India Series- Mayapur- Sri Jagannatha at Rajapur :)

Our first itinerary consisted of a visit to Sri Jagannath Puri Dham. But plans changed and we just decided to focus on MAYAPUR and Ekacahakra. Sice Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is non different from Sri Radha and Krishna and since the dhams are non different, we just decided to skip Puri, Remuna etc. and just visit Rajapur. With that went all my dreams of honoring malpua and rabri, khaja and kheer. Anyway i resigned myself to the fact that Guru Maharaja might just want it this way. Since our little Jagganth is originally from Mayapur, Ekachakra to be specific, i was just content to visit Rajapur and have Darshana of my Lord there. The ride to Rajapur is a little longer that most others. Seated on a flatbed rikshaw we would chant all the way up to Rajapur. On the way to Rajapur one can see signs for the house of Kolavecha Sridhara. Also seen is a new construction for the upcoming Simantini (Parvati) devi temple.

Vrinda and I would play a guessing game each day, what color dress would Jagannath be wearing today, and He tricked us every single time. The somewhat dense Mango orchards surrounding the temple precincts, remind us of the pastimes when Jagannath and Baladev were caught stealing mangoes. We had the immense good fortune of getting a taste of the extremely delicious Noon Prasadam. The deities Themselves are extremely merciful, especially when it comes to fulfilling desires. Lord Shiva is seen seated in one corner of the courtyard, alongside whom stands the Kalpavriksha tree. On the lower branches of the tree seen hanging are little stones. My curiosity was piqued and I learnt that if we make a wish and hang the stones with a thread onto the tree, our wishes would be fulfilled. Not the one to lose out on any mercy, I scouted for a stone and found a thread, it was a thread maybe plastic, which had fallen loose from a construction bag, maybe a cement bag, I endeavored to tie the stone with the thread, it kept falling off, finally i succeeded. Before the altar of Jagannath could open, i ran up to the tree, Vrinda followed close behind and we tied the thread onto a branch, wishing from my heart..What i wished for is a secret that i will refrain from sharing ;-). But my prayers were eventually granted. All glories to Bhavagrahi Jagannath, All glories to Ashutosh Shiva, All glories to the Kalpavriksha tree that carries the weight of so many desires. Some material, some spiritual!

I realized that when the desires are desires to serve we are not overburdened by them, beacuse of their spiritual nature, but if the desires are material, they are like heavy stones that we carry on backs for lifetimes and we will eventually become overburdened by them. Only a tree of the magnitude of the Kalpavriksha can carry the burden of all material and spiritual desires and not be overburdened. For ourselves, we need to develop that Vyavasatmika buddih, that single pointed focus to be engaged in the srvice of Radha Krishna, by engaging in the service of the holy names. School history lessons flashed across my mind- Desire is the cause for suffering- Gautam Buddha.. Were the stones I tied material or spiritual, only time will tell! Sometimes one can cloak mateial desires in the name of dovetailing in devotional service, but we can't cheat the supreme cheater.

India Series - Mayapur.. lord Caitanya , more merciful!

It was time for Mangal Arotik,Being in the ground floor of the conch building, i could hear voices of devotees outside,the local visitors had formed a line passing through the metal detector..Deciding to throw on a salwar kameez that day, i put my tilak on, rushed out of the room and stood in line. As i edged forward in the line. "No cell phone, camera?" enquired the lady guard as she passed the detector over me. Nodding her head in approval, she allowed me to enter..On entering the temple, i quickly made my way to the back to offer obeisances to Srila Prabhupada and returned to the front. Having experienced a unique emotion while waiting for the curtains to open revealing the beautiful forms of Radha Madhava and Asta Sakhis the previous day, I rushed forward and was about to approach the cordoned off area mostly filled with Western matajis. A guard stopped me and literally chased me back to the middle of the temple. The altar was opening, but my mind was focussed on my hurt false ego, which said "i am a devotee, i should be allowed to go in the front." Tears flowed from my eyes, tears of anger. I had waited for years for this day to give up the comfort of watching the mangal arotik from across the seas, in the confines of my home to visit Mayapur and these guards, they were ruining my day! The modes were about to take over, but one look at the deities beautiful faces, Radharani's beautiful face made me to dismiss the incident temporarily. Returning to the room after Japa i thought about it again, this time my mind had calmed down..It shot back at me " The guards were only doing their duty, besides don't you remember Amanina Manadena," Sighing my false ego accepted defeat. As i narrated this to my husband, he gave me a simple solution, " Enter from the Pancatattva Altar door," he said. The next day, I walked around the block and to my surprise, there was no line, no one even stopoed you at the door.
Lessons learnt, Approach Radha Krishna through the Panchatattva, Approach the holy names through the Panchatattva..do not try to circumvent Them.It was a valuable lesson indeed. Gauranga and Nityananda are very merciful to their devotees.What was heading towards offensive thoughts towards the dham vasis had been transformed into a lesson by the mercy of Guru and Vaisnavas.
Unfortunately i have no pictures of Mayapur, ISKCON and whereabouts to share,but the next post will focus on Ekachakra Dham, which i managed to cover in great detail.

