Devotees of Krishna Consciousness gathered at the Ashram in Caloocan to joyfully celebrate Sri Lord Balaram’s Appearance Day, coinciding with the grand conclusion of the Jhulan Yatra (Swing Festival) on August 9, 2025.
Lord Balaram, the elder brother of Lord Krishna, is revered as the embodiment of strength, compassion, and service to the Lord. His appearance day honors his divine role in supporting and assisting Krishna’s pastimes. The Jhulan Yatra, or Swing Festival, is a joyous tradition where the deities of Radha and Krishna are placed on a beautifully decorated swing, symbolizing the playful and loving exchanges of the Lord with His devotees. This celebration marks a time of song, devotion, and heartfelt offerings.
We at Sitio Arya are self-taught visual artists, walking a path where the camera is not just a tool but a bridge between our inner truth and the world we see. Each image we create is a mirror of the energy we feel, raw, unfiltered, and alive. Our craft has become a language where light, shadows, and colors speak our understanding of life.
This particular journey led us to the Ashram in Caloocan on August 9, 2025. Devotees of Krishna Consciousness had gathered to celebrate Sri Lord Balaram’s Appearance Day and the conclusion of the Jhulan Yatra, the Swing Festival. As we moved through the space with our cameras, we realized that what we capture is more than a moment; it is the vibe and energy of the place. We felt the rhythm of the kirtan, the gentle sway of Radha and Krishna on the decorated swing, and the devotion glowing in every smile. Every frame reflected how we felt in that space, allowing the energy to shape the image as much as our eyes did.
We have come to understand that time is everything. Even in this present moment as you read, everything is already changing. Our past shapes reality through human experience, passing through the mind and shaped by the knowledge we gain from our environment. Time moves like vibration, and numbers are part of its language. Through sound waves, through hearing, we connect to the rhythm of life. Our cameras capture those exact vibrations, freezing the living essence of the present.
When we remember our core memories, the most precious moments in our lives, we travel back to them through feeling and thought. That is how we saw and felt each frame that day, a meeting point where past, present, and future converged. Photography, for us, is not only about preserving what we see but honoring the spirit, the vibration, and the timeless essence of the moment. We encourage everyone to experience these programs, to see, to feel, and to be part of this living devotion.
