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| Devotees gather outside 7 Bury Place at the start of a special Harinam to celebrate the 42nd anniversary of Srila Prabhupada's Arrival in London |
On Saturday 10th September, almost forty initiated disciples of Srila
Prabhupada, along with up to 80 others (many who had chanted and
rendered service together in ISKCON's formative 1970's era) assembled
outside 7 Bury Place, Bloomsbury, London, the site of the first UK
ISKCON temple established by Srila Prabhupada on 14th September 1969.
With
a palpable sense of anticipation the devotees, some of whom hadn't seen
each other for over 30 years, proceeded to chant and dance along Oxford
Street and then on through other parts of the West End, stopping in
Cambridge Circus where they drew a huge crowd of smiling (and sometimes
dancing) members of the public. Most of them seemed already familiar
with the sight of blissful devotees, but not so accustomed to such a
large assembly from the senior generation!
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| 38 formally initiated disciples of Srila Prabhupada together with about 80 other Vaisnavas performing Harinam on Oxford Street |
After
a vibrant and sometimes tearful kirtan outside the Palace Theatre, the
party continued to the Soho Street Temple for arati. Most of the group
then returned to Bhaktivedanta Manor to enjoy a ‘70's style' feast,
followed by exquisite film footage of Srila Prabhupada in the UK
compiled by Mohan das.
Many
were visibly moved by this rare opportunity to reunite and chant
together again in the intimate family mood created by their eternal
spiritual father, Srila Prabhupada.
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| Blissful disciples of Srila Prabhupada performing Harinam on Oxford Street |