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!

Nityananda Trayodasi Pictures

I worship Lord Nityananda, the limitless root of the tree of devotional service. He said to Lord Chaitanya, “O brother, the people are all becoming infected by the sins of Kali-yuga. How will they atone for these sins? Please give them a way to easily approach You.”
- From Nityanandashtaka by Srila Vrindavan Das Thakura.

Thank you Nitai!

India Series- Chennai

After almost 4.6 years we were finally leaving for India. Tickets were booked in the last minute. I could not believe my ears and literally pinched myself even as I packed our bags. A trip to India is always filled with excitement and also some trepidation. Excitement at being able to meet with family and visit holy places and trepidation because you are about to give your practical examination. All the Bhagavad Gita theory that you have painstakingly studied is about to be tested. Have you sharpened your weaponry? Is your armor ready to take the force of the enemies arrows? What follows in this series are some of my realizations at various locations during my travel, an attempt to share my experiences from my point of view. It is an attempt to understand the evolution of my own thinking over the years. I thank my spiritual mentors heartily for making this a wholesome learning experience for me.

Our first stop was Chennai. As soon as we landed we experienced a melange of colors, odors, sounds and sights. The streets of Chennai were busy even at 1 AM in the night. There was a festival of sorts happening on the streets at that odd hour in the night. Traveling by a taxi there is an experience in itself. You get the thrill of being in scary roller coaster ride and are forced to intensely chant the holy names taking shelter of Krishna even more. In the Mahabharat when the Yaksha asks Yudhisthira what the most amazing thing was, he must have thought about the future India and the people there. It is truly amazing! People start their day at the crack of dawn and work like ants till the end of night. When one steps out of the home there is no guarantee that they will make it back home. Yet they refuse to accept this dimension of life which stares them in the face. Spirituality is  a fad and having a guru is fashionable. The practice of spirituality is practically non-existent, only in theory does it exist. It begins and ends with shows on the television and no effort is made by the preachers or the practitioners to apply it in their daily lives. Note: for any spiritual opportunist there is a great potential for preaching, starting with shaking off the firm belief of the Sri Vaishnavas that Mukti is everything and that Mukti is guranteed by taking shelter of a Guru, surrendering unto him and going through the processes of Samasrayanam and Para Samarpanam in a ritualistic way. These processes that are akin to our own initiation have lost meaning over the years and have merely become rituals that are performed towards achieving Liberation. These experiences strengthened the meaning of my own initiation and the increased the urgency to aspire to become an instrument in Srila Prabhupada's movement.

In a  class HH Dhanurdhar Maharaja mentioned that a good way to beat gross lusty desires is to observe the by products that leave the body in our daily upkeep rituals and hence understand the make up of the body as being temporary and material in nature. In India and in Chennai, the open sewers and the garbage dumps are a stark reminder of the composition and temporary, decomposing nature of our material body, yet lust abounds. One can strongly feel the presence of Mayadevi and bow down to her supreme position in the overall plan of the Lord. As any seasoned Kshatriya would do, its is better to surrender to Mayadevi considering her as a superior agent,  as one who can assume the role of Yogamaya and take us to Krishna.  By becoming a surrendered servant rather than opposing her might we are extending a hand to make her an ally. I had renewed respect for those in the renounced order of life, simply because, inevitably your senses are subject to an invasion by the agents of Maya who abound everywhere.

Another amazing feature is the interplay that exists between nature and the humankind...Atleast on two occasions we spotted snakes that were hurrying some place. This scared my daughter who thought they were meant to be be in other habitats not really the city or its suburb in our case.

The good things that still haven't changed are the simplicity of life, the monotony of the daily activities which adds a feeling of orderliness and routine and eventually becomes a habit. Piety is a way of life and almost everyone is into some form of worship even though it is with the fruit in mind.

The highlight of the trip was our visit to the Singaperumal temple, a temple dedicated to Lord Narasimhadeva and Lakshmi devi. Built by the Pallava rulers, the temple sits atop a hillock and has a powerful deity of Lord Narasimhadev, self manifested from a single rock. Lord Narasimha here manifests a third eye. It is a very powerful place. Unfortunately,  i do not have pictures of the temple or the deity, but Google pulls up a few. 

