The Krsna Balarama Youth Group (KBYG) has pleasure to invite you to our 5th Annual Festival of Chariots – Chant for Change which takes place on the 26th August 2012 from 09h30 at the Old Parktonian Grounds in Randburg.
Krsna is a Sanskrit word for All Attractive and Balarama is the Sanskrit word for Power of Joy/Bliss. We have chosen the Sanskrit language for the name because it’s an ancient language of India, serving as the root of contemporary Asian and European languages. Each sound vibrates sympathetically with an object or concept to which it refers. KBYG’s objective is to attract everyone to culminate and collectively celebrate the power of Joy/Bliss by knowledge sharing and culture of heart sharing.
About KBYG
The Krsna Balarama Youth Group (KBYG) is a registered division under the International Society of Krsna Consciousness (ISKCON), established in 1966. We are a group of motivated, inspired individuals who meet on a weekly basis to tackle relevant issues confronting youth and society through higher consciousness philosophy. Our objective has its roots in exploring and expressing our original collective position, that being our relationship with God and spirituality, and extends to our personal relationships and to our social responsibilities. KBYG caters to a diverse group of people from different racial and cultural backgrounds that are committed to strengthening their spiritual life, leading a healthy lifestyle and giving back to the community.
Every month KBYG engages in Food for Life; food distribution to the underprivileged, disadvantaged and homeless. Feeding schemes have always been part of our culture and is one of the simplest and most effective community services. We distribute books, blankets and clothes to child abuse shelters, informal settlements and elderly care centres.
Being Youth centred…
Responsible leadership and a collective effort are necessary to change the current attitude and behaviour for a harmonious and morally upright society. Through positive engagement and guidance, there is evidence to prove that youth can become ‘successors in change’ if they are provided with the right resources (tools and skills) and the opportunity to grow into responsible leaders; building their character. Many youth (both privileged and under privileged) share similar needs; to be loved, educated, successful in their career endeavours, have a nurturing family life, a sense of self worth, to be healthy and to be accepted. By empowering the youth through life skills programmes and various other projects KBYG strive to assist the youth to make better decisions in the multiple facets of life.
Overview: Why ‘Chant for Change?’
While South Africa has its diverse and plethora of cultures and traditions, how many of us can say we know much about each other? How much do we know about our similarities, yet we are eager to talk about differences. This Ratra Yatra: Festival of Chariots event is twofold; to share the Vedic Culture (which originates from India and is the oldest known culture to man) and tradition with fellow South Africans to experience this lifestyle and to highlight the need for putting the youth of South Africa at the forefront of change. We understand the world is changing at a rapid pace and many of us are still caught in the wrath of our country’s position around HIV/AIDS, crime, substance abuse, poverty, domestic violence and unemployment. These coupled with the global scarcity of our natural resources are destroying the social fabric of South Africa and are trapping a generation of vulnerable children in a vicious cycle of hopeless existence. Preserving the dignity of youth and investing in their future to promote wellness and prevent illness can begin to break this cycle.
Chant for Change theme, at the Festival of Chariots will create awareness around how the change starts with you and me. A starting point to a positive, sustainable change in any society begins with the change of heart and mind or consciousness. Our spiritual predecessors prescribe for this day and age, the chanting of Maha Mantra which is said to contain potency greater than all of the Veda’s combined. The constant chanting of the Maha Mantra (Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare) allows the soul to connect with the Divine and to realise its original pure consciousness. Once this natural process has begun one is able to take-in, translate and act-upon the world with this positive vibration. We are creating awareness around a positive, healthy lifestyle and encouraging good values to help build a society with good moral fibre and God Consciousness. In our festival we highlight the changes that we wish to see in South Africa through the following avenues
- Change for a higher Consciousness
- Change for simple living and higher thinking
- Change for saving our environment
- Change in attitude and behaviour
- Change for good values and morals (respect, love, appreciation ,acceptance and tolerance)
The Kirtan Story
The musical wing of Bhakti yoga (yoga of devotion), Kirtan, is the 5,000 year-old practice of chanting sacred mantras as a path to spiritual ecstasy. Like its counterparts in Gospel, Qaawali, Baqashot or Rasta, Kirtan enables devotees to free their hearts and minds and find consciousness outside of their worldly selves bringing light, peace and nourishment to the soul. The genre takes its name from the Sanskrit word for ‘repeat,’ where Kirtan’s repetitive call-and-response nature has the power to calm with meditation. Kirtan as we know it was born in the 16th century AD when Bengali social reformer Chaitanya Mahaprabhu hit the streets chanting the names of Krishna. Lord Chaitanya wrote many of the popular kirtan chants still in use today, including the Hare Krishna mantra.
