By Acarya Dasa (Padayatra leader)
Our All India Padayatra chariot and Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundar were in Krsna Balarama temple for full Kartik month and few padayatris stayed back to take care of them and other joined Vraja Mandal parikrama.
After completion of Vraja Mandal Parikrama we had to ahead in our preaching journey. So we had a meeting with our spiritual master Lokanath Maharaja who was fortunately in Vrndavana that time. As we went to take his blessings Maharaja asked us whether we have blankets to protect against cold. It was like a mother asking her children. Our hearts were filled with gratitude and love for our spiritual master. His love and care keeps us fired up always. Maharaja said the same question my spiritual master Srila Prabhupada when I was about to start padayatra.
Maharaja shared his experiences of padayatra with us, his face was blossomed like beautiful flower while he was talking about padayatra memories. We about to leave Vrndavana dhama on December 18 and the same announcement was made in Krsna Balarama temple. On 18th we all went to Srila Prabhupada Samadhi and prayed to him from all our hearts. We asked for blessings from Srila Prabhupada so that we could fulfill desire of our spiritual master as he fulfilled desire of his spiritual master. We felt Srila Prabhupada is reciprocating with us. It was Guru puja time and we were praying and suddenly a devotee called me gave deity of Srila Prabhupada in my hands I was filled with spiritual joy and tears rolled down my eyes. It was like Srila Prabhupada wants us to go to nagar adi gram and preach all over doing padayatra. While doing parikrama of Krsna Balarama temple all the instructions of Gurudev came to my mind and I was filled with spiritual strength. I was feeling recharged. All the padayatris were happy and we all circumambulated the temple with Srila Prabhupa deity and attended Guru puja arati.
After prasadam we packed our luggage. Panchagauda Dasa, Krsna Balarama temple president, Sanaka Sanatana Dasa our former padayatra leader and other management devotees joined us. We all then marched ahead with blessings of Guru and Gauranga and all the devotees walked with in padayatra till Atalachungi. Then we moved ahead towards Akrura ghat and devotees of temple went back. We went to Mathura for accommodation we went to Mukunda palace but they were demanding 3000/Rs. But we called the owner mataji that we are ISKCON devotees please allow us, but she was reluctant. But Lord takes care, the time our chariot reached the place and that mataji reached was same. She was surprised to have drasana of Their Lordships. She said “Oh Lord has come to my door to bless me, I did not go to Vrndavana because of rush, so Lord Himself came.” He was very happy and asked how can serve? I said please help us in accommodation and she said “ My pleasure and prasadam for all of you will be from my side.” She attended sandhya arati and Mangala arati also with us.
We also went to their house for house program with utsava deties of Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundar. And she said when ever you come to Mathura you can stay in our palace. We got that mataji connected to ISKCON Balarama temple.
He we moved to Agra and the devotees there had arranged a grand welcome for us. Our next destination will be Gwalior and the Jhasi.
