Warangal District (Andhra Pradesh)
At present we are a four men team: Srinivas Sevanada Dasa, Bhupati Dasa, Ramanuja Dasa, and myself. Since last December we have travelled 584 kms and visited 118villages. Our total score is 5 Bhagavatam sets, 1050 big books ,180 medium, and 10,400 small books.
Prasad distribution
It’s now the rainy season. Happily it’s not pouring down every day. We had 25 days with only 2-3 hours of rain, and only 10 when it poured all day long. During these heavy rains we take shelter in a village temple or the panchayat (mayor)’s office, and keep the oxen dry in a local goshala. We also equipped the Deity cart with a tarpaulin all around. The advantage of the rain is that we can easily fill up our buckets to wash our clothes or the cooking pots, but it forces us to stop the evening programs.
One day we had an incident with the cart, which could have been very serious. Like every day, Srinivas and I were charging the lighting system through some internal wires. But it had rained for hours, and some water had entered the side pipes of the cart. We didn’t notice that the electrical current was passing through the cart, which is made entirely of iron. So there was a short-circuit, and both of received a very heavy electrical shock. Good thing we survived for Krishna service!
Devotee in white talking to people
Every day we see farmers cultivating their fields of corn, rice and cotton. The elderly villagers are getting drunk, thanks to the wine shops opened by the government. About 99% of men and 5% of women drink. They drink in public as well as in their houses, and it’s considered a kind of social status. These unfortunate people think that getting drunk and eating meat is the only way they can enjoy. On the positive side, the children participate nicely by dancing, singing, and rendering many small services.
Despite the rain we are really enjoying the village atmosphere – no pollution, green scenery everywhere, pleasant streams, and abundant grass for the oxen. Nights are so peaceful and during morning hours birds make very sweet sounds. I feel this is real life. Even if people are drunkards, they are very kind hearted, and they try to help by giving grass to the oxen, some rice or vegetables to cook.
Devotee in white handing out books and incense
One day we were travelling to one village with no breaks on our cart – they had just failed. When we came upon a steep downhill slope, our oxen could not control the speed of the cart. It was getting dangerous. So we stopped and waited for somebody to come and help us hold the cart from behind. I told the other devotees in a joking way: “ Let’s see if Krishna will send some persons.” Immediately two teenagers arrived on a bicycle. They helped us to control the cart down the hill, then they went back to where they came from. Lord Krishna had come to our rescue, one more time!
4 devotees in white on cart holding Gita
SVD hodding Gita in front of cart
Two men holding Gita in front of Ganesh plus VSD
Kids holding malas and picture of Krsna
Brahmacari with people raising hands
Kids holding malas near cart