By Rasananda Sankirtan Das and Chandni Raj
New Mayapur hosted a series of retreats this spring and summer with stalwart devotees such as Ananda Vardhana Swami, Bhakti Raghava Swami, Bhakti Vigyana Swami, Bhakti Vikas Swami, Mahavishnu Swami, Radhanatha Swami, Svayam Bhagavan Keshava Swami, Adi Karta Das, Parividha Das, Devaki Devi Dasi, and Mandakini Devi Dasi. They each graced the holy French dham with their transcendental presence and inspired the Sankirtan efforts of the French Yatra. These elite preachers brought along with them a diverse entourage, including musicians from the Harinam Ruchi traveling Harinam party, school and university-going youngsters from the Pandava Sena in the UK, brahmacharis on traveling sankirtan tour from the Holy Name Monastery in Lithuania and several professionals from the world over. Sankirtan devotees from the France yatra, including devotees from Paris and the Mahamantra Institute in Lyon, gathered to receive and render service to the guests and, in turn, were deeply moved by the powerful teachings diffused by these eminent leaders.
“In Kali Yuga, it is said that all holy places lose their potency, except for Mayapur dham, and this is the only place in the world that Prabhupada named New Mayapur dham,” said Radhanath Swami. As devotees leaned in closer to Maharaj to savor every drop of the nectar of his words, he explained the transcendental significance of this beautiful dham as the only place in the world, outside Vrindavan, where Srila Prabhupada personally installed Krishna Balaram deities.
Speaking of New Mayapur, Srila Prabhupada said, “This is a first-class place. You can develop it into a Vaikuntha. It is already Vaikuntha, Krsna is there. But develop it very nicely, peacefully live” (Room conversation 1976). “The words of Srila Prabhupada continue to echo within the castle walls, and this is our inspiration,” said Locanananda Das, President of New Mayapur. “It was the desire of Bhakti Charu Maharaja to develop New Mayapur dham into a retreat center where devotees from the world over can get together, learn more about bhakti, inspire each other, and thereby serve Srila Prabhupada in his holy mission,” he added.
“New Mayapur is a manifestation of Srila Prabhupada’s desire to establish varnashrama dharma, in which he wanted to teach people how to live off the land,” said Bhakti Vigyana Goswami during his interactive session with devotees in the garden of New Mayapur, accompanied by the cows and goats of the dham, in typical rural Indian fashion.
The retreats proved to be an excellent platform for visiting devotees to have first-hand experience of what it means to live close to nature in a farm community, as envisioned and desired by Srila Prabhupada. Devaki Devi Dasi chaired several sessions on the grihastha ashram where she explained the duties of a woman and said that raising a Krishna-conscious child was as important as worshiping deities.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/its-raining-retreats-at-new-mayapur/
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