by Swami B.G. Narasingha
“Istanbul, Turkey” is a short travelogue posted by Śrīla Narasiṅgha Mahārāja on his blog, narasingha.net, on June 3rd 2011. He gives a brief history of Istanbul and speaks about the Hagia Sophia.
This was to be our last stop before returning to India. Modern day Istanbul, largest city of Turkey. Byzantium, a city of Greece. Constantinople, capitol of the Eastern Roman Empire. Incredible! This is a city that had much to do with the way the western world and its religion were shaped.
Located on the banks of the Bosporus Strait with a natural harbour known as the Golden Horn, this has been an inhabited city since before the 6th century BCE and has seen its fair share of wars, rulers, empires, trade and commerce. Even today it is a prosperous economic centre and one of the most cultured cities in Europe. Alexander the Great crossed the Bosporus here to begin his conquest of Asia some 2350 years ago.
It seemed that we could not actually look in any direction, except out to sea, where our eyes did not fall upon a Mosque and the biggest of all was the renowned Blue Mosque. Other things I found fascinating in Istanbul were the markets [goods from all over the world and the best dried fruits I have ever found anywhere] and the bridge over the Golden Horn. Oh yeah…and the Hagia Sophia and the roasted chestnuts and….
Our visit in Istanbul was brief, just long enough to meet a few people and take a few photos. Now we are back in India at our āśramas and with the devotees. It was an amazing tour thru Europe and wherever we found devotees it felt like home. In other places we were just passers-by.
I expect to be in India until after Kārttika when I again return to Mexico, stopping briefly along the way to visit devotees and friends. Gaura-haribol!
More Articles by Swami B.G. Narasingha
Abandon Unhealthy Mentalities
In this article 'Abandon Unhealthy Mentalities' written in 1998, Śrīla Narasiṅgha Mahārāja answers the question, “Does a Vaiṣṇava feel fear?” In answer to this, he explains how there is only one thing a Vaiṣṇava fears and goes on to warn the reader of the severity of Vaiṣṇava aparādha.
Śrīla Prabhupāda and the Aquarian Gospel
Did Jesus come to Jagannātha Purī? In ‘Śrīla Prabhupāda and the Aquarian Gospel’ by Swami B.G. Narasingha (under the pseudonym ‘Pradeep Sharma') written on January 21st 2006 for the Sampradaya Sun, he explores the origins of this story, and what Śrīla Prabhupāda said.
Visit to Śrī Raṅgam
’Visit to Śrī Raṅgam’ was written by Swami B.G. Narasingha and first published in Back To Godhead magazine on November 20th 1985. In this article Swami Narasingha talks about the history and significance of Śrī Raṅgam in relation to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s visit there in the year 1510.
