Chanting and book tables in the heart of the city

Martin Place

On Monday we were lucky to have Her Grace Radhika Krpa Mataji who was visiting Sydney from Delhi come out on book distribution with us. We were also lucky to get her two friends, along with two devotees from the temple to come with me and my husband. We set up a portable sound system, with two microphones, a nice rug, a harmonium, mrdanga and kartals, and we also set up a book table. We actually have got a regular buskers license from the council so we can legally do this in the city, in all the major shopping and business areas. So we chanted the maha-mantra to all the business people in busy Martin Place, and meanwhile it was non-stop at the book table! So many people came over, and many took books, including $20 Bhagavad Gitas, $30 cookbooks and $25 Krsna posters. It was overwhelming, I would have needed at least a four-arm and four-headed form just to try to keep up with all the people coming to the table and walking past, as it was peak hour lunchtime! Many first canto Srimad Bhagavatams were also sold.

Radhika Krpa Mataji is really inspiring as she is giving classes in the temple and at all the nama hattas about the importance of book distribution, plus she is also coming out on the street with us! At least once a week the Sydney devotees are doing this program in the city, as well as 2 other regular harinamas. Some devotees are doing many days of book distribution. We have been warned by council that we need an extra license for the book table, as regular buskers are only supposed to make music! We are playing the Brhat Mrdanga as well! It is really enlivening that when we follow the formula of prasadam, chanting and book distribution, and when we work as a team, the results are really good! All by Lord Chaitanya's mercy!

P.S. That night on the way home we stopped at a doctor's to make an appointment, and while waiting in the car I jumped out and sold a soft cover Gita to a passer-by. Then I found out it was his first day in Australia, and he had just started college near our temple, so I invited him to the temple restaurant for dinner, and he got in our sankirtan van and came! And we had dinner with HH Janananda Maharaja that night! So he got the mercy! Then he came back to the temple the next day, as did another new guy who also showed up at the temple for the first time just after we got back from the harianama. Thus the power of the sankirtan yajna!

Your Servant

Krsna Rupa Devi Dasi

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