Nashville mandir’s murti pratishta was memorable for many reasons, but not for the reasons I expected. Yes, the sabha was beautiful. The decorations were next-level, the energy in the mandir was high, and the prasad was on point. But what made it really stand out for me wasn’t anything on the official schedule – it was the people!

To be honest, I almost didn’t go to the pratishta. Life’s been busy—school, responsibilities, everything else. But I figured I’d show up, do darshan, say hi to a few familiar faces, and head out. Simple, right?

But then it happened. I saw someone I hadn’t seen in 5 years—maybe more. We met at camp and were in the same group. Back then, we were always goofing around before sabha started, trying (and failing) to stay serious during bhajans, and competing over who could stay up during the sabha the longest. 

I recognized them right away, but I wasn’t even sure they’d recognize me. It turns out they did. And suddenly, it was like no time had passed. That first “Wait… is that you?!” turned into a full-blown conversation that lasted way longer than I expected. And that wasn’t the only one. One old friend turned into three, and then five. Before I knew it, there was a little mini-reunion happening right there in the mandir hallway. We were catching up, swapping stories, and realizing just how long it had been. People had started graduate school, moved across the country, gotten into relationships, changed careers—you name it. But somehow, we still connected like we had back in the day.

There is something really comforting about it. Like, even though everything around us has changed, this space—our mandir, our satsang—still brought us together in the most natural way. We didn’t have to explain much. Everyone just got it. We all come from the same place, share so many of the same memories, and deep down, still feel that sense of belonging.

And honestly, it made me think about how easily we can drift apart. We don’t do it on purpose. It just kind of happens. One year turns into five, and before you know it, you haven’t talked to someone you used to see every weekend. The murti pratistha is just an example of an event that brings everyone together. This also happens at other events, including, but not limited to, patotsavs, camps, and shibirs. This reminded me of how important it is to stay connected—not just for the satsang, but because these friendships are an important part of who we are.

I left that day feeling full. Not just from the prasad, but from the conversations, the laughs, the unexpected hugs, and the stories that reminded me where I came from. Not only did I see my friends, but I also saw relatives, aunties, and uncles I have not seen in a while. This was not only my experience, but it was what many other yuvaks experienced. 

Riya, a yuvati from Florida, was ecstatic because she was able to experience the inauguration of a new mandir and see her friends from camp 6-7 years later. She is very thankful for this reunion because “[she] couldn’t imagine what [her] life would be like without these friends now, and it’s all thanks to going to camps and shibirs.” Another yuvak, Ohm, said he “meets up with some friends [he] made at camp in 2023 at the Nashville murti pratishta.” Another yuvati mentioned that she drives 3 hours to her mandir during patotsav and Diwali so she can do darshan and see other yuvatis. She says, “[she] is so grateful to have met them at that one random sabha so many years ago because they help me have faith as a satsangi.” Rishabh, a yuvak from Seattle, meets with his friends at least once a year at any ISSO event. He mentions “it has been three years in a row now after the Nashville pratishtha,” and he continues to meet with them because “there is just something special about reconnecting with my satsangi friends yearly to chat, do seva together, play music, and stay up late.” 

As the Shikshapatri Shlok 114 says, “the righteousness of the virtuous persons, such as the learned one,s is only due to their devotion to Lord Shree Krishna and Satsang, because without devotion and Satsang even a learned person is bound to degenerate.” So, if it’s been a while since you’ve come to an ISSO event like a patotsav—or any satsang event, really—I’d say come through. Not just for darshan and the festivities, but for the people—our Satsang. You might run into someone who remembers your awkward pre-teen phase, or who still calls you by that nickname you thought everyone forgot. And honestly? That’s the best part.