My Padayatra India experience is one of continual evolution from deeply rooted material consciousness to that of an inspired (« in spirit ») sankirtana soldier in Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s eternal sankirtana army. After being born and raised in Albany, New York in the U.S.A., I initially served Srila Prabhupada in Holland and Belgium from 1975 to 1977 as a travelling sankirtana devotee distributing his books, going on harinama and giving classes. Then I went back to America where I continued to be engaged in the same activities. In this way, with Lord Krishna and Srila Prabhupada in the center, I’ve focused on developing loving spiritual relationships with whoever I came in contact with. For me Padayatra India is the best way to accomplish this.
I first joined Padayatra India in May 1993 in Bhuvanesvar, Orissa, when it was managed by Jaya Vijaya Prabhu. From there we proceeded to Konark, and then to Jagannath Puri ,where I attended my first Ratha-yatra. That experience was unforgettable. The intensity of the attachment of a million and a half eager pilgrims to reciprocate with Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Devi while pulling Their chariots to the Gundica Temple ( where Their Lordships stay for one week before They return to the main temple) is unique. This was the real launching of my Padayatra journey throughout India.
Continuing south through Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and then north into Karnataka and Maharashtra, my life and the quality of my consciousness slowly and gradually transformed as I lived in the villages and small towns with the people of Bharata varsha in their schools, temples and community halls where we generally stayed and held our daily programs. With them I learned to appreciate more and more their genuine simplicity and down-to-earth qualities, their often childlike innocence in their dealings with one another and me. In such an environment I found my heart opening as I continued to grow and develop in my relationship with Lord Krishna and His loving devotees. For me, there is no other way I could so effectively transform in my Krishna consciousness.
Growing up in extremely materialistic America where exploiting others and Mother Nature for your own prestige and the gratification of ever increasing sensual desires is predominant, I suffered greatly while searching for strong, genuine spiritual guidance, which I found in this International Society for Krishna Consciousness at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada. Because of the deep mental traumas that I faced from my teenage years onwards, I still had to continue to deal with these karmic difficulties throughout most my life. Uncovering and transforming my heart in Krishna consciousness to realize my wholehearted loving relationships with Lord Krishna and His loving devotees, and to become one of them is my sole purpose for living.
Now I’m back on Padayatra India since January 21, 2009, when I rejoined the party in Bellary, Karnataka, after a fifteen year break. This life is meant for purification, to return home to Vrindavana to Lord Krishna and His loving devotees, to become one of them. With the devotees on this party, I’m experiencing a sweetness in so many relationships that I never imagined possible with the devotees I meet and preach with in so many temples and nama-hatta centers all over India. If, with whole hearted commitment, we follow this process of bhakti yoga as given by Srila Rupa Goswami under the direction of His Divine Grace Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, success is guaranteed again and again by Lord Krishna. Among the sixty four practices in devotional service listed in the Nectar of Devotion by Srila Rupa Goswami, five are given primary importance: vaisnava association, chanting the holy names (Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare), studying Srimad-Bhagavatam, visiting holy places (especially
Vrindavana) and worshiping the Deity. On Padayatra India we experience the results of all these activities in a very wonderful way while daily sharing this experience with the general public, practically living among them in the traditional varnasrama sense.
Returning to Andhra Pradesh on my second parikrama of Bharat varsha I could see that tremendous developments have taken place since 1993 in Vishakapatnam, Rajamandhry, Eluru, Vijayawada, Guntur, Narasaraopeta, Nellore, etc. Numerous temples (big, medium and small) along with many preaching centers and namahatta communities have developed over the past twenty two years. And I have also simultaneously developed in my Krishna consciousness throughout this period. And this is continuing here in Andhra Pradesh. Just today we left Nellore where Sukadeva Swami has developed a jewel of a temple.
On July 11th in the town of Gudur Lord Jagannatha’s mercy flowed from the chariot, with Gaura Nitai and Srila Prabhupada on our Padayatra ratha. In this town, located 30 kms south of Nellore, a new center is being developed under the direction of Sukadeva Swami, whom I’ve known for over twenty years. My dear friend and godbrother Vasu Ghosh Prabhu also attended Nellore. There we had a wonderful darsana of Lord Ranganatha who is considered an expansion of the original Lord Ranganatha in a pastime involving Maha Visnu.
Thoughout Andhra Pradesh Lord Nrsimhadeva has manifested His mercy in many places we have visited such as Simhacalam near Visakapatnam as well as the famous Kurma Ksetra. Both of these were visited by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu on His South Indian tour. Imprints of His lotus feet were installed by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur at both of these holy places. Also bathing
in sacred rivers such as the Godavari River at Rajamundhry and the Krishna River in Vijayawada is also very much a part of the Padayatra India life. We also stayed at the place where Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Ramananda Raya had an ecstatic meeting on the banks of Mother Godavari in
Kavuru, a few kilometres from Rajamundhry, which is elaborately described by Srila Krishna Dasa Kaviraja Goswami in his Sri Caitanya Caritamrta.
I’ve also taken part in seven Vraja Mandala Parikramas as well as spent six weeks in the Himalayas in May and June of 2012, walking to Badrinath and Kedarnath. I also participated in the bus trip to Gangotri and Yamunotri with the Padayatra India devotees. These opportunities given by Gaura Nitai and Srila Prabhupada are priceless treasures that I carry with me in my heart.
This is just a glimpse of life on the road with Padayatra India, so wonderfully organized by Lokanath Swami and the present manager, Acarya Dasa. Come and taste it! Hare Krishna!