By Murali Mohan Dasa
On August 5th, 2018, we conducted the 25th one day padayatra, the silver jubilee event. By the blessingsof Guru and Gauranga it turned out to be a grand success.
First, we personally invited all our temple leaders and preachers with their congregation devotees to participate in this one day padayatra and we planned everything in advance. We started at 7:30 am from Saibaba temple at Sattadhar square with our Nimai-Nitai and Srila Prabhupada Deities. At the beginning we were about100 devotees, but later on more devotees joined. A devotee from the congregation served breakfast prasadam with a warm welcoming mood. Then we all performed an ecstatic kirtana for half-an hour.
After breakfast devotees were fully charged for powerful kirtana and book distribution. All leaders took turns leading the sankirtana, each for 30 minutes.. At every square they lead a roaring kirtana, as if loaded guns were firing the demonic hearts of people. Some devotees caught people’s hands and made them dance. This was an experience out of this world and people responded with dancing and singing. Finally all of them raised their hands and loudly chanted the maha-mantra. The leaders ensured that every person chanted loudly by raising his/her hands in the air.
On the way, at Nilakantha Mahadeva temple, all the devotees including the daily visitors of temple danced with kirtana for more than half-an-hour. This is a big temple and many devotees visit it in the morning. Definitely Lord Shiva, the best of the vaishnavas, must have been pleased with us.
Here was our toute: Saibaba temple, Sattadharsquare – Karmachari-nagar square – Ghatlodia water tank – Ghatlodiagaon -Prabhat square – Patifarsquare- Umiya hall – Nilakantha Mahadeva temple – KK Nagar – Sarvodaya School – Asha-puri society.
The padayatra ended at the residence of Bachubhai Panchal at Asha-puri society. He sponsored and served a delicious feast prasadam to more than 325 devotees. Bachubhai Panchal, his wife Pushpaben, his son Kunal and his daughter-in-law Manisha worked really hard to arrange everything. May Lord Gauranga shower His blessings upon them!
After reaching the destination, Jashomatinandan Dasa gave a lecture on the history of Padayatra, explaining how it started, and how it’s now going all over India continuously, as directed by Lokanath Swami. He also invited everyone to participate in padayatra every month because it’s just one day. Finally he blessed us by saying, “param vijayate sri krsna sankirtanam! All glories to this Padayatra!”.He was very happy when he heard the book distribution score was 436 small books, 47 big books, and that even small children had participated in distributing the books of Srila Prabhupada.
Most of the group leaders with their congregation devotees joined this padayatra and blessed us. We appreciate and thank all these leaders and their team who graced this occasion: Bhaktivinoda Dasa, Raivat Dasa, Vicharu Dasa, Sanjay Krsna Dasa, Anandgovinda Dasa, Shankpani Dasa, Pushkar Dasa and many more. HariBol…
PS: For more information please contact Murali Mohan Dasa: muralimohandas_lok@hotmail.com
