Events

Saturday September 27th

Outdoor drama, Cultural music, Cuisine, Bharat Natyam Dance and more

Admission is free, there is a $6.00 suggested donation for vegetarian meal with drink. 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PHOTOS FROM LAST YEAR (October 13, 2007)

Outdoor Drama

The Advent, Exile & Triumph of Lord Ramachandra

(Excerpted from The Bhagavat Purana)

The incarnations of Godhead are as numerous as the waves of the sea, and according to the Vedic literatures of India, Krishna (meaning "All Attractive"), is the source of them all. Just as from one original candle we may light may other candles equal in potency, so Krishna expands Himself in may incarnations, each as powerful as Himself.  Each incarnations has the same objective - to establish the principles of religion and to curb irreligious influences.

To accomplish this mission, the Lord once appeared as Sri Ramachandra, the ideal king.  The poet Valmiki tells the history in the great epic, Ramayana.  TO this day in India people worship Lord Ramachndra in thousands of temples and regard His reign - the famous "Ram Rajya" - as the model of GOd Conscious government.

Lord Ramachandra appeared in India in ancient times as the son of Maharaj Dasaratha.  Early in His life the Lord began ridding the world of unwanted, irreligious elements.  In the sacrificial arena of the sage Visvamitra, He killed many Rakshasas (demons).  Later He married Sita, who is actually the Goddess of Fortune (His eternal consort) and the universal mother.

Lord Ramacdhandra's father, Dasarath, had three wives.  Since the one named Kaikeyi had previously saved his life, Dasaratha had grated her two benedictions.  The prudent Kaikeyi had said she would take those benedictions later.  When the time came for the coronation of Maharah Dasarths's  eldest son, Shree Ramachandra, by another wife. Kaikeyi requested Dasaratha (1) to enthrone her own son, Bharat, instead, and (2) to send Ramachandra into the forest for 14 years.  Lord Ramachandra, upon hearing of this request, immediately gave up His kingdom, palace, opulence, friends, and went to the forest with His brother Laksmana and His wife Sita.

While wandering in Dandakaranya forest, Lord Rama and His companions faced many dangers.  On one occasion, they encountered Surpanakha, the sisters of the encountered Surpanakha, the sister of the ten headed demon Ravana.  Because Surpanakha approached with lust, and threatened to kill Sita, Laksmana cut off her nose and ears.  The  Lord Ramachandra annihilated single handedly aan army of 14,000 allies of  Surpanakha.

When Ravana heard about the mutilation of his sister he vowed revenge upon Rama and the kidnapping of Rama's beautiful Sita.  Ravana ordered the mystic yogi Marica to assume the form of a golden deer, approach Ramachandra's forest ashram and lure the Lord away.  During the distraction, Ravana snatched Sita, as a tiger seizes sheep while the shepherd is absent.

Although a large vulture named Jatayu tried bravely to stop the kidnapping, Ravana dealt him a mortal slash with his sword.  When Lord Ramachandra returned and found Sita missing, he behaved as if very much distressed.  He and Laksmana began to search for her.  They came upon the dying Jatayu who told Ramachandra that the culprit had been Ravana.

Through an alliance with the monkeys headed by Sugriva and Hanuman, Ramadchandra discovered Sri Lanka the secret island fortress of Ravana, and mustered a monkey army to cross the ocean and attack it.

In order to cross 800 miles of water separating Sri Lanka from the mainland, Lord Rama ordered the monkeys to first write His name on large mountain peaks and boulders, then to throw them into the sea at the crossing point.  With the name of Lord Rama inscribed upon them.  the rocks floated and created a wonderful bridge.

The vast army marched across the Indian ocean (today one of India's most glorious temples, Sri Ramesvaram, is located at the this point) and launched an assault on the golden city of Lanka, Ravana's capital.  The monkey soldiers occupied all the strategic points,  such as the city gates assembly houses, granaries, and treasuries.  The attack was so devastating that the city appeared like a river disturbed by a heard of elephants.

When Ravana saw what was happening, he summoned his army of Rakshasas and led them into a fierce battle with the forces lead by Lord Rama.  The Rakshasas had all Kinds of sophisticated weapons and rode proudly on horses, elephants, and chariots.  However, condemned by the curse of mother Sita, they had lost all good fortune.  Even though Ramachandra's soldiers were armed with little more than tree trunks, rocks and crude clubs. They were able to kill all of Ravana's henchmen.  Although the monkeys' weapons were primitive the Lord fought on their side that was the deciding factor.

Ravana, seeing all his soldiers and kinsmen dead, became furious.  in his ghastly ten headed, twent armed feature, he boarded his mystic airplane and steered it towards Lord Rama.  When Ravana began shooting razor-sharp arrows at Ramachandras, the Lord rebuked him loudly, "Ravana, you are and abominable, sinful and shameless dog.  Just as a dog steals food from the table of the master in his absence, so in My absence you kidnapped My wife, Sita.  Today, I shall punish you without fail."

Rama then shot an arrow that pierced Ravana's body like a thunderbolt.  Vomiting blood from each of his ten mouths, Ravana fell tumultuously from his airplane, and lay lifeless on the battleground.  Ravana's wife came out to lament her husband in this way,  "My husband, you were always causing others to weep, and thus you were called Ravana.  Driven by lust, you overlooked the power of mother Sita's chastity.  Now, because of her curse, you have been destroyed by Lord Rama.  O delight of the demons, you have made your body fit to be eaten b y vultures and jackals, and your soul fit to go to hell!"

Lord Rama found Sita sitting within a small cottage in a grove of Ashoka trees.  When she saw her beloved husband, Sita's joy knew no bounds.  The 14 year period of exile having expired, Rama raised His beloved Sita onto a flower bedecked air plane, and along with the company of monkey chiefs, they all flew back to Lord Ramachandra's capital, Ayodihya.

As the Lord Approached Ayodhya, the citizenry greeted Him with showers of beautiful, fragrant flowers, and danced in great jubilation.  Women sung poetic prayers and professional balladeers chanted His glories.  Seated beside Sita on His airplane, flanked by Laksmana, Hanuman, and Sugriva, Lord Ramachandra appeared like a beautiful full moon rising amidst glowing stars.

Lord Bharata had been ruling Ayodhya in His brother Rama's absence, keeping himself lean like an ascetic, dressing simply and prostrating himself daily before Rama's shoes which had been sitting on the throne for 14 years.

Bharat now took Rama's wooden shoes upon his own head and come forth with his retinue to receive Him.  Ministers, musicians, priests, and learned brahmanas joined the royal reception party.  His heart overflowing with affeciton and his eyes brimming with tears, Lord Bharata approached his brother in deep ecstatic love.  Rama, for His part, embraced Bharata for along time, all the while bathing him in tears of h\joy.  Bharata humbly requested his elder brother to accept the throne,  and Ramachndra agreed.

Ramachandra began his reign as emperor and for 60,000 years supervised the affairs of His kingdom for the benefit of the citizens, whom he cared for exactly like a father.  During the reign of Lord Ramachandra, the bountiful earth freely supplied the necessities of life for all living beings and all physical and mental suffering, disease, old age, bereavement, lamentation, distress, fear, fatigue were completely absent.  For those who did not want it, there was even no death.

Lord Ramachandra vowed to accept only one wife and to have no connection with any other women.  He was a rajarshi (saintly king) and everything in His character was perfect.  He was the perfect son,  the perfect husband, the perfect brother, the perfect fiend, and the perfect king.  His fame will live as long as there are oceans, mountains, and the sky above.  And as long as there is any virtue left in this world, his story, the Ramayana will be sung.