Call out Gouranga be happy

Wednesday, December 15, 2004

My incoming mail is now over 50% spam. Of the 70-odd messages that came in overnight, 42 landed in the junk folder. Among was this exquisite piece:

From: Neateye <NitaiGouranga@aol.com>
Subject: Gouranga
Date: December 15, 2004 5:07:26 AM GMT+05:30

Call out Gouranga be happy!!!
Gouranga Gouranga Gouranga ....
That which brings the highest happiness!!

So naturally I had to investigate. Turns out Gouranga is another name for Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, a saint from the Hare Krishna cult. The slogan urging all to call out to Gouranga is of more recent origin, first seen plastered along British highways. This piece of spam, though, appears to be of a more devious purpose. While it looks like it’s from an overzealous Hare Krishna devotee, it’s more likely marketing for Grand Theft Auto. Look, for example, at this definition from the Urban Dictionary:

A feeling of happiness stemming from running down an entire column of Hare Krishnas in your car, as first invented in GTA1.

Splat! splat! splat! splat! splat! splat! splat! GOURANGA!

Ingenious, don’t you agree? PS: Happy birthday,

ceres!

joge — Dec 15, 2004 10:39:25 AM — # ↩

Happy birthday to ceres.
Anonymous — Dec 15, 2004 11:01:30 AM — # ↩

he he....Gouranga...have u visited ISKCON? the main temple at the top consists of three idols of Krishna adjacent to each other...and the last one is Nitai Gouranga I think (I am sure abt the Gouranga part though... :))....check it out once :)
fun to read such mails right..i always enjoy...

-r-
ceres — Dec 15, 2004 12:04:53 PM — # ↩

thank you!
woke up earlier than usual today, so i thought i would browse through everyone's journals ...and i find a surprise wish for me!! feels great to know friends haven't forgotten :-)

thanks jace!

ps: hmm, we do have a hare krishna temple nearby (watford), but i haven't seen the gouranga posters anywhere yet. and as for 'r's comment...the 'three idols of krishna adjacent to each other' at the iskcon temple are in fact three similar looking idols - of krishna (with radha), and rama and lakshmana with sita :-))
- Anonymous — Dec 15, 2004 12:20:35 PM — # ↩
  
  Re: thank you!
  :-)) ...i know. have u observed the captions above each of the doors? one of them mentions Gouranga.. :)
  
  -r-
vinodkumarvc — Dec 15, 2004 2:47:32 PM — # ↩

hehe .. i get inundated by offers to get millions of dollars by wire xfer. btw, the GTA connection mebbe smwhat far-fetched, dont u think?
drkishoremurthy — Dec 15, 2004 4:08:51 PM — # ↩

Gouranga... Gouranga... SPLAT !!!!
- drkishoremurthy — Dec 15, 2004 7:16:08 PM — # ↩
  
  (forgot to add) VRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM :)
snagappa — Dec 15, 2004 8:17:38 PM — # ↩

you'll also find (crazy?) nun(-like) characters on the main street trying to promote "gouranga", and also trying to get money off you, supposedly for charity, but i don't know.
they jump on you and start with "can you say gouranga? it means be happy. here's a book describing the conversation of whatsisname with whos-he...blah blah...why don't you donate some money!"
kitsa1 — Dec 16, 2004 4:11:45 AM — # ↩

Oh, those wacky hare krishnas.