Announcing www.pandharpur.org (Grand Opening Vyasapuja Issue)

[Guest guest]

Dear Maharajas, and Prabhus,

 

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

Hare Krishna.

 

It is my great honor and pleasure to announce that the new ISKCON Pandharpur

Web site:

 

www.pandharpur.org

 

Up and Running!

 

Please visit us at www.pandharpur.org today!

 

To start the site with a bang, we have begun with a special Grand Opening

Vyasa Puja Issue. The Vyasa Puja of His Holiness Lokanath Swami Maharaja

was celebrated on July 5th 2006.

 

Just a few tidbits, as a teaser, of what you can find on the site are

attached to this text. Please download the attached photos.

 

The site contains photos and text on a variety of topics concerning ISKCON

Pandharpur as well as Sri Pandharpur Dhama. However, the site is not 100%

finished yet. We welcome your feedback and suggestions to continue our

progress.

 

Here is a brief report of the Vyasa puja and subsequent Asadhi Ekadasi

festivals:

 

This year, the Vyasa Puja (appearance/birthday) celebrations of His

Holiness Lokanath Swami was held in Sri Pandharpur Dhama (Maharashtra,

India). The celebrations coincided with the renowned Dindi Yatra of

Pandharpur Maharashtra. Leading up to the Asadhi Ekadasi, 800,000 plus

Varkaris (pilgrims) walk in grand procession to Sri Pandharpur Dhama, bath

in the Chandrabhaga River and take darshan of (visit) Lord Vitthala (Lord

Krishna). There was a feeling of a grand festival. The holy names of

Krishna resounded around the banks of the Chandrabhaga.

Lokanath Swami looked well and relaxed, pleased to see so many visiting

vaisnavas who had come to join him in the celebrations.

The five day festival started with the opening ceremony of ISKCON

Pandharpur's new Candrabhaga Guest House. Powerful kirtans (devotional

songs) came from the temple, which echoed over the river to the thousands of

visiting pilgrims. Lokanath Swami gave lectures to a full temple room.

Dramas were performed in the evenings.

An initiation ceremony was held, wherein fifty-one initiates made their

vows in front of the most beautiful Sri Sri Radha Pandharinath. The

darshans of Their Lordships - Sri Sri Radha Pandharinath were quite amazing

- especially in the evenings with exquisite deep darshans with hundreds of

candles illuminating the temple (see photo). A grand swan boat festival was

prepared to take the small Deities, Lokanath Swami and the devotees down the

river, so that the pilgrims who had traveled such a far distance to Sri

Pandharpur Dhama could participate in the floating parade.

A bullock cart Harinama (chanting procession), carried the beautiful

Deities of Gaura Nitai through the streets of Sri Pandharpur Dhama. There

was a well organized Food For Life program in which pilgrims had the

opportunity to honor Sri Krishna kichadi prasadam, prepared and sponsored by

devotees of ISKCON Juhu Mumbai. The celebrations came to the end with a

Julan Yatra (swing festival) accompanied by bhajan and kirtan.

 

Hare Krishna!

 

www.pandharpur.org

 

Thank you very much.

 

Hare Krishna.

 

Always hoping to remain,

 

servant of the servant of your servants,

 

Ekalavya Das

 

www.pandharpur.org