Govinda Maharaj World Tour News

[Guest guest]

All Glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!!!!

 

Dandavats to all the dear devotees around the world.

 

Well, saddenly, this is my last official Russia posting. We

are actually on the plane en route to San Francisco. I am

already missing Srila Gurudeva and all the Maharajas and all

the devotees. However, I can only count my blessings for the

wonderful opportunity I did have. Extreme fortune. We must

take it no matter how undeserving we feel because it is all

great mercy.

 

I think I left off on my way to the grand India Festival

program. It turned out that I got there just in time. A lot

of devotees had just sat down at the Jagannath Express

Restaurant to take prasadam with Gurudeva and they were

saving me a seat. Jai!! The prasadam there is incredible.

They had breads and appetizers and teas and drinks -- then

all of a sudden came the main course! We couldn't believe

all the never-ending scrumptious treats that kept filling

our plates.

 

We then went into the main program room to a stage filled

with devotees chanting and dancing in front of a crowd of

hundreds of people. Sripad Acharyya Maharaja and Sripad

Tirtha Maharaja were leading the way once again. The kirttan

kept going and going. There were booths and tables set up

everywhere with lots of people coming and going. It was

definitely a huge success. There were probably about 2,000

people that came to the festival.

 

That was the last official public program but of course not

the end. Many people came to the resort we were staying at

by Moscow and there were kirttans and darshans outside,

inside, and all around. More initiations, both first and

second. Tabulations say there were well over 100 total

initiations in Russia!

 

Srila Gurudeva continued to give the most amazing darshans

and answering so many questions putting smiles on everyone's

faces. Chidananda Prabhu led one kirttan at the resort until

midnight! A handful of the Russian devotees left a few days

early to travel to Siberia for preaching at a Rainbow

gathering there. They were going to spend three days on the

train -- again, absolutely austere!

 

The last few days Srila Gurudeva spent out in the country at

Alankar Kaustubha Prabhu's house. Us Americans somehow were

graced with more mercy and stayed there too. There were only

about 30 people and the darshans were small and intimate.

Sureswari Devi Dasi took notes so I will try and put them

together and post them soon.

 

Please forgive me for my inadequate writing abilities -- we

are on the long haul back. Tomorrow we will be celebrating

Lord Balaram's Appearance Day in Soquel (Observed on 22nd in

Nabadwip and India - Ed.). It will be really nice to see all

the devotees there.

 

Dandavat pranams to everyone,

 

~ Tunga Prema devi dasi