Solstice in The City

Who doesn’t relish light and sunny evenings? We all do, surely, (and the longer the better). Yet, while some associate summer solstice first and foremost with faeries, folklore and mystically inclined folk longing to get out, commune with nature and soak up its magic, others merely see it as the point at which the celestial controller starts to slowly but surely whittle away at our precious window of daylight and eventually leave us with nothing more than mood-lowering winter hours in the frame. But let’s just park that thought for now and simply revel in the moment, shall we?

For, at this enchanted time, sprites and spirits, so they say, find it a little less tricky to cross over into the world of people. Mythological beings as well as (*mere) humans looking to tap into the power of peaking daytime are (*if we can’t quite reach the tip of Ben Nevis) far more likely to gravitate towards esoteric Stonehenge and harness cosmic energies there than to search for Elysian fields in the heavily tarmacked and fiscally focused City of London. (However, you overwrought bankers who complain there are never enough hours in the day, please accept an annual bonus in the form of almost seventeen hours of glorious unsullied daylight. You’ve no doubt earned it.)

Not the Ideal Stomping-Ground?

When the veil between our earthly sphere and the faerie realm is purportedly at its thinnest you (ideally) don’t want to be surrounded by tower-blocks (or even iconic skyscrapers) that might prevent you from peering through in the hope of catching a fleeting glimpse of what lies beyond.  But rather than hastily fleeing the capital to more thoroughly investigate the potential otherworldliness of flora, fauna and unlimited open landscape, do linger for an instant and take a closer look at what lies cleverly concealed within the metropolis’ most constricted main arterial vein commonly known Bishopsgate.

We may not possess the ability to perceive elves, nymphs and fauns flitting around these concrete confines purely for fun (and why would they, we certainly don’t). Nor do we have the instruments to monitor lively leprechauns leaping high. (Could they manage to avoid rush hour traffic?)

Ruled by Mysterious Financial Overlords

Nevertheless, if we avert our gaze from the glistening steely strongholds and gleaming translucent Palaces of Investment so firmly ruled by those Mysterious Economic Overlords, we should soon spot a shiny hidden gem unexpectedly lodged between mundane and sprawling multi-storey buildings, in the considerably more compact and charming form of an ecologically spiritual powerhouse called ST ETHELBURGA’S CENTRE FOR RECONCILIATION AND PEACE.

St Ethelburga’s – Compact in the City

Firmly founded in Christian tradition, yet fondly embracing all faiths to carry out its philanthropic work in a way that nurtures our precious planet, this holy urban hub not only has a fascinating past, it is also the perfect place to host this evening’s non-sectarian *kirtan concert (*congregational call and response chanting) led by established London kirtaneer Radhika das and his merry ensemble of mystical musicians. 

Seasoned Londoner – Radhika das

Mantras, chords and harmonies will shortly ring out to take solstice in the City right to the next level.

Before taking refuge in this welcoming municipal oasis, we might just call to mind that while caring for the sick during an outbreak of the plague back in 664 AD, St Ethelburga had a vision of a light ‘brighter than the sun at noonday’. It was a radiance dazzling enough to pierce the dark and heavy gloom of despair and inspire her to persevere with much-needed humanitarian work.

Uplifting Luminosity

So do look up and take in that incredible sky. Can you discern traces of the same uplifting luminosity which embraced a plucky female saint in times of yore, today in a firmament stretched tautly over the high-flying financial district and intermittently punctured by sharp superstructure glass and metal towers? These buffed and well-polished monuments to capitalism reflect a freshness of tone mixed by the divine designer himself, from a palette not of chemical paint and pigments, but by means of light-rays pure and simple.  This artist will be working late, long after mortal merchants have downed tools and shut shop.

Reflecting the City Sky

We will leave him to it and enter our hallowed haven to help Radhika and friends create some sanctified sound.

A few swift steps sideways off the main drag see us nicely away from the melee and madness of historically old yet bang-on ultra-modern major thoroughfare Bishopsgate, the bustling nerve centre of London’s Square Mile (that never sleeps).  Now we can relax, passing through an ornate iron gate to find ourselves in St. Ethelburga’s small, secret and surprisingly tranquil garden cosily nestled between shielding white stone walls. It’s a pretty enough patch for elusive creatures not (quite) of our world to make their cursory appearance (if they feel so inclined) and then vanish like vapour.

Peering Through the Veil?

Our own visit here has to be more than a proverbially flying one, as our voices must melodiously mingle and mesh with many others to wholly harmonious effect over the next couple of hours.

Having narrowly escaped the 1666 Great Fire of London to miraculously dodge the weapons of World War II, St. Ethelburga’s was cruelly felled by an IRA bomb in 1993. The resilient church bravely picked itself up again and went onto greater things.

These days the site harbours an undisturbed compound encasing a Bedouin tent all beautifully dreamed up in accordance with sacred geometrical principles as a pacifistic response to the carnage of 9/11. Peacefully diverse and charitably proactive communities are forged on this prime-spot piece of consecrated ground. (Yes, smack in the middle of the world’s biggest international financial hotbed! That’s the beauty of London.)

A Portal to Peace

A Place to take Refuge

Inside the sacrosanct location’s high-ceilinged nave we find not only Radhika das and his able instrumentalists, but a smiling and saintly man in saffron awaiting us. The charismatic Californian INDRADYUMNA SWAMI MAHARAJA is a traveling Hare Krishna monk and spiritual teacher who has pearls of life’s accumulated wisdom to relay.

