Annual International Tea Festival in Moscow -- Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math in Russia

Annual International Tea Festival in Moscow

May 25-28^th, 2006
Moscow, Red square
Photos by Reaseswari Devi Dasi,
Madhava Krishna Prabhu Bramachari
Report by Kundalata dd

By the mercy and inexhaustible enthusiasm of Sripad B.B. Avadhut Maharaj, at the end of May devotees from Moscow and Saint Petersburg took part in the International Tea Festival that is held every year in Red Square, the heart of Moscow.

Devotees on behalf of Ethnolife Festival took part in the Tea Festival as the organizers of the entertainment programme. Five pavilions in different styles of world's nationalities (India, China, Russia, Japan, Mexico, Latin America and many more) were installed and throughout all the festival various nationalities participated on the stages representing their native culture. All the three days were full of numerous cultural events and incessant dance, singing, theatre and national ritual performances. Along with the pavilions several covered stalls were installed on the area and were occupied by Jagannath Express restaurant, the Interiors of Maharajs and Mantram shops.

The whole festival was a wonderful opportunity for the Russian devotees to create a pleasant impression on the public authorities, and it was also a great source of attracting people to the forthcoming grand two month Ethnolife festival.

Devotees making last preparations (fixing floor, decorations, etc.). Pictured: Krishnamrita Devi Dasi, Aruna Krishna Prabhu, Gour Narayan Prabhu.

Exhausted after the first day of the festival
Raseswari Devi Dasi and Malika Devi Dasi

Aruna Krisna Prabhu and Gour Narayan Prabhu fooling in front of the camera. In the background: one of the most famous Moscow trading centers. They also used to be famous historic buildings. And the very place where Prabhus are standing used to be in the beginning (up to 16th century) the place of tsars' decree proclamation, and later (18-19th centuries) the place of execution.

Madhava Krishna Prabhu Bramachari.
As usual with all sorts of gadgets on and with him :)

That is how the main (Indian) pavilion looked like. To the left of it stands
a row of covered stalls where Interiors of Maharajs and Mantram shops
along with the Ethnolife headquarters were located

Rear for the artists moments of rest.

Activities on the stages of the pavilions are going on throughout all the festival. One participating group alternated with another.

Arati Devi Dasi and Krisnamrita Devi Dasi came specially from Saint Petersburg to help devotees with taking part in the festival. On the photo: painting on the volunteers' faces

Madhava Krishna Prabhu Bramachari on the mission: that is how some
of the photographs were taken. He also did a great deal of
the orginizing work for the festival.

The partial overview of the area.
In the background: the worldwide famous Pokrovsky Cathedral

Jagannath Express restaurant

Indian dancing on the main stage

Activities on the main stage.
Announcing participators and entertaining the spectators

Many people attended the festival this year

Rasewari Devi Dasi worked a lot on orginizing the entertainment part of the festival. Pictured: with the announcers/orginizers of the festival and among the crowd.

Crowds and crowds of people

At times the weather showed to us its superiority and poured rain upon
the gathered people and feared, they hurried to hide in the pavilions