Four small padayatras in New Zealand since February 2014
Since February 2014 we have done four small padayatras in New Zealand:
- Padayatra Far North “Pioneer & Pilgrims Tour”
Duration: 10 days
Distance: 140km
Participants: 10/12 national devotees, men, women, youth and children
- Padayatra Deep South “From Schist to Saffron dust”
Duration: 8 days
Distance: 100km
Participants: 6 (2 devotee fathers – Yasodadulal Dasa, Reagen and their sons, Dhananjaya, Dhaumya, Loka-gurave , plus a horseman friend named Graeme.
- Walking for a purpose “Lessons on the Mountain”
Duration: 8 days
Distance: 80km
Participants: Father and son: Yasodadulal Dasa and Dhananjaya
- Fire walk theme “Freedom In Real Existence” (F.I.R.E.)
Walk around Christchurch
Duration: 3 days
Distance: 40km
Participants: 20 local Christchurch devotees
The Eco Tour around Christchurch
The 5th padayatra was a one day motorized journey carrying the Padayatra Deities called the ECO (Everybody Come Over ) Tour. Thirty devotees travelled in a bus around various suburbs of Christchurch City. The tour did a circuit of devotees’ homes, taking darsana of their Deities, hearing Krsna-katha and sharing prasada.The Padayatra Deities, Sri Sri Nitai Gaurachandra, Who were named after the Temple Deities that were destroyed in the 2011 earthquake, were carried on and off the bus into many homes of devotees accompanied by a lively kirtana. Inside the houses His Grace Bhurijana Prabhu told stories of Krsna’s Vrindavan lila, including picnicking with the gopas, the killing of Aghasura and the Brahma vimohan lila. Light prasada and drinks were honoured in each home.
Short Walks with a Mission
The mood is to do short “Walks with a Mission”, following in the footsteps of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Mahatma Gandhi, Basho and John Muir.
-In March 1930, Gandhi, in pursuit of satyagraha (insistence on tTruth), walked for twenty-four daysbarefoot in simple kadi cloth from Sabarmati Asrama, his personal asrama near Ahmedabad, to Dandi, a beachside village 380km away in south Gujarat. With this Dandi-yatra, the whole world came to know of his purpose, to deny the British imposition enforcing that the Indian people only purchase British made salt (the Salt Act), despite the fact that this basic raw commodity was readily available in India.
His seventy-eight handpicked satyagrahis (soldiers of truth), were soon joined by thousands of followers along the way. This non-violent battle of right against might gained Gandhi world sympathy. The simplicity of his action left the British bewildered – they fulfilled his demands, although in the aftermath they unleashed a brutal campaign to crush the satyagrahis’ spirit.
-Basho (1644-1694) was a famous Buddhist Zen monk known for walking all over Japan. He recorded his journeys in diaries with sketches and poems that are still revered today. His astute observation of nature and cryptic spiritual messages reported in Haiku verses left a message of simple thinking and high thinking.
-John Muir (1838-1914) was an outdoor enthusiast who opened public awareness to the need of conservation and protection of natural wilderness areas in America. Undoubtedly inspired by Henry Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, his journeys in the wilderness inspired the establishment of National Parks in the US.
All of them had a message to share and used walking as a way to share that message. For us in this modern age it requires developing a theme and using the national media coverage to spread the good word.
Next destination : Australia
On June 25th I went to Australia to work cooperatively with the devotees there for our Australasia gift , an offering of 108 Rathayatras / Padayatras and other joint goals. I am working together with Damodar Pandit Dasa towards this. This is a 3 year ( 2014 – 2016) build-up to the celebration of ISKCON’s 50 years in 2016.
Photos and films :
- Facebook presentation : facebook.com/spiritsouthnz
- More photos on Facebook : Excellent range of photos of the Padayatra F.I.R.E 2014.
On Christchurch page, go to Prananatha Dasa, “Photos”, and “Albums” - 10 mns video of the Eco tour with Bhurijana Prabhu : www.vimeo.com/97662043
Contacts :
- Email: info( AT )jagannathtrust.com
- Website: www.jagannathtrust.com
- Postal address: Sri Ksetra Office, 2/345 Cashel Street, Christchurch 8011 NEW ZEALAND
- Yasodadulal Dasa’s phone numbers:
New Zealand number: 022 3015988 (extra charges from outside New Zealand),
India number: 91 8116749197 - Padayatra Administration in New Zealand: TEL: 03-3745098, FAX: 03-3773413
