“Everywhere is becoming Ganga

[Guest guest]

“Everywhere is becoming Ganga !”

A Mayapur Flood Escape Story

27 September 2006

 

Mother Ganga touched the Lotus Feet of Sri Sri Radha-Madhava in the year

2000, but she has not come to greet the new Pancha-Tattva Deities, installed

only 2 years ago. A rather dry rainy season was coming to an end ? no one

expected any flood in Sri Mayapur this year. Then the news came – the dams

are too full and the Government has opened them up, in a few hours we will

have a flood.

 

The milkman came to deliver his daily bucket of milk – “No thank you,” said

my husband, “Don’t you know what is happening? We are packing up because of

the flood!”

“But it is not raining anymore,” was his reply. He did not seem to know

that floods in Mayapur are usually not caused by the rain directly, but

rather by the opening of large water reservoirs higher up the Ganga , a few

days after the rain, to save those dams from bursting.

 

The first day was passed moving things up to higher apartments, and

speculating as to whether it will really flood. Someone had heard that the

a Government Official said it will not go beyond ankle level?.well, that was

already there, and the water was no longer pouring in. Children found it a

jubilant opportunity to splash all around in the brownish, cool water.

 

The next morning was more alarming – the water level was rapidly rising. To

leave or not to leave? “Why not just stay happily on the top floor and take

an occasional dive directly into our merciful Mother Ganga?” one might ask?

“and swim in ecstacy to the Lotus feet of Nrsimhadeva? And in this way wait

for the flood to end.” Some of the more experienced residents of Mayapur

could answer this – there will be no electricity, eventually the water will

stagnate, it will be full of sewage that has washed up, full of dead

entities, mosquitoes and diseases, food will become scarce as well as

drinking water, no clean bathing water will be available?.the initial joy of

the children will turn in to runny noses and colds and flu as they will be

constantly wet, during the last flood some had jaundice too, not to speak of

the boredom of keeping a child in one room for four weeks until everything

has dried up, not forgetting to mention the water snakes?.I took one look at

my four-year old son and decided we had to move out immediately – so on Day

2 we headed for the “Long Building” where all the devotees normally

congregate during the flood, and where a few stalwart local devotees will

reside for the duration of the flood to take care of Their Lordships?From

there at least it was close to the road which was a little elevated so that

one could still escape.

 

Mangala Arati Day 3?.The water is waist level near the temple and up to head

level in the Grhasta Area. Mother Ganga seemed determined to reach Lord

Caitanya’s feet. We decide to leave by 10 am, after Gurupuja. By 7 am we

say farewell to some devotees who are crossing the area by boat to the main

road where we can still get a 4x4 to go to Kolkata. The local devotee in

charge of transport tells me “You better leave with this group NOW, Mataji.”

I insist we want to greet the Deities first, and the look on his face tells

me he is in no mood to try and argue with stubborn westerners.

 

We swim to greetings and have the most ecstatic Darshan of Lord Nrsimhadeva,

Pancha Tattva and SriSri Radha Madhava ever. The few remaining devotees

shout as the curtains are drawn open. Someone brought a boat and the

smaller children circumambulate the Deities in floating fashion. We see two

of those famous (or notorious?) water snakes also circumambulating the Lord,

gliding in zig-zag fashion. (A few devotees carry sticks to push them away

if they should come close). Kirtana is ecstatic - jumping and splashing in

the water. And the Deities look the most beautiful ever?.dressed in pink

and blue flower outfits, very simply, without any of the usual flower

garlands (no flowers for obvious reasons) and just a small bouquet in

Radharani’s hand?..the Darshan is sweet and intimate.

 

We return to the room to pack, alarmed that the water is rising so rapidly.

The fences and signboards are going under. Water is coming into the first

floor already. We manage to get a boat. Contrary to expectations boats are

scarce, very small and we cannot take much luggage. Our boat totters 2 cm

above the water as we have four bags, an accordion, 4 adults and one boy on

board. We manage to balance things and if anyone dares to move an inch the

boat topples and water comes pouring in. Balanced like this we set out

towards the road?.

