Sadhu Board President visits ISKCON Vrindavan

[Guest guest]

Last week we were honored by the visit of Jnana Dasa, President of the All

India Akhara Association, to Sri Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir. This is the

association that governs all the sadhus in India as well as the Kumbha Melas.

Two years ago in Ujjain, he approved His Holiness Lokanatha Swami to become

Mahant, thus giving us our own ISKCON Akhara and our place in the Royal

Procession at the Kumbha Melas. He's a Vaisnava from Ramananda Sampradaya and

is presently head of both the Associations for the Shivaite as well as Vaisnava

akharas.

 

He was visiting Vrindavan on a tour of all Holy Tirthas to discuss with

religious leaders how to defeat the proposal of the Uttar Pradesh Government to

try to take control of all Temples and Religious Institutions in the state. The

previous day a procession was taken out in the main bazaars of Vrindavan and

Jnana Das insisted that the ISKCON Kirtan Party do kirtan in front of his float

as he appreciates the enthusiasm of our devotees. At Ujjain Kumbha Mela he had

mentioned that our devotees may not know all the small rules of etiquette in

the society of sadhus, but in the ISKCON camp there is very nice discipline, no

smoking, tea drinking, ect. Plus he said there is a very regular program of

sadhana in our camps that is appreciated by all the sadhus.

 

Despite his busy schedule he insisted on taking darshan in Sri Sri Krishna

Balaram Mandir. In the photo you can see him taking darshan of Their beautiful

Lordships. On his right side is our Vrindavan Naga, Sri Hari Shankar, who

worked tirelessly in Kumbha Mela to make Lokanatha Swami a Mahant. At one point

before Lokanatha Swami arrived at Kumbha Mela, someone started a rumor that he

was a foreigner, to which Jnana Dasa quipped, "You bring me 10 foreign

sannyasis tommorow and I will make them all Sri Mahants!" Sri Hari Shankar has

been very helpful to us in solving some of our local disputes and has a close

relation with myself and Jankinatha Dasa of the Prison Preaching.

 

Later we entertained him in a room in our Guesthouse with milk from our

Gaushala and Mahaprasad Sweets. You can see in the picture myself presenting

him with a Harer Nama chadar and a lamination of Sri Sri Radha Shyamsundar.

Actually he said he wanted to stay with us, but already people know that he is

staying at Char Sampradaya Ashram and big lines are coming to visit him. It

would be inconvenient for the visitors for him to switch now, but next time he

will stay with us.

 

Along with these photos, the newspaper also published this photo of Aindra Das

with the caption, "World famous kirtan leader Aindra Dasa relishing Kirtan

Rasa."

 

Part of the reason we were able to have Lokanatha Swami become Mahant was that

for three years, the previous management was having a wonderful feast for all

the sadhus and leading brahmanas of Vrindavan at Srila Prabhupada's

Disappearance Festival. Seeing us taking afirmative action and trying to

develop a relation with the locals had very much impressed them. Last year

somehow this tradition wasn't carried out, and every time I see Hari Shankra or

any other sadhu, they always mention it to us. So if anyone is anxious to

sponor Prasadam for all the Sadhus of Vrindavan at Srila Prabhupada's

Disappearance festival this year, you may please contact us.

 

In service of Srimati Vrinda Devi,

Deena Bandhu dasa