Chant Krishna, be happy

Devotees of Hare Krishna, including 200 in Columbus, are drawn by melodic chanting, peaceful approach to all beings

Friday, July 18, 2008 3:18 AM
By Sarah Pulliam | Photos by Chris Russell
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. -- Sujoy Bhowmik lives in two worlds.

On most days, he is a pharmacist at a CVS in Columbus. Other days, he is Narottama Das, a devotee of Hare Krishna, who finds peace in West Virginia at the Palace of Gold.

Once a religion whose members gave their life to the movement, the Hare Krishnas today welcome the most devoted people and the casual follower. In the 1970s, many of the members lived in communes. Now many, like Bhowmik, have careers and live outside the movement but are still devoted to their religion.

The West Virginia temple, called New Vrindaban, is a place to focus on Krishna and leave the outside world behind.

"We're all trying to become more conscious -- conscious of Krishna," said Bhowmik, 32. " 'Always remember Krishna and never forget him' is what we're all working toward."

Devotees are initiated and study under a guru. Other people are followers of the religion but do not take vows or go through initiation.

Like many of the devotees, Bhowmik grew up in a Hindu family but was later introduced to the Hare Krishna movement, which is a branch of Hinduism more formally known as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. While in college, Bhowmik visited a Hare Krishna temple in Dallas and was fascinated by the chanting. He made up his mind to live a more serious lifestyle as a devotee.

In June, during one of New Vrindaban's many festivals, Bhowmik and other devotees gathered in a temple down the road from the Palace of Gold and took turns chanting, clapping and dancing for 24 hours. Families trickled in, kicking off their Crocs, flip-flops and tennis shoes before entering the service.

He is one of 200 Hare Krishna devotees in Columbus, up from 75 two years ago.

The group has a small but public presence in the city. Each month, devotees chant in the streets during the city's Gallery Hop, and at last month's ComFest, they passed out 1,000 cookies. Although they are trying to recruit members, Nityo Dasa, co-founder of the West Virginia temple, said the group in Columbus has become much more focused on its current devotees.

The Columbus group gathers for services on Thursday and Sunday, mostly to welcome people new to the religion. Unlike the men in West Virginia, most of the male devotees in Columbus do not shave their heads, and many of them wear polo shirts and khakis instead of traditional Indian clothing. Most of the women, on the other hand, wear traditional Indian saris in the services.

The Columbus temple is a small, brick house with peach trim at 379 W. 8th Ave. The only thing that sets it apart is the Ohio Historical Society landmark in front of the house, dating the temple's beginning to 1968.

Two devotees live in the house, where people go to perform rituals every day.

In one room, the temple houses the deities, doll-like statues dressed in ornate clothing that devotees believe are a manifestation of Hare Krishna. The devotees "wake" the deities at 4:30 a.m. by chanting and putting a plate of breakfast in front of them. They then put them to sleep at 9 p.m. by chanting again and putting cookies and milk in front of them.

Joshua Bruner, 24, is a new convert who lives in the temple. Unlike most of the devotees, Bruner is not of Indian descent, had little exposure to Hinduism and was an agnostic before he met a traveling monk three years ago at Columbus College of Art and Design.

The monk showed him a verse in the Bhagavad Gita that says, "One who knows me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices ... and the benefactor and well wisher of all living entities, he attains peace from material miseries."

The phrase "all living entities" stood out to Bruner, and he found that following Hare Krishna allowed him to help others.

"It puts me in touch with someone who is able to help every living entity," Bruner said. "Now, I am able to request the Lord to please help them."

Bruner was initiated about a year ago, when he committed himself to studying under a guru, a spiritual master, who gave him a Sanskrit name, Jagannatha Dasa.

The blue-eyed devotee shaved his head except for a tuft of blond hair, and he dresses in traditional Indian style.

Some Krishna followers believe that long hair is prideful, and the tuft of hair allows Hare Krishna to pull them from a crowd.

Bruner also took four vows: He does not eat meat, including fish and eggs. He does not ingest intoxicants, such as caffeine, alcohol or nicotine. He does not gamble. He does not engage in sexual activity except to procreate within marriage.

hands kartals

Plate

Naveen

crowd

Some are moved to dance during the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra.

Naveen Krishna Das and son Narahari Das, 6, of Columbus, chant together at the New Vrindaban temple in West Virginia. Hare Krishna followers in Columbus have a temple at 379 W. 8th Ave.

Gifts and food are offered to the gods during the 24-hour kirtan, or group chant.

Pilgrims add the sound of their cymbals to the music to increase the power of the group chant.

Hare Krishna practices
After initiation, devotees of Hare Krishna generally take on a new lifestyle. These are some of the changes they make:

Devotees do not consume caffeine, nicotine or alcohol to keep their minds clear to concentrate on spiritual goals.
Men shave their heads to symbolize renunciation of the material life and dedication to a spiritual life. They leave a small tuft of hair in the back to distinguish them from others who shave their heads, such as Buddhists. Some devotees believe Hare Krishna can use that tuft of hair to pull them from a crowd.
Followers mark their forehead with clay, marking them as devotees of Krishna. The men wear dhotis (robes) and kurtas (shirts), and women wear saris and cholis (blouses).
Devotees are given names from Sanskrit, the language of the Vedic tradition, by a spiritual master during initiation. The devotees use Sanskrit for most of their formal prayers and songs.
They consider the cow sacred as a mother to human society because she provides nourishment in the form of milk. They are vegetarian, because they believe animals have souls.
Before they enter a temple, they bow their heads to the floor as a sign of submission and humility before God.

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