Today, Kirtan is enjoying a mainstream Renaissance in countries to the west of India as cross-cultural Kirtan artists imbue modern influences into traditional devotional songs. ‘New School’ Kirtan cites hip-hop, electronica, soul and edgy pop among its many inspirations. The result is hip, holy and meaningful, connecting the soul with everyday life. Neeraj is a kirtanyia, he won the ‘City Idol’ competition in his local town Jalandhar, Punjab India in 2010 will perform at the festival.
About the Ratha Yatra: Festival of Chariots
Ratha-yatra, or the Festival of Chariots, is a jubilant event that has been celebrated for thousands of years in the Indian holy city of Jagannatha Puri in Orissa. The festival has recently gained more popularity due to ISKCON spreading to more cities around the world by ISKCON (Hare Krishna) devotees. Whilst most forms of God are worshipped within a temple, Church, Mosque or home the Ratha Yatra festival is distinctive in that the Lord comes out of His temple, is seated upon a chariot, and is accessible to all who behold His form as Lord Jaganath or Lord of the Universe accompanied by His siblings Balarama and Subadra Devi. Such an opportunity is rare and to maximise this moment KBYG embark on providing a well rounded on-site programme showcasing the different aspects of Krishna Consciousness.
The Chariot Parade is the highlight of the festival, with hundreds of festival-goers from across South Africa hand pulling the colourful wooden chariot along the streets of Randburg. The procession is accompanied by melodious singing and dancing. Over the last three years the festival has been held in Randburg, Johannesburg. Festival of India has been a huge success in terms of community building and showing an array of South African diversity.
Site attractions
The encompassing nature of the festival is noted in our commitment to extending our program to other associations with similar underlying principles such as the Meat Free Monday Campaign, Art of Living and others.
The festival is open for all and is free of charge; this includes a stage-programme featuring traditional Indian music, instrumental and dance performances, philosophical discourses, plays/dramas and many more. The festival will showcase Vedic lifestyle through:
- Book stalls
- Onsite Temple tent where attendees can make an offering to Lord Jagannatha
- Question and answers tent
- Delicious veggie food stalls
- Kiddies tent and activities
- A holistic healing tent with reiki, homeopathy, ayurvedic and tarot reading
- Distribution of free vegetarian meals prepared by the Food for Life team, to name a few.
Success and progression of such an event will be achieved by reaching the following key objectives:
- Bringing together and celebrating South Africa’s people through a showcase of Indian Vedic culture, yoga, food and dance on the streets of Sandton.
- Harnessing the power of Ubuntu (I am because of you).
- Promoting and honouring the calling of the Lord’s name
- Encouraging a culture of giving/heart sharing through distributing 3000 plates of freshly cooked vegetarian food through our ‘Food for Life’ campaign.
We humbly request you and your organisation to join us on this day of celebration. Henry Ward Beecher said “that is true culture which helps us to work for the social betterment of all”.
“Everything around me is constantly changing – sometimes I hate feeling like a straw being blown around in the wind, but then I remember that whether obvious externally or more subtly, change is the only sure thing in this world” Jahnavi Harrison.
For more information contact: Rickardo Singh/Surrie Singh 0725302820/0837833314
Yours sincerely