By Damodarlila dasa, Maharashtra Padayatra leader
The padayatris celebrated this year’s Gaura-purnima festival at Parbhani, one of the largest cities in Maharashtra’s Marathwada region. For twenty days we were at the gurukul of Radhanath Maharaja disciple Jai Sri Rama dasa, going for nagar sankirtan daily in different parts of the city.
It was a wonderful experience being at the gurukul which has about 150 students. The children were very happy to host us and our oxen were a major attraction for them. They would surround the oxen and just stare at them discussing how beautiful they are. They also would join us during arati and dance with us. This was the first time they had a padayatra in their gurukul and every day we did sankirtan on the premises.
Jai Sri Rama was very helpful and made all arrangements for us. He also got Sri Sri Nitai-Gaurasundar’s dress for Gaura-purnima, the celebration of the most auspicious and adorable advent of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Golden Avatara. It is one of the most important festivals for Gaudiya Vaishnavas after Janmastami.
The Supreme Lord Sri Krishna, with the serving mood of Srimati Radharani, appeared as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to establish the sankirtan movement, the yuga dharma for this age of Kali. He appeared on the full moon day in the month of Phalguna in 1486 at Sridham Mayapur as the son of Jagannath Mishra and Srimati Sachidevi. In the revealed scriptures, Lord Krishna was predicted to appear as the Golden Avatara (incarnation) to propound and propagate the congregational chanting of the holy name of the Lord, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare, to counteract the contaminating influence of this age of quarrel and hypocrisy and attain spiritual perfection.
The Gaura-purnima festival is very special for us as it is the appearance day of our beloved Gauranga. We are twenty-four hours in His service, our days and nights are dedicated to Him. We can’t forget Him for a minute. Whatever we do in padayatra is for His pleasure. Lord Gauranga takes care of us. We are walking only because of His causeless mercy. He removes all obstacles from our way. As the padayatra progresses He gives darshan to all the souls and distributes His mercy everywhere. We are just instruments in His hands.
On Gaura-purnima we performed abhisheka of our Sri Sri Nitai-Gaurasundar. That evening devotees from the city and elsewhere assembled for the celebration. We started the programme with bhajans. Then there was Gaura katha by Matsyavatar dasa followed by maha arati and sankirtan which made all dance to their hearts’ content. Almost 500 people attended the festival and honoured maha prasadam.
The occasion was a success due to the support of Jai Sri Rama, who happily welcomed us to his gurukul and insisted we stay there to celebrate Gaura-purnima. Because of him the whole of Parbhani could have darshan of Sri Sri Nitai-Gaurasundar.
Hare Krishna.
