Mayapur Katha is a Hare Krishna community oriented web magazine presenting life in Mayapur.
Founder-acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Anyone who wishes to advance in Krishna Consciousness
must try to serve the devotees of Krishna.
[c.c Antya 13.113 Purport]
Published by:
Reporter, Webmaster - Vrindavan Lila Dasi
Co-Editors - Padmalochan Das & Vrindavan Lila Dasi
Snana Yatra festival take place 2 weeks before Ratha Yatra. Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Devi are getting bath - everyone who comes is allowed to participate in abhishek. After abhisek Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Devi were dressed in Ganesha-vesh outfit - Jagannath and Baladev as elephants and Subhadra Devi as a lotus flower.
Story of Damodara Rati Mataji leaving her material body
Told by Vrindapati Devi Dasi It is one thing to hear about someone, this doesn’t give a deep feeling, but when you actually involved personally and taking responsibility for a person – it is similar to becoming a mother. I feel so grown up after this experience - so much more appreciation of life and of devotee association came from the experience of me helping Damodara Rati.
We met in Mayapur. We became friends and I came to know her life story. She was very successful in her material life - wealthy, respected, had husband and children, job that she liked. At the age 58 she left home to live and serve in NY temple. When she became devotee of Krishna she immediately renounced her material situation, she took all her gold and diamond jewellery, put it in a box and gave to her spiritual master, not leaving anything for herself. Normally people of such age are not inclined to give up their possessions, accumulated in life-long struggle. They want to enjoy the fruits of life's work, but Damodara Rati fully dedicated herself to devotional service to Radha-Govinda. Devotees of New York temple were kind and supportive of her. She was very attached to her spiritual master, H.H. Romapada Swami. But what she does next? At the age 63 she suddenly get up and giving up her nice situation moves to India, Mayapur – on the fresh start! She told me “Krishna was calling me”. At first she went to Vrindavan, but her Guru insisted that she would live in Mayapur. So, she came to Mayapur. She came along, did not have anyone here who knew her. Gradually Mayapur devotees noticed her and started to like her seeing what a kind, generous and simple person she was. In time, by the mercy of devotees, she got a room and settled in lady’s ashram, she got service to the Deities – making necklaces. She also was painting many deities for various devotees.
When she started to feel sick, she went twice to Udipi in a clinic there, trying to take care of her health. But during her second visit it become clear that she is seriously sick, she was diagnosed with cancer. Before she came to Mayapur Damodara Rati was serving to Radha-Govinda in New York for 12 years - so, when she became sick devotees from NY were helping financially and taking kin interest in her wellbeing. Romapada Swami was very concern about her. She was always very aware of her real position as devotee of Krishna and in complete realisation that she is getting prepared to go meet Krishna regardless of the external circumstances. She was not trying to stretch her time, was not in a mood of trying to enjoy little longer in this body. She did experienced bodily suffering, but she was taking it very much in satva-guna, there was no agony, she was quietly tolerating.
She always was saying that she wants to get married to Krishna. We used to laugh and joke with her about it, me and other matajis were teasing her a little. But she was very determent in her desire and very open about it. Damodara Rati Devi Dasi left her physical body on 12 June 2008 at 8:30 am.
The morning she left we did the usual body-care procedures, and I saw that she was experiencing a lot of difficulties with her body, intoxication started, she had bad headache. But in all that she remain fully conscious, she did not show any symptoms of mental distress, but quite the opposite – rather calm and ready to meet with Krishna. As we were trying to take care of her body, we heard a marriage party going by, on the road with a band (trumpet players, drums, dressed up people…) Apparently, as we found out later, it was the most auspicious day to get married and several Bengali weddings were going on that day. I said to her in a joking manor, “Oh! Get ready bride! Krishna sent for you to bring you to the wedding!” She looked at me with a serious and at the same time tricky expression and moved her head slightly in agreement.
