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Christmas 2012 / New Year 2013 Shop Hours

Dec 21st, 2012
by Vajin.
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Christmas BellsHere we are again on the brink of Christmas and a New Year! We would like to advise everyone of our Christmas New Year hours of business, which are as follows:

  • Sunday December 23: 11 am – 3 pm
  • Monday December 24: 11 am – 3 pm
  • Tuesday December 25: Closed
  • Wednesday December 26: 11 am – 3 pm
  • Thursday December 27: 11 am – 3 pm
  • Friday December 28: 11 am – 3 pm
  • Saturday December 29: 11 am – 3 pm
  • Sunday December 30: Closed until Friday January 04, 2013
  • Friday January 04, 2013 – we resume our regular shop hours.

We would like to wish everyone a happy, safe and peaceful Christmas and New Year.
Thank you all for your support throughout 2012.

Vajin and Prasasta Armstrong,
Gandharva Loka Christchurch.

Mohamed Bangoura and Doug Brush at Gandharva Loka

Sep 2nd, 2012
by Admin.
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Mohamed Bangoura and Doug Brush at Gandharva LokaIn June our good friend Doug Brush bought touring master drummer and teacher in traditional Guinean music Mohamed Bangoura to visit Gandharva Loka.

As is the case when musicians are surrounded by instruments, Doug and Mohamed tried a few of the djembes that are on offer at Gandharva Loka and settled in for a little session of drumming. Fortunately we had a camera nearby and some of that session can be seen here: Mohamed Bangoura and Doug Brush at Gandharva Loka – June 2012.

It was really nice to meet Mohamed who, as can be seen in the video, exudes joy and enthusiasm.

Gandharva Loka Shop Hours Into 2012

Dec 27th, 2011
by Vajin.
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Happy New Year!We are very happy to be open again at our new location on St Asaph Street – it is delightful to be nestled in with The Lotus-Heart vegetarian restaurant, tea house and health food store, and The Gift Shop. Thanks so much to our friends and customers who have called us or come by over the past three weeks to wish us well – your kindness and good wishes have been most encouraging.

Just a short note to let everyone know our hours over the New Years break. Gandharva Loka Christchurch will be closed from Thursday 29th December until January 2nd. We will be reopening on the 3rd of January and will then continue with our regular hours.

Prasasta and I would like to wish everyone a peaceful, happy and safe New Year and we look forward to serving your musical needs at Gandharva Loka in the new year.

Vajin Armstrong
Gandharva Loka, Christchurch

Music is an indispensable thing. We don’t have to know what it looks like or what it does. Its very existence keeps us alive. Music means Self-expansion and oneness. The Self expands through music. The Self that expands is not the individual self but the unlimited Self. Music is the expansion of unlimited Reality. When the Unlimited expands, that is music. – Sri Chinmoy.

Gandharva Loka Christchurch to re-open on December 6!

Dec 3rd, 2011
by Admin.
6 comments

We are delighted to announce that Gandharva Loka in Christchurch will be re-opening at 11am on Tuesday the 6th of December!

Our new location is:
363 St Asaph Street,
(Between Fitzgerald Ave and Barbadoes St
Christchurch.

We have a lovely space that is accessed from the St Asaph Street entrance of The Lotus-Heart restaurant, tea house and health food store – a new location for the popular vegetarian restaurant that is also home to The Gift Shop. At present a new facade is being installed so the building is shrouded in scaffolding. But prepare to be amazed when you step inside – the interior is enchanting!

We now have in stock the best range of instruments we have ever had and we are expecting that more instruments will be arriving in the next few days.

Our hours are:
Tuesday to Saturday, 11am-3pm.
Friday evening 5pm-8pm.
We are happy to accommodate customers outside these hours by appointment if our regular store hours do not suit.

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The Lotus-Heart is reopening!

