By Hari Dasa
Here at New Talavan in Mississippi, we created a save haven for the New Orleans deities- Sri Sri Radha Kanta, Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and Jagannatha Baladeva and Subhadra. We also have our own Sri Sri Radha Radha Kanta and Gaura Nitai so the altar was trebly ecstatic!
We also gave shelter to many of the New Orleans devotees who are amongst the most organised and devotional cooks and pujaris I have ever seen.
So, under extreme wind and rain (and tornado threats) our community which is only one hr away from New Orleans, devotees came together and took shelter of the Lord. The service to the deities went on uninterupted as did other daily devotional activities. While at times it was scary when the gusts of winds shook the windows and we wondered wether they would break, we all came together as a family and carried on with devotional life.
As it stands now, the New Orleans devotees are waiting to see if they can return home, there are reports of flooding and power outages, but after Katrina, the local and national governments are more prepared to deal with these issues.
So, we survived! Krsna was most kind and gave us an opportunity to come together in a crisis and learn that He is indeed the protector of the devotees!
Thanks for the update- I came to the site just now to specifically check to see how the Deities and devotees were doing- I am relieved everyone is safe & sound.
Hare Krsna!