I started to clean her room and when I was near her bed I touched her hand and understanding that something was wrong checked the pulse – she did not have it. She was still in her body, just about. I started to run around trying to call someone, but everyone was at the program in the temple. I felt great pressure of responsibility. I run home to tell my husband that Damodara Rati is leaving her body NOW!(my husband, Shrisha Das, had a big part in helping and arranging for the care of Damodara Rati) Then I run back again to her room, grabbed harmonium, one devotee happened by, Govinda Data, we started to sing Hare Krishna kirtan - because this was the most important thing to do for her at that moment. And as we sang both of us saw that she is leaving her body. This was 8:30 am. Half an hour before she left Pankanjanghri Prabhu offered puja to Nrisimha Deva on her name.
It was a very beautiful day – clear, calm, sunny, yet not hot, nice rain came for a while and made everything clean and fresh just before we went to the Ganga in a procession to cremate her body. Avyachi Mataji told me that on our way to Ganga she had a feeling like if it was a Queen’s procession, people were bowing on the road, everyone was offering respect – as if we were carrying a Queen.
Damodara Rati was so fixed on the idea that she is going to marry Krishna, for her this was not a question – she was definitely to marry Krishna. She was so very straight and honestly simple about it. We used to laugh (in a good way) when she was talking about her upcoming marriage with Krishna, but when we were carrying her to the cremation place we all felt like we were carrying a Queen.
Vakresvari Mataji arranged Harinama party to come with us, the whole cremation experience was very peaceful and beautiful, devotee stayed to the end singing kirtan. Many people had tears running down. I was looking and thinking, “why are people crying?” – obviously not because she left this suffering body, everyone was very happy for her. I personally realised that I have lost someone very close, dear to me, a very important person in my life - even though I was not appreciating her importance enough while she was present. But by looking after her in her last days and especially having seeing how she left her body I had so many realisations in my heart.
Damodara Rati did not want to cause difficulties for anyone. I was worrying – what it would be like to care and cremate her when rains and flood will come, how would I combine this with my other service? I was considering to move her into my house. But she was so sensitive and graceful that she simply freed everybody of anxiety.
I am sure 200% that she is with Krishna now. We were talking with Jananivasa Prabhu today, and apparently yesterday (12-06-08) was the best of the best of days for performing marriage rights, many Bengali couples were getting married on that day, and Jananivasa Prabhu said “she is probably got married to Krishna too”. Vrindapati Devi Dasi is singing bhajan "Sri Rupa Manjari pada..." in memory of Damodara Rati Devi Dasi.
This is a popular summer festival when Radha-Madhava enjoy water pastimes in a pool with fauntine full of lotus flowers. The flower altar is set right in the water with fauntine placed infront of Radha-Krishna. Devotees are coming and offering flowers while chanting Their Names. Jananivasa Prabhu and Ramaniya Mataji are giving out flowers to each person along with one of the names of Radha and Krishna to chant when offering a flower.
This video is showing the cooking process in the Gada kitchen of ISKCON Myapur. It is very large operation - devotees are expertly handling it, cooking daily for 3000 to 5000 people, who are visiting Mayapur. Buses of pilgrims are coming through, people stay for a day or two for darsan, most of them eat in Gada prasadam hall.
This video shows a part of the daily darsan program at ISKCON Mayapur temple. Devotees dance in kirtan, Umapati Swami is also dancing, he is staying for few months in Mayapur.
Hamsavahan (Lord Shiva riding Brahma's swan) came to visit ISKCON Mayapur again this year. He was recieved with GREAT enthusiasm by local devotees. Many of brahmacharis have a lot of affection for Lord Shiva from the childhood, so there was very enthusiastic kirtan as well as very colorful and plentiful bathing ceremony (abhishek).
Lord Shiva was so anxcious to listed of Gauranga's pastimes in Navadvipa Dhama that he could not wait any longer, jumped on the back of his father's carrier (Swan) instead of his own (bull) and rushed to Godruma Dvipa to hear discussions of sages about Lord Chaitanya. He recieved the name Hamsavahan.
Since couple of past years Hamsavahan have been visiting ISKCON Mayapur - there always a grand reception for Him here.
Our ISKCON Mayapur Goshala has improved a lot in the past few years, cows are looked after very nicely and with great attention. Cows are peaceful and supplying very tasty milk for the pleasure of Radha-Madhava, Pancha-tattva and Nrisimha Deva, as well as for the community devotees.
