FINAL BIG SNAN (bath)

[Guest guest]

>Vrinda (AT) aol (DOT) com >Vrinda (AT) aol (DOT) com >FINAL BIG SNAN >Fri, 2

Feb 2001 12:31:40 EST > >Today I would like to tell you about some of the

wonderful services performed >by devotees here at Kumbha Mela. With us from the

beginning was Jaya Vijay who >you all may remember joined ISKCON on Padayatra

and was in charge for a few >years before retiring to write a book on Ganga. He

was in charge of decorating >the camp and he daily watered down the roadways

between the tents so that is >was easy to walk. Then he lined all the roads

with bricks at an angle. He >somehow engaged guests who wandered by in

devotional service of laying down >bricks. In the space on the side of the

bricks he planted wheat to add a >little >greenery to our camp. Later we

realized he should have planted barley as it >comes up in three days, but still

it is now adding some greenery to our >environment of sand, sky, and sun! He

also got some potted plants and set them >every few feet along the paths. Then

he took some short bamboo poles and >nailed >small wicker baskets upside down

on them and had the electrician put light >bulbs underneath to light the

walkways at night. So even though the >accommodation is just some simple tents

in the middle of the sand, the neat >look was appreciated by everyone. > >Then

there was Braj Hari Prabhu and his crew from Bombay who took charge of >serving

Food For Life Prasadam. This was a most difficult service as we were >feeding

thousands of pilgrims everyday and your arms tire out very quickly and >the

turnover rate of servers is quite high. Still I was overwhelmed by how it >went

just like clockwork. It was the best organized distribution I have ever >seen at

Kumbha Mela. > >The Padayatra devotees headed by Ista Deva were in charge of

devotee and guest >prasadam. They have been with us all month. This was also a

difficult service, >but they managed to satisfy all the Vaisnavas. >

>Radharaman was in charge of local devotee accommodation and Kripa Pal from

>Slovenia along with Kulashekar from South Africa were in charge of foreign

>devotee accommodation. How they managed to accommodate the ocean of devotees

>who came is still beyond my comprehension. They even reserved one Dormitory

>tent for all the young people who were wandering around looking for

>accommodation. Anyone who looked decent, we arranged for them to stay there

>free and many gave donations. We built up a lot of goodwill for the Hare

>Krishnas. > >The most difficult service was performed by Sura Dasa and his

wife Varaharupa >from Bombay. They were in charge of the donor accommodation.

They remained >quite cool and calm despite the intense pressure. We have nearly

half the >accommodation as in previous Kumbha and more than double the

popularity. For >every snan except the first one on Jan 9th, we were packed up

completely. >Still >without reservation, people were coming all day long

showing their membership >cards and demanding accommodation. I couldn't have

sat in that office for more >than 2 minutes, but they did a remarkable job. >

>Sanak Sanatan, German in charge of Padayatra, somehow managed to get people in

>and out of the camp learning all the back roads when the pontoon bridges were

>either jammed or closed to vehicular traffic. He managed to either beg his way

>thru police barriers or sometimes just run on thru them. > >Again devotees

poured in like a flood. I still have no idea how we >accommodated >them all. I

saw many devotees who had gone back to Vrindavan, but missing the >nectar again

returned. Some were even sleeping in the video tent at night. At >devotee prasad

time, we filled up even the Food for Life Prasadam Hall as well >as the guest

Prasad Hall. Still there was prasad for one and all. > >Book distribution is

going on in record numbers. We have our main book stall >and sometimes I have

come out at midnight to see what was going on and there >were still one or two

devotees sitting there and they told me after 10 pm is >the best time for

Gitas. The main devotees there are Mohinder Das, Padmanav >Das, Anuttama, and

Srinvasa das from Bombay. There are tables and carts >throughout the camp.

Devotees also take push carts throughout the Mela. Jag >Jivan from Mira Road

has been doing an excellent service coordinating. Radha >Kund Mataji, wife of

Jaso, is almost always number one. Then there is Prema >Manjari from Toronto,

Nandi Mukhi, Indulekha, and Venu Rati from Ukraine and >Bhima's wife Jalatala.

> >The public didn't come in such numbers as on the 24th. I went our late on

the >28th night to check it out, and on the way back to our camp, I saw at

least >3-4 >people carrying Srila Prabhupada's Gita under their arms. The next

day we took >out our Harer Nama party and this time we had nearly 250 devotees.

We couldn't >take out the Deity cart again but we had a nice banner and a big

red flag with >Gaudiya Tilak and Hare Krishna in Sanskrit made by Daivishakti

Mataji. There >was not nearly the crowd and we crossed over the pontoon bridge

easily and >made >our way to the Sangam. Prithu prabhu came with many disciples

and we had a >lively kirtan. The Sangam though appeared just as crowded and we

had to pick >our way through the crowd to the water. In the water we started a

kirtan and >all the pilgrims were chanting and splashing us with water. It was

real >ecstatic. > >One nice devotee came from Doha Quatar, Mr. T K Choudhary

and he gave a nice >donation for the Vasant Pancami Prasad distribution. The

young boy who brings >supplies somehow managed to get here at midnight with

saffron as traditonally >the color of Vasant is yellow and we wanted yellow

sweet rice. So thousands of >pilgrims got Vasant Panchami Sweet Rice. THe guest

also had a nice feast with >puris, cauliflower subjee, pea and paneer subji,

samosa, gulab jamon, and >Vasant Panchami Yellow sweet rice. More than 1500

devotees and guests were >served very nicely. Everyone is in joyful spirit.

Kumbha Mela ki Jaya! Ten >more >days are left. Come and relish the nectar! >

>In service to Sri Sri Krishna Balaram, >Deena Bandhu dasa Get your FREE

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