On May 4th, Nrsimhadeva Caturdasi was celebrated for the inaugral opening of the Sri Sri Gaura Nitai preaching center in Mymensingh, Dhaka, Bangladesh. This celebration was an event two years in the making born of humble beginnings. The project has recently progressed to the point of purchasing land within the heart of the city, with plans to build a temple.
The land of Bangladesh is historically entwined with the culture of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, and Mymensingh is no exception. It was the brief residence of Bhaktivinoda Thakur in 1889, who has played a key role in the revival of Gaudiya Vaishnavism in the modern era.
The center in Mymensingh is all developing by the mercy of Lord Nrsimhadeva, and praise goes to the devotees who have worked diligently to develop the project under the grace and guidance of His Holiness Subhag Swami. The center began with two brahmacaris, His Grace Biswarupa Das and His Grace Bhakti Bibek Das, whose dedication and perserverence has won support within the local community. Originally there was no center, just the activities of these two dedicated brahmacaris going door to door distributing Srila Prabhupada's books and performing harinamas. Srila Prabhupada was eager for the activities of Krishna consciouness to be radiantly manifest in Bangladesh. In 1977 he told his disciples: "… you should preach with the courage of an Englishman and the heart of a Bengali mother. In the same way, you should spread the empire of Krishna consciousness. If you need money, I will give you foreign currency. Preach in these countries. You've got two nice fields of preaching, Bangladesh and Nepal."
The program for the centre's first Nrsimhadeva Caturdasi celebration began with Vedic hymns and melodious kirtan. Lord Nrsimhadeva's fire sacrifices (yajna) were led by His Grace Jay Ram Prabhu, followed by his lecture about the glories of Lord Nrsimhadeva. The glories of Nrsinghadeva are well known as the divine protector of the devotees and destroyer of all obstacles.
As dusk approached, more Vedic hymns were chanted and conchshells were blown. Lord Nrsimhadeva's maha abhishek was performed, with around 1500 devotees taking part in the auspicious occasion. After the abhishek, devotees chanted Lord Nrsimhadev's prayers, kirtan, and ecstatically danced. Finally, the devotees served prasadam to all of the participants. This event marks a significant milestone in the development of the preaching center in Mymensingh. With the recent acquisition of land in the heart of the city, plans for building a temple are underway. The dedication and hard work of the devotees in
spreading the message of Lord Caitanya is an inspiration to all who seek to promote Krishna consciousness in Bangladesh and beyond.
All glories to Lord Nrsinghdeva and Prahlad Maharaj! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Your worthless servant
Srigarbha das
Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=108264
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