Some once-in-a-lifetime events leave an indelible mark on your consciousness altering the remaining course of your life. Two such events in my life were Woodstock and the Kumbha Mela. I was eighteen years old in 1969 when I attended the Woodstock music festival. Although my mind was considerably altered most of the time, I remember much from that wild weekend, including being overwhelmed by the awesome unified spirit and sense of common purpose with the 400,000 people gathered.
I was twenty-three years old in April, 1974, when I went to the Kumbha Mela festival in the holy town of Haridwar in the Himalayas. I was completely blown out of the Ganges by the powerful force of 12,000,000 of the most culturally diverse people in terms of dress, food, customs, rituals and languages converging on this one place, at one time, with one single united purpose: To take a holy bath in the sacred Ganges River during that Kumbha Mela, at what was (according to astrologers) the most auspicious period in the previous 144 years.
Thirty years later, in 2004, I was invited to a spiritual gathering in the little town of Badger, California. Although the Badger Festival is 600 people as compared to the 12,000,000 people of Kumbha Mela or even the 400,000 of Woodstock, the annual event promised something special.
Badger is nestled in the Eastern California hills approximately 2,000 feet above sea level. The festival site features RVs on one side, tents on the other with a couple typical American homes and a pool with children playing all surrounding a large grassy area. There are some small shade tents set up for vendors to offer prasadam, sacred vegetarian food, books on Bhakti Yoga and kirtan DVDs, Indian clothes, jewelry and other treasures. Families gathered on the grass were talking, singing kirtan, playing guitars and dancing with abandon. The festival is a spiritual carnival of happy people engaged in singing, chanting, dancing, meditating, playing and discussing spiritual topics.
Hundreds gathered without rock bands, big recognizable mainstream names or a tributary of the holy river Ganges; instead there were amateur musicians having a good time and a suburban pool for bathing. The main attraction at the Badger Festival is the Heart of a Saint, Srila Bhakti Vedanta Narayan Goswami Maharaja, lovingly addressed as Srila Gurudeva. Srila Gurudeva hails from India and has been practicing Bhatki Yoga throughout all of his ninety years on Earth. His heart radiates more love than the Sun does sunshine. This love enters everyone around him and is reflected back from one person to another in such a sweet and nourishing atmosphere that you feel completely and instantly embraced by it. I had indeed found something special.
Beginning at five A.M., the rotation of singing, chanting and dancing programs are interspersed with spiritual discussions conducted by the leading disciples of Srila Gurudeva. Three vegetarian feasts – morning, noon and night nourish both body and soul accompanied by vendors offering sweets and treats. The true main event, though, is Srila Gurudeva’s discourse every evening.
Around four P.M., everyone gathers under the main shelter, a spacious open air barn with no walls, to sing kirtans and bhajans (spiritual songs in Bengali and Hindi). Around five P.M., Srila Gurudeva presides over the festivities. He calls on singers to perform with guitars, harmoniums, mrdangas and kartals. Some sing folk songs in English with a spiritual message while others sing Bengali or Hindi bhajans accompanied by the electric piano and or harmonium. After several poetry recitations, the discourses begin. The talks are focused on a theme chosen by Srila Gurudeva, who asks everyone (including novices) to be prepared to speak on the topic.
Finally, Srila Gurudeva begins his personal discourse, his message of love, regaling the audience with stories of great devotional sages explaining the detailed intricacies of Bhakti Yoga – in this tradition, the exchange of spiritual love and affection with the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna and each other. He lovingly describes the finer points of the emotional ecstasy experienced between Sri Krishna and his mirror image Srimati Radhika, Sri Krishna’s very soul who springs from his own heart. While speaking, he radiates the loving sentiments of the Lords greatest devotee, Prema Bhakti (ecstatic loving devotion).
In this discourse, Sri Gurudev embodies the Ocean of Spiritual love which washes over the audience drowning them in a sea of spiritual ecstasy. Sometimes, if we are really lucky, Srila Gurudeva cannot control his ecstasy and a tear emanates from his eye and his voice cracks. His uncontrolled ecstasy spreads like electricity throughout the audience as they bathe in a reflection of his transcendental mood and become themselves overwhelmed with spiritual happiness.
Srila Gurudeva ends his discourse and makes his way towards his room. Half the devotees follow him while the other half remain for the grand finale of the evening, the arotika ceremony. The transcendental deity forms of Sri Sri Radha Krishna are offered the five elements of nature, earth, water, fire, air and ether in the form of incense, ghee lamp, conch shell with water, flowers and fans. As the ceremony is conducted, the devotees and guests perform a series of traditional Bengali songs glorifying the divine couple and the recitation of the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra in call-and-response kirtan creating such a grand and electrifying atmosphere that they sing, chant and dance for hours. Another feast of salad, veggies, rice, bread, and beans, along with some confectionary delight is served at the end. Some devotees wander off into smaller groups and singing and chanting they play their guitars, drums, and cymbals around various campfires late into the night. The next day it begins again.
The beauty of the Badger festival is the combination of elements of the Woodstock festival of peace, love and music with the unity and diversity of Khumbha Mela, in a drug-and-alcohol-free and more intimate setting. This is a powerful opportunity to participate with spiritually like-minded persons in an atmosphere of love, affection and joy and associate with a living saint who radiates divine love, Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Goswami Maharaja, Srila Gurudeva. It is one of those once-in-a-lifetime events that will change your life forever.
The 2010 Badger Festival is June 9 through 15. The only price of admission is to surrender your heart. To get the rest of your body in the door you will have to pay a small fee to cover the cost of meals and administration. Register online before May 15 to pay $12.50 a day for adults including meals and $9.50 a day for children under 10 (youngsters under 4 are free). After May 15, it is $16.00 a day for adults and $13.00 for children under 10. This includes three vegetarian meals and a place to pitch your tent, or park your Van or RV. Hotel rooms are additional. For more information, look up upcoming events on: purebhakti.com.
By Bhagarat Maharaj
