now, we do six festivals a week.

We'll do Harinam a couple of days before, during the morning hours, and in the evening we will be doing the festival. About 65 devotees going out every day, on the beaches, throughout the coastal towns of Poland. And the reaction of the people is what actually gives the devotees the enthusiasm to go out every day for four or five hours a day. When people see the devotees they're always happy.

I think it's very natural. When people see someone happy, then they become happy. Being here is a little preview of a festival we're going to have this evening, tomorrow and the next day here in Povirovo. Festival of India.

This is a family festival. Toj jest festival dla całej rodziny. And it's completely free. I jest całkowicie za darmo.

Dziękujemy bardzo. Let your sister breathe. Think about your run for the pride Fight the hate you find there Live life to be gentle Live your days in prayer Village of faces Village of people Now all the programs and the summer tour are open air events Means we'll set up in a city square or in an open field The stage is like a heart of the whole festival starts here, everything goes there and that's the main purpose and the main life of our festival. We've been cooperating with the Nateshwar Dance Academy in Durban, South Africa and so each year we get five, six, even up to eight dancers from South Africa.

They are Hindu by birth, but being with devotee is something special for them. One of the Polish word that they know by heart by now is zdjęcie that means photos. During the whole festival, they are dancing, dancing and dancing. And in their free time, they are always harassed by Polish people to take a photo.

They are really nice and we cannot imagine the show without them. They are like our Indian jewels, who are showing that our festival of India is really Indian. Martial art performance is one of the best act during the whole festivals. Gurudeva's vision for the festival is that it's festival for the families, for the kids and their parents.

We have a Lilamrita puppet theatre. This was developed by devotees from Ekaterinburg in Russia. This Lilamrita puppet theatre is depicting Krishna's Vrindavan pastimes. So we have Krishna stealing butter with his friends. friends you can never see La Merida the same every day it's different it's more spectacular puppet theater has 20 puppets that differs so much one of them is like 20 centimeters big one is 7 meters long when Trina Varda appears on the stage people are screaming kids are hiding under the benches because they they are so afraid of that big, impressive demon.

Rila Mrita is very nice, but it wouldn't be so nice if we wouldn't have that great cooperative mood amongst devotees who are producing it. This is the first time that I've ever attended the festival here in Poland and I can say that of all of the festivals that I've attended since I've been a devotee, since 1972, this is by far the most ecstatic of all. The festival is a wonderful cultural thing. They never see so much color, so much activity, so much life, they never see that anywhere.

I'm doing the service of astrology. It's one of the branches of the Vedas, can be utilized to bring people closer to Krishna, by make them understand their nature, their karma, what is time. I explain to them how meat eating is a great impediment for happiness, how happiness cannot be obtained without peace and how peace is only attained by controlling the mind and the senses. Compared to what we were doing 10-15 years ago, our festival is so much more dynamic, sophisticated, professional and effective in reaching large masses of people.

Siam Dance, the very touching story of fallen soul, is really beautiful and it's professionally done. The music was written and sung by world-famous Gaurangi and the whole choreography was done by Gopakishori. We have so many entertainment for the kids. One of the best for them is Nandalal. and it's amazing how you can observe how their personality, how their lives are developing after meeting with Hare Krishna movement and our spiritual festival.

We have so many attractive things on our festival, we have dance, we have theaters we have concerts we have beautiful girls but what is the essence of all of this what is the peak point everybody knows it's indradiumna maharaj going on stage and speaking straight philosophy who am i kim yes where have i come from what is the goal of life From the political point of view, from the legal situation, we are not allowed to speak openly about Krishna, we are not allowed to expose ourselves as spiritual movement, we are not allowed to be devotees. Real progress in human life means to that degree that you understand your spiritual personality, the personality of the Supreme Soul, God, and your intimate, loving relationship with Him. This is real progress. He is going bravely on the stage and with big courage he is carrying Bhagavad Gita in one hand, teaching people how to chant the holy name of Krishna.

Thank you very much. Every year we want to add something to that ancient story of Princess Sita, of King Ramachandra and cruel Ravana. Actors wear these larger-than-life masks and we took up this idea because we get such big crowds, two to three to five thousand people, even more sometimes, and with the masks people that are even far from the stage they can see what is going on and it's very, very attractive. Dear Lord, don't kill me!

I saved some money, I hitchhiked to Poland and I came and I was amazed how big the festival was there. I've been asked first time to do it in 1999, to play Ravana, the main demon. And it feels like you know being inside the space suit without the air-conditioned system Oh, I can't wait to get out and I was so confused Didn't do what didn't know what to do then after the play so many devotees walked up to me and they chastised me You know for playing it, you know, like it was so badly and I complained to the lady who was playing Ravana's witch sister Shurpanaka And she told me no, no, no. No, these are the best parts.

