By Vibhu Chaitanya Das
Before formally meeting Hare Krishna devotees, I was one of those who ran in the opposite direction when I saw them coming. I used to think they were from another planet. Who are these guys with their chants and dancing in the street? Or are they going to hit me up for a donation? But one day I had no choice, I was forced into a corner. The front door was open and a devotee knocked on the door. I had to let him in. I thought, since no one was home I will make this quick, a quick donation and get rid of him. But he was different. I offered him some fruit juice and two hours later all my conspiracies and curiosities were defeated. He answered all my questions and left me with a book. That book opened the door to my spiritual journey - everything became so much clearer. I was in high school at the time. Some time after, the devotees invited me to accompany them to the annual Durban Festival of Chariots. I had seen newspaper clippings and had even caught a glimpse of the festival on television, but now I had the chance to experience the festival first-hand.