Harinam for George (Magical Mystical Tour)

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There has never been a bus-trip to Liverpool like this one. Because it’s 25^th February 2023, the date on which George Harrison, the ‘Quiet Beatle’, would have turned 80.

So on this very special day an (as yet!) quiet coach is called upon to carry some seasoned musical mystics and otherworldly seekers from the Hare Krishna movement’s UK HQ Bhaktivedanta Manor (the Hertfordshire estate donated by the Fab Four’s lead guitarist 50 years ago) straight to his Northern birthplace. With the Krishna creed still going strong and this mock Tudor manor standing firm, that’s quite a legacy you left us, George.

Still Standing Firm – Bhaktivedanta Manor

Today we are on a mission to (loudly) express our gratitude to the former Beatle by bringing our own brand of sacred sound to spread (abundantly) in his beloved hometown.

After all, didn’t George Harrison himself keep a life-long harmony with the Hare Krishnas?

Well-Attuned

Our pilgrimage north is well underway, but the day is yet young and we still have some distance to cover. But time doesn’t drag (at all) as devotees softly chant the Hare Krishna maha mantra to boost the trusty bus along as it steadily consumes The Long and Winding Road that leads to Liverpool.

“I am super-excited to be involved in the Liverpool harinam for George’s 80^th birthday” says Angie Elmore of Northamptonshire, a huge fan of the late musician.

And Liverpool is ready and waiting for us to deliver the final crescendo to a week that has seen the major port city host a carefully planned sequence of birthday events in honour of one of its four most celebrated sons.

Ready and Waiting

Thursday witnessed the Liverpool Philharmonic deftly map out George Harrison’s transcendental journey by showcasing his heavily Indian-influenced music and lyrics plus stories, interviews and mantra meditation in a lavish production devised by ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness). The show is aptly entitled My Sweet Lord.

Friday placed one of the UK Hare Krishna movement’s founding fathers (and first of its pioneers to befriend George), American octogenarian Gurudas dasa beside the *Mayor of Liverpool in a ceremonial gifting (labelled All You Need is Love (Krsna)) of India’s spiritual classics to the city library. (*It’s good to have friends in high places.)

Friends in High Places – Gurudas with Liverpool Mayor Joanne Anderson on 23rd Feb 2023

George, Gurudas (with hat) and Friends – Back in the Day

Saturday is supercharged as we are set to convene with Krishna devotees from around the country, converging on the city centre to share music, books, cookies and the allure of some ancient wisdom with the locals (and, of course, any passing tourists open to new ideas).

George Harrison’s (would-have-been) 80th Birthday Cookies

We’ve reached destination and as we eagerly disembark from our vehicle to at last alight upon Liverpool’s well-trodden pavements, this dull grey concrete really does feel like hallowed ground today. Even if we are not entirely sure yet which direction to take!

But we soon get our bearings and, wasting no time, we’re off….

On A Magical (Mystical) Mystery Tour

The crystal clear clip of our kartalas (Indian cymbals) and the buoyant beat of mdrangas (Indian drums) mingle with our melodic vocal mantras to make this the most mystical of Magical Mystery Tours ever for us, a merry band lucky enough to have secured those much sought-after seats to Merseyside. (Please note, this is just the warm-up!)

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We soon join forces with other Krishna followers already on the ground to course through the metropolitan borough’s main arteries, powerfully pulsating along major thoroughfares on what is certain to be a most memorable harinam (congregational chanting) for George.

Pulsating Through Liverpool

Liverpool’s Church Street is laced with the Divine like never before when devotees present Vedic literature as a sure route to enlightenment for any spiritually searching Saturday shoppers, who (while perhaps struggling to bag themselves a material bargain) now learn that they can always chant the holy names for free.

Deep in Discussion

“This is turning out to be the highlight of my year” says Denise O’Dwyer of Hertfordshire’s Berkhamsted, a regular to Bhaktivedanta Manor.  

If, in the meantime, you have time to look inside Matthew Street’s busy and bustling Beatles Museum, you will spot how steadfastly Hare Krishnas sing and dance on each floor while indefatigable founder Gurudas shares precious first-hand memories of his own happy association with the most spiritually inclined of The Fab Four in an interview/event named after Bob Dylan’s composition If Not For You (which Bob recorded with George Harrison). George was a huge admirer of Bob Dylan and, following the Beatles split, stayed firm friends with him.

Beatles Museum – Laced with The Divine

Now check out how neatly Liverpool’s Royal Albert Dock is, today, aligned with some higher guiding principles as The Beatles Story (a permanent exhibition dedicated to the band’s rise to fame) hosts an exclusive panel discussion/Q&A at its fabled Fab4 Café (with Hare Krishnas who knew George personally), in a well-thought-out schedule (including drum workshop) themed A Pilgrimage For George.

All Cosy At the Fab4 Café

You can rest assured that Walsall-born Pradyumna Pradip Gajjar is more than qualified to host today’s panel. Enraptured (like so many) as a teenager with the music generated by John Lennon and the Beatles, he was irresistibly drawn to the wisdom of ancient India as so enticingly brought to the fore by George Harrison. Pradyumna Pradip Gajjar not only delved deep into meditation and Bhagavad-Gita study but also took a most decisive plunge to live as monk at Bhaktivedanta Manor for 10 whole years!

Panel Discussion

“To be in Liverpool on George’s 80th birthday and to listen to the stories of those who knew and worshipped with him was profound and moving” says Esther Nagle, who has travelled from Wales to be here today.

All of this Saturday’s Fab4 Café‘s guests are cordially invited to immerse themselves in Hare Krishna philosophy and inspirational Indian music as this magical day unfolds.

Those (sorely) tempted to savour ‘George’s Soup’, a vegan lentil concoction made from the Liverpool lad’s own recipe, will find themselves served up a (modern meat-free) tasty tang they won’t readily forget. George was so ahead of his time.

Vegan Recipe

Meanwhile, we who have also travelled from afar are treated to a delicious Hare Krishna feast in the Liverpool Quaker Meeting House to sustain us on our journey home.

Fortifying Feast

It’s been an exhilarating whirlwind of day, nonetheless (and as we well know) All Things Must Pass. It’s time for us to go.

But what better way to retreat from George’s birthday celebrations than by heading back to a base gifted by the mystical ex-Beatle himself? And so it’s back to Bhaktivedanta Manor….

Sunset over the Mersey river

Happy Birthday dear George, wherever you are.

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