By Yashoda Dulal dasa
For a number of years ISKCON Christchurch in Te Waipounamu (New Zealand’s South Island) has held a combined padayatra with a boat festival. There are two small rivers running through the city, the Avon and Heathcote, that pass by beautiful forested gardens as well as the prominent urban centre, which is always an ideal setting for our colourful festivals. Having undergone earthquake devastation in 2011 the city has been slowly rebuilding, enabling the devotees to hold festivals in newly emerged green and open spaces. Incidentally our Christchurch temple was one of the buildings that required demolishing and has since been rebuilt, gaining new life.
The two moods of the most dynamic arca vigraha in Kali-yuga are always stimulated to interact with the Christchurch public, so the devotees sought to reciprocate with Their desire. Jagannath is Krishna and Lord Chaitanya is Radha-Krishna combined (but predominantly Radha). In the Ratha-yatra festival, it is She who pulls Him to Gundica (Vrindavan) with Her intense separation (surdur prabhasa vipralamba). In another pastime in Vrindavan, during the rasa dance Radha disappears and together She and Krishna run off. The gopis trace Their footsteps in the sand and ultimately it is He who then vanishes, yet again She captivates Him to interact in a secluded private kunj. This is an intense game of hide and seek (vipralamba and sambhoga).
We decided to take advantage of the city’s rivers and newly established walkways to conduct a padayatra and boat festival (nauka bihar) during Easter 2022 for the pleasure of Their Lordships. Our beautiful, large-size Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadra, the Lords of the Universe, were rowed along the Avon on Good Friday by two of Their loyal sevaks while Sri Sri Nitai-Gaurachandra accompanied Them on a tricycle viman along the footpath. Their jubilant servants joyfully danced and sang the Hare Krishna maha mantra alongside Them all.
Two days later on Easter Sunday it was the turn of Nitai-Gaurachandra to be rowed along the Heathcote, the small murtis of Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadra traversing on the tricycle viman on this occasion. Accompanied by seventy local devotees chanting and dancing, the afternoon culminated in the ecstasy of a swing festival for Sri Sri Radha-Kunjabihari in Their private jewelled kunj. Concluding with sumptuous feasting, it was a perfect way to celebrate and honour the yuga avatar and the Lords of the Universe. Jaya Jagannath!
During our festival we played with padayatra, nauka bihar and hindolin (swinging games) to bring out these loving emotions with Their Lordships’ devotees. Walking outside and dancing and singing in harinama sankirtan in a natural environment captivates the perverted reflection of boy-meets-girl fascination in this material world.
Another pastime that can be offered is when Radharani discovers the Lover Boy Krishna with yet another gopi (Viraja) in Goloka Vrindavan. A series of strong exchanges ends with Radharani stealing Krishna’s flute and running off to a forested island. He follows Her in a state of loss and separation to the most-exalted holy dhama of Sridham Mayapur. Yogamaya in her form of Subhadra, as well as Balaram in His personification of the holy dhama, partake in those pastimes. There are rivers with walkways alongside in Navadvipa.
The days on which we held our festival were scheduled to the Christian time of Easter, when Jesus was crucified and resurrected. This sideline feature again exemplified the drama of separation and union in advance of spirituality.
