RETURN TO GITA NAGARI
BTSWAMI PUSHPA SAMADHI INSTALLATION FESTIVAL
BY HARI DASA
On sunday 18th June over 300 devotees arrived at Gita Nagari to honor the passing of one of Srila Prabhupadas dear disciples-HH Bhakti Tirtha Swami almost 1 whole year since his passing. We arrived at 11.30 am and after taking a shower and putting on fresh tilak/dhoti etc… I was requested by my friend Advaita Acarya the temple president of Gita Nagari to help serve prasad to senior devotees at Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja’s house otherwise known as The Institute House.
It was over 4 years since I had been there, to enter into my spiritual masters quarters was a very intense emotional experience knowing that he had left his body there and fond memories of being with him in those very rooms.
The house is kept in immaculate condition by Maharajas chief disciples Mother Vraja Lila and Ekavira prabhu a remarkable husband and wife team. It is a tirtha, one can see Maharajas personal belongings and artifacts and feel his presence very very strongly. There is an altar in his bedroom with his deities Sri Sri Radha Syamsundar.
The procession with the pushpa began at 1.30 from the institute house, through the woods and next to the main temple. The kirtan was led by none other than HH Lokanath Maharaja one of Iskcons best loved Kirtaneers.
Over 300 devotees gathered for the ceremony, many seniors including their holinesses Lokanath Maharaja, Radhanatha Maharaja, Satvarupa Maharaja, Vedavyasapriya Maharaja,Kavicandra Maharaja