Veggie Fest 2005

On August 27, 2005, the five-acre Science of Spirituality property in Naperville, Illinois, was converted into a festival atmosphere, with white tents for the food vendors, exhibitors, and demonstrations for Veggie Fest 2005. It was a perfect, warm summer day with blue skies and not a drop of rain. A colorful hot air balloon and signs at the front of the Science of Spirituality Center invited people driving by to attend. Balloons and roaming characters dressed as carrots, grapes and other fruits and vegetables lent a festive atmosphere to the event.

About two thousand five hundred people passed through the welcome booth to enjoy the experience. People attended from the entire Chicagoland area, as well as from other states and countries. Restaurants and eateries that feature vegetarian dishes set up stations. For a minimal fee, people could sample the wide variety of dishes. Full meals were offered by an Indian restaurant, a Thai restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, a Persian restaurant, an American sandwich shop, and a Mexican restaurant. Stands that offered smoothies, veggie sandwiches, ice cream, and health foods were also available. An organic farm offered free samples of sweet, organic strawberries, while an organic company offered samples of organic cereals and snack bars. The dinner, sponsored by Science of Spirituality, was served as a free buffet to all attendees.

Food demonstrations conducted by members of Science of Spirituality taught participants how to prepare tofu, raw food, and juices and to cook Hispanic food and Indian food. There was even a booth on vegetarian food for pets. Workshops taught people about the health and nutritional benefits of a vegetarian diet. Doctors, nurses, and nutritionists from all over the country shared their knowledge on how vegetarian living can reduce certain food-related illnesses and can increase one’s energy and well-being.

Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj conducted a seminar on Spirituality and Vegetarianism with a large turnout. His talk shed light on the fact that vegetarianism not only provides health benefits, but offers spiritual benefits as well. Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj said, “Today, I want to explore the spiritual aspect of the vegetarian diet. Most people focus on the health benefits of vegetarianism. They may learn about the variety of vegetarian dishes that could be prepared. People may take nutritional lessons on how to eat a balanced diet using vegetarian foods. They may study how we can get the protein we need from meat substitutes such as soy products, beans, nuts, vegetable protein, dairy, and other products. There are other aspects of the vegetarian diet that are equally important. Along with improving our physical well-being, there are other benefits to vegetarianism to help our mind and soul.” His talk was well received with great interest and applause. Many of those who attended came back the following day to hear him speak again.

The children also had an entertaining day. The youth tent was filled with a variety of fun activities such as face-painting, arts and crafts in which the children could paint fruits and vegetables on display, a “Guess the Fruit and Vegetable” game, and making balloons into different shapes and designs. There was a clown on stilts, a magician, and roaming fruit and vegetable characters that danced and delighted the children.

Stages were set up for performers who entertained the crowd with a variety of music. A country music band set a lively tone for visitors attending in the afternoon. In the evening, there was a concert under the stars on a giant stage. Performers included a group performing Spanish music, an opera singer named Rudy Fernandez who flew up for the event from Peru, a jazz harmonica player, pianist Richard Dworsky from Garrison Keilor's Prairie Home Companion, and Marv Jonesi on guitar accompanying the powerful voice of Anna Jonesi.

Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj circulated through the grounds during the day, visiting the various booths and exhibits. The vendors from the various local food establishments were thrilled to meet him in person. They appreciated the fact that through his encouragement of the vegetarian diet, so many people from Science of Spirituality were frequenting their restaurants and shops.

One owner of a local health food store remarked to Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, “I have set up my booth in many fairs, but this one is excellent. It is well organized and it has attracted such a large crowd not only from this area, but from other states and countries. It is rare to see an event run for the first time be so well organized and have such a great turnout.”

People from the community were overjoyed to find such a center in their midst. One woman from a neighboring county said, “I have lived here for many years and have been a vegetarian and never knew there was a place like this with so many vegetarians.” Another guest remarked, “It is incredible to see such a big turnout. In fact, there are people who traveled here from other states and even other countries.”

The following day, August 28, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj gave a publicly-advertised talk under the large tent, entitled “Experience Inner Vistas through Meditation.” He surprised the crowd with the release of his new book, Silken Thread of the Divine. This approximately two hundred-page book, with beautiful colored graphic designs, features talks the spiritual teacher has given on a wide variety of subjects in venues such as the United Nations, National Institute of Health, the Vatican, the United States Coast Guard, Harvard University, IIT, Berkeley, and many other places and international conferences.