I arrived in Dhaka on the 10th of November - just in time to get ready for the main festivals of the Kartik season: Govardhana Puja and Srila Prabhupada's disappearance. The Swamibag devotees were already busily engaged in arranging a big pandal and a stage in order to celebrate the upcoming events.
I was invited to give the morning class on Govardhana Puja - one of my favorite lilas, which has so many sweet little details to meditate on. The festival itself was very wonderful, with an abhishek of our Giriraja Who has been worshiped regularly on the main altar. Here in Bangladesh we observe Govardhana Puja with the traditional Anakuta - a mountain of rice, with lots and lots of preparations offered to Giri Govardhana. There must have been almost a thousand preparations, all offered in little clay pots! On the top of the Anakuta we make Krsna's huge gigantic face using all kinds of eatables - Krsna appearing to devour all the preparations, as it is described in the pastime. The festivities were concluded with massive kichari distribution to thousands of visitors.
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In the afternoon of the following day we had a special farewell program on the stage of the big pandal for the High Commissioner of India, who had served at the Indian Embassy in Dhaka for three years, and who had helped our devotees in so many ways. Now he will be moving on to the Indian Embassy in Moscow. I was invited to give a speech which was well received. I gave the example of an ISKCON temple being the embassy to the spiritual world, and how it is very wonderful and beneficial for one and all when these two embassies are cooperating and building strong connections. Needless to say, the audience was amused. I also elaborated on the example often used by Srila Prabhupada, how the people of materially advanced countries are like the blind man, and people of the more spiritually advanced places like the lame man. As Prabhupada told, if both work together, then the blind man can carry the lame man on his back, and he will be directed by the lame who nevertheless can see which direction to go. I dared to comment laughingly, that India's legs are getting stronger and is thus not so lame any longer, but gradually getting more and more blind. He took it in a right mood and couldn't help but laughingly agree. I offered him a Krishna Book and a nice picture of Radha Madhava as a gift, and I also had the opportunity to connect with him personally over some prasadam. He is a very cultured gentleman, and it was a great honor for me to be able to meet him and be instrumental in leaving a few Krsna conscious impressions on his mind.
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On the same day we had a big evening program in the pandal on the topic of Kartik and Govardhana Puja. Many dignitaries and congregational members had assembled and were sitting in chairs, respectfully hearing the various speakers. I was the only Western devotee who spoke, which always attracts special attention - acting as Srila Prabhupada's dancing white elefant....!
On Srila Prabhupada's disappearance I was invited to give the morning lecture, elaborating on Prabhupada's position as the Founder Acarya. After the morning program we bathed Prabhupada in the abhishek. I was moved how our boys would always invite me to also bathe Srila Prabhupada. I understood it as a special sign of respect and affection for their mother, since the abhishek was otherwise only performed by the most senior men. In the evening we conducted a big program on the stage of the pandal, glorifying Srila Prabhupada. Several government officials had come to attend the occasion, some of them even being Muslims!
At such programs I always feel a strong urgency to try and get across what an amazing task Srila Prabhupada has performed, bringing this knowledge of Krsna consciousness to the entire world. Indeed the most outstanding contribution to humanity at large in this age of Kali Yuga. And since it is the 50th anniversary of his departure from India I also shared how it seemed such an impossible and unrealistic thing for Prabhupada to ever leave Vrindavan and actually reach America! He was so poor at the time! But at the same time he possessed the highest wealth: unflinching faith in the instructions of his Guru Maharaja, and complete dependance on him and the previous acharyas.... I closed my little talk by introducing some of Prabhupada's books, which I distributed afterwards on a book table near the stage, signing the books with "blessings". These are always my most blissful moments....! I even distributed a set of Srimad Bhagavatams.....!
Our student preachers from the ISKCON Youth Forum are always especially eager to involve me in programs. For the following days they took me every evening to meet students at the universities or in their dormitories, and we had nice programs with around 60 young and intelligent boys participating. I also did programs separately for the student girls.
Once again, we distributed so many books! Srila Prabhupada stated that the success of a program can be measured in how many books are distributed. People in the audience very quickly forget our words, but if they take a book, it will have a lasting effect. And especially students appreciate the value of books....!
On the 18th of November I traveled on to Narayan Ganj....
your servant, Devaki dd
At such programs I always feel a strong urgency to try and get across what an amazing task Srila Prabhupada has performed, bringing this knowledge of Krsna consciousness to the entire world. Indeed the most outstanding contribution to humanity at large in this age of Kali Yuga. And since it is the 50th anniversary of his departure from India I also shared how it seemed such an impossible and unrealistic thing for Prabhupada to ever leave Vrindavan and actually reach America! He was so poor at the time! But at the same time he possessed the highest wealth: unflinching faith in the instructions of his Guru Maharaja, and complete dependance on him and the previous acharyas.... I closed my little talk by introducing some of Prabhupada's books, which I distributed afterwards on a book table near the stage, signing the books with "blessings". These are always my most blissful moments....! I even distributed a set of Srimad Bhagavatams.....!
Our student preachers from the ISKCON Youth Forum are always especially eager to involve me in programs. For the following days they took me every evening to meet students at the universities or in their dormitories, and we had nice programs with around 60 young and intelligent boys participating. I also did programs separately for the student girls.
Once again, we distributed so many books! Srila Prabhupada stated that the success of a program can be measured in how many books are distributed. People in the audience very quickly forget our words, but if they take a book, it will have a lasting effect. And especially students appreciate the value of books....!
On the 18th of November I traveled on to Narayan Ganj....
your servant, Devaki dd
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