KIRTAN MELA LIVES ON IN OUR HEARTS

... Therefore this is the best among all the places in the universe.
The Krishna consciousness movement has established its center in Māyāpur,
the birthsite of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, to give men the great opportunity
to go there and perform a constant festival of sańkīrtana-yajña,
as recommended herein (yajñeśa-makhāmahotsavāḥ) and to distribute prasāda to millions of hungry people hankering for spiritual emancipation.
This is the mission of the Krishnaconsciousness movement... (SB 6-19-24)

This year, Gaur Purnima 2012 started differently.

The festival started with a kirtan mela. What does that mean? a gathering of kirtans lovers? Extended kirtans? Isn’t it always there? What is the difference? Of course there are going to be kirtans, at Gaur Purnima time specially. What is the difference?

It was special.

The samkalpa, intention, the purpose, the consciousness of the kirtans was different.It was truly a sankirtana-yajna, blessed by our sampradaya. It effects were felt throughout, at least, this planet

CONSCIOUSNESS

Have you ever chanted your rounds more or less mindlessly? I am embarrassed to say I have. It can be drudgery, a painstaking mumbling that never seems to end, a litany of offenses, no taste, only a weak sense of duty dragging the chanter along. Kirtan can be also be like that. It can feel empty, just a nice performance or it can....

Paradoxically, what happens if you chant rounds with the intention of making a connection with Krishna asking Him to hear you, begging for forgiveness or service, or just truly calling out for Him? Is there a difference? This is the difference that was felt during the kirtans mela. Singing for timeless, eternal moments from heart to Consciousness, from soul to Krishna, calling out in unison, thousands together with complete disregard for aching knees, tired bodies, social decorum, good voice, bad voice… total abandon.


The leading kirtaniyas, assuming their roles to not only lead a melody but to bring about a mood, shared their intention to connect, to offer the chanting to Krishna. From time to time, some would remind us, “chant from your heart… Louder, everybody…from the heart, more heart….” We appreciated the guidance and reciprocated with our full presence. Full presence.

A hall full of devotees, no prajalpa, no blah blah blah, just chanting, clapping, dancing welcoming Krishna to touch our consciousness.

KIRTAN RELATIONSHIP

In relationships there are two. In kirtans, there are many twos: me with Krishna, you with Krishna, he with Krishna, she with Krishna etc…. Sort of like in the rasa dance, everyone being alone with Krishna, in a unique and exclusive relationship, while all being together. Krishna is there, present in His Name, He is His Name looking for an excuse to re-unite with us. Jiva Goswami describes Krishna as thinking in the following way when he hears the devotee chant: “He called My Name, he is mine, let me take care…” This is exemplified in the story of Ajamila. Ajamila did not even call out to Krishna, he simply caled out "Narayana" his son's name, without thinking and also without offense, yet He choose to hear it as a plea for His mercy and attention. Krishna is ready to take over our lives, all we have to do is to abandon our will to His, not only during the kirtans but for the rest of our existence.

“0 Lord, I am just like a puppet in Your hands. So if You have brought me here to dance, then make me dance, make me dance, 0 Lord, make me dance as You like. I have no devotion, nor do I have any knowledge, but I have strong faith in the holy name of Krishna.”
(Srila Prabhupada upon his arrival to the US in 1965)

Oh Krishna, do make me dance. I also want to be your puppet. Please disregard my flaws and fan my desire to return to your service. Not even a blade of grass moves without your will, please take this lowly, lower than a piece of grass soul and engage her in the service of your Name eternally. 

Friends had asked me, “if you are working on organizing the event you will not be able to attend all the time, I couldn’t do that. You will miss out on the kirtans.” Somewhow it was not my concern and now I can firmly say that serving the Kirtan Mela IS being in the Kirtans Mela. Whenever I would enter the kirtan hall, it was as though I had been there for hours non-stop. Even if I had to reply or send a text regarding mela administration on my cell phone in between mantras, it felt like chanting. It was the best service opportunity, Krishna ever gave me. Thank you Krishna. When I left midday for refreshments, I would curse the moments it took me to return, wishing I could fly from one location to the other.

What others are saying lately:

Antardwip das prabhu

 “Kirtan Mela changed my whole experience of Mayapur festival. Whenever I would go into the Kirtan Hall, I would come out completely refreshed and relaxed no matter what sort of admin challenges I had to deal with. It was like a non-stop cleansing parlor on the Mayapur campus.” – (Antardwip prabhu, Mayapur TV project manager)

Mahamaya devi dasi

“It was so nice for local devotees to be able to be part of such an event.” – (humble prabhu from the treasury office)

“…Kirtan Mela is what Mayapur Festival should always be. Now I have a problem, I have the recordings of Kirtan Mela, and sing along, both with the leaders and chorus, can’t stop. I find it hard to stop a kirtan even to go to bed… it is the way the kirtans leaders really try to include everyone, it is not between the singer and Krishna it is between everyone and Krishna, not a performance.” – (Mahamaya dd, senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada)

(see KirtanMela.org for more feed-backs or to order audio files of the event)

POST MELA

Last Sunday, more than 3 weeks after the Mela ended, I participated in a kirtan in a private home. It was ecstatic, we kept chanting till 10:30 pm, even the allurement of the prasadam waiting, variety of ripe fresh seasonal fruits, nuts and other ekadasi specials, could not interfere with our enthusiasm. One kirtan leader after the other, chanting with all their attention focused on the Lord, and the chorus following both the mood and the melodies. As I entered the prasadam room, one god-brother said to me: "Tonight you have brought back the mela." I was dumb struck and overwhelmed with the responsibility. "I brought back the mela!" It made me think. "Is the mela back or is it that it has not and will not leave us. How can anyone think that I can bring the mela back?

... there is no love without free will...

The mela mood, feeling is for each one of us to keep alive in our heart, no one can do it for us anymore than anyone can chant our rounds for us. No one can impose on another a consciousness, love is a matter of choice, there is no love without free will...

Whenever we chant with our heart, that same feeling we were guided to discover, to ignite, to call upon during the mela will return burning our anarthas and fostering our attachment to Krishna and His Name. It is Krishna’s will. It is the power of His Names. All we need is little faith that this sankirtan movement will indeed be glorious,

Param vijayate Sri Krishna sankirtanam!

“I do not know how much nectar the two syllables Krs-na have produced. When the holy name of Krishna is chanted, it appears to dance within the mouth. We then desire many, many mouths. When that name enters the holes of the ears, we desire many millions of ears. And when the holy name dances in the courtyard of the heart, it conquers the activities of the mind, and therefore all the senses become inert. “ – Vidaghda-madhava 1.15 by Rupa Goswami cited in CC Antyalila 1.99

Slowly walking towards unending service and love for Krishna, this servant of a servant prays to one day serve the lotus feet of the servants of Krishna's Vrndavan maid servants.
gopi bhartur padakamalayor dasa dasanudasa