Page - 73 - in Mobile Culture Studies - The Journal, Volume 4/2018

Mobile Culture Studies. The Journal 4 2o18 Debora Baldelli | Parading in the city’s public space 73 ways in which individuals articulate collective identities that are shown as fundamental to the formation and sustenance of social groups, indispensable for survival (Turino 2008: 2). Prayer in general, which among Hare Krishna devotees takes place through the chanting of mantras, is important for the religious imaginary, occupying a central role (Mapril 2009: 135). It is in the musical practice, constituted by the collective chanting of mantras, that devotees and visitors meet the same goal and speak “the same language.” Since the Hare Krishna Movement is a transnational spiritual practice in which language is sometimes a barrier, the collective chanting of mantras is the moment when the sense of unity and integration seems possible. The activities of the Hare Krishna Movement are aligned with the change in the dynamics of the city and with a cultural policy that aims to promote the image of Lisbon as a multicultu- ral and cosmopolitan city, which has been adapting its range of services, activities and events, including the ones with a religious aspect. The Hare Krishna Movement is increasingly occu- pying the city‘s festive space by treating spiritual practice as a public spectacle (Rasmussen 2010: 125). Devotees and participants of the Hare Krishna activities, mostly immigrants, appropriate the public space to express themselves in the city where they live. Also, the events organised by them in the city meet the ideas of “diversity” and “multiculturalism” promoted by the Lisbon City Hall. The Hare Krishna Movement in Portugal, particularly in Lisbon, extends itself to an international network, mostly composed by other Hindu communities, because of its needs to expand its borders due to the small number of devotees present in the country. The Hare Krishna spiritual practice is not intended for a particular immigrant group. The collected field- work data shows that the immigration cycles for Portugal coincide and reflects the varied ori- gins of devotees and regular visitors (Baldelli 2017). The fact the Hare Krishna Movement in Portugal is mainly composed by immigrants also highlights how people might look for a spiri- tual/religious practice when trying to adapt to a new country. Religious belongings are an identity resource that facilitates the processes of social mobility (Ramalho 2010: 48). Religion also helps create living spaces, ranging from a particular architec- ture that transports somewhere, to the production of sacred artefacts that generate a religious habit even in the practitioner‘s body (Vasques 2006). In this context, the existence of spaces for worship in which religious or spiritual practices can be acted, realising what Mapril calls the creation of a “geography of the virtues”, where new places of prayer are created according to immigrants’ needs, usually close to where they live or work, demonstrate an adaptation of immigrants’ religious practices to their daily lives in the city (2009: 148). The cosmopolitan character of Lisbon, along with the process of touristification of the city, have changed the cultural activities of the city, which have also influenced the way spiritual/ religious practices work and function in the public space. This cosmopolitan characteristic allows religious/spiritual communities like the Hare Krishna to broaden their dialogue with cultural associations of immigrants, such as those related to Southeast Asian countries, which seek greater visibility for their communities in the city. The cultural policy of the Lisbon City Hall aims to respond to the new needs of its citizens and visitors, making the public space a stage for celebrations of all kinds, including religious celebrations and festivals. These are presented as cultural activities of the city, and expressive practices such as those performed by Hare Krishna devotees begin to participate in the process of festivalization of religion. In this process, the centrality of musical practice in Hare Krishna devotion facilitates its inception