Elephant Parades in Palaces, Meditation Flash Mobs and Spreading Acts of Kindness – The Heartfulness Dasara Event
I was fortunate enough to be invited to the Heartfulness Dasara Event in Mysuru. This event is the first of its kind to take place in Mysuru Ashram and so, not knowing what to expect, I packed a duffle bag and began my journey from the hustle and bustle of Bangalore. From what I learned on our train journey, Mysuru is famous for its Dasara celebrations which had become popularized in the 17th century when the King decreed that it would be celebrated with much pomp and festivity. The tradition has continued to this day and during this time, the Palace is illuminated by 100,000 light bulbs and the entire city is decorated and illuminated with colourful lights.
Dasara celebrates the triumph of good over evil and finds its origins in two stories. In the first story, a powerful demon, Mahishasura, who had meditated unwaveringly for several years had been granted the undefeatable power not to be killed by any man or spirit. He then began to wreak havoc on the world. Because of this boon that he possessed, the Gods Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva could not defeat him, and so they combined their powers and created Shakti in the form of a Goddess Durga and empowered her with their weapons. After a war of 9 days she killed the demon, restoring Dharma to the world. In the second story from the Ramayana, Lord Rama killed Ravana, the 10-headed demon who had abducted his wife, Sita. Lord Rama had been accompanied by his brother Lakshman, his follower Hanuman and the VanaraSena. The literal translations of ‘Dasa’-‘hara’ means ’10 killings’, denoting the killing of the 10-headed demon by Lord Rama.
Next stop was the flower show, where, in the middle of the venue surrounded by all types of plants, trees and flowers we tested our first meditation flash mob. One person would sit in the centre and gradually more of us would file in and join the circle, fanning out like a human flower of cross-legged, silent meditators. With such beauty and bustle around, it must have been an odd sight to see so many people in silence. When the meditation ended, some people were looking at us with interest and curiosity.
Saving the best for last, we arrived at the Mysuru Palace – renown for its elaborate lighting display during Dasara. In the throngs of people, we found some clear areas and again silently conducted another flash mob meditation. This time, several people came and joined the crowd! Afterwards, we spent some time chatting with them about the meditation and Heartfulness organisation. We were treated to a procession of decorated elephants and camels which emerged from the palace entrance before the lighting began. Then slowly, as the daylight began to fade, the lights began to illuminate one-by-one before the palace was completely transformed into a glowing orb of light. Grammy award winning composer and environmentalist, Ricky Kej, played a series of songs inspired my India’s rich environment, all carrying a key message that we must unite to protect Mother Earth and prevent pollution and desecration of the natural environment. When we returned to the ashram, a bonfire was built, and we danced to music in the light of the embers.
The weekend passed in a whirlwind of activity with little time to process. On the way back to Bangalore I pondered over the learnings from the brief time I spent in an army of kindness. It taught me the power of giving. Like in the example of the street vendor gifting the watermelon to the child, when we give wholly and expect nothing in return, it triggers an avalanche of generosity which reverberates even after the act is completed. It also taught me the value of positive action. Like the mother and her child sitting to meditate in the temple, we internalize what we see, and we copy the actions of others. We must lead by example and be courageous enough to light up – first ourselves – and then the way, so that others may follow. And luckily, the way has already been mapped out for us – The Heartfulness Way.
Stories of good triumphing over evil are nothing new and are prevalent in every culture. Customs and traditions of the purging of evil are observed in many forms across the world, momentarily restoring a sense of purification and order to society. By focusing on the external manifestations, we can become distracted and neglect to look inside ourselves. The revolution must start within.
Lastly, a sincere thank you to the Mysuru Youth Team for their wonderful planning and hospitality!