July 20, 2013: “Where are you from?”, “Where is your temple?”, “Where are the bulls from?” and “Where are you going?”, these are some of the questions a padayatri is constantly asked on the road. Padayatra is the life of traditional Indian sadhus walking from one pilgrimage place to another. This was Srila Prabhupada’s last desire; to travel around Vraja Mandala on a bullock cart and spend the nights in a tent, but his fragile health did not permit him. Padayatra India has been fulfilling this desire, as Srila Prabhupada’s murti has been travelling all over India on a bullock cart for the past 29 years. Started in 1984, all India Padayatra has circumambulated India five times, distributing millions of Srila Prabhupada’s books. Padayatra walks an average of 12 to 15 kilometers per day and halts at a different village every afternoon.
We are currently walking in Bihar, where ISKCON is not so well-known. There is a lot of preaching to be done here, and people are very receptive to Krishna Consciousness because they identify themselves with the Yadu dynasty. There is a caste named Yadava who claim to be the descendents from Lord Krishna’s Yadu dynasty. But unfortunately many people of Bihar have now taken to a degraded lifestyle of eating meat and drinking alcohol. It would be a hard job to clean up their habits as the pure religious message has been long neglected and replaced with cheap demigod worship (Kali worship and animal sacrifices) or other religions in some cases.
Bihar was previously known by the name of the Magadha province, under the rule of King Jarasandha. Later on it gave birth to many stalwart kings such as King Ashoka and the rulers of the Mauryan Empire. Bihar is a totally different planet; and we could definitely experience this from the very first day of crossing the border from Uttar Pradesh. Modern Bihar has a rich affluence of water, vegetation and rowdy people. In a few words it can be described as a place of blaring automobile horns.. Every automobile has its horn tweaked to the max and in many cases it has extra loud substitutes added. This is especially a trouble for us padayatris, as most of our time is spent on busy roads with speeding vehicles honking and hooting. Another interesting feature is that many trucks, buses and small public transport vehicles have installed a mini loud speaker on their roofs playing cinema songs while maneuvering their way across the road. To an outsider life seems a total cacophony, but Biharis are used to it and even seem to enjoy it. The positive side is that since they are sound lovers, they can be spellbound by Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundar’s beautiful kirtans.
Bihar is most famous for Lord Vishnu’s footprint at Gaya, which Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu also visited when he came there to offer respectful oblations to His forefathers (Pinda-dana). It was there also that He accepted initiation from Sri Isvara Puri and from there that He travelled through its Jharikhanda forest, inducing all the animals to chant and dance in love of Godhead. Padayatra is following in the trails of Lord Caitanya’s foot journey and will soon be visiting Gaya and Jharikhanda, now known as a separate state named Jharkhand.
Padayatra had a five day halt in Patna, Biha’s capital, as ISKCON Patna was celebrating their annual RathaYatra Festival on the 10th of July. They had a grand procession with a huge ratha, crowds of people, two elephants, half a dozen camels and horses. ISKCON Patna was very happy to have Padayatra joining them on this important occasion. Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundar’s cart pulled by its huge oxen was an exceptional sight for the locals. Many ladies were crowding around and behind the Padayatra cart, pushing it instead of Lord Jagannatha’s cart. All in all it was a great festival with lots of books and prasadam distributed.
We are now fifty kilometers away from Gaya, with our team slightly reduced as six padayatris went to Pandharpur to attend Lokanatha Swami’s Vyasa-puja festival on July 19th. Padayatra is still walking with fourteen members and will be reaching Gaya in a week’s time. The party will then be reinforced with these six devotees and a few more who promised to join after Maharaja’s Vyasa-puja festival.