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The Occident
has always harboured romantic notions of India as well as all things emanating
from it. Western celebrities have been flirting with eastern religions,
philosophies and ways of life-Richard Gere, Madonna, Geri Haliwell ...
the list is long. For Madonna and Haliwell, promoting eastern philosophies
and art was a way to promote their new looks and albums. Madonna, with
her mystical look and hennaed hands in Frozen, made the ancient custom
of India a strong fashion element in the West. In a country obsessed with
looks and weight, former Spice Girl Haliwell changed her shape from that
of a buxom Ginger to a sleek, slim Raining Man girl. She gave all the
credit for her transformation to yoga, spawning a renewed craze for yoga.
 With
time, eastern philosophies have ceased to be as mystical to westerners
as they were in the 1960s and '70s. The '60s counter-culture of drugs,
alternative lifestyles and anti-materialism was a perfect time for anyone
seeking cultural, personal and sexual freedom. Many went to India in search
of spiritual knowledge but few were committed to it. The "grumpy"
Beatle, George Harrison, was perhaps the one who remained committed to
his spiritual quest till the day he died.
| NRI
DIARY |
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 To
the Manor Devoted |
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Gifted by George Harrison to ISKCON in 1973, the Bhaktivedanta
Manor comes under focus again after his death
 In
the midst of the English hills of the Hertfordshire countryside
stands the Bhaktivedanta Manor. A mock Tudor manor house and
a one-time training centre for the nurses of St Bart's hospital,
it is now recognised as the imposing lodgings of the Hare
Krishna devotees. Set in 80 acres of greenery, the Manor is
far more than just a rural idyll. For its inhabitants, and
the thousands of pilgrims who visit it, the Bhaktivedanta
Manor is nothing less than a spiritual haven and a window
to Vrindavan, Lord Krishna's eternal home.
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| AT HOME: Swami Prabhupada (left) with
Harrison and others; in more recent times |
A training centre for devotees entering the priesthood, the
Manor is the only Hindu theological college in Europe, simultaneously
serving as the European headquarters of the International
Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), a movement that
promotes a God-centred way of life based on the precepts of
Krishna consciousness and the Vaishnava cultural tradition,
taught by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
It's a society about which little is understood, making it
the focus of western scepticism; at times, ridicule; and in
some quarters, even contempt.
Perhaps the single most significant factor in abating western
cynicism about the practices of the Hare Krishnas, is its
30-year association with one of the world's most celebrated
icons of popular music, George Harrison, the Beatle who gifted
the Manor to the society in 1973. It was Harrison's absolute
devotion to the Hare Krishna movement throughout his life
which has put the Manor under the spotlight once more, besieged
as it is by the world's media in the light of his untimely
death.
But as Bimal Krishna Das, an analytical chemist turned devotee
who heads the pr, explains, there is no mystery to the movement.
"A lot of people still think this movement is a cult.
That is not true. Hinduism is an umbrella term under which
comes thousands of different schools of thought ... the Hare
Krishna movement falls under one of these categories which
is the Vaishnavas." He explains that the devotees worship
Lord Krishna or Ram as the principal deity.
The Manor currently houses 50 devotees, who operate under
a utilitarian form of self-government. Their day begins at
4.30 and comprises a spiritual programme of meditation, aarti
and lectures on the holy scriptures. Each devotee undertakes
his respective service, be it tending to the Manor's 29 cows,
preparing the meals or working in the pr and educational departments.
And there's the Bhaktivedanta Players, a troupe of semi-professional
actors who stage performances from the religious texts in
the Manor's own theatre, formerly the St Bart's morgue.
The archaic notion of a primitive existence devoid of the
symbols of modernity is quickly dismissed on sight of the
technology that occupies the press room. Das explains: "You'll
find that ISKCON devotees are well connected technology-wise.
We live in this world and we have to utilise what is around
us, but everything is used for the service of Krishna."
He also seeks to set right the misconception that the movement
is rich. "We're not. The place was donated and we rely
entirely on donations."
The revelation of the community's true purpose is awe-inspiring:
absorbing themselves in the teachings of Lord Krishna. The
devotees are mere mortals, and fallible too, but guided by
the lessons of their spiritual founders, they aspire to the
precepts of a higher power in a bid to learn, and teach, the
lessons of humanity that might yet save society from itself.
Poonam Joshi
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Harrison was the impetus for the group's spiritual quest in the 1960s
which took the quartet to India. India and the Beatles have shared a special
relationship ever since. The Liverpool band introduced not just eastern
philosophies but also Indian music to the West.
In 1965, on the set of the Beatles' second film, Help, Harrison discovered
the sitar and soon after, the Beatles recorded the song Norwegian Wood,
making them the first western rock band to use the sitar. Later, Harrison
learned to play the sitar but never quite mastered it.
However, he became an ardent believer in Hinduism. As an ISKCON spokesperson
puts it, "George (Harrison) made Indian mysticism accessible to the
West. He took his spiritual experience and put it in his lyrics and music
and made it accessible to millions."
In his quest for spiritual knowledge, Harrison met Maharishi Mahesh
Yogi and finally became a devotee of Lord Krishna. His My sweet lord is
a tribute to the teachings which he believed "opened this door in
the back of my conscience". He donated large sums of money and a
23-acre site outside London-the Bhaktivedanta Manor-to ISKCON (see accompanying
story). He also incorporated the trademark "Hare Krishna" chants
in his music. The Bhaktivedanta Manor is now a facility used by over 15,000
students from across Britain who come here to learn the teachings of Hinduism.
Harrison's interest in Hinduism spanned further. He took a great interest
in reading the scriptures and eventually contributed to the publication
of a book on ancient Sanskrit literature Srimad Bhagwavatam, Krishna-the
Supreme Spiritual Personality.
Harrison inevitably brings back memories of a time when the West turned
to India for inspiration and enlightenment. Across Britain, people have
mourned the death of the youngest of the Beatles. A book of condolence
has been opened for Harrison at Liverpool Town Hall, where official flags
are flying at half-mast. A council spokesperson said that the family's
wishes would be taken into account before deciding the form of any memorial.
Pupils from Harrison's old school, Dovedale Primary School sang his hit
My sweet lord in Liverpool. During the Changing of The Guard ceremony
at Buckingham Palace, The Coldstream Guards band played a tribute with
a Beatles medley.
The former Beatle, who with his fellow band members John Lennon, Paul
McCartney and Ringo Starr grew up in Liverpool, was just 27 when the band
split in 1970. The group managed to conquer the world musically, achieving
27 number one records in the UK and the US during their career. Harrison
was the quiet one whose love for India and Hinduism never waned. It was
revealed a week after his death that he has left about £20 million
to the Hare Krishna movement. His wife Olivia and son Dhani flew to Varanasi
to immerse Harrison's ashes in the Ganges before scattering them at Allahabad.
Harrison always said, "Everything else can wait, the search for
God cannot." For him, embracing eastern philosophy was not a stunt
to attract media attention but commitment that lasted a lifetime.
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