Overseas Swami

Radhika das warmly welcomes one and all, expressing sincere gratitude: “There are many, many things to do in London, but you have chosen to come here, so thanks.”

The evening’s first mantra, delivered at an unhurried pace, resonates in a heartfelt enough manner to magically melt away the day’s accrued (and stubborn) downtown distractions and bring all assembled here effortlessly into the present moment. A simple and repeated refrain, yet one which in some subtle way transforms our collective consciousness into a reflective, maybe even meditative – and definitely mellower – state of awareness. As we delve deeper into sound vibration, our group reprise grows louder and more pronounced, but the ambience in St Ethelburga’s age-old interior space remains one of complete and contemplative calm.

Govinda Jaya
Gopala Jaya

Oh enchanter of the senses
Oh joyous youthful divine,
 All glories unto you!

Radhika reminds that whatever you call the supreme universal force, be it Jesus, Buddha, Allah, Krishna (or any of a host of other names) this kind of mantra meditation is about rekindling a (perhaps forgotten) relationship with divinity in order to connect with the Absolute Truth.

Next we absorb ourselves in the Hare Krishna maha mantra, three simple Sanskrit words that, on a fine-tuned level, generate an amazing feel-good factor.

Now that we have sung with one voice, Radhika invites us to “do something that Londoners don’t normally do” and engage a complete stranger in friendly conversation for a few minutes – not random small-talk, mind you, but frank and open discussion based on whatever beneficial effects we feel this kirtan (also known as bhakti yoga) is precipitating. Any initial shyness promptly dissipates, letting the venue rapidly resonate with enthusiastic babble….. which, a few minutes later, really does have to be kept in check, because now it’s Swami Indradyumna’s turn to take the kirtan lead.  

Not, though, before giving an engrossing speech and sharing tantalising morsels from his extensive travel tales. To say that Swami has been around the block a fair few times before stopping off at Bishopsgate tonight is a bit of an understatement. The renunciate has reputedly circled Mother Earth at least 35 times, blazing a glorious trail through Europe, India and well beyond. He has lived among, respected, served and nurtured diverse humanity far and wide over a period of 52 years. That’s no mean feat.

“I’ve been to London hundreds of times, but this is the first time I have seen the sun shine quite like this” he jokes.

The globe-trotting sage easily picks up languages, assuring us that it’s oh-so much easier to gain access to countries and communities if you speak a bit of the local lingo and are to some extent familiar with indigenous cultures and belief systems. (Even as a saffron-clad sannyasi, he has never had any trouble getting into the Middle East!). When talking about Africa, the godly man visibly lights up. “Zulu people love to sing, dance and eat” he effuses “so the Hare Krishna movement suits them”. Somehow, we don’t doubt this…

Our savvy speaker divulges that Nelson Mandela, no less, would turn up incognito at the Hare Krishna restaurant in Durban, to savour in secret serenity the sanctified food he so enjoyed. The legendary President of South Africa did, however, conspicuously choose to reveal his face as a special guest at a huge 1997 Hare Krishna children’s festival held in his own beloved country. It was a long event attended by 50,000 highly animated youngsters, and, once the protracted (and boisterous) celebrations had (at last) died down, Swami cautiously asked:

 “Mr President, did you like the festival?”

He need not have worried.

“Maharaja, this was the very best day of my life!” the President responded.

Indradyumna Swami considers himself to be very lucky to have spent his mortal days so totally immersed in Hare Krishna lifestyle and philosophy. Study of the ancient Vedic scriptures should not be confined to Indian (speaking) populations, he maintains, everyone should ideally avail themselves of this eternal and invaluable wisdom and apply it to their everyday lives. 

Today is only the second occasion on which the senior disciple has spearheaded a devotional session in a Christ-centred building, but he is pleased to be able to recharge a religious atmosphere in what was, after all, a regular place of worship throughout ages, stating: “Christian saints have brought you all here tonight in the presence of Jesus Christ.”

Recharging the Atmosphere

Swami is aware that it may be the first time for some people to chant the Hare Krishna mantra.  “I know it doesn’t sound very British” he remarks “or French, Spanish or Polish for that matter. In fact, It’s not even Indian”. So, pray, where does this powerful invocation come from? Well, Sanskrit is the holy language, so the maha mantra clearly comes from another dimension. It’s that simple. And never doubt its potency.

“If you lie down and chant, Krishna will sit next to you. If you sit and chant, Krishna will stand beside you. If you stand and chant, Krishna will dance with you. But if you dance and chant, then Krishna will embrace you.” 

No more encouragement is needed, and before the show is through, each and every one of us is up, swaying, dancing and twirling with no lesser energy than that of whirling dervishes.

Emerging refreshed from our spiritual cocoon back onto a Bishopsgate still buzzing, we notice how busy the omnipotent painter has been.

Working with Pastel Shades

The King of Colours has intensified his pastel shades of delicate gold, powder pink and pale blue – carefully erasing any last traces of wispy white and silver clouds that laced them – to produce a burning orange tinged with rosy red, and plush purple-tipped velvety vault arching majestically over Central London. The ultimate creator will continue to stroke the sky using a brush thickly laden with natural light, scattering beams which bring increasing depth of hue to his heavenly canvass, until he finally allows the dense dark ink of night to seep though.

Waiting for Night Ink to seep through

What work of performance art could be more precise yet dramatic?

So we haven’t spotted sprites. Nor have we fraternised with fauns, networked with nymphs, or LinkedIn with any leprechauns. (At least not so far, although the night is still – relatively – young.)

Even so, with mantras in our hearts, and above us flawless skies, solstice in the City is nothing short of special….