The Final Big Snan

[Guest guest]

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.

 

The other night, the officer in charge of actually giving the allotments came

by to see us. He had been to see the other camp that was sorely in need of

revival. They wanted to charge him Rs.10 to enter their camp and gave him a

hard time. He went to the side entrance where they also harrased him and

finally realized who they were dealing with. He was furious. He said this is

unprecedented in Kumbha Mela that we give land free and someone charges

entrance fee. He said that these people are giving people a very bad image of

ISKCON and he has noted down in his books and will talk to the Mela Officer

that they will never get allottment again. He told us that Adri and crew only

gave him trouble, but that the real ISKCON camp was very cooperative with him.

We fed him prasadam and gave him a diary and calendar and he was very

appreciative.

 

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