With the mild temps in the 70s in the evening, Gem Show attendees flock to Govinda’s patio to relish the prasad and spiritual vibrations.
In February, thousands of vendors and visitors from around the world descend on Tucson, Arizona, for the largest and most prestigious gem and mineral show in the world. For ISKCON devotees, the event is a rare opportunity to share our priceless philosophy, the gem of Govinda’s restaurant, and precious prasadam at the event itself.
Govinda’s of Tucson has been open since 1992 and is recognized by the public and the media as Tucson’s premier vegetarian restaurant. Many of the vegetarian vendors and devout distributors will drive from the weeks-long show to receive the sanctified food and the association of the devotees in a lovely, welcoming setting. “It’s a significant source of income for our community that supports our operations, outreach, and other initiatives like our devotee housing and temple project,” said Temple President Sandamini Devi Dasi. “We also benefit from offering accommodations to some of the vendors who appreciate the spiritual atmosphere.”
Happy visitors from Hawaii enjoying the prasad and atmosphere at the temple and Govinda’s.
Not satisfied with simply waiting for the masses to come to Govinda’s, ISKCON Tucson devotees also prepare and package prasadam to take to the thousands at the show. “We have groups of devotees going out daily to the big tents to distribute samosas and wraps,” said Sandamini, “We also send out thalis to the pious Jaipur Indian vendors.” Bhakta Curtis, Divya Simha, Gaura Sundar and Dhiro Datta get ready to leave with samosas and chapati wraps for distribution at the many tents and shows in town for the three week gem show marathon.
Hoping to inspire other temples to offer similar service, Sandamini said, “There are so many creative ways that our communities can dovetail their devotional service and outreach with things like trade shows, local parades, and other civic events where a large number of people may be gathered.”
To follow the expanding service of the Tucson community, receive updates on their Temple project, and more, read their latest newsletter, visit their website, and follow them on Facebook and YouTube.
Source https://iskconnews.org/iskcon-tucson-shares-spiritual-gems-at-the-worlds-largest-mineral-show/
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