So when you go out on the stage So just let it all go out. All this greed, lust, envy, frustration. Let it come out in the character of Ravana. So I said, well, let me give it a try.

And after the show, the personal servant of Indra Nirmala Maharaj walks up to me and he says, do you know what Maharaj said? He said, this is the best Ravana so far. Wszystko w porządku. The tour everyone is tired, everyone is exhausted, but Gurudev is pushing on, he's fired up.

He's not stopping, and because he's so enthusiastic then we become enthusiastic to carry on right to the end of the tour. We come at 11.30 at night, we wake up at 6. It's so ecstatic to be doing this service. I'm very happy to be here on the tour.

It's such a rare opportunity to serve the Vaishnavas, to participate in unlimited chanting of holy names. The devotees that participate in this tour are devotees from all over the world. We have devotees that come from America and they help with organization and preaching. Devotees that come from England and Croatia, of course from Russia and Ukraine.

This festival has supporters all around the world who are always following the events of the festivals, particularly in Indujuna Maharaja's Diary of a Travelling Preacher. If you imagine hundreds of devotees that we accommodate and transport and feed every day, and then the actual funds that are required to put on the events themselves, it's phenomenal. And so in this regard, we are dependent and we are very appreciative for our supporters all around the world who greatly appreciate the activities that are going on here, successes of these festivals and so they generously support these programs. Haribol, let's go!

I know it's towards the end of the tour now and everyone's a little bit tired, but this is again a golden opportunity for all of us to give people the real nectar. Indran Raj is really the life of the whole tour. Without him, without his enthusiasm, then none of this would happen is actually the thing which binds the whole thing together. One may ask how many leaders today lead a Harnam party on a daily basis like he does.

If he were not here, I don't think all these things would take place. Once he was in 98, he was away for five days. During these five days, the truck broke down, two festivals were cancelled, we had a car accident, you know, so many things. While he's here, everything goes on.

And you know what? He works the hardest. He really gives himself 100% and he's got an amazing capability of inspiring others to give also. I'm eternally grateful to Shalindra Dandaswamy for what he's given me and what he's continuously giving to everybody he comes in contact with.

He's just very, very merciful and very, very giving. I've only learned a few words, but they're from the heart. We've only learned a few words, but they're from the heart. Are you ready?

Thank you very much. Thank you. Actually, Gurudev's mood is always trying to help people. He's always thinking about the welfare of other people.

He's always endeavouring to save people, actually. Srila Gurudeva is very much affectionate towards kids. He loves them so much, he spends lots of time on the tour with them. He sits with them, tells them stories, hugs them, he's like a real loving father for them.

Jindra Durmaraj has this quality of being very compassionate. He has this sincere friendship with them, this sincere desire to give them something valuable. And his devotees, obviously, they have the same mood. Whoever he meets, he's just wanting to help.

All of us are here actually only because of Indra Drona Maharaj. Devotees are coming from all over the world just because of him. All glory is to Indra Drona Maharaj and his disciples. We had one incident in 2001st when we got attacked on the first festival.

A group of people attacked dressed in black and wearing black ski masks chains and baseball bats and iron bars and some devotees ended up in hospital there it has stitches on their heads and everything it appears that there was some decision from higher up that Hare Krishna wasn't to be supported any longer and was to be discredited in fact there were media campaigns against our movement depicting our movement as a dangerous sect there was also pressure put on government officials that would cooperate with our movement. We'll do Harinan on the beach. You could hear people saying sect, sect, sect, which means cult and dangerous cult. Festivals were being cancelled left, right and center.

People were afraid to cooperate with us. At the same time they were curious to know what the sect is all about. By persevering and staying with our mission we were able to write through that period and it appears that we have we're coming through it right now the past couple of years I've noticed that there is less of that sect attitude people have become tired of the propaganda hearing how destructive and dangerous we are but not seeing any evidence and so now we're experiencing a second wave of positive response from the media from from the government officials and the people in general. Now Krishna's blessing us with so much more success.

It's predicting a two-day storm here, but nevertheless we're going ahead with our festival as planned. We're going to pick the ambassador up, nearby airport at about 3 o'clock. He's going to come to Koabje. He's going to meet the mayor.

