Monday, April 1st, 2024
North Beach, Durban
Today was the return journey of Lord Jagannatha as us enacted in the town of Puri in Orissa, India. On the past Friday, the first of a four-festival day, three gorgeous chariots were hand-pulled along the ocean side. Gracing these three conveyances are deities of Krishna, Brother Balarama and Sister Subhadra. For a return journey, I was asked to take the lead in singing in front of Subhadra's chariot. I was also assigned to a group of drummers who were poised for a bangra beat. I can indeed play along with them. The challenge was the adjoining mrdunga and djembe players. It's great to be accompanied by the plentiful beats but if they don't play in unified manner then there's problems. Nevertheless, my portion of the lead went relatively well. The drone device flying above must have picked up good insights and sounds. The crowd seem aroused.
The festival in Durban is rather big scale and I'm usually plugged into the large stage. On this final day, however, we have no-performance and therefore, I was slotted for a time with the kids tent. It was requested of me to tell some tales of Krishna or walking tales or both. I settled for the last one highlighting my trekking tales to do with bears, There were close calls with bears, both grizzly and black in British Columbia but it was in Ontario that i was close to being mauled. Details were given.
There I go, talking and thinking about home but the kids liked it. My day began with chanting the great maha-mantra and it finished with it. Thats's a perfect day.
MAY THE SOURCE BE WITH YOU!
4 Km