I had invited Hari Sauri Prabhu to come to Kharkov for Janmastami and Srila Prabhupada's Vyasa Puja, and he had kindly accepted our invitation. Thus on the 31st of August, the day of departure from the Bhakti Sangam Festival we flew together from Lvov to Kharkov.
We had a few days to get ready for Janmastami, and every morning and evening Hari Sauri Prabhu spoke very wonderful Prabhupada Katha, which helped us to be in the right consciousness to celebrate Krsna's appearance in this world, followed by Srila Prabhupada's appearance.
On the first evening program I offered some welcoming words in order to introduce Hari Sauri Prabhu to our congregation. I shared how Hari Sauri Prabhu had been part of Sydney temple when I joined there in 1985. So we had known each other for many years. Every Saturday evening he had taken the devotees out on a massive harinam through the center of Sydney - where all the cinemas, restaurants and other places for material enjoyment were located. We were around a hundred enthusiastic devotees, flooding the entire city with the chanting of the holy name. I had also been very fond of his nice lectures. Sometimes he used to borrow my Sankirtan car, and he used to chastise me for not cleaning it nicely. Once he had rebuked me: "Your seatbelts are so dirty, that they left a black mark on my kurta!"
Later he had helped me with the formalities when I purchased my flat in Mayapur, and he had even arranged for the kitchen equipment and fridge to be bought in Navadvip and delivered to my flat. Once during a very heavy flood he had dropped into my place and put the fridge up on the kitchen bench - just in case the water would enter my flat. Thus I had always considered him as my well-wishing uncle.
When sharing those memories from the early days I added, how now his same kirtan tune had reminded me of those Saturday-night harinams, and he smiling responded: "Actually, just when I was singing I was wondering whether Devaki remembers those harinams of the early days...."
On the first evening program I offered some welcoming words in order to introduce Hari Sauri Prabhu to our congregation. I shared how Hari Sauri Prabhu had been part of Sydney temple when I joined there in 1985. So we had known each other for many years. Every Saturday evening he had taken the devotees out on a massive harinam through the center of Sydney - where all the cinemas, restaurants and other places for material enjoyment were located. We were around a hundred enthusiastic devotees, flooding the entire city with the chanting of the holy name. I had also been very fond of his nice lectures. Sometimes he used to borrow my Sankirtan car, and he used to chastise me for not cleaning it nicely. Once he had rebuked me: "Your seatbelts are so dirty, that they left a black mark on my kurta!"
Later he had helped me with the formalities when I purchased my flat in Mayapur, and he had even arranged for the kitchen equipment and fridge to be bought in Navadvip and delivered to my flat. Once during a very heavy flood he had dropped into my place and put the fridge up on the kitchen bench - just in case the water would enter my flat. Thus I had always considered him as my well-wishing uncle.
When sharing those memories from the early days I added, how now his same kirtan tune had reminded me of those Saturday-night harinams, and he smiling responded: "Actually, just when I was singing I was wondering whether Devaki remembers those harinams of the early days...."
I had been meditating for the last few months on the this year's altar decoration for Janmastami. Inspired by the devotees in Goloka Dham/Germany I had the plan to try and create Vrindavan forest on the altar, by collecting leaves, flowers and grass from nature, and also request devotees to bring something from their gardens, rather than just buying the commercially grown flowers, which always seem a little lifeless and articial to me. I had developed more and more of a dislike for the standard floristic compositions and wanted to rather create the mood of naturally growing flowers in Vrindavan forest.
This had been my mediatation for a long time, and whenever I was somewhere in nature I was always looking for things which could be collected and used for Janmastami, trying to imagine how it could look like. It had been a really wonderful mediation and absorption....
The mind likes to be absorbed in making plans. And there are only two kinds of plans: for our own sense gratification, or for Krsna's pleasure. And this absorption in making plans for Krsna's pleasure gives indeed so much joy to our heart....!
We had also planned to improve the decoration for the temple room and had decided to use colored fabric decorating the ceiling, which would bring down the high ceiling a little, would make the atmosphere more homey and add a little color.
In the early morning of the day before Janmastami I drove with Prema Mataji to a wonderful area nearby, on the banks of a little river, and we collected so many beautiful things from nature for the altar decoration! Nice yellow flowers, various kinds of long and big grass, and so many other things which were perfectly suitable for our purpose. Krsna had fulfilled my long-cherished desires....! And the entire ay I spent arranging a wonderful forest of Vrindavan - in so many vases of all sizes.
This had been my mediatation for a long time, and whenever I was somewhere in nature I was always looking for things which could be collected and used for Janmastami, trying to imagine how it could look like. It had been a really wonderful mediation and absorption....
The mind likes to be absorbed in making plans. And there are only two kinds of plans: for our own sense gratification, or for Krsna's pleasure. And this absorption in making plans for Krsna's pleasure gives indeed so much joy to our heart....!
We had also planned to improve the decoration for the temple room and had decided to use colored fabric decorating the ceiling, which would bring down the high ceiling a little, would make the atmosphere more homey and add a little color.
In the early morning of the day before Janmastami I drove with Prema Mataji to a wonderful area nearby, on the banks of a little river, and we collected so many beautiful things from nature for the altar decoration! Nice yellow flowers, various kinds of long and big grass, and so many other things which were perfectly suitable for our purpose. Krsna had fulfilled my long-cherished desires....! And the entire ay I spent arranging a wonderful forest of Vrindavan - in so many vases of all sizes.
This year we had another big surprise for the devotees: for the very first time we would use our new Radha Krsna Festival Deities, which I had obtained last year during Kartik in Vrindavan. The devotees had made beautiful outfits for Them, and we were placing Them on the altar for Janmastami and also Nandotsava - Srila Prabhupada's appearance. We had created a little staircase leading up to an arched temple entrance, where our Radha Syamasundara were standing....!
As a huge backdrop we had a painting of Varshana, with some narrow side strips of copies from famous paintings from the Krsna Art Book - with cows on the left, and gopis on the right.
It turned out to be a beautiful arrangement and the devotees were very pleased, commenting that the altar had become a transcendental panorama - a window into Goloka Vrindavan....
Hari Sauri Prabhu gave the morning lecture about Krsna's appearance, and I continued by reading from Srila Kavi Karnapura's book Ananda Vrindavan Campu, commenting here and there. This book is full of beautiful and very poetic descriptions of Krsna's pastimes, which take the mind into another world. Throughout the day senior devotees were continuing to speak and chant in Kirtan, and also read Krsna Book - the entire temple was filled with transcendental sound vibration.
In the afternoon we commenced the program with a beautiful abishek of our new Radha Krsna Deities, performed by our pujaris and brahmanas on the altar, for everybody to take part within the mind, accompanied by melodious and sweet kirtan. Hari Sauri Prabhu gave another evening lecture, followed by Gaur Artik. This year we had only a few very short cultural performances, and we continued with opening Krsna's gifts and reading out His birthday cards. There were bhajans, and later we were swinging Their Lordships on Their newly built swing, which was a wonderful way of engaging everybody in giving pleasure to Their Lordships.
The Deities had received more than 108 preparations cooked with love and devotion. The entire atmosphere during the evening was very devotional - simply centered around the Deities' pleasure.
Just before midnight I gave a lecture sharing some drops of nectar
about Govardhana Hill, reading various descriptions and verses about the glories and beauty of Govardhana. He is considered the topmost devotee, providing so many beautiful places where Krsna and His associates are performing Their confidential pastimes - with waterfalls, caves bedecked with jewels, and with the most soft and tasty grass, so that Krsna will bring the cows there to graze.
It had become the annual tradition for me to share some sweet and confidential moments about the spiritual world - just before midnight artik, when some visitors had gone home already and only the very sincere ones were still there. It always creates a very nice mood, building up to the moment when Krsna actually appeared - at midnight, when we had the sweet and prayerfulmidnight artik, with candles decorating the altar.
Around 350 devotees and guests had participated in this wonderful festival, and I felt fully satisfied at heart.
As a huge backdrop we had a painting of Varshana, with some narrow side strips of copies from famous paintings from the Krsna Art Book - with cows on the left, and gopis on the right.
It turned out to be a beautiful arrangement and the devotees were very pleased, commenting that the altar had become a transcendental panorama - a window into Goloka Vrindavan....
Hari Sauri Prabhu gave the morning lecture about Krsna's appearance, and I continued by reading from Srila Kavi Karnapura's book Ananda Vrindavan Campu, commenting here and there. This book is full of beautiful and very poetic descriptions of Krsna's pastimes, which take the mind into another world. Throughout the day senior devotees were continuing to speak and chant in Kirtan, and also read Krsna Book - the entire temple was filled with transcendental sound vibration.
In the afternoon we commenced the program with a beautiful abishek of our new Radha Krsna Deities, performed by our pujaris and brahmanas on the altar, for everybody to take part within the mind, accompanied by melodious and sweet kirtan. Hari Sauri Prabhu gave another evening lecture, followed by Gaur Artik. This year we had only a few very short cultural performances, and we continued with opening Krsna's gifts and reading out His birthday cards. There were bhajans, and later we were swinging Their Lordships on Their newly built swing, which was a wonderful way of engaging everybody in giving pleasure to Their Lordships.
The Deities had received more than 108 preparations cooked with love and devotion. The entire atmosphere during the evening was very devotional - simply centered around the Deities' pleasure.
Just before midnight I gave a lecture sharing some drops of nectar
about Govardhana Hill, reading various descriptions and verses about the glories and beauty of Govardhana. He is considered the topmost devotee, providing so many beautiful places where Krsna and His associates are performing Their confidential pastimes - with waterfalls, caves bedecked with jewels, and with the most soft and tasty grass, so that Krsna will bring the cows there to graze.
It had become the annual tradition for me to share some sweet and confidential moments about the spiritual world - just before midnight artik, when some visitors had gone home already and only the very sincere ones were still there. It always creates a very nice mood, building up to the moment when Krsna actually appeared - at midnight, when we had the sweet and prayerfulmidnight artik, with candles decorating the altar.
Around 350 devotees and guests had participated in this wonderful festival, and I felt fully satisfied at heart.
On the next morning I came very early to the temple to arrange for the decoration of Srila Prabhupada's vyasasana - it had also been my mediation for several months. I had gone with the devotees to the flower market to chose the right flowers. For the first time I had meditated on a certain color combination of yellow, white and purple, and I had arranged the vases accordingly. And I had requested the boys to go and collect yellow Marygolds, and no other colors, so the garlands would match this color combination. A wonderful way to increase and improve our decoration for Srila Prabhupada's appearance - by planning and coordinating things more.
Our program started at 10am with Guru Puja and abishek for Srila Prabhupada accompanied by sweet and prayerful kirtan. Since it was a Sunday so many devotees participated, and everybody wearing devotional clothes had an opportunity to bathe Srila Prabhupada. After the abishek I gave a short lecture about Prabhupada, focusing on his important position as Founder Acarya - a topic which cannot be emphasized enough! Then we read homages of Gurus who have disciples here in Kharkov, followed by many devotees of our congregation glorifying Srila Prabhupada. Hari Sauri Prabhu gave the main lecture at 2pm as part of the Sunday feast program, showing a slide show about Prabhupada.
Finally Srila Prabhupada received a big feast with so many nice preparations cooked with love and devotion, and we concluded with the puspanjali ceremony and a final kirtan.
The entire program was simply wonderful, and devotees were very pleased and satisfied at heart. During the days of Hari Sauri Prabhu's visit I had the good fortune to every morning take breakfast with him together in the office, and at Prabhupada's appearance we were also eating together, sharing thoughts and views on various topics. I felt very blessed having the opportunity to get his association, and I asked him many questions, being well aware that I might not have so many more opportunities in the future....
I decided to every year invite a special guest for those festival days, since it is wonderfully uplifting to the entire atmosphere.
On the 8th of September I flew off to Germany....
Your servant, Devaki dd
The entire program was simply wonderful, and devotees were very pleased and satisfied at heart. During the days of Hari Sauri Prabhu's visit I had the good fortune to every morning take breakfast with him together in the office, and at Prabhupada's appearance we were also eating together, sharing thoughts and views on various topics. I felt very blessed having the opportunity to get his association, and I asked him many questions, being well aware that I might not have so many more opportunities in the future....
I decided to every year invite a special guest for those festival days, since it is wonderfully uplifting to the entire atmosphere.
On the 8th of September I flew off to Germany....
Your servant, Devaki dd
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