My holiday in pictures (dial-up and extreme religiosity WARNING)

[billyskank]

At first, I spent the weekend at my uncle Chris' house. This is he:



This is his wife, Chandra:



I met two of my friends at the airport. That is Pradyumna Misra das on the left, and Pitambara das on the right:



Paderborn airport is very small:



(I would see rather more of this place than I wished when trying to leave).





This was the venue:



Another part of the venue. This picture was taken at dusk, after I had figured out how to set the sensitivity on my camera:



I have no idea who this bogus person is:



This was the main hall:



The main deities on the altar, Gaura and Nitai:



More deities, these are mostly owned by various devotees attending the festival. There were a great many deities on the altar.



Hmmm. There he is again!



This is my Guru. We call him "Srila Gurudeva":



Gaura Arati:



A swinging kirtan:



This was my accommodation:



Devotees chanting gayatri, bright and early after Mangala Arati:

[Call Me Wesley]

1. Great pics!

Thanks for sharing! :hi: Especially the ones from the "bogus" guy. He looks very calm and centered. ;)

[billyskank]

3. Calm and centred, hey?

You wouldn't believe, dude, really. :hi:

[Call Me Wesley]

5. Oh no!

You mean it was all 'posing' for the picture? I don't believe that. ;)

[billyskank]

6. It is very easy to present a good front to the world

However, what is going on inside, that is what matters. :)

There are so many bogus "saints" in India who have no spiritual qualification at all, but are very good at acting religious for the purpose of exploiting others.

[Arger68]

13. Sounds a lot like certain persons

here in the US!!

[billyskank]

14. Indeed so

:hi:

[XemaSab]

2. Looks like you had a good time!

:hi:

[billyskank]

4. It was a good festival!

:hi:

[In_The_Wind]

7. I'm glad I'm at my main computer and can see all of your pictures!

Welcome home! :loveya:

[billyskank]

8. Thankyou Joani!

:hug: :loveya: :hi:

[miss_american_pie]

9. Thank you

The pictures of the festival are quite moving. :hi:

[billyskank]

10. You are welcome!

I am glad you liked them. :hi:

[ScreamingMeemie]

11. Great pictures, billy! Your Aunt really looks like she loves having

her picture taken. :)

Thank you for sharing those. I hope it was a wonderful experience for you. :hug:

***You are still as handsome as ever.

[billyskank]

12. Thankyou MrsG

:blush:


:hug:

[progmom]

15. hey gorgeous!

Looks like you had a great vacation. I'm happy for you! :loveya:

[billyskank]

17. Thanks progmom!

:loveya: :hug:

:hi:

[Mutley]

16. Looks like it was fun!

Wonderful pics, billy!

:hug:

[billyskank]

18. Thanks mutley

:hug:

[johnnie]

19. Very cool Billy

Thanks for sharing these. What was this festival? I have tried my best to practice Eastern philosophies through the years, but I fall away here and there. I was just wondering exactly what branch this was.

[billyskank]

20. Thanks johnnie

We are Hare Krishnas. We call ourselves "Gaudiya Vaisnavas," and, to be most specific, we are trying to be in the "Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya." (Sampradaya means "disciplic succession"). We try to follow religious practices that have been followed in India since ancient times.
:hi:

[johnnie]

21. Thanks

I've not studied much of that, but I have read a bit about Hinduism. I am guessing that they are a branch of or an off-shoot of Hinduism?

[billyskank]

22. The short answer: yes, we are Hindus

I say "short answer" because in fact this is an extremely complicated subject. :)

[Shell Beau]

23. Hey billy!!!!

:bounce: :hug: :) :bounce:

Love your pics!! Hope you had a wonderful time!!!

[billyskank]

24. !!!

:bounce:

:hi:

:hug: :loveya:

:7

[Shell Beau]

25. Long time no see!!

:woohoo: Good to hear from you!! :woohoo:

[billyskank]

26. I missed you, babe

I know you are away from here because you have to be, but it really, really sucks. I hope you can come back to us full time soon. :hug:

:*

[Shell Beau]

27. Me too! I will always make sure to drop in and say

"hey" until I can be on here more often! :)

[billyskank]

28. And reinstate the hamster!

You don't look right without it!! :P

[Shell Beau]

29. Good idea!!!

:)

[billyskank]

31. YAY!!!

:loveya:

[Shell Beau]

33. Yay!! The hamster's back!!!

:bounce:

[merh]

30. I am so glad I am on the better internet connection

so that I could see these. Thanks billyskank for sharing.

I'm particularily fond of this guy

What a cutie! :hug:

:loveya:

[billyskank]

32. *blush*

Thanks merh! :hug:

[merh]

34. Glad you had a good visit

but happier still that you have come home to us. :hug:

[LaraMN]

35. Very neat and quite beautiful!

Your sweet lil' bald head's even cute in a robey-thing! :loveya: :hi:

[billyskank]

36. Why thank you!

:loveya:

What I am wearing around my waist and legs is called a dhoti, which is basically a big sheet, wrapped around in a cunning fashion. On my body I am wearing a kurta, which is like a shirt only without a collar or cuffs.