Another Historic Day

First ever Nama-Sankirtan in Turkey

Today Ramaray Prabhu and the devotees of the Sri Govinda Math Yoga Center accompany Paramahamsa Maharaj and I to the Devran Dinlenme Tesisleri (Devran Recreational Facility), a public park near the Golbasi lake here in Ankara, where we hold the first ever nama-sankirtan in Turkey.

The effect of this congregational chanting of the Lord's holy names on the spectators is electrifying: men, women, and children converge on us from all sides. Some stare; some gape; some take photographs; others film the novel spectacle.

Some spectators clap, and some even sing along with the chant:

hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

One gentleman who is clapping along with us, hands his camera to his wife, walks over to us and squats down in front of the kirtan party, and his wife takes a group photograph of us.

The natives have never seen anything like it: saffron-clad sannyasis accompanied by a group of devotees playing mrdangas (clay drums) and karatals (hand cymbals). As we walk around the park, dogs bark, children run alongside us, and adults stop what they are doing to come over and see what the fuss is all about.

After about twenty minutes, we stop chanting and Krishnendrani Devi Dasi (our interpreter) gives a brief description of the maha mantra, and Ramaray Prabhu hands out business cards and invites all interested persons to come to the Sri Govinda Math Yoga Merkezi (Center) in Cankaya.

All the devotees are exuberant. I think it is safe to say that we caused a sensation — what a remarkable day!