Beach Cleanup

Gets good media coverage

Sripad Avadhut Maharaj, the dynamic leader of our mission in Russia, in his constant search for innovative ways to connect the public to Krishna consciousness and to publicize the presence and activities of the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, has organized an Ecology Week here in Saint Petersburg.

Today's ecological action — cleaning the three-kilometer stretch of beach in the suburb of Lahta, where our beautiful temple is situated, on the shore of the Baltic Sea — has been arranged by Avadhut Maharaj, Vijay Raman Prabhu, Aditi Devi Dasi, and Amrita Mayi Devi Dasi.

Within a few hours, hundreds of devotees fill hundreds of garbage bags with litter strewn on the beach. Two media organizations cover the event, and interview many of the devotees.

One TV reporter asks Srutasrava Prabhu: "Isn't it strange that you come all the way from California to clean this beach in Saint Petersburg?"

Srutasrava Prabhu replies, "No, I welcomed the opportunity," and with his usual droll humor, adds, "And I invite all interested Russians to come to California to help clean our beaches!"

Within a few hours, as far as the eye can see, the beach and the shoreline are restored to its pristine condition, complementing our beautiful temple on the shore of the Baltic Sea.