Krsna’s Garlands Grace Queen Elizabeth II

Back To Godhead July 1979 Meat-eating: the West’s Sacred Cow — Notes from the Editor “We’re Alone” in Our Galaxy — The Vedic Observer On the Bowery — The Biography of a Pure Devotee Krsna’s Garlands Grace Queen Elizabeth II A New Hare Krishna Farm in the Rockies Waking Up From The American Dream Why Our Schools Don’t Have a Prayer — Srila Prabhupada Speaks Out The Chariots Roll Again Benediction At the University of Maryland A Manifesto of Krishna Consciousness Back To Godhead July 1979 PDF Download

The Queen, the Duke, and the
Prime Minister and an encounter
with “the all-attractive one.”

by Mukunda dasa and Ken Shouler

Krsna’s devotees well know that He is. His name says, “the all-attractive one.” It is the uninitiated who are generally slow in acknowledging this fact. Buy recently in London’s Hyde Park a distinguished group of uninitiates were reawakened yo Krsna’s universal beauty. There, during a celebration of the united Nations’ International Year of the Child. Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh humbly received garlands from two eight-year-old Hare Krsna devotees Varsha Patel and Bhaktimati dasi, of London’s Bhaktivedanta Manor. (The Manor is the largest center for Indian culture in Great Britain.)

“Hare Krsna,” said Bhaktimati, greeting the Queen and the Duke with palms pressed together in the traditional pranama gesture.

“What did you say?” the Queen asked. “Hare Krsna,” Bhaktimati answered, nodding respectfully.

The Queen gave a gracious smile and bowed slightly to help the garland over the brim of her hat. Then Varsha offered a garland to the Duke.

Later, six-year-old Yamuna dasi presented a garland to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Yamuna was attired as Lord Krsna, complete with bluish hue, peacock feather, glistening silk dhoti, and necklaces and bangles. The Prime Minister caught sight of Yamuna at a distance and walked directly up to her with hands folded in a gracious exchange of pranamas.

“Who are you?” the Prime Minister asked Yamuna.

“I am Krsna”

“Then why are you blue’?” “Because Krsna is blue.”

The Prime Minister smiled and kindly accepted Lord Krsna’s garland. Then she gave Yamuna a big hug. (The next day the two were pictured together in the Sun, Britain’s largest daily newspaper.)