On Sunday, August 10, 2003, my cousin and I attended the evening Arati (worship) service at New Orleans Krishna Temple. The worship began at 7:00 A.M. and lasted until 8:45 A.M. then a vegetarian feast followed. At the Krishna Temple, we met Indulekha Devi dasi who explained to us many aspects of their worship. The temple room itself was very impressive. On one side of the temple was a statue of Srila Prabhubada, the spiritual master who brought the Hare Krishna movement to the West. On the opposite side, there was a very big altar with the Deities. The temple room was filled with pictures representing different incarnations of God. Before entering the temple room, a person has to take off his or her shoes. As soon as they enter the temple room, I noticed that all of the devotees (that is how Hare Krishna members call themselves) bow down. Indulekha explained to us that they are offering obeisance to God and the spiritual master. Some of the devotees would knock on the entrance door or ring the bells above the entrance door, letting the Deities in the temple know that they are entering. Women were standing on one side of the room and the men on the other side. .
Service started at 7:15 with Deity Greeting. The priest blew the conches and the curtains on the altar have opened. The two big statues or Deities have been in the center of the altar. The recorded music was playing. Indulekha explained to us that the same song has played all over the world in Hare Krishna temples at 7:15 am. It was a prayer to God. Music was very melodic and pleasant to the ears. The altar itself seemed to be very luxurious. Beautiful flower arrangements were surrounding the Deities. Deities itself were actually wearing a clothes. During the greeting, the head priest or pujari offered incense, the fire lamp, flower, water and a fan in the circular motions. That has lasted for 10 minutes and at the end of the ceremony pujari has blown conchell again announcing the end of the greeting.
