The First Hare Krishna Youth European Bus Tour

By Kumari Kunti Sherreitt | May 11, 2013

12 countries. 34 days. 40 youth. The first European Bus Tour is happening this summer.

Hare Krishna youth now have the opportunity to not only tour the United States and Mexico, but also the European Union. The long-time organizer (and ISKCON Youth Minister) of the US Bus Tour, Manorama Das, has joined forces with some Euro Gurukulis to organize the tour.

Some of the tour stops include: UK’s Plymouth and Galstonbury Ratha-yatras and Bhaktivedanta Manor, Paris temple and sightseeing, the Belgian castle Radhadesh, Hungary’s Krishna Valley farm and Prague sightseeing, Polish Woodstock festival, Germany’s Kirtan Mela festival and Kulimela festival, as well as Amsterdam’s Ratha-yatra, camping in the Swiss Alps and many more temples and scenic area stops for an action-packed, gulab full, kirtan packed month!

“This is an experience of a lifetime,” wrote Mohini Chacon on the Euro Bus Tour’s official Facebook page. Like many ISKCON youth this tour has been a time of their lives, getting them involved in service and allowing informal networking between temples and youth in a positive and meaningful way.

Hungary’s Krishna Valley eco farm

For organizer Manorama Das, this is a long-awaited project that he had been preparing for for many years. “Nothing compares to life on the festival tour,” he said.

“Being stuck at home for nine months in between tours is like being stuck in the Brahma Jyoti after having been allowed to witness and participate in the most amazing services. The urge just overcomes me after a while and get on the computer and plan the next festival tour.”

Humility, service, and friendship are some of the themes of the tour as they are the pillars of the Vaisnava faith. On the tour participants will get the opportunity to do service in temples, distribute books, dance in harinams, sing kirtans, and discover the deep heritage of the Chaitanya Vaishnava tradition, in a safe, comfortable and encouraging environment. Another theme of the tour is youth empowerment. As many leaders of ISKCON are aging the tour is one way to engage and train future leaders by creating a strong spiritual foundation and learning the art of devotee care, and a genuine service attitude.

The charm of the Swiss Alps

The four-person team has been working tirelessly to organize the best use of time, resources and funds for the participants. Manorama Das will be leading the tour in Europe and therefore there will not be a US tour this summer.

This year the Euro tour will be renting a bus and a driver through the vast European lands of the ISKCON temples. Buying a bus is the next year’s goals, along with broadening and expanding the tour’s stops and length.

Euro Bus Tour 2013 from visvambara caitanya janssens on Vimeo.

For a complete agenda of tour destinations please refer to the Euro Bus Tour’s website: www.facebook.com/EuroBusTour

Please register your space on the bus at: www.krishna.com/bustour/tourdates.html

Dates: July 16th – Aug. 18th, 2013 (Fly into UK July 15th – Out UK/Brussels Aug. 19th)

Cost: US $1200 (Euro 920) if you register before June 1st. Thereafter US $1300 (Euro 996). Airfare not included in price. Optional adventure activities will cost extra (for example, whitewater rafting, approximately $100.) EU residents please contact us to inquire about discounted train ticket transportation options if you cannot afford the above mentioned tour costs.

Schedule: (tentative)

JULY

13 SAT Bhaktivedanta Manor (Watford, UK)

Tulasi Harrison and Nama Rasa’s wedding

14 SUN Bhaktivedanta Manor

15 MON LONDON AIRPORTS PICKUP DATE – Bhaktivedanta Manor

[Tour Starts]

16 TUE Bhaktivedanta Manor, UK (Second Day for Airport Pickups)

17 WED Bhaktivedanta Manor, UK

18 THU London, UK City Tour

19 FRI Plymouth, UK – Camping

20 SAT Plymouth, UK – Ratha-yatra Festival – Camping

21 SUN Glastonbury, UK – Ratha-yatra Festival – Camping

22 MON Ferry to France – Reach New Mayapura by Evening.

23 TUE New Mayapura

24 WED Paris, France

25 THU Paris

26 FRI Radhadesh Summer Festival, Belgium

27 SAT Radhadesh Summer Festival

28 SUN Radhadesh Summer Festival

29 MON Goloka Dhama, Abentheuer, Germany

30 TUE Berlin, Germany

31 WED Polish Woodstock – Prep Day

AUGUST

01 THU Polish Woodstock

02 FRI Polish Woodstock

03 SAT Polish Woodstock

04 SUN Prague Sunday Feast, Czech Republic

05 MON Budapest, Hungary, (During the Day)/Krishna Valley (By Evening)

06 TUE Krishna Valley, Hungary

07 WED Tyrolean Alps – Adventure Activities – (Possibly Paragliding)

08 THU Kulimela Germany – Simhacalam Farm near Passau, Germany

09 FRI Kulimela

10 SAT Kulimela

11 SUN Zürich Sunday Feast, Switzerland

12 MON Swiss Alps – Adventures – Camping

13 TUE Swiss Alps – Adventures – Camping

14 WED Kirtan Mela Germany

15 THU Kirtan Mela

16 FRI Kirtan Mela

17 SAT Amsterdam Ratha-yatra, Netherlands – Preparations Day – Camping

18 SUN Amsterdam Ratha-yatra – Camping

[Last Day of Tour]

19 MON Brussels, Belgium – Airport and Eurostar Train Drop – offs