Vasanta Pancami Snana

[Guest guest]

Yesterday was Vasanta Pancami, or the first day of Spring. But when we woke up,

it felt like mid-winter! Fog, which the devotees who stayed here the whole time

said was only there in the first few days, descended as did the mercury.

Luckily this time since the group of Vaisnavas (Akhara) to which we belong went

first in the main snana, our turn was last and in our group, since we have only

recently joined, was toward the end. In the end, we didn't really start till

after 11 AM when the sun was shining brightly.

 

For this Royal Snana, His Holiness Gopala Krishna Goswami joined us. Again we

decided to take our wonderful long-horned bulls with us instead of the tractor.

This time the ladies had more practice so the Padayatra Deity Cart was very

nicely decorated with yellow and orange marigolds, even the bulls had garlands

and a small garland ring around each horn.

 

Since we know that we can't take the cart to the end of the line, we again

parked off the road near where the procession was to begin. This time we were

able to see the two other groups of Vaisnava Sadhus returning from their Snana.

They were riding on top of trucks, SUVs, and jeeps, some on ornate silver

thrones, holding their silver scepters and all with many different types of

wonderful Vaisnava tilaka. Seeing our lively kirtan, they were all smiling,

showering their blessings, and making pranams to Srila Prabhupada and Gaura

Nitai.

 

As then end of our group came, we moved into the line. Then Gopala Krishna

Maharaja took over the kirtan and the devotees became ecstatic, dancing and

spinning. They very much appreciated that he had gotten down off the Deity cart

to walk with the devotees. On the sides of the road, the people began to raise

their arms and sing the Holy Name. Suddenly some fellow that I've seen in many

of our Rathayatras dancing with a coconut on his head appeared with a huge

steel kalash with his coconut on top. He lifted off the kalash and we could all

see the top of his head is flat. He placed the pot on Maharaja's head, then

mine, and other devotees.

 

Finally we turned the corner to the main approach road to the Sangam. Suddenly

police came dashing and stopped one very fancy SUV and moved it out of the

line. It was the famous Chandra Swami, but he has never joined any group, so

the sadhus objected to his being in the procession. In order to make Lokanatha

Swami a Sri Mahanta, we had worked very hard to prove that we come in a

bonafide sampradaya, not just anyone can go in the Shahi Snana.

 

Then someone joined our kirtan dressed as Lord Siva with his big brass trishul

and one of his followers dressed as a skeleton. They began to dance ectatically

with our enthusiastic kirtan. The crowd behind the barricades were chanting

along, and the book distributors were out distributing Srila Prabhupada's

books, as Srila Prabhupada looked on from the Deity cart.

 

Reaching the Sangam, we again dashed to the banks of the Sangam. The sun was

shining brightly and everyone was in joyful mood. All the sadhus seeing us were

shouting Hare Krishna. Many foreigners had joined us in the procession and they

were all having fun bathing in the freezing waters with us. Sadhus were

glancing curiously at these completely white bodies in the sacred waters of the

Sangam. They seemed to be smiling like a father does when he sees his little

son take his first step.

 

We sprinted back to the cart and someone sprinkled water on Srila Prabhupada

and the bulls. We quickly dressed and joined the return procession. We had a

triumphant kirtan back to our camp, with everyone amazed by the wonderful

bulls. This was the final Shahi Snana and most groups will soon be leaving.

Still on Purnima there is one more bath for all the people.

 

The day before we had invited some of the main Mahants to our camp for

prasadam. This was a very important occasion, since in the past they had not

come to take prasadam with ISKCON. We have been offering a feast for the

Vrindavan Mahants for last three years in Fogla Ashram at Srila Prabhupada's

Disappearance Day.

 

When they arrived, immediately Sri Rama Ashraya Maharaja the Sri Mahant head of

the Nirmohi Akhara, first of the Vaisnava Ahkharas, broke into a broad smile.

He exclaimed you have brought back our old culture. The bricks where the plates

were placed had been freshly smeared with cow dung and there were clay cups

instead of plastic cups that even the sadhus are using these days. They were

delighted to see the cooks with tilaka and kanthi mala. After relishing the

feast we carefully and devotedly served to them, some of them remarked that

next time, we will fast for two days so we can take more! Srila Prabhupada must

have been smiling down to see this victory for ISKCON. We gave them all

daksina, blankets, and one of Srila Prabhupada's books and they were all very

happy.

 

Now we are all sad as soon we will be breaking camp. Of course the local temple

will still have tents up till the 2nd of Feb., but the main preaching effort is

over as everyone is now heading for Tirupathi for the grand opening of the

wonderful temple there. Just remember, the Maha Kumbha in Prayaga will be in

2013. See you there!

 

In service of Srimati Vrinda Devi,

Deena Bandhu dasa