Venkat Raman –
One of the most impressive aspects of the younger members of the community is their penchant to preserve and promote the time-honoured religious and social traditions.
It is equally heartening to note the involvement and participation of international students at a growing number of local events and observances.
Annual event
The ‘Hindola Festival’ held at the ISSO Swaminarayan Temple in the South Auckland suburb of Papatoetoe demonstrated as much the passion of our youth as it did of Trustees Dr Kantibhai Patel and his wife Ranjna who created this magnificent place of worship in March 2008.
Observed during the Hindu months of Ashad and Shravan (corresponding to July and August), Hindola is a Festival that extols the resplendence of the Main Deity, evoking Bhakti among devotees and even casual visitors.
The Festival finds its origin in the streets of Vrindavan 5000 years ago where the Gopis expressed their utmost devotion towards Lord Krishna on a decorated swing. Since then, to experience the transcendental joy of swinging the Lord in a swing, the Hindola Festival became the centre of devotion.
Unity Principle
A major feature of Hindu form of worship is that Bhaktas (Devotees) enjoy decorating their favourite Deities in a variety of ways, embedding jewellery, ornaments and flowers. The Hindola Festival emulates such a tradition, except that the Main Deity is placed on swing with devotees moving it to and fro with a string, while chanting Bhajans. The chorus forms a symphony begetting the spirit of unity and submission to God to bless all living beings.
That in essence forms the core of Hinduism propagating the concept of ‘Vishwa Kutumbam’ or One World Family.
According to a Swaminarayan Temple communique, the Hindola Festival has a special meaning to followers.
Aesthetic experience
“It is an aesthetic experience of devotion to the Lord, requiring meticulous preparation by devotees to produce Hindolas of a variety of colours, shapes and forms. The Hindolas are made of vegetables, leaves, flowers, earthen pots, fruits, dry fruits, toothpicks, stationary, teddy bears, sweets, beans, rakhis, chocolates, steel dishes and cups, to mention a few.”
India Freedom Day
True to their creative spirit, Indians observe their ‘Independence Day’ through the eyes of their God, and this spirit was evident at Swaminarayan Temple in Papatoetoe.
According to Ms Patel, the Hindola was covered with flowers.
“The devotees then decided to clothes from flowers for Lord Swaminarayan, Lord Krishna and Radha. They started at 6 pm on Saturday and worked on the flowers until 530 am the following morning. More than half of the volunteers were local and international students. The core team of seven persons worked through the night,” she said.