Together they're going to come, and we're praying by Krishna's grace the rain will hold back or stop at that time. We arrived here in Koobje, very near the festival site, and our worst fears became manifest. It's a continuous rain, and it looks like it's going to last a whole day, maybe until tomorrow. For many years we tried to do a festival here, but we always ran into some obstacle.

City Council wouldn't allow it, they wouldn't give us a spot, they gave this excuse or that excuse. When they heard the Indian ambassador was coming, they agreed to a festival again, but we made the condition we want the best spot in town. So the City Council said, where's that? I said, I want the beach right at the main entrance in front of the main hotel.

Of all the beaches in Poland, this is the most important beach. And although it's raining today, I'm sure people are going to come. And I think the weather will clear up and we'll see a lot of people coming to the festival. These boys have been working all night.

We finished our program yesterday in Povirova at about 9 o'clock. It took them five hours to break down the festival, load up the big semi-trailer. They drove here to Kovje, about a 50 kilometer drive, and around 1 or 2 in the morning they started setting up again. So these boys haven't slept, they've been working all night.

They're good boys and they have a lot of bhakti for Guru and Krishna. So we're very proud of them actually. And they set this whole festival up last night, in the dark, in the rain, so we give them our heartfelt thanks for the work they're doing in spreading Rocha Tena Sankirtan movement. Loading crew, ki!

Set up crew, ki! Tent crew, ki! Sri Krishna Sankirtan Yagya, ki! Goar Premanandi!

Guru Deva, ki! And Gurudeva told the story that during Lord Chaitanya's time when he was out with his Sankirtan party and he saw clouds in the sky, he just took cartels and banged them and the clouds were running away. So he said, by the mercy of Lord Chaitanya, we're going to have perfect weather. And that's exactly what happened.

Everybody witnessed that. We had beautiful, wonderful weather and lots of people came. ambassador of India was very much impressed with the organization and participation of the devotees. The International Society of Krishna Consciousness has done tremendous service in the spread of Indian culture in Poland and other parts of the world and I would not be exaggerating if I say that the people associated with Fun Viva Cultura are real forces behind spread of Indian culture and civilization across Poland. You all are the ambassadors of India here.

Sincerely thank you Madam Davidovska and Mr. Davidovski for all that your foundation has been doing for more than a decade. I also wish to thank Mr. Bienkowski, President of the City for helping the fund Viva Cultura and organizing the events here.

I thank the International Society for Krishna Consciousness for spreading the culture of India. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. All right?

Yes, it's more than all right. I think it's an excellent first tour. It's wonderful because it's very simple and very pure. There's no room for any politics, for any extraneous thought besides fully concentrating on the holy name.

When you're coming from such an intense Krishna conscious atmosphere, you're going back to your everyday life, it's in some sense it's actually such a come down. The tour has given me that intense engagement in Krishna's service which I never found anywhere else it's very enlightening purifying and makes one feel very very Krishna conscious very blissful very happy these festival programs that Indra Dhammaswamy and Sri Pallad are conducting are the greatest gift to the youth all around the world you can find such a revel in festival love the show against all odds you know they said rain rain rain hailstones but it it rained before the festival and then it got nice during the festival and after we went home just as the bus was pulled back into the school the base we started pouring rain again so that had to be Krishna we'd like to invite others to come forward and experience this as well to contact us and join us Whatever service you want to do, if you like cooking, if you like to be a Pujari, if you just like a bit of hard work and you want to put up tents and break down tents, there's something for everybody.

Devotees from all over the world, you build up such deep friendships with them. friends I got here, friends from all over the world. I feel like Lord Gauranga has cut my heart into pieces, and then took one single piece and gave it to one devotee, another one to another, and they just went away, you know, living out their lives with those pieces of my heart, and I do not feel complete. and I feel my heart is just now scattered all over the world. And you know what? It's a beautiful feeling.

Preaching like this is very invigorating. It's purifying, it's invigorating, and it gives one a lot of faith. Your sense of adventure feels totally satisfied. I can see that this festival not only benefits the people of Poland and the devotees who directly participate in these events, but it benefits the whole movement, because hearing of the successes of the festivals, Devotees all around the world become inspired how Krishna consciousness is being spread.

Really the success that people see in this film is due to many many people. All of this credit goes to Indrajumna Maharaj and all of his hard work and all of the hard work of all of the devotees that are working with him. This is only possible due to his pure devotion and love to Srila Prabhupada. Really we can't do it without all the devotees so we welcome all the devotees however they can to come and participate and experience this wonderful world of Krishna consciousness and that way we get a taste of the spiritual world we're all walking is dancing, all talking is singing and there's a festival every day Hare Krishna