On Makara Sankranti day, miilion of pilgrims visit the holy palce of Ganga Sagar, take Makara Sankranti Snana ( bath at Ganga Sagar) and worship mother Ganga. To facilitate the pilgrims, ISKCON organises a massive Prasada distribution and give in charity blankets etc. Recognized by West Bengal State government, ISKCON Ganga Sagar’s welfare work is very much appreciated and widespread coverage is given in local media. Below is the letter from Sundar Govinda das, Director of the project.
New Year Greetings and the blessings of Lord Sri Krishna to you and your family.
The very first auspicious occasion in the new year is Makar Sankranti and Ganga Sagar Mela. On this day, the Sun God will make northward movement, uttarayana and bring more light and good fortune.
The Matsya Purana states: “On the day of Makar Sankranti, one should feed devotees and the poor sumptuously. Those who make offering on this day are rewarded by Sun-god in many future lives.”
Lord Krishna declares in the Bhagavad-gita (17.20): “Charity given out of duty, without expectation of return, at the proper time (kala) and place (desha), and to a worthy person (paatra) is considered to be in the mode of goodness.”
The place where any charity is given, the time when it is given and the type of recipient of the charity are very important factors. The auspicious occasion of Makar Sankranti, the holy place of Ganga Sagar, and its pious pilgrims present before us an ideal combination, which is a rare opportunity for us to take advantage of and earn immense punya by giving charity. Your good deeds of the past have bestowed you with wealth. When you share your wealth in charity for a deserving purpose, the wealth gets back to you multiple times!
To welcome and accommodate the lakhs of pilgrims, a temporary city is erected on the shores of Ganga Sagar on this auspicious bathing day. Ganga Sagar Mela is the convention of great souls like yogis, pious pilgrims, sadhus, sannyasis, spiritual tourists who come from around the world. Many Sadhus come from various holy places and the remotest forests and mountain caves in the Himalayas. The most popular visitors are the Naga Babas.
The pilgrims and yogis congregate at Ganga Sagar with the complete faith that Lord Sri Hari will send charitably disposed devotees like you to fulfill these basic needs of theirs. We plan to distribute 1,00,000 plates of free prasadam during 7 days of Ganga Sagar Mela charity camp. A plate of prasadam consisting of rice, dal, sabji will cost Rs. 20/- only. Hence we need to raise Rs. 20,00,000/-.
The Vishnu Smriti states, “Lakshmi , the Goddess of fortune, resides in those who are charitable.”
You have always been a generous supporter. A kind-hearted person like you can understand the value of Anna-Dan on an auspicious day like Makar Sankranti day at Ganga Sagar Mela, so I am approaching you for support.
I request you to spare us a few minutes and write a tax-deductible cheque/ Demand Draft in favor of “ISKCON Ganga Sagar Fund”, and forward it to us by registered post or courier to: ISKCON Gangasagar Centre, Rd no. 5, Village & Post: Sagar, Dt. South 24 Parganas, WB. Pin. 743373.
As a gesture of appreciation for your donation of Rs. 1,500/- or more, a special puja and tarpan will be performed on your behalf at Ganga Sagar, which will bring prosperity and success to you. In addition, we will also send you the holy Ganga water collected from auspicious muhurtha of Makar Sankranti Day at Ganga Sagar Mela 2020. You can sprinkle the holy water on your head to get the unlimited blessings of Mother Ganges and Lord Kapila.
Your prompt response will help us to properly plan the prasadam distribution during the festival. Please do not skip this rare opportunity to get the unlimited blessings of Lord Sri Krishna!
For more information, please feel free to contact me or WhatsApp on 973-5333-511/ 987-443-7164 or mail your queries to sgd108@gmail.com and copy to iskcongs@gmail.com
May Mother Ganga and Sun-god bestow you with good fortune in the new year.
Yours in the service of Lord Krishna.
Sri Sundar Govind Das
General Manager of ISKCON Mayapur and Gangasagar Project
Source: https://www.mayapur.com/2019/ganga-sagar-mela-2020-invitation/
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