By Chaitanya Arya
On November 2, 2024, more than 1,200 devotees from remote villages in the Satpura hill range came together to celebrate the auspicious Giriraj Govardhan Puja Mahotsav. The event, led by Nitaipad Das and Markatshyam Das, with the cooperation of Upanand Das, Jayant, Gopal, Vasant, and Chaitanya, took place in a tribal region along the South Gujarat-North Maharashtra border. This large gathering of tribal devotees signifies a growing movement to revive Krishna Consciousness in communities heavily impacted by religious conversion, poverty, and malnutrition.
The Govardhan Puja, a festival honoring Lord Krishna’s miraculous lifting of Govardhan Hill, holds special meaning in these tribal areas too. Devotees offered prayers and took part in traditional rituals, following the morning and evening programs of Mangal Aarti, lectures, and scriptural readings. The puja marks a significant step in reviving Vedic culture in the Satpura hill region, where hundreds of families are now actively practicing Krishna Consciousness.
Hare Krishna Center Kukarmunda, the preaching center, under the leadership of Nitaipad Das and Markatshyam Das, has been playing a transformative role in reviving Vedic culture and uplifting the tribal communities. For years, the Satpura region has been grappling with challenges such as poverty, malnutrition, and religious conversions, which have led to the erosion of traditional cultural values. However, through the consistent efforts of this center, there has been a resurgence of spiritual practices, with families rediscovering their Vedic roots.
Currently, over 200 families in the region are actively practicing Krishna Consciousness, incorporating spiritual activities such as daily Mangal Aarti (morning worship), scriptural readings, and evening satsangs into their routines. In ten villages across the region, morning programs are regularly held, and weekly Gita sessions are conducted online by leaders, allowing devotees to engage deeply with spiritual teachings. Additionally, in-person Bhagavatam sessions, where sacred scriptures are studied and discussed, are regularly organized in different locations, fostering community engagement and spiritual growth.
The spiritual revival is not limited to religious practices; it extends to social upliftment as well. The preaching center has been addressing critical issues such as malnutrition, illiteracy, and the prevalence of harmful superstitions. One of the most pressing challenges facing the region is malnutrition, particularly among children. The area has long struggled with high infant mortality rates, with more than 5,000 infants dying each year due to malnutrition. In response, the center has taken on the mission of combating hunger by distributing over 2,000 plates of prasadam every week. This effort not only provides much-needed nourishment to the tribal population but also helps alleviate some of the social and economic burdens they face.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/reviving-vedic-culture-govardhan-puja-celebrated-in-satpura-hills/
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