Another wonderful part of the trip was the presence of Jagannath Baladev and Subhadra, all along with us during all our travels. We had no dearth for prasadam throughout, thanks to Them. Here are some pictures from Chennai.

Jagannath with a garland of Parijata flowers.

Dressed for Winter, Odana Shasthi.

Everyone loves gifts. Handmade gifts are even special. On the ocassion of Odana Shasthi,  Sri Jagannatha in Puri Dham is specially offered starched clothes, to mark the onset of Winter. Our Jagannatha received specially made woollen shawls hand knitted with love from Ajay Govinda Prabhu's mother.. Here are some pictures.

Here is a description of the festival by Srila Prabhupada :
(source ISKCON desiretree)
Srila Prabhupada briefly described the ritual of Odana Sasthi in his purport to Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya lila 16-78:

"At the beginning of winter, there is a ceremony known as the Odana-sasthi. This ceremony indicates that from that day forward, a winter covering should be given to Lord Jagannatha. That covering is directly purchased from a weaver. According to the arcana-marga, a cloth should first be washed to remove all the starch, and then it can be used to cover the Lord."

Odana Sasthi is also described in Caitanya Bhagavata, Antya lila:

Around this time, the festival of Odana Sasthi began at Puri and Lord Jagannatha was dressed in new clothes--all starched. Although starched cloth is considered improper and impure, the purjaris nevertheless dressed Him in this way. On this day the ceremony of 'wearing new starched clothes' was being celebrated with pomp and grandeur. Sri Gaurasundara watched the ceremony along with the devotees. Lord Jagannatha was dressed in various bright colored starched clothes (white, pink and green), and was decorated with garlands and flowers. Varieties of festive music played and Mahaprabhu enjoyed the festival with great pleasure until late in the evening. He then returned to His residence along with His devotees. On the way home the two friends, Svarupa Damodara and Sri Vidyanidhi, raised a discussion regarding the Lord's starched clothes.

Vidyanidhi said, "In this part of the country there is considerable discussion regarding Sruti and Smrti, yet how is it that the Lord is dressed in un-holy starched clothing?
Svarupa Damodara replied, "Perhaps it is the custom of this place.

If it is the custom, then where is the fault? Had it not been the wish of the Lord, the King would have forbidden it."

Vidyanidhi replied, "God can do whatever He likes, but why should His priest attendants put starched clothes on Him.? Starched cloth is so un-holy that the hand which has touched it has to be washed. These things are not decided by the estate officers. I see that the King also wore starched cloth on his head today."

Svarupa Damodara said, "Brother, perhaps there is nothing wrong in using this cloth on the day of Odana Sasthi. Because the Lord Himself has appeared on this earth in the form of Jagannatha Deva, rules and regulations are not applicable to Him."

Vidyanidhi protested, "Jagannatha Deva is the Lord, He is omniscient. But can these people be like Him? Are they beyond all rules and regulations?" In this way the two friends discussed in a jovial mood until reaching their residence, then took rest.

That night Vidyanidhi dreamed that Jagannatha and Balarama were very annoyed with him. They slapped Vidyanidhi on his two cheeks and said, "I have no caste, and neither do my attendants. It is I who have made the rules which you think there is deviation from." Weeping, Sri Pundarika Vidyanidhi put his head on the feet of Jagannatha and said, "Oh Lord, I have been rightly served according to my offence. Today is very auspicious for me, Your good hand has touched my forehead. I do not now what good deed I performed in my previous birth to have such a benediction." The Lord then disappeared. When Vidyanidhi awoke in the morning, he found that his two cheeks were swollen as a result of the slapping by Sri Jagannatha and Balarama.

Every morning Svarupa Damodara came to Vidyanidhi's place and they went to the Jagannatha Mandira for darsana together. That morning Svarupa Damodara arrived as usual, but found Vidyanidhi still lying in bed. When he inquired as to why he was still in bed, Vidyanidhi called him to his side and explained his extraordinary dream. Hearing this and seeing Vidyanidhi's swollen cheeks, Svarupa Damodara was overwhelmed with joy. He said, "I don't know of any other such instance where the Lord has punished a man in his dream, but today I have seen this with my own eyes. Is there any man so fortunate as you in the three worlds?" Svarupa Damodara joyfully praised Sri Vidyanidhi. As a friend feels delighted at the well-being of his friend, so Svarupa Damodara thought himself extremely lucky because of Pundarika Vidyanidhi's fortune.

Here is the loving mother who made  the wraps.