Dublin spiritual festival threatened due to visa delay

Love comes to Town, a three-day spiritual festival billed as a gift of love to the Irish people, is now in doubt with confusion over the issuing of visas for the classically-trained Indian musicians who were to play an integral role in the event.

It is feared by organisers that the musicians, who were expected to join an Indian religious leader in Dublin for the spiritual, healing and yoga festival, will not get their visas in time to appear at next weekend's festival.

The visa section of the Department of Justice told this newspaper yesterday that the applications were not lodged in time. However, organiser Catherine Walsh insisted they were told visas could be issued immediately providing work permits had been secured beforehand. "It seems that for some unknown reason somebody changed their mind at the last minute," she said.

The event is being led by Balendu Goswami, known as Swami Ji, a spiritual leader who has been preaching in his hometown of Vrindaban, India, since the age of nine. He comes from a long line of holy men in India, and his grandfather was an associate of Mahatma Gandhi.

In 1997 Swami Ji entered an underground cave and remained there for three years as part of his spiritual practice. Since emerging in December 2000 he has spent most of his time travelling the world, preaching and administering healings.

Swami Ji's musicians had planned to leave India this weekend in order to rehearse with the Dublin-based artists involved in the event. Musicians Mary Coughlan and Chloe Goodchild are also due to be performing during the festival.

Swami Ji has been in Dublin for the past week working with young people and giving Darshan (healing) at an apartment in Dublin.

"Should we have to cancel the event, which we are very reluctant to do, Dublin will miss the unique opportunity to enjoy the biggest ever festival of love and joy with one of India's renowned spiritual masters and yogis," said Ms Walsh.

Tickets for the workshops in Tallaght's National Basketball Arena cost from €50, but are free to teenagers, with concessions for students, the unemployed, low-paid workers and community groups. Organisers say all proceeds from ticket sales will go to charity should the event go ahead as planned.

He believes in a thing called love: WeekendReview - page 5