Seattle Rathayatra Report

[Guest guest]

 

"If you want to attend something really exotic go down to the Waterfront and attend the Rathayatra Festival" This was the lead in to a 30 second news report on ABC News here last Saturday. Channel 4 and 7 both had nice news reports on our Rathayatra festival. Clips were shown of the whole Festival of India site arranged very nicely along the boardwalk by Madhuha Prabhu and his fired up crew. The weather was perfect for the whole 4 days and sprinkled a bit of rain after the whole event was over and packed into the trucks showing Lord Jaganath's satisfaction.

 

This was Seattle's best Rathayatra to date. After years of experimenting with different locations we realized we have to go where the people are. This proved to be a great success. The free Love feast was rated the best in America by the Festival of India crew and others. It was organized and cooked mostly by our GBC, Hari Vilasa Prabhu. There was curd subji; upma; nice rice; blueberry halava with made with fresh blueberries; (freshly picked from the recently purchased land by my brother Bhakta Mike Lund for the future ISKCON Temple here.) There were also Califlower and Jalapeno pakoras freshly cooked on the site in pure ghee. This made the devotees and guests very satisfied and quite pleased.

 

Devotees came from as far as England and Florida for the event and were united in the service of Sri Guru and Gouranga and Lord Jaganath. Politics were put aside for this event as the Prabhupada-anugas danced,chanted, feasted and worked with all of the devotees and the Festival of India crew to make the sacirfice the success it was. The event was organized byHari Vilasa Prabhu and Don Porterfield who also gave a substantial donation. Bhakta Mike also helped organize the event and gave a donation of $6,000+ covering most of the costs. Thousands of Srila Prabhupada's books were distributed by the devotees. Special thanks to Sruti Kirti Prabhu and is good wife Kusa Devi Dasi and Naikatma Prabhu and Niscintya Prabhu and the others who manned the book and prasadam booths with charm and smiling faces.

 

Sankarsana Prabhu from Canada played his exotic kirtan at the southern end of the site non-stop creating a pleasing atmosphere. The local devotees performed beautiful dances and Hari Vilasa and Pani Bhusana Prabhus entertained the crowds with speeches and some humor. I was especially happy to see so many new people buy neckbeads and books and take a serious interest in Krishna Consciousness. A navy ship was docked nearby and a new bhakta Wylie was made. He also mentioned that one of their elite Navy Seals was a Krishna devotee. He disappeared into the distance with books; neckbeads; a Hare Krishna t-shirt, (Of which more than a thousand were sold) and a good understanding of Srila Prabhupada and Krishna Consciousness. Thus the purpose of the Festival was fulfilled. All glories to the Rathyatra Festivals which unite the devotees and liberate the conditioned souls! May they get better every year! All glories to Srila Prabhupada who brought the Rathayatra Festivals out of India and to the whole world. All glories to Srila Prabhupada's pure devotees; Jayananda Prabhu who worked so hard to start the festivals and Visnujana swami who inspired so many souls with his devotion to the Holy Names and his preaching spirit. All glories to the Festival of India crew and all of the devotees who took part!

 

OM TAT SAT!

Thanks a lot!

Your servant,

Gauridasa Pandita Dasa