Georgetown, Guyana
If I were to pick a theme for today, I would choose “heat and humidity”. The procession before the stage presentation was conducted in the middle of the day. Passion for the faithful was also on fire on this normal type of Sunday. Our group of 100 or so bold chanters found other spiritualists expressing themselves as the speaker vehicle leading us zig-zagged up and down residential regions. Evangelical enthusiasts made their praises known as instruments and gospel power resonated out of their church windows and doors – “Halleluiah!”
While they chose shade we were committed to the burning ball of the sun. It doesn’t necessarily make our group more faithful but unique – yes.
I recall as a young boy in the Catholic tradition we conducted a similar procession one day in the month of May. With an icon of Mary, our percussionists sang hymns while proceeding on a more prominent street of our 3,000 population town in southern Ontario, called Blenheim.
For Padayatra, I was parade-marshal each day, seeing to the rank-and-filing of folks who were not so used to it. We all certainly released a lot of body water, drenching through those clothes of ours. I sometimes get flashbacks of the falling snow from Canada. It helps psychologically.
Today was the final day of Padayatra 2009 for Guyana. A lot of thanks went out to organizers of a highly successful seven days of devotional ecstasy. Most notable was an accountant, Ram Lila, an accountant from Canada. Local Guyanese men and women truly come forward in this great endeavour to help reenergize a spiritual culture. Spirits get lifted. Let’s hope it keeps that way.
15km
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