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Sri Chinmoy Centre joins Christmas parade
Every year in Christchurch the Santa Parade makes it's way through central city streets lined with a hundred thousand members of the community. It is a vibrant procession of some 120 parade vehicles decorated to enchant and inspire the young at heart, who jostle and clamber to see the spectacular array of floats. This year the Christchurch Sri Chinmoy Centre at the last minute had the inspiration to join the parade and share with the members of the community the spirit and activities of our spiritual path.
Once the decision to join the parade was made we had to move quickly. Time was short and there was a lot to do.
Anurakta organised hiring a curtain-sider truck. Then the artist Kuhakini came up with a temple design. Once the design was drawn, it was action station and all hands on deck, just 30 hours remained at our disposal.
People worked on a variety of projects: computer design, signwriting, building, painting, paper flower making, garland stringing and sewing. In the spirit of true oneness members of the Christchurch, Dunedin and Wellington Centres pulled together to offer their unique talents and capacities in service of this divine pursuit.
All Saturday night and Sunday morning was spent creating the masterpiece on wheels. Finally on late Sunday morning, just minutes before we were scheduled to leave and after the last picture of Sri Chinmoy had been garlanded, the vision was manifested as a reality – an enchanting temple on wheels which also served as a stage for a girls singing and instrumental group who played a repertoire of lively songs composed by Sri Chinmoy.
Fortunately a member of the centre – Solana used to be a bus driver, so he was able to drive the truck and was accompanied by Aangelo his 3 year old son and David the sound technician in the front cabin.
After taking it’s place in the queue of freshly decorated floats we were ready to roll. The float made its way through the jubilant crowds like a divine chariot on it’s victory march. It’s passengers smiled, played and sang and were accompanied Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team officials marching aside the float in their team uniform, waving at the gleeful masses of ecstatic children. Large Sri Chinmoy Centre signs dotted with Sri Chinmoy’s Dream-Freedom-Peace Birds were on all sides of the temple, our centre activities listed below: Free meditation workshops, fun runs, concerts and ‘The Lotus-Heart’ – vegetarian café-restaurant. As we made our way past the convention centre our float and our activities were announced to the whole city over the loudspeaker.
One hour flew by like a whirlwind and we reached the end of the procession. Not content with our fleeting ride through the hordes of parade goers, we embarked on a ‘joy ride’ throughout the city streets as we floated back to the Centre. It was for us a ‘Victory Lap’ – a celebration of the successful manifestation of our Guru and his mission.
