By Aseem Krishna Das
A grand Sri Sri Krishna Balaram Shobha Yatra Festival was organized in the Karnal district of Haryana from 10th September to 5th October 2025. This year, the Shobha Yatra was held at three different locations across Karnal. The local congregation was fully engaged and absorbed throughout the entire month-long festival, spreading the holy names of the Lord and experiencing divine ecstasy.
The devotees organized a series of events leading up to the auspicious month of Kartik. Brahmacharis and Sankirtan devotees were invited from various parts of India, and around forty devotees gathered to take part in the celebrations. The atmosphere was surcharged with love and devotion as both local and visiting devotees filled the city and surrounding villages with the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. They also personally invited residents to participate in the grand Sri Sri Krishna Balaram Shobha Yatra, which took place at three different locations in the district. Moreover, the boys from Bhaktivedanta Gurukul, Karnal, performed yajñas at various sites throughout the city, invoking auspiciousness for everyone.
The beautiful deities of Lord Krishna and Lord Balaram, gorgeously decorated with fresh flowers, were seated on a magnificently adorned chariot and taken out in joyous procession. The first procession was held in Gharaunda Tehsil, followed by Nilokheri Tehsil, and finally in Karnal city. Hundreds and thousands of people participated in these processions, joyfully pulling the divine chariot and inviting the Lord into their hearts with ropes of love. Abundant prasadam was distributed from the chariot, and thousands of people relished the love feast at the conclusion of each procession.
The devotees extend their heartfelt gratitude to the concerned government authorities for their kind cooperation. Many distinguished dignitaries from both the State and Central Governments — including Members of Parliament, MLAs, the Mayor of Karnal, and the Head of the Municipal Corporation — graciously participated in the event.
Most importantly, the devotees distributed around one thousand of Srila Prabhupada’s transcendental books during this month-long festival. They are hopeful that Srila Prabhupada will be pleased with their humble endeavor. Last but not least, the devotees would like to express their deep gratitude to His Holiness Subhag Swami Maharaja, who continues to be a constant source of inspiration and guidance in their service to Srila Prabhupada’s mission.
The city of Karnal derives its name from Karna-Taal — a now dried-out lake that has been transformed into a beautiful park in the heart of the city, where the noble King Karna of Mahabharata fame is said to have bathed and offered gold in charity. The people of Karnal are warm-hearted and deeply inclined toward Krishna consciousness. After nearly seventeen years of continuous preaching in this city, a large congregation of devotees now enthusiastically participates in and celebrates all Krishna conscious festivals.
Following the divine instructions of his spiritual master, His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Prabhupada, our beloved Founder-Acharya Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada compassionately carried the message of Godhead to every corner of the world. In the 1944 edition of Back to Godhead magazine (Volume 1, Parts I–IV), Srila Prabhupada humbly quoted a profound statement from his spiritual master that beautifully reflects the spirit of pure devotion and sacrifice:
“We wish that this mass of our body of flesh and blood may be sacrificed at the altar of preaching the Sankirtana Movement (congregational chanting of the Holy Name of Godhead) propagated by Lord Chaitanya.”
Inspired by these divine words, Srila Prabhupada dedicated his entire life to fulfilling the innermost desire of his Guru Maharaja — to spread the holy names of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna across the globe and awaken countless souls to the eternal bliss of Krishna consciousness.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada !!!
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