By Gunacuda Devi Dasi
This Kartik, please come and join the annual Sankirtana Padayatra in Odisha. This most ecstatic preaching program in the sacred land of Mahaprabhu’s and Lord Jagannath’s pastimes, will begin on November 1st in Kantilo (60 km from Bhubaneswar) where the ancient Deity of Sri Nila Madhava resides by the banks of the Mahanadi. The padayatra will last until the 20th of November and will see devotees walking and chanting with the bullock cart of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and Srila Prabhupada through the Nayagarh district, stopping in a different village every day for kirtana, book and prasadam distribution and preaching programs. The villagers are especially interested to see Western devotees blissfully chanting Hare Krishna and to hear about their experiences and realisations.
In the words of Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja, who started Padayatra Odisha in 1992 “This padayatra is Mahaprabhu’s lila going on today. The fortunate living entities who accept and take part in Gaura kirtana, who go out and take part in chanting Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, such persons have life.”
If you wish to participate, even for a few days, please contact the Padayatra coordinator, Trailokyanath Dasa on +91 9178624640 ( tndas.1966[at]gmail[dot]com ) or email Gunacuda devi dasi ( gunacuda[at]yahoo[dot]com ). Accommodation and prasadam are free for padayatris. To get to the padayatra, it is easiest to take the train to Bhubaneswar ( approximately 7 hours by train from Howrah ) and the local devotees will help you get to the padayatra.