on 
on 
on 
on 
Classic ISKCON Vinyl – Vrindavana LP from France and/or Holland
Classic ISKCON Vinyl – Srila Prabhupada’s Krsna Meditation Double LP
Classic ISKCON Vinyl – Hare Krsna Festival 7″ (HKR-2003)
Classic ISKCON Vinyl – Hare Krsna Festival 7″ (HKR-2002)
Classic ISKCON Vinyl – Hare Krsna Festival 7″ (HKR-2001)
Classic ISKCON Vinyl – Srila Prabhupada’s Govinda LP
Classic ISKCON Vinyl – Acyutananda Swami’s India LPThis is where the Gods will live
I wasn’t just complaining that I didn’t have deities, oh no. I’ve actually prepared a place for Their Lordships to reside. It’s nothing fancy, unfortunately, but it’s what I’ve got.
As for theme, I don’t really have one, per se. I think that will come about when They arrive. It’s Gaura-nitai, They bring the style, baby!
Let me just say that carpeting does nothing for a temple room. I would like hardwood floors, please. Or at least that fake wood laminate stuff. Anything would look better than “greige” carpet.1
So this is my little empty altar – adorned only with the photos of Radha-Natabar, etc. There’s a tiny Jagannatha “altar” that holds its place in the center, but soon (hopefully) that will all make way for larger Gaura-nitai deities (they’re about 15″).
The backdrop you see will be 1) ironed better and 2) possibly with a design of some sort screen printed upon it. My thoughts at this point are this design. Though I’m not sure how it will look.
And once They arrive, more will be done to match the style They’ll bring. I won’t be able to keep up, of course, but I’ll do my best.
Until then it’s just waiting.
- Greighe – That disgusting combination of the colors gray and beige. [↩]
Related posts:
08/17/2009 at 10:51 am
Very nice. I myself have a draw (call it a requirement) to Deity worship. My altar is pretty jam packed, and I like it that way. Not that you’d need it, but if you want any puja tips let me know. I’m about as “pujari” as you can get without initiation.
[Reply]
eric
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August 17th, 2009 at 11:19 am
Thanks!
I would like an altar that’s a bit spacious. Simple (not that jam packed is somehow bad, of course). My biggest fault with deities is that I get so caught up in the rules that I can’t keep up and end up giving up. I want to start small and add what I can in very small steps. Hopefully this will make it all more enjoyable for everyone involved.
If I have to sand/paint my deities, all the better! More bonding time. I may not be a deity painter (yet), but that shouldn’t stop me from painting my deities.
[Reply]
08/17/2009 at 6:40 pm
Do the little doors close on your little Jagannath alter? When I tried closing mine, the doors promptly broke!
Incidentally, that happens to be my favorite picture of Srila Prabhupada—sweet!
[Reply]
eric
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August 17th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Yep, the do close. Were you able to glue your doors back on and get it working again?
I like this picture too, and it’s one of my favorites. It’s not my absolute favorite, but then, there are so many to pick from that I can’t! Definitely ones where he’s smiling and laughing.
[Reply]
08/18/2009 at 1:33 am
The idea of an altered state from attending your alter daily is a wondeerful start to the day.
Er, Eric,
I found another record called Busy making Progress by M.Cassidy & J.Armsrong. I don’t think it was in your catalogue.
When we sold this edition in the U.K. we got alot of letters because it was a very topical subject even back then, i.e. what is progress?
It’s available on EBAY
Am glad you are near one of the original temples set up by Srila Prabhupada. I had the good fortune to visit that temple once.
Haribol!
Vamsi
[Reply]
eric
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August 18th, 2009 at 6:22 am
Haribol!
At this point, I’m only collecting “traditional” music recorded under the banner of ISKCON while Srila Prabhupada was on the scene. I might branch out into the other stuff, but after 78, things get really crazy since pretty much every devotee and his bhakta put out a record or two.
The original Seattle temple, established by Srila Prabhupada is either torn down or is a YWCA, I can’t tell which address is which. The new Seattle temple is about forty minutes to an hour outside the city, which is a shame, since most Seattlites (myself included) never have the chance to get out there.
There is a preaching center nearish to where the old temple was. It has Gita classes on Thursdays and free food pretty much every night.
Haribol!
[Reply]
Vamsi Vadana Das
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August 19th, 2009 at 3:51 am
Jai Eric,
That was sad to hear about the Settle temple. the one I visited in the summer of 1981, you could be downtown within a short busride. It always surprises how Srila Prabhupada went to Settle and spoke those wonderful lectures there.
Re: Iskcon Music.
Busy making progress came out after Change of heart and was being sold by Sring 1978 in England. But it was written and made DURING the earth presence of Srila Prabhupada so I think it deserves a place on your history of Iskcon’s record site, it is a forgotton gem, becasue it was preaching about “look after the Planet” when back then it was not kool to speak out.
here are some of it’s details.
