Holi in Las Vegas
On a recent visit to California I had the opportunity to taste the nectar of sankirtan. During the seven or so days I went out, I felt amazed to see what a great reputation the devotees have. I cannot remember meeting anyone unfavorable; everyone spoke positively about devotees. This is clear testimony to the wonderful service the devotees perform here.
I stayed mostly in LA, though I was invited to join a group heading to Las Vegas to distribute books at the first Holi festival there. After mangala-arati we loaded the books, and I jumped into the van with Sachitanoy for the five-hour drive.
As we passed through the mountainous, scenic desert, the weather gradually worsened. Vegas was completely overcast: cold, windy and rainy. At the festival site, things didn't look good. For the first few hours there were relatively few people there; few books were going out. Resigning myself to a small day, I took shelter of the Krishna book while Sachitanoy dealt with the few persons stopping at our table.
However, as the day continued the weather steadily brightened, and the festival area slowly became busier. By playing some popular mundane music, the devotee bands onstage cleverly attracted the youth to the dance floor. Soon the bands started to weave in transcendental sounds and get the crowd chanting. Before long, many people were vigorously dancing, chanting, and throwing colors. As the sounds became more devotionally surcharged, the flow of people to the book table started increasing. Putting aside my reading, I sprang back into action. Over the next few hours many books went out to sincere, intelligent, young seekers.
A student who had just tried to read a different version of the Gita was delighted to receive our edition. She had started reading an impersonal interpretation, but was so repulsed by its mood that she threw it away. I explained why our edition is authoritative, and she bought it. She happily went home looking forward to her real exploration of the Gita. A young man approached to ask if we had the Gita. He had just lost his copy and was desperate to get a replacement. Giving a nice donation, he departed with a potent BG-&-SSR combination.
Another young person admitted that he felt completely lost and bewildered by his existence. He had just moved to Vegas to start a new life and find life's meaning. We had a nice exchange, and he was delighted to take home a Gita, to propel him forward on his search.
The festival naturally attracted an alternative crowd and some pseudo-spiritual people, so it was wonderful to see many guests leave with real sacred knowledge. As the festival closed, Sachitanoy Prabhu and I counted our stock and were amazed to see that Krishna let us distribute almost a hundred large books. By Lord Caitanya's mercy, it proved to be a “holy festival” indeed.
Nitai Gaura Premanande!
Your servant,
Caitanya Vihara Dasa
