By Acarya dasa, All-India Padayatra leader
On October 24 our ox Kaliya left his body in Vrindavan dham. In March he had developed a swelling at the base of his left horn that was diagnosed as cancer. Following an operation to remove the horn he continued to serve in padayatra.
Given his name by our spiritual master, Lokanath Maharaja, Kaliya started his padayatra journey from the Kumbha-mela in 2012 and has completed the char dhama yatra, walking all over India from Allahabad to Gangasagar, Tirupati, Kanyakumari, Jagannath Puri and Dwarka. Throughout his service in padayatra he displayed all saintly qualities. Whenever grass was put out for him, he would happily allow any other cow to also eat the grass; he never harmed anyone; he was always content whenever pulling Their Lordships’ chariot. When padayatra was confined to one place in lockdown we had seen tears in Kaliya’s eyes as his service was abruptly halted. He was blessed to have carried Sri Sri Nitai-Gaurasundar on his shoulders. His life has been successful.
Eventually Kaliya retired to the Vrindavan goshala as he could no longer walk far. By the Lord’s mercy he left his body in the month of Kartik at Vrindavan dham, as any devotee would like to depart from this material world.
