By Karunika dasi
Imagine three hundred devotees dancing and chanting loudly in unison under a star-lit sky; beautiful deities of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, on Their decorated cart, leading the way; along the pavement of the winding village roads, people standing in front of their homes, holding plates of fruit and incense to offer to The Lord; torches lighting the way, villagers buying Srila Prabhupada’s books presented to them by enthusiastic book distributors; many joining in the procession, not able to resist the magic of the holy names. Anyone who has experienced evening harinams in Mauritius will definitely agree that it is a unique spiritual or at least mystical experience. And on some special occasions, like during the Holy Name Week, the harinam is over eight hundred people strong!
The World Holy Name Week harinam in Poste de Flacq, organized by Sukadev Prabhu, was one such memorable event. The whole night sky echoed the holy names. Vrshabhanu and Nandanandana Prabhus also organized harinams in Beau-Bassin, Mahebourg and Riviere des Anguilles. As no yajna is complete without prasad, a full feast was served to all the jubilant participants at the end.
The most potent of all purifiers is the chanting of the holy names. So for the spiritual benefit of all the devotees and indeed the whole island, Vaikuntha Murti and Kaunteya (Lok) Prabhus also organized a 24-hour kirtan at the Sri Sri Radha Golokananda temple during the weekend of the 21st to 22nd of September.
During the same weekend, the Padayatra team, under the leadership of Ayodyanath Prabhu, organized a two-day padayatra journey to small villages in the eastern district of Flacq. Up to one hundred and fifty devotees followed the magnificent three foot-tall neem wooden deities of Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundara who gave darshan from Their beautifully decorated altar in the back of an open pick-up van.
Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundara were the centre of attraction wherever the padayatra team went. Everyone who saw Them was attracted by Their beautiful lotus face and effulgence and came forward to offer Them Laksmi, incense, fruit, and obeisances.
The two days were marked by ecstatic kirtans, hall programmes, free prasad distribution, and a mangal arati that gave the inhabitants of Providence a unique and unforgettable experience.
On the last day of the World Holy Name Week, the Sri Sri Radha Golokananda and Sri Sri Krishna Balarama Mandir harinam and Food For Life teams joined hands and organised a grand harinam in Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius. The devotees then congregated in the Jardin de Compagnie to continue calling out for mercy, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare”. All those who came to hear the holy names were served a free lunch. Two thousand plates of prasad were distributed – a fitting finale for the participation of ISKCON Mauritius in the World Holy Name Week 2013.
