Holi (Hindi: होली) is a religious spring festival celebrated
by Hindus, also known as the Festival of Colours. It is primarily observed in
India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal and in countries with large
populations from India or of Indian descent who follow Hinduism.
Yatra (Sanskrit: यात्रा, "journey", "procession"),
in Hinduism and other Indian religions, means pilgrimage to holy places
and is generally undertaken in groups. One who goes on a yatra is
known as a yatri. It is desirable, but not obligatory, for a Hindu to go
on a yatra. One can go on a yatra for a variety of reasons, including festivals, to perform rituals for one's
ancestors, or to obtain good karma. To traditional Hindus, the journey itself is as
important as the destination, and the hardships of travel serve as an act of
devotion in themselves. Visiting a sacred place is believed by the pilgrim
to purify the self and bring one closer to the divine. (Thanks to Wikipedia for
these definitions.)
After leaving Radha
Krishna Temple in Cromford Street (stage five) and becoming separated from the
rest of the party due to over-zealous tweeting, I take a number of wrong
turnings before realising exactly where I should be heading. I think the group
has already become used to me being at the back – but not this far back! Or
maybe they thought I’d had enough and given up and gone home – not yet though!
I’m determined to stay the course; well, more of the course than I’ve stayed so
far.
On this solo part of
the Yatra (does that increase its merit for me? or does losing touch with the
group decrease it?) I take comfort in the virtual company of my frequent and
reliable companions Fraser Cain (publisher of Universe
Today) and Dr Pamela Gay (a professor at
Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville). I'm working my way through the
back catalogue of Astronomy Cast, a podcast which
describes itself as a "weekly facts-based journey through the cosmos,
where we help you understand not only what we know, but how we know what
we know." I downloaded these en masse a while back and
have been mainlining them, sometimes three or more per day for ages now. The
first podcast dates from 10 September 2006 and I make a point of listening to
every single one, all the way through - even if it goes way over my head (and
it often does, believe me).
Each specifically themed podcast
alternates with one addressing questions sent in by listeners, so there are a
lot of podcasts to get through. While en route to Shree Hindu
Temple, I listen to episode 140 (1 June 2009) on the
subject of quantum entanglement. This is
precisely the sort of occasion Astronomy Cast was meant for.
I think I'll reach the next stage
only to see the little yellow rucksacks disappearing into the distance - if I'm
lucky. More likely, I'll reach it after they've left and will be struggling to
get a steer on their next destination. But my luck is in: I arrive at Shree
Hindu Temple not only to find that the group has spent all the time so far in
the worship hall, but also that I've arrived just in time for lunch! And just
before eating, I get the call I've been waiting for from Suleman Nagdi at the
Federation of Muslim Organisations, in case there's been any misunderstanding
about our group walking through Highfields with placards held high. He says he
hasn't heard anything in the hour or so since I left my message, but he'll keep
his ear to the ground and take care of any rumours that he might hear.
Our hosts
serve us a very welcome vegetarian meal, give us a lovely glossy colour booklet
about the temple and the various celebrations that take place there. Shree
Hindu Temple describes itself as the first Hindu place of worship to be opened
(in 1969), not only in Leicester, but in the United Kingdom. I wonder how that
squares with the claims made for Radha Krishna Temple on Cromford Street, the
previous stage on our yatra. Certainly, they're very different buildings.
Another mystery I'd like to resolve sometime. Oh, and have a look at Shree
Hindu Temple's YouTube channel.
I leave some fliers and A4 posters for the upcoming REDP
event Choice Unlimited (after asking
permission, of course). I also leave information about the Council of Faiths
next open meeting, a panel presentation entitled "God in my faith" coming up during
the week.
Then we set off for our next port of call: Mandir Baba Balak Nath Ji on Uppingham Road. I fall in at the back of the group again. This isn't some false display of humility on my part; I really am this slow, compared to the rest of them. Thankfully, there's always someone who hangs back to chat.
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