Title : Busy Making Progress Artist/Composer: Progress
Catalogue Number: 7582 – 35
Condition of Cover/Media : M/M
Label: Sudarshan Disc
Catalog#: BBT 111
Country: UK
Released: 1978
Genre: Rock
Style: Folk Rock, Pop Rock, Prog Rock
Track listing: A1 Vision (3:05)
A2 There Is A Light (4:10)
A3 Payday (0:45)
A4 Busy Making Progress (2:55)
A5 When You Go (4:25)
B1 Protoplasmic Crud (3:25)
B2 Stop And Think (2:50)
B3 Is It Worth The Price (3:40)
B4 A Long Way To Go (3:00)
B5 Changing The Face Of The Earth (5:45)
Additional Info: UK Sudarshan bbt111 1978 Long Deleted
[Reply]
Rati
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August 19th, 2009 at 9:00 am
yep, cool songs indeed. i even made a slightly revised version of stop and think based on gurukula, lol!
[Reply]
eric
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August 19th, 2009 at 9:07 am
Yep, the Seattle temple is no more. But we’ve got a really keen Hindu temple if that’s what you’re into!
As for the western-style music, I just can’t do it. It definitely deserves a mention somewhere. Hell, it deserves its own webpage and should be documented, remembered and available again to those who want it. But I’m still collecting the older, traditional stuff. There are records out there that I don’t have that I want.
But someone should. It’s unlikely that the Archives will, but somebody should. Hey! Why no you?
[Reply]
08/18/2009 at 9:20 am
That’s one of my favorite pics of Srila Prabhupada. I have ones around where he’s either smiling or having a chuckle — love those pics! XD
That’s a mighty fine place for Gaura-nitai for sure! I really like the red with black, it’s dramatic.
Ya know until I clicked and enlarged the one of the pics there, I could have sworn those little cows were Chinese kitties.
I really am inspired to fix my altar up a bit — it’s on a set of small shelves. I think they’re all a bit cramped.
[Reply]
eric
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August 18th, 2009 at 10:38 am
Why thanks!
The little cows ARE actually tiny chinese kitties. But they’re praying instead of being lucky money-bringing kitties.
I’ve been thinking about maybe bamboo or those single stem orchids or both for either side of the altar. It definitely needs something more. We shall see.
[Reply]
pants
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August 18th, 2009 at 11:53 am
Gosh! I feel a bit silly now. To the Optometrists! James, forthwith!
I like the bamboo idea, a lot. I’m not a big fan of plastic flowers, but I’ve seen some nice single stem artificial types that are kinda cool and not at all Dollar Store de-klassy. I’ve never ever had ANY luck with real, live orchids. That makes me sad, as they’re gorgeous.
Wow, they’re kitties. *blink* Ha!
[Reply]
eric
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August 18th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Bamboo is so easy to take care of, even I could do it. But orchids, I just wish I could. Would be nice. I’d be ok with fake on the altar if they looked ok. We’ll see if I can find something. I just read this and (aside from the soil regulations), they seem pretty simple. And I get to mist them!!
But bamboo (which actually isn’t bamboo – did you know that? it’s a kind of lily!) is for starters. It’s cheap and looks nice. I wish I could get some real bamboo to work out. There’s some GREAT black bamboo by the vegan donut place. Would be easy to transplant (steal) it, but I’m not sure how it does indoors.
[Reply]
Rati
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August 19th, 2009 at 9:02 am
just be careful when misting the orchids that you don’t mist gaura nitai as well!
[Reply]
eric
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August 19th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Well of course. Unless it’s a hot day. Everybody likes mists on a hot day!
But really, I think the orchids are too intense for me.
[Reply]
Rati
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August 21st, 2009 at 7:19 am
even if it’s a hot day, i don’t think the misting would be good for their forms.
[Reply]
eric
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August 21st, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Oh yes yes. I really wouldn’t do that.
[Reply]
08/19/2009 at 9:07 am
hey eric, i really like it! i don’t think i’ve seen it all finished like that. (of course, maybe i have, like silver painted gauranga, lol!)
i noticed something really cool that i hadn’t noticed before in that drawing, there’s a muslim guy joined in the kirtana. very cool! showing the whole non-sectarian, holy name is for everyone thing.
oh, yeah, i forgot to ask, what do you think of the “pajama” pants? the whole kind of looser style?
[Reply]
eric
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August 19th, 2009 at 9:32 am
I noticed that too! Very cool. I wonder where the drawing came from. It wasn’t an early iskcon thing, was it? Or is it Indian?
How do you think more traditional dhotis would look? Are they even possible? I think I’m ok with pajama pants (except for the name). Do you have pictures?
[Reply]
Rati
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August 20th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
yeah, the new outfit, the one you just posted, they’re blue. dwija said they look like pajamas because they are thick and comfy looking.
[Reply]
08/20/2009 at 2:25 pm
Thanks for the ’show and tell’ Eric. It’s all looking great. The book cases, looking a bit like columns, and red cloth made me think of some kind of Roman temple:
http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia_of_history/R/Roman_temple.html
The screen printed back-drop sounds perfect. We’re using the fancy part of a sari at the moment. Mostly because Rati bought some saris to make outfits from the cloth and there was a left over big fancy bit that looked good. My hope is that, sometime in the future, we’ll make our own back-drops with crystals and things sewn onto the fabric. Since we don’t have a bona-fide ISKCON temple to distract us, I guess we’ll get round to it sooner or later.
[Reply]
eric
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August 20th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
I like the roman temple thing! I didn’t even think of that.
I’m not sure how to screen print it though. I mean, I know how, but with what. The Sankirtana print is great, but I’m not sure how it’ll look.
Shame about the bona fide ISKCON temple. I mean, there’s a big building with God in it and everything just waiting to be taken over.
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