By Acarya dasa, All-India Padayatra leader
The padayatris stayed at Bharkawada village in Gujarat for forty-five days during the second coronavirus lockdown. Although at first the village leaders were keen for us to move on, eventually we were permitted to stay at the Panchmukhi mahadev Lord Shiva temple and by the mercy of Their Lordships the village people became Hare Krishna devotees. Even after we departed, the new devotees followed us till we entered Rajasthan. They were missing the association of padayatris and darshan of Sri Sri Nitai-Gaurasundar. Sankirtan had become a part of their lives.
The villagers could not forget the nectar of devotional life they had received. They were also convinced that following our daily morning and evening sankirtan it was Their Lordships’ mercy that rain had fallen heavily after a five-year absence. As we were leaving Bharkawada at the beginning of June, they had insisted we stay for a few more days to attend a large farewell festival. Witnessing that event, I recalled the festival organized by ISKCON Aravade, the birthplace of our beloved spiritual master, Lokanath Maharaja, that we had named the Hare Krishna festival.
As padayatra neared the Rajasthan border, I got a call from Bharkawada: before we left Gujarat, we were invited to return for one more Hare Krishna festival in the village on July 3. The villagers sent a vehicle to collect us and we all travelled to Bharkawada where we were received enthusiastically. In an affectionate display of how much they respected us and considered us to be one of them, they had built a large stage on which we were invited to sit while they honoured us with garlands.
We then had a grand sankirtan through the village. Almost like a chariot, the concept of padayatra had entered the people’s hearts. They had fixed framed photographs of Nitai-Gaurasundar and Srila Prabhupada on to a jeep so that everyone could have darshan. Our utsava deities were behind them on another jeep followed by the villagers performing sankirtan. Many people from nearby villages had also come along, totalling more than 2000 participants at the programme. The procession ended in the evening at the initial venue and again there was an onstage welcome for the padayatris and Sri Sri Nitai-Gaurasundar. The entire congregation then joined us in a kirtan. Everywhere we looked we could see people dancing and chanting, even children beating sticks on empty oil drums tied to their waists were dancing and singing loudly. This is the miracle caused by the holy name.
We attended the grand celebration of the second Bharkawada Hare Krishna festival by the mercy of our spiritual master. He is the one who always inspires us and keeps us going in our services whatever the condition. These same people who were reluctant to have us stay when we arrived at the start of lockdown were now not ready to see us leave. All through the mercy of the holy name flowing over the village.
