|
Devotees celebrate the victory of Lord Rama over the great demon Ravana. Rama, a great king of ancient India, is believed to be an incarnation of Krishna. The center devotee is dressed as Lord Rama, to his left is a devotee dressed as Laxman, Rama's brother and devoted loyal servant, and to his right is Hanuman, the monkey and the greatest servant of Lord Rama personifying selfless service. Together they march to the effigy of Ravana. |
|
In ancient times, there lived the evil King Ravana. Ravana, a 10-headed demon, possessed mystic powers and was infamous for murdering and raping women. Despite his evil ways, he performed austerities, or "tapasya," for 10,000 years because he wished to be God. Every fall, the devotees of New Vrindaban build an effigy of Ravana for the Ram Vijaya festival, which celebrates Rama's victory. |
|
Devotees reenact the battle between Ravana and Lord Krishna, who manifests himself in the form of the great king, Rama. An army of monkeys assist Rama as the great king shoots Ravana with fire-breathing bows and arrows. |
|
Visitors and devotees look on as Ravana burns brilliantly in the dark West Virginian night. The celebration of Rama's victory symbolizes their pure devotion to Krishna and their desire to combat evil. |
|
New Vrindaban devotees cast a lighted Swan boat every weekend on the lake. A symbol of purity, the swan serves as a beautiful boat for Krishna and Radha to ride. |
|
Yoga is used for meditation to bring about inner peace and self realization. Devotee Garanga Kishore teaches visitors the basic Yoga positions. |
|
Male devotees of New Vrindaban shave their head leaving a small lock of hair. This action symbolizes the devotees' surrender to Lord Krishna as their personal God. The males will also wear saffron to symbolize detachment from materialism and attachment to God. |
|
These women began worshipping at 4:30 a.m. Two hours later, they continue their morning at the Palace of Gold and chant to Lord Krishna. |
|
Surrounded by a nationally recognized rose garden, this flowering fountain is found outside the Palace of Gold. These beautiful gardens and fountain are kept to praise Lord Krishna and celebrate his beauty. |
|
The Palace of Gold was built with many spots for devotees to sit and meditate as they worship Lord Krishna. |
|
The Palace of Gold was built in 1979 by the devotees of the community. Nobody that built the palace was skilled in any of the crafts that went into its creation. The Palace was built out of pure devotion and love to Prabhupada, who connects devotees and visitors with Krishna. |
