FOR THE EYES & NOSE

Saturday, February 11th, 2023

Mayapura, West Bengal, India

What are the sights in Mayapura?

Number one on the list are the deities, of course. The crowds are drawn to the major presiding deities of Krishna in the forms of Radha Madhava, gorgeously adorned every day. In the adjoining room is the hall for Pancha Tattva, the five forms of Krishna for Kali Yuga, this age of darkness.

There’s nothing dark about Mayapura, set aside the usual village dynamics. Gossip is everywhere on all fronts with people anywhere in the world. Nevertheless, you will see doves, cuckoos, monkeys, and hundreds of species of plants and flowers. Fog is thick, so mist becomes so obvious when walking through to only reveal white dots amidst the green. They are the coriander flowers. Shiny waters from the rice paddy fields also pierce through. And from the kadambha trees, our feet meet their deposits on the floor – dark brown pods that resemble our North American black walnuts. They do squish under our feet.

THE GRAND TOVP ROOM WHERE WE WILL PERFORM

What about smells?

Well, apart from the fragrant foliage so sweet at dusk and dawn, you get the aromatic jeera, cumin seeds freshly roasted, coming out from the Samadhi kitchen near where we practice in the morning and afternoon. We do have to contend with the fresh paint brushed onto the panels for our backdrop. That is a bit of a tapasya, austerity, but we are accustomed to that type of welcome inconvenience.

Anything to prepare ourselves for when nature imposes its own roughness. Yes, we need to prepare for the tests of life.

MAY THE SOURCE BE WITH YOU!

5 km