By Sugopi Sakhi Devi Dasi
The Panihatti festival celebrated on the banks of Cauvery river this year was unbelievably ecstatic.
Devotees from ISKCON Convention Centre, Bangalore reached the venue after a two-hour drive from the city. It was a perfect place for an outing with the deities, Sri Sri Gaura Nitai for some fun and frolic and lots of mercy!
The 400 plus devotees bore an incredulous look on their faces when the deities of were taken into the holy waters of Cauvery, wondering if the deities were really enjoying all the splashing around. But the devotees, once they entered the waters, certainly had a swell time like young enthusiastic kids gone wild. The rocks with the slippery moss on the river bed were no deterrent, as devotees in small groups held hands and went in to take a dip. The meandering river was not very deep, hence it was possible to go a little further into the waters, with the lush greenery dotting the far bank clearly visible. It was indeed a thrilling way to cool off on a hot summer afternoon while soaking in all the mercy after the deities had taken a dip.
The flurry of activity as the devotees rushed to receive the mercy of the Lord’s lotus feet on the head as the deities came out was eye popping. A jumble of voices were overheard. “Prabhuji, here please.” “Me too.” “Please give me some mercy.” “Haribol, please wait.” “Oh no! I missed the chance.”
An inspiring class was given by HG Venukrishna Das. Even the rain god appeared to be pleased as there was a quick shower of rain just for a minute. The kirtan, abhishekam, maha aarti and the sumptuous prasadam including delicious chidadahi sealed the wide smile on everyone’s lips.
So what if the buses left late from the temple in the morning and we arrived well into the night back home after the festival. After all it was worth every second, every minute!!
Catch a glimpse of the excitement –
Photos and Video Link
PhotoGallery: http://iskconbengaluru.info/panihhati-festival-2014-2/
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You tube:http://youtu.be/j20QtO90EBk
