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By Hari Narayana Das
Flowers parade to commemorate the 724th anniversary of Surabaya city was successfully attracted many visitors along the way of the parade even the sun shine brightly in the sky. It was the most eagerly awaited attraction. This event every year is always attended by thousands of people. The audience of this year parade was present-not just from Surabaya alone. Many residents outside the city of Surabaya such as Gresik, Sidoarjo and even Madura and Lamongan who always come on this event and of course Lord Jagannath also never absent on this parade.
As usual the base camp of the ratha yatra was Shindu Bahvan located at Tidar street. The committees was work hard. Devotees from Jember and the chariot arrived two days before festival. they prepared the chariot and decorated it with beautiful flowers bucket. Other devotees arrived a day before the festival and help they gave a hand to prepare the festival. In the evening, group of the devotees from Bali arrived they then helped making flowers garland.
Early in the morning on, the devotees gain extra energy after Syamasundhar brahmacari gave bhagavatam class. Around 6.30am, the devotees break the the ekadasi fasting and at 7am the chariot were pulled by the devotees to the Pahlawan field where other participants already prepared there. The parade this year started earlier than last year. This because the route that the participant should past twice longer than last year.
The path along about 5 Kilometers was filled with people on both side. The number of people who pierce to the street along the route made security work hard to contain it so as not to disrupt the convoy of parade participants who was sent by the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Ignatius Jonan.
Waiting the start, Lord Jagannath was offered bharatha natyam dance and many visitors came closer to took pictures in front of the Lord’s chariot. Some devotees dressed as Mahabharata main actors. The Hare Krishna Mahamantra also filled the atmosphere of the street.
“And our magic was simply this chanting and dancing; that’s all.” SPL to Batu Gopala, July 8th, 1971.
Around 9Am, the parade started and the devotees pulled Lord Jagannath along the main stereet of Surabaya. The devotees enthusiastically sand and dance in fron of Lord chariot along the parade. The devotees also distributed orages prasadam and as usual thing on Ratha yatra Surabaya, people were eagerly grab the oranges. A ton of orange run out in short of time.
The sun getting high and the high temperature didn’t fade the devotees in singing and dancing for the lord pleasure. The audience also absorb in the singing and they also sang along with devotees. Arriving in the Bungkul garden, the mayor of Surabaya Mrs Risma welcomed the devotees and the the devotees gave Mrs Risma lowers garland that already offered to the Lord. The MC announced that Hare Krishna society always participated on the flowers parade and this announcement hailed by applause by the audiences.
“I am so much satisfied with your successful performance of Ratha-yatra festival and I am awaiting to see similar festivals in all our other centers….” (SPL to Gurudasa, 16th July, 1968)
Many people waiting behind finished line. They enthusiastically waited for the flowers from Lord’d chariot. The devotees then returned to the basecamp using bus and then honoring prasasadam before they returned to their respective house and town.
Our ever grateful obeisances are due to HH Kavichandra Swami and HH Ramai Swami, the GBCs of Indonesia, for their support and guidance to always look for new avenues for sankirtan. Our humble obeisances to HH Subhag Swami for his inspiration and always reminding us of the importance of the Sankirtan movement of Mahaprabu and for inspiring us with the dedication of Sriman Jayananda Prabhu, for bringing us closer to Srila Prabhupada and keeping us united in family of ISKCON.
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