By Nitya Kishora devi dasi
Parikrama first day plus adhivas in Yoga Pita
After 4 days of wonderful Sravana Utsava festival, blisfull and an amazing 5 days of Kirtan Mela, the devotees finally left the temple room and the boundaries of ISKCON Mayapur campus. For what? To make connections with the old Kalpa Vrikshas trees, the birds, the land, the dhamvasis, having prasada in a open air and sharing the holy name around in the most sacred land of Sri Navadvipa Dham.
Sri Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama is an unique experience and the chance to get closer to Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s lotus feet. A great opportunity to serve and chant! Hari bol!
Despite of many sannyasis left Mayapur early this year we are having just the right people to give katha like the powerful Bhakti Dhira Damodara Maharaj, the steady Bhakti Vijana Vinas Narasimha, Rajendranandana prabhu, Pancharatna prabhu and others. HH Jayapataka Maharaja came, as he comes EVERY SINGLE YEAR, and gave an amazing speech at Nrisimha Palli. Pancharatna prabhu put a drama on Nrsimhadeva lila, and one devotee recited a very powerful prayer to the Lord Nrisimhadev. The devotees loved.
In the morning we crossed the Jalangi river very peacefully. Sulocana prabhu is doing an amazing service, he is always following vaishnava etiquette and take care of the kirtan very nicely, enganging those who are senior and qualified to lead kirtan.
In Parikrama if we can put Katha and Kirtan as the main activities it completely enhances the spiritual experience of the pilgrim devotees.
We visited Amgatha, Panchanatala, Nrsimhapally with its wonderful Mandakini lake and we ended in Hari Hara Ksetra with Hari Hara dev beautiful deity.
To see the photos: http://www.navadvipaparikrama.com/parikrama-first-day-plus-adhivas-in-yoga-pita/
Parikrama 2016 (day 2)
In a very nice and beautiful morning the devotees left the campsite at Hari Hara Ksetra and headed to Gauradaha.
Gauradaha is a very special place and the pastime which took place there is described by Jagadananda Pandita in his book Prema Vivarta. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda prabhu, Jagadananda Pandita and other associates of the Lord were peforming Harinama sankirtan in this place, where there is a lake. Daha means lake. In this lake a crocodile was living and it was delivered by Gauranga Mahaprabhu. The crocodile had been cursed by Durvasa Muni to live as a crocodile in that lake for 4 yugas. Anyone who hears this pastime becomes free from brahma-sapa, the curse of a Brahmana.
HH Jayapataka Swami joined International group also in Gaura daha, his speech made everybody chant the name of Gauranga many times and very loudly, we see in the face of the devotees that they were begging for Gauranga’s mercy.
HH Bhakti Dhira Damodara Maharaja was explaining how it is important to chant japa without any distraction, he said “Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura affirmed that those who chant japa without full attention like talking, checking emails, having meetings, managing etc are influenced by pramada, or madness”. Maharaj said “We are known as the Hare Krsnas, because we chant Hare Krsna, but the day has 24 hours and how many hours are we supposed to chant? Only 2 hours and the rest of the time what do we do?”. The devotees were listening to him with full attention. We are very fortunate to have HH Bhakti Dhira Damodar Maharaj on Parikram because he always sets a very serious and deep mood for chanting in the devotees minds, and everybody becomes happy when he is present, everybody becomes powerful, with the mind under control.
After an ecstatic gurupuja and a delicious breakfast we continued walking towards Surabhi Kunja, the first namahatta in Bengal, inaugurated by “Koda Nitai” the magnanimous Nitai. We had drama, Katha, and bhajan sang by HG Sulocana prabhu, our kitan party leader.
Not so far from Surabhi Kunja is the house of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur and another ISKCON Jagannath Temple, very well taken care by Srila Prabhupada’s nephew Sankarshan prabhu.
To see the photos: http://www.navadvipaparikrama.com/parikrama-2016-day-2/
Comments