Governor Neil Abercrombie offers flowers and ghee lamp to Honolulu’s Panca Tattva Deities

Next, Governor Abercrombie, his wife Dr. Caraway, Senator Ryan, and Tulsi Gabbard all offered ghee lamps and flower petals to New Navadvipa’s presiding Deities of Sri Panchatattva and Sri Sri Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra.

Several television cameras filmed their offering, including Channel 2 News.

Afterwards, the visiting dignitaries honored prasadam, sanctified vegetarian food, and Governor Abercrombie recalled meeting ISKCON Founder Srila Prabhupada while serving as a professor at the University of Hawaii in the 1970s.

“I then took everyone on a tour of Srila Prabhupada’s quarters where he stayed and translated much of the Chaitanya Charitamrita,” says Madana-sundari. “Our guests were very impressed with Prabhupada’s story—how he journeyed to America and circled the world twelve times, opening so many temples and writing so many volumes, all between the ages of 70 and 82.”

The service officially wrapped at 6pm, with some guests staying on for the 6:30pm Sunday arati ceremony and kirtan.

“ISKCON Honolulu has always been very open to the public over the years,” says organizer Dr. Raj Kumar, who himself has frequented the temple for many years.

“But this event saw many spiritual leaders from other faiths visit for the first time, receive a warm greeting, and enjoy learning about Krishna consciousness.”

“Our hearts go out to the Sikh community in this difficult time,” says Madana-sundari. “And as we try to make sense of this seemingly random act of violence, we can understand that in leaving their bodies, these souls—who spent their life in spiritual pursuits—have brought awareness to the need for tolerance and

understanding of all religions.”

She concludes: “In this way, their final act was in service to God.”