The ashram includes an adult spiritual community (usually with guests in residence), plus a school for 500 or so local children, plus a "hostel" where 40 boys live at the ashram and attend the school. The boys are enthusiastic participants in every aspect of ashram life. They usually dress in various shades of yellow, orange, saffron, and red.... I asked why, since they are not on a track to become monks.... and the answer was "It's what they want, last year we had lots of blue." The usual outfit is a dhoti (wraparound fabric worn by indian men plus a shirt... could be an Indian kurta, or a tshirt, or a polo shirt. (The latter are particular favorites.)
The day begins at dawn at the river. Around 5:15, one of the staff blows the conch, and that's the wakeup call. I did not set a clock... but I did wake up many mornings by 5AM, and head right down for the river. This involved walking down the LONG set of rough-carved steps from the ashram to the landing....alone, in the dark. I used my cane (as you will read in other posts on this blog, we (apparently) don't need no stinkin' handrails.... ) and a flashlight, and just walked very carefully down the long steps. Once on the landing, there was only peace... the sound of the river, and faint sounds of bells and conch as the other ashrams on the river also began waking up. I loved being down at the river to start the day!!!
Around 5:30, I would hear a bit of noise as the boys and staff gathered up at the ashram... then the first round of the Mahamantra would begin...
A bit later, breakfast.... with prayers, of course... and with a number of enthusiastic rounds of Hare Krishna.
After dinner, arati at the Shiva temple... in arati, the devotees offer light to the deity, and receive that light in return. (I just spent some time searching for a video to show you this lovely ceremony, but no luck so far. The best videos are of the massive aratis at the Ganges.... with a large number of priests and enormous lights.. which is not exactly typical of a daily arati!) So the pujari offers light to the deity, while the gathered devotees sing the evening arati.
This image (from Google) gives a somewhat more realistic view of what an "everyday" arati might look like!
At the ashram, the evening arati was for Shiva. At the end of the ceremony, the pujari (leading the ceremony) hands the arati candles to one of the boys, who carefully turns and leaves the temple, taking the light out into the gathered devotees. The light is offered to each person... and each holds his or her hands right over the flames, then draws that light back across the face and hair. As the boy completes his rounds, two other boys are picking up the drum and the portable harmonium for... that's right, one more rousing round of Hare Krishna. The gathered boys and devotees walk around in front of the temple several times, for the first few rounds... while individuals take a moment to bow at the temple. Then the tempo picks up, and the boys lead everyone around the ashram, ending the day as they had begun the day....now ending the day with prayer and Hare Krishna at each altar.
Then into the kirtan room, where bhajans and kirtan are sung for about two hours.... including just a few more rounds of the Mahamantra.
The ashram at Omkareshwar is not related to ISKCON, and not even particularly dedicated to Lord Krishna... but the Hare Krishna mantra is the heartbeat of the ashram.... every morning, every meal, every evening, every single day.
Hare Krishna!
The day begins at dawn at the river. Around 5:15, one of the staff blows the conch, and that's the wakeup call. I did not set a clock... but I did wake up many mornings by 5AM, and head right down for the river. This involved walking down the LONG set of rough-carved steps from the ashram to the landing....alone, in the dark. I used my cane (as you will read in other posts on this blog, we (apparently) don't need no stinkin' handrails.... ) and a flashlight, and just walked very carefully down the long steps. Once on the landing, there was only peace... the sound of the river, and faint sounds of bells and conch as the other ashrams on the river also began waking up. I loved being down at the river to start the day!!!
Around 5:30, I would hear a bit of noise as the boys and staff gathered up at the ashram... then the first round of the Mahamantra would begin...
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa
kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma
rāma rāma hare hareThe mantra would quickly pick up both speed and volume, and within minutes, there would be a cascade of boys heading down the steps, chanting Hare Krishna at full volume and from the fullness of their little hearts. (I got a kick out of seeing them pouring down the steps in the dark... the very same steps I had transversed one-careful-step-at-a-time just moments before.) Once they reached the landing, the swami would end the chant and lead them through morning prayer.... and then, with a swoosh of breath and energy, the boys would move back into Hare Krishna, and pour back up the stairs to offer morning worship at the other ashram sites.
A bit later, breakfast.... with prayers, of course... and with a number of enthusiastic rounds of Hare Krishna.
After dinner, arati at the Shiva temple... in arati, the devotees offer light to the deity, and receive that light in return. (I just spent some time searching for a video to show you this lovely ceremony, but no luck so far. The best videos are of the massive aratis at the Ganges.... with a large number of priests and enormous lights.. which is not exactly typical of a daily arati!) So the pujari offers light to the deity, while the gathered devotees sing the evening arati.
This image (from Google) gives a somewhat more realistic view of what an "everyday" arati might look like!
At the ashram, the evening arati was for Shiva. At the end of the ceremony, the pujari (leading the ceremony) hands the arati candles to one of the boys, who carefully turns and leaves the temple, taking the light out into the gathered devotees. The light is offered to each person... and each holds his or her hands right over the flames, then draws that light back across the face and hair. As the boy completes his rounds, two other boys are picking up the drum and the portable harmonium for... that's right, one more rousing round of Hare Krishna. The gathered boys and devotees walk around in front of the temple several times, for the first few rounds... while individuals take a moment to bow at the temple. Then the tempo picks up, and the boys lead everyone around the ashram, ending the day as they had begun the day....now ending the day with prayer and Hare Krishna at each altar.
Then into the kirtan room, where bhajans and kirtan are sung for about two hours.... including just a few more rounds of the Mahamantra.
The ashram at Omkareshwar is not related to ISKCON, and not even particularly dedicated to Lord Krishna... but the Hare Krishna mantra is the heartbeat of the ashram.... every morning, every meal, every evening, every single day.
Hare Krishna!
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