Four day padayatra report organized by IDVM

By Ram Lakshman

The following is the report of four day padayathra conducted by Iskcon Daiva Varnasrama Ministry ( pramoting rural development) from udupi to hebri from 25th march to 28th march

Here is the link for pictures:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.344750395576109.103234.166610420056775&type=1

Padayatra 2012

ISKCON Daiva Varnasrama Ministry (IDVM) conducted a four-day Padayatra from Udupi to Hebri in the southern state of Karnataka in India.

The padyatra began at 8 am from Raghvendra Swami Mutt, Udupi. on March 25, 2012 with about 15-20 devoteesparticipating. His Holiness Radha Raman Maharaj inaugurated the yatra by breaking a coconut and circumbulating the ashta-mutts (eight mutts). HG Parampara prabhu also joined the yatra. The bull named Balaram, was decorated nicely and pulled the cart carrying the pictures of Sri Sri Krsna-Balram, Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai and Srila Prabhupada. The enthusiastic devotees distributed books, pamphlets, prasadam, harinam and spread awareness about the go-mahatmya (importance of mother cow), simple living and high thinking, and the life around land, cows and Krishna,.harinam mahatmya

Cheered by people on the way, the caravan reached Manipal at 1 pm where they were joined by a BYS (Youth Services) group of about 60 devotee-students. There was a short break of about 3 hours for lunch and rest. The Manipal BYS had arranged for prasadam for the entire padayatra team. At 4 pm the padayatra resumed and moved towards a village, Parakala distributing Mahaprabhu’s mercy in the form of the Lord’s transcendental sound and literature, etc. By 6:30 pm the team reached the village after covering a total distance of 10 kms. The prominent devotees who were a part of the padayatra team during the four days were HG Harikirtan prabhu (State Coordinator for Andhra Pradesh), HG Anantasesha prabhu, HG Smita Krishna prabhu, HG
Ramananda prabhu and many more enthusiastic devotees who made it a memorable experience for all of us. The padyatra was organized under the aegis of ISKCON Daiva Varnasrama mission (India) promoting rural development,
With little experience on day one, we headed towards Hiriadika a small town doing harinam, with book and prasadam distribution. Our Balaram bull got sick and dehydrated due to heat. The devotees prayed to Gaura Nitai and Srila Prabhupada for their mercy. For almost half-a-day the cart was pulled by the devotees. We reached a village Parika where Lord Shiva’s self-manifested deity is being worshiped since hundreds of years. We met a few villagers and had nice prasadam. The bull was fed sumptuously with maize flour. To our surprise for the remaining part of the padayatra the bull was fully fit and coped well with his duty.

By evening we reached Hiriadika town. The devotees went through streets doing harinam and prasaadam distribution. The market place looked complete after our arrival and many locals joined the sankirtan singing and dancing with the devotees. The kirtan became louder and louder and reached a crescendo. HG Harikirthan prabhu explained about the yuga dharma and the appearance of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who distributed the love of God in market places of Navadwip. This movement is now reaching every town and village by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada. We reached the village after covering about 10 kms. The devotees and our bull Balaram took rest

On day three after our morning prayers and japa we had a short Bhagavd-gita class emphasizing how these padayatharas purify the villages and also the devotees who are participating. HG Kirthiraj prabhu, who is our main sankirthan leader, stayed back to do more book distribution. Rest of the devotees headed to Perdur . The distance to be covered on this day was less so we planned to increase our efforts on spreading the holy name. In the meanwhile the advance party came back and informed us that PUTTHIGE MATT, one of the Astha maths of Udupi, will be
hosting us for lunch prasadam. They are running a small gurukula with around thirty students. The students stay with their teachers and learn shastras and deity worship for fourteen years. This place is located on the banks of river Swrana. The devotees had a refreshing bath in the river. After having interactions with the Principal and students we were served uta (afternoon lunch). After a short break the padayatra recommenced. As we were passing through the villages many were offering lamps. We reached Perdur and moved in the streets by performing harinam and book distribution. More than two hundred villagers got handful of prasadam. We stayed at Lord Anantha Padmanabha temple. A local vendor informed that the temple was constructed by Sri Krishna Devaraya in the 15th century. Sri Krishna Devaraya was a rajarsi who ruled all over south India and constructed magnificent Vishnu temples. Every month they celebrate sankramana festival with hundreds and thousands of villagers attending. The temple distributes free prasadam to all piligrims. Another story is that Lord Ramchandra with his brother Lakshmana and Sita devi visited this place during their exile.
The actual meaning of Perdur in local language is perund meaning abundant milk. Till this day Lord Anantha Padmanabha will be offered thousands of bananas on special occasions as bhoga…. and the day we were there happened to be a special day. The vendor offered me more than hundred bananas, and I realized how fortunate the devotees are to have received such a mercy…. and how Lord takes care of his devotees…. yoga-kñemaà vahämy aham. Our joy increased as HG Sunderanada prabhu from Hebri joined the padayatra and went on the harinam party in the streets of Perdur. Two young children about 7 years inspired with harinam stayed for some time and chanted enthusiastically the holy names. A few locals also joined in the temple courtyard for harinam.

On the last day as we have to cover about 8 miles we started early and witnessed the beautiful sun raising on the mountains of Sahyadri range. We crossed few villages and wishing to take a break some villagers invited us to their house and offered pranams to the devotees and requested to visit them again to have similar program in their village. They took a few books of Srila Prabhupad and by 10 am our team reached a village Shivapura and took
breakfast prasadam there. Our main devotees HG Vraja Vrindavan prabhu and
HG Ajamial prabhu who were taking care of the bull and cart redecorated it in couple of hours. Around 3pm we started and reached Hebri where HG Giriraj prabhu, HG Ranchor prabhu and HG Pankajangri prabhu were waiting with another bull named Krishna. This team was led by
HG Lalithanath prabhu, in his sixtees, was accompanied by Bhakta Ganesh and Nagendra (early teens). They distributed pamphlets and prasdam throughout the yathra. With enthusiastic kirthans
led by HG Nanda Kumar prabhu we reached Hebri town at 5 pm where we our took late lunch. We rushed to Bangaruguddde where R.P. HH Bhakti Raghava Swami was awaiting to receive the padayahris. This yatra was successful because of His Holiness inspiration and guidance. Maharaj is presently guiding the devotees by staying at Sayhadri Sri Krishna Balaram Kshetra to fulfill the mission of Srila Prabhupada of establishing varnsrama dharma with the mission of ‘make vrindavan villages”

For the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada following is the book distribution scores during the four-day padayathra (all these books were distributed in remote villages:

small books 118
medium books 20
maha-books 35

….. paraà vijayate çré-kåñëa-saìkértanam….

– Ramlakshman das