This video-show called HOME and is a little experimental :), but I thought the music goes nicely with the theme.
Our new elephant Laxmipriya has finally got her very own new bath tub and is enjoying in it very much, as you can see in this picture sent by Hrimati Mataji, who is taking care of her:
This video is contributed for our readers/viewers/ by H.G. Suchih Das, production by Ganga Das.
Lalita Devi Dasi presents the Mayapur International School - what it is today, what kind of education and future it offers for the children, ashram life, academics, etc:
The day before Gaura Purnima this year we have lost one of very talented and prominent gurukulie boy, Krishna Das. He was born in Moscow to Bal Krishna Prabhu and Savitri Mataji.
He was very open and friendly character, talented movie-maker, enthusiast of keeping Gurukulie family united.
What happened? Boys were playing in the Ganga, on a boat – diving, swimming, playing. Krishna Das was also prompted to jump off the boat by his friends. He was a good swimmer, but somehow when he did jump in the water this time he got dragged in by the Ganga...well, there are more details of how it happened…, but in this article we are simply informing vaishnava community of the fact that we have lost a very valuable young member of our society, full of potential to preach effectively and to attract people to Krishna Consciousness through his art and personality. This is very grievous loss for our society.
Ever since I knew Krishna Das (as a baby) I have been always noticing how much spiritually inclined this person is. He was very Krishna-conscious baby, then child and when he had grown up into a young man his personality really shined among his friends.
He had made several movies and one of them (about Anapa festival) was presented at ITV Film Festival in Mayapur and won one of the prises. His last film called Kuli-Mela (about gurukulie reunion in Russia).
I very much feel the pain his mother is going through, knowing her personally… Krishna Das was her only child, she had him late and was bringing him up with unlimited motherly LOVE and care, he was her pressures treasure.
Of cause we are not in control of the destiny, but we certainly could pay better attention to each other’s existence and endeavours in Krishna Consciousness.
We all have no doubt that Krishna Das is in good spiritual care, whatever destination he has gone on to. One who dies in Mayapur is certainly will get attention of Srila Prabhupada and Lord Chaitanya.
It is us, who stay back to live our lives, we have to think more carefully how we handle the priceless vaishnava association we have been given by couseless mercy of Srila Prabhupada. Every vaisnava going out of our life – is the loss that can’t be measured… and if we really feel that way we would try to take better care not to loose anyone unnecessary or “accidentally”, because accidentally means wastefully…- There would be lot less accidents if we would care to protect each other.
At the funeral Mother Savitri said that she feel that all gurukulies are her children and offered her help, association and motherly love to all friends of Krishna Dasa and all gurukulies. Hare Krishna.
his website - http://www.bala.ru/
Krishna Das made this photo, this is his favourite photo of Pancha-tattva in Mayapur: this is some video footage of Krishna Dasa's funeral and cremation:
Adhivas is a welcome ceremony, where is welcomed person is shown various auspicious items and mantras are chanted. In the evening before Gaura Purnima devotees welcomed the event evening before with kirtan.
Parikrama returns to ISKCON Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir with ecstatic kirtana.
Kirtan in Radha-Madhava temple:
Kirtan in Pancha-tattva temple:
Parikrama on the road:
Parikrama talks at Belpukur, Sachi-mata birth place. Jayapataka Swami, Gopal Krishna Goswami, Kavichandra Swami, Rajendranandana Prabhu, Surabhi Mataji spoke of the place and also emphasised the importance of reducing(stopping) using plastic bags and glases in the Dham. Apparently there is a big effort being made by Indian goverment to abandon plastic, especially most common and contarminating item - plastic carry-bags.
Laxmipriya is the name of our new Mayapur elephant. She is 6 years old child (elephants have same life-span as humans). She arrived toMayapur on 7 March 2008 and lives in the forest area near Taranpur, where devotees built a shed for her. We also expect a second baby-elephant to arrive in two months time (her name is Vishnupriya) and she is 3 years old. So far Laxmipriya have not been officialy introduced to devotees, although many went to see her in the forest. She will be introduced in few days time after parikrama.
.jpg)
Posts
