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A Whole New World: My Adventure at the Hare Krishna Temple

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TempleWhen I came to SMU I had no clue that there was a Hare Krishna temple fifteen minutes away, and I knew very little about what it was all about. The movement was first introduced to America in 1965 by a man named Prabhupada, and it became very popular among the people representing the American counterculture of that time. The Kalachandji temple in Dallas was established in 1972, and the deities were put in place by none other than Prabhupada himself, whom our tour guide Prajapati knew personally. Prajapati was nice enough to show us around the temple, shine light on the beliefs of the Hare Krishnas, and explain how those beliefs are practiced and celebrated.

The temple itself is astounding. The Hare Krishnas believe in awakening the senses, so the sights, smells, and sounds of the room immediately captivate your attention. What I found most interesting about the temple was their emphasis on stories about Krishna and the life that he led. Prajapati told us that the Hare Krishnas focus on having a friendly relationship with Krishna, rather than one of submission. They achieve this by learning about Krishna’s adventures in his younger years. The temple was lined with paintings that represented events from Krishna’s life, and they became even more interesting once we learned the background behind them. My personal favorite was one in which ladies at a dance all wanted the honor of dancing with Krishna, so he simply multiplied himself and danced with all of them at the same time. Another painting highlighted Krishna’s mischievous side, depicting him climbing up to a hanging jar of butter and stealing from it.The Many Dancing Krishnas

These snapshots from Krishna’s life were fascinating to look at, but I was even more amazed to find out how these stories are remembered by the Hare Krishnas today. Throughout the year each of the major stories has a time to be celebrated, and some of Krishna’s favorite pastimes are still practiced today. Krishna’s butter-stealing episode is commemorated in the Dahi Handi, which takes place during Janmashtami, celebrating the day Krishna appeared on Earth. In the Dahi Handi, teams of people group together to form a human pyramid, with one person perched at the top who has to get to the hanging jar of butter. Although the challenge can cause catastrophe, there is usually a prize for the winning team who can open the jar. I thought it was really cool to see how these traditions honor the stories of Krishna, and how they can still be seen in practice.

Through having the opportunity to visit the temple in person I was able to expose myself to a culture and way of thinking that I wasn’t familiar with. I walked in having only read a little background information about their practices, and I wasn’t really sure what to expect. What I found was a very welcoming community that was eager to share their beliefs with me and my classmates. It was an experience different from anything I’ve ever done before, and definitely something that I’m never going to forget.

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