 

To our shock and amazement we are told the road has gone under and there is

no way any vehicle can travel on it, we have to row all the way to Rajapur

(the next village). The boatman is not sure which way to go. We row in

circles?.now the full extent of the flood becomes visible?.I have never seen

such a vast expanse of water, I feel like one of the seven sages on King

Satyavrata’s boat. Who is our Matsya? The Holy Name. My husband, Shastra

dasa, takes his accordian (wow – that move nearly toppled over the boat!)

and we have kirtana all the way. Ramananda Raya (my son) nearly falls

asleep apart from the ants that nibble him awake. Ants? Yes, the tree tops

are black, full of insects trying to save themselves. Huge black ants try

to cling to any floating object?.no one wants to die.

 

The boatman does not know where he is going. My husband is contemplating

what to grab if we should hit any rooftop or other object we cannot see

under the water – should he grab our bags with the books that we do not want

to get wet, my son who cannot swim, or his wife who might need help?just

keep on chanting.

 

We finally spot some people in the distance. Some locals approach us,

vehement exchanges of words take place in Bengali, we do not understand a

word but it is clear the boatman has no idea where we are.

 

More people come wading through the water to push us. Finally we reach a

shallow area with water rapids?we are told to climb down. We wade through

the water holding on to each other and the locals help to push the luggage

on the boat.

 

After some time we manage to spot a rikshaw, and I cling to the bundle of

rupees in my bag – I know the few pieces of paper is what is going to save

us – it will convince the rikshaw man to push us through the water with his

bicycle half-submerged. In the time of the flood the last few food items

available will fetch high prices, and money is a good commodity to have, he

will be most eager to earn a last nice sum of rupees.

 

Two rikshaw men agree and they load us all onto the rikshaws. I cannot

believe the flood had spread so far. Now we are heading along what used to

be the road, and we pass hundreds of local villagers. I feel great pain in

my heart as I see old ladies trying to carry bundles above the water level.

There is a patch of dry land left near the Gaudiya Math, and all the cows

from the villages have been taken there. My heart breaks when my husband

tells me that the General Manager of Mayapur, Nitai Prasad Prabhu, had

informed him that the Government had opened another dam so the second inpour

of water was expected later in the day. The villagers do not know this but

I know that soon that last patch of land will also be under and the cows

will have nowhere to go.

 

Children seem happy swimming around in the water, but I see the anxiety on

the faces of the men. All the houses have been destroyed and everyone is

trying to take shelter of the few high buildings (mostly temples) sticking out.

 

Ramanada Raya cannot believe his eyes. “Mama, everywhere is becoming Ganga

!” he says. I ponder about the deeper meaning of the flood. Mother Ganga

is visiting all the Deities in the different temples, she is uniting her

devotees together at those temples completely depending on the Lord’s mercy,

but she is also purifying everything, liberating many living entities, and

purifying us.

 

I start worrying that even Rajapur which is on a higher level and normally

stays dry might be under by now?.but I thank Krishna as I see people walking

on dry land in the distance and a few vehicles around.

 

On the long, dangerous road to Kolkata, where there are no left- or right

hand lanes, where taxis, buses, huge trucks, horses, rikshaws and cows

drive, walk, dodge and hoot at breakneck speed, navigating around huge

potholes, I wonder whether it would have been safer staying in

Mayapur?.better drown in a flood than leave your body on this hellish road!

But today in Kolkata I think about all those still left in Mayapur, about

how they will survive, about the cows and old ladies, about the children who

might get pneumonia or starve, and about the villagers who have lost all

their houses and property, how some western devotees might still be there,

not having the money to pay for travels to other parts of India.

 

We are still receiving news that the water levels are rising more?.now it is

being said that it will be the biggest flood ever, bigger than the 2000 or

1978 ones. Please keep Mayapur in your prayers and support any Flood Relief

or Flood Repair programs they might have. It will cost millions to repair

the damage. ISKCON has some FFL operations already going, so please support

them.

 

Please check their website at www.Mayapur.com to get updates.

 

Your servant

Ila devi dasi