Jul 24th, 2011
by Shardul.
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Along with hundreds of other businesses in central Christchurch, Gandharva Loka remains closed and somewhat homeless for now. Our world music store will reopen in Christchurch at some stage – we are just not sure when or where. It is a shared experience for many small businesses in Christchurch and one that can only be met with hope, optimism and determination. The spirit that makes Christchurch such a special place is the same spirit that will help us to accomplish the task of rebuilding this beautiful city.

The Lotus-HeartThere is always some good news though and we are very happy to be able to announce that The Lotus-Heart vegetarian restaurant is reopening this coming Wednesday (July 27, 2011) at its new location in St Asaph Street. The managers of Gandharva Loka in Christchurch, Vajin and Prasasta Armstrong, are also a part of The Lotus-Heart team and worked part-time at the restaurant in Cathedral Square. The original Lotus-Heart café, which was in the same block and two doors from Gandharva Loka, was also destroyed during the February 22nd earthquake. The building that The Lotus-Heart restaurant was in, the original Chief Post Office building in Cathedral Square, is still standing but, as with the entire central business district of Christchurch, remains unusable and closed for now.

Like Gandharva Loka, The Lotus-Heart is owned, managed and staffed by members of the Christchurch Sri Chinmoy Centre. Since April The Lotus-Heart team has been working very hard to convert and make ready an area within premises on St Asaph Street just outside the Christchurch CBD. This from The Lotus-Heart website:

The Lotus-Heart Restaurant & Tea House

We are delighted to advise that The Lotus-Heart will be open in a new location from Wednesday 27 July 2011, initially by reservation only. Kindly phone or send a text message to 021 256 6702 to make a reservation or use our online reservation service.

We are eager to resume service and therefore will open with further renovations yet to come, so kindly bear with us as we fully develop our new location. Read more »

Congratulations to all those involved in the rebuilding and reopening of The Lotus-Heart!

National Interfaith Vigil for Christchurch

Jul 17th, 2011
by Shardul.
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Last night members of the New Zealand Sri Chinmoy Centre participated in a nation vigil for Christchurch organised by the New Zealand Interfaith Group. The event was held simultaneously in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin with various faith, spiritual and interfaith communities participating through video presentation, prayer, song, meditation and reflection. The members of our Christchurch Sri Chinmoy Centre sang two songs dedicated to New Zealand and Christchurch that were written by our meditation teacher Sri Chinmoy – and recited two of his prayers. Members of the Auckland Sri Chinmoy Centre recited a selection of Sri Chinmoy’s poems and sang one of his songs – all in the theme of ‘hope’. They also offered a short flute recital featuring two of Sri Chinmoy’s melodies.

Christchurch Vigil
Members of the Christchurch Sri Chinmoy Centre singing at the National Interfaith
vigil for Christchurch at St Michael and All Angels Anglican Church in Christchurch.

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Shaskeen Reel To Perform Cathedral Fundraiser

Jun 17th, 2011
by Shardul.
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Shaskeen Reel posterJust had a chat with a friend in New Plymouth, singer, whistle and flute player Rob Green, who is a member of Shaskeen Reel.

Shaskeen Reel was formed in New Plymouth in 1997 when brothers Rob and Dennis Green (ex The Orange & Green) teamed up with likeminded Celtic musicians, Geoff Notman and Rowan Johnston.

Rob informs me that Shaskeen Reel is to perform a concert in partnership with the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Auckland to raise funds to help rebuild Christchurch Cathedral. The concert will be at St Mary’s in Holy Trinity, Parnell, Auckland, on Saturday, June 25, and begins at 7:30pm. Tickets are just $20 Adult and $15 Concession – more details here.

Hope you can make it along to hear some nice Celtic music and support the efforts of a group of musicians who are driving from New Plymouth to Auckland and back to offer their support for Christchurch. Tell a friend/bring a friend/be a friend. (Directions)

Here’s a video clip of Shaskeen Reel performing at the 2010 Festival of the Lights in New Plymouth – Rob Green on low whistle…

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