By Chandrabhaga Dasi
On December 20th, 2016, an international group of around 35 devotees from 6 different countries (12 women and the rest of men), left Sri Mayapur Dham from Srila Prabhupada’s Bhajan Kutir for a seven day, 80 km padayatra to Katwa. Katwa is an important tirtha (holy spot) since is the place where Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa. Along the way the yatra passed other tirthas, including Nrsimhapalli, the location where Lord Nrsimhadeva washed His hands after the battle with Hiranyakasipu and killing of the demon with His own nails.
Krishnapada the ox was on his first walk out of Mayapur. He lead the party through Krishnanagar, Baluka, Kanainagar, Navadvip, Srirampur, Kalikatala, Agradvip, and on to Katwa. All this happened thanks to Hrimati Mataji Dasi who entrusted us the ox and the cart which became home to Nitai Padakamala, the deities residing at the Bhajan Kutir in Mayapur.
Our team was graced by the presence of many sincere devotees who wholeheartedly walked, chanted, distributed books and prasadam. In the evenings, after having settled in our camp, the Padayatra team would do nagar sankirtana to invite the locals to Gaura arati and some katha. By the help of Gauranga Prem Swami Maharaja and the Nama hatta leaders in Navadvip and Bardhaman districts, the Padayatra was hosted each night by Nama Hatta families, with full hospitality. After the long day’s walk prasadam was always timely and abundant, thanks to Avadhuta Nitai prabhu who organized the kitchen!
Ragukula Prabhu did wonderful Gaura katha in several of the places we stopped to have darsana. In Agradvip, we crossed the Ganga in the evening and visited the temple of Gopinath. Here we heard the life of Sri Govinda Ghosh, and his special relationship with his Gopinath Deity. After Govinda Ghosh’s son passed away, Gopinath agreed to do his sraddha ceremony, and since then this festival is celebrated each year on his disappearance day (Papamocani Ekadasi). After reaching Katwa, we did nagar sankirtana to the Sri Gauranga Bari temple where Lord Caitanya took sannyasa, and we saw His hair samadhi. On the final day, we visited Jajigram, an important tirtha of Lord Caitanya’s associates, and Srikhanda. Srikhanda is a magical place that was home to many exalted Gaudiya Vaisnavas, including Locana Dasa Thakur, the author of the Caitanya Mangala. There we visited different temples and tirthas of these great Vaisnavas and heard of their wonderful qualities and pastimes.
For the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada during his book distribution marathon month, the Mayapur to Katwa padayatra distributed 72 Maha big books (Bhagavad-gitas), 1400 BTG magazines, 599 small books, and 50 kilos of maha-prasadam with Rs 12,000 laksmi points. Thanks to the stalwart Mayapuri Vaisnavi party who really took up the challenge to distribute books the whole way! Thanks also to Istadeva Prabhu who brought everyone together and did all the needful to make it all happen. It was a beautiful hybrid of padayatra/ book marathon/ Gaura Mandala parikrama. Many devotees were inspired to continue making these local Mayapur padayatras a regular event.
