Nabadwip Mandal Parikrama - Day two experience

[Guest guest]

---------- Forwarded Message ----------

 

Letter COM:2103131 (72 lines)

Pancaratna (das) ACBSP (Mayapur - IN)

17-Feb-99 20:41 -0500

Avadhut (das) GRS (BI Bombay - IN) [2404]

Chakra News <chakra.news (AT) pronto (DOT) bbt.se>

Mukhya (dd) HKS (Asst. SysOp) (NE-BBT) [22180]

Attached: GauraGad.jpg (96464 bytes) "Gaura Gadadhara"

Nabadwip Mandal Parikrama - Day two experience

---------------------------

NMP Day 2 Wednesday, February 17, 1999

 

Jagannatha Das Babaji Disappearance Day

Rasaikananda Maharaja Disappearance Day

 

Nrsimhapalli to Swarup Ganj Distance to cover 8 km.

 

The Parikrama day began today, like everyday, with Mangala Arotika at 4:30

am. A few more devotees arrived today bringing the number up to 850 or 900.

More senior devotees, hearing about all the nectar on the parikrama

included: H.H. Jayapataka Maharaja, H.H. Gopal Krishna Goswami, H.H.

Kavichandra Maharaja, H.G. Hari Sauri Prabhu, H.H. Lokanath Maharaja, H.H.

Candra Mauli Maharaja, H.H. Devamrita Maharaja, H.H. Bhakti Bringa Govinda

Maharaja, H.H. Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaja, H.H. Param Gacit Maharaja, H.H.

Nityo Dita Maharaja, H.G. Saunaka Rsi prabhu, H.G. Hunkar prabhu and H.G

Kaliyaphani Prabhu, H.G. Pritu Prabhu, H.G. Gaurasundar Prabhu, H.G. Krsna

Ksetra Prabhu, H.G. Adikarta prabhu.

 

Our first stop of the day was at Harihara Ksetra. Here we performed Srila

Prabhupada's Gurupuja and heard Krishna Katah from the senior devotees

present. Then we saw a wonderful play, the Killing of Denakasura (The Ass

Demon), performed by the young boys' Gurukula. The devotees appreciated the

play very much. Then we took breakfast there.

 

Our next stop was Gora doh. Gora doh is a place with many mango trees and

soft dust just like Vrndavana. We had a big fired up kirtan there. There

is a pastime here told in Prema Vivarta that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati

Maharaja Thakur would tell. On the other side of the road used to be a long

lake (during Lord Caitanya's time). Lord Caitanya's kirtan party was going

past the lake one day, when they heard the sound of many cows mooing in

distress. They went to see what was the matter and they discovered that the

cows wanted to drink the water but they were afraid to approach the lake due

to fear of a large crocodile there. Lord Caitanya went to the bank of the

lake and began to sing Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra in a beautiful soft and

sweet voice. The crocodile came out of the lake and approached Lord

Caitanya. Then the crocodile put his claws on Lord Caitanya's lotus feet.

At that moment, the crocodile changed his form to that of a young beautiful

boy of extrodinary bodily features. Lord Caitanya asked him to explain what

had happened. The boy explained that one time he was a resident of Indra

Loka. He was playing in the forest and he discovered Durvasa Muni sleeping.

For a joke, the boy decided to cut off a big chunk of Durvasa Muni's matted

hair. The Muni woke and cursed the boy to take birth on the earth planet as

a crocodile. The boy protested and begged forgiveness and the Muni added

the benediction that the boy would meet Lord Caitanya and apon getting the

dust of his lotus feet, he would regain his form as a resident of Indra

Loka.

 

The high points of our day were visits to the ashrama of Bhaktivinode Thakur

at Svananda Sukhanda Kunja and our visit to Surabhi Kunja. At Bhaktivinode

Thakur's ashrama we had a wonderful kirtan lead by B.B. Govinda Maharaja,

assisted by Sri Prahlad prabhu on accordian. Then we heard talks about

Bhaktivinode Thakur . There were also talks about Rasikananda Maharaja and

Jagannatha das Babaji Maharaja as today is their disappearence day.

 

Then our party visited Surabhi Kunja, this is where Srila Bhaktivinode

Thakur started the head office of the Nama-hatta preaching program. We had

a wild dust rolling kirtan here lead by Adi Karta prabhu. Then the kirtan

continued to our day's destination: Bhaktivedanta Arogya Asram. This is

our ISKCON property and has a beautiful altar with Sri Sri Jagannatha

Baladeva and Subadra as well as other Deities. Devotees then went swimming

in the Jalangi River and enjoyed a feast.

 

Please pray for me to have the strength to continue these reports.

 

Begging for your mercy and always hoping to remain,

 

Your servant,

Ekalavya dasa

 

Attached photo: GauraGadadhar (Bhaktivinode Thakur's Deities)

(Text COM:2103131) --------