India Series- Sridham Mayapur

Mayapur: The Place that every Gaudiya Vaisnava devotee longs to go. It was our third trip to Mayapur and the most interesting one. As soon as we were on the road to Mayapur, we saw a hearse. The gross way in which the glass covering exposes the body for all to see somewhat disturbed me, even though such things are common place in India where i come from. It was soon replaced by the beauty of the place. On the way to the ISKCON Chandrodaya temple are the lush green fields. Occasionally we spot a date palm or two with clay pots hanging on to the trunk to collect the fresh sap. Mango groves with green crowns stand there, reminding us of the Aamra Ghata pastimes that happened some 500 hundred years ago. Rickshaw wallas drive around in their cycle rickshaws or the flat bed rickshaws and haggle on the price with the passengers. Some others are seen coaxing devotee tourists to ride their 'rishkaw' as they call it. The simple life and the simple beauty of the people's faces is noticeable. Though the sun used to go down early in the evenings, it being winter, there was a feeling of oneness and magic in air, because all along the streets all you could hear was the Gaura Arotik Kirtans..

Apart from spending considerable time in the Samadhi mandirs of our Acharyas starting with our Guru Maharaja, HH Bhakti Tirtha Swami, Srila Prabhupada, Sri Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura, Srila Bhakti vinod Thakura, Sri Jagannath Das Babaji Maharaja and Srila Gour Kishore Das Babaji Maharaja, we visited amongst other places, Yogapith, the birthplace of Nimai/Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Here i prayed to Nimai (our home deities happen to be named Nimai -Nitai,hence i have special affinity for this form of the Lord), to steal my heart on hearing descriptions of His unique childhood pastimes. Visting Srila Bhaktivinod Thakura's Samadhi brought back memories of the past visits. As the pujari led a deep throated sonorous kirtan, i desperately tried to absorb my restless mind in the magic of the moment. After a bit of protesting, it settled down and took control of my senses making them respond to the gong bells that sounded with the kirtan and the words of the song itself began sinking into my mind with a great intensity. Visits to the Caitanya Math culminated in circumabulating the samadhi temple with the local Gaudiya Vaisnavas. A toothless grin, a nod of the head, a wave of the hand and some broken bangla, made me join the old ladies in their daily ritual of circumambulating the Samadhi mandir of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur, Sri Gandharvika Giridhari and the 4 Sampradaya Acaryas, followed by circumambulating Srila Gaur Kishore Das Babaji Maharaja's samadhi. The caranamrita there always tastes the best.I remember Vrinda drinking all the caranamrita and asking for more during our previous visit. The place also reminded me of how my mind had revolted and received punishment when i fell down twice, once almost into shyam kund and the other time on the way out of Srila Gaura Kishore Das Babaji Maharaja's Samadhi Mandir, also the previous time. This time i was a changed person! I was reluctant to leave Mayapur. Mayapur had cast its magic on me. Everything, starting with the devotees who sold books in front of the main temple, the evening harinam procession with Gaura Nitai deities, the well timed aroti at the different altars in the temple, Lord Narasimhadeva's fierce countenance, the guards at the temple door, the mahaprasadam stall, the 'dab' stall round the corner to Guru Maharaja's Samadhi and even the roaring sound of the machinery used in the new temple construction seemed magical. Chanting seemed surprisingly easy. With no chores to do. No cooking, washing etc., food seemed a secondary consideration with the Mahaprasadam stall and the Govinda's restaurant.. .time was set aside automatically for chanting and absorbing the mind in thoughts of the holy name. HH Janananda Maharaja's words reverberated in my mind. In reply to my question, he had paused and studied me momentarily as if gauging my seriousness. Then satisfied with my attitude he replied by saying that the relationship with the holy name will be revealed only through service, and service without causing offenses to the Vaisnavas especially. Ruminating on Maharaja's words solaced me, but still the goal seemed elusive. Meditating on the verse Nama Cintamani Krsnas Caitanya Rasa Vigrahah, i tried to sleep excited about what the next day would bring!