As a sort of post-script to my blog about Halloween-Hare-Krishnas, check out this video of a carnival in Croatia (yes, Croatia), where one of the groups participating dressed up as Hare Krishna devotees.

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The dancing girls are definitely taking liberties with their moves; thebooty-shaking seems more inspired by Britney Spears videos than it doesby actual Krishna devotees. The men appear to be wearing a slightlymore accurate version of the costume I blogged about. The whole thingseems like a parody of popular Hindu festivals like Nagar Kirtan orRatha Yatra (at one point, some of the costumed “devotees” appear to bewheeling around some sort of contrived deity).   

By the way, the music is not an actual Krishna chant; its the soundtrack from the popular Bollywood movie “Bhool Bhulaiyaa.”(The film cause controversy with some Hindus and Buddhists, both forthe irreverent use of the “Hare Krishna, Hare Ram” song, and for havingscantily clad women dancing around icons of Buddha.)

BhaktaFerdo, a European devotee of Krishna, is part of a traveling festivalcrew that has staged devotional festivals in the Croation town wherethis carnival is held. It seems the group in the video is parodyingwhat they observed of Ferdo and his friends, and he sheds more light onwhat is happening in the video:

At the 26th International Carnival in Rijeka, Croatia this year therewas a group that dressed as Hare Krishnas…it seems we[visiting Krishna devotees] are just about the only tourists they see during summer.

Were Ferdo and the other devotees offended seeing the obvious spoof of their festival? Not really:

…we were amused of howthe Holy Name found its way to the mouths of a hundred or soparticipants and ears of nearly a hundred thousands spectators.

What about you? Are you a Hare Krishna devotee who isoffended by this? Or how about a non-Hare Krishna reader (Hindu orotherwise) who has a point of view? Share your thoughts below.

(As for me, I’m going to have to go do something to get that “Hare Krishna, Hare Ram” Bollywood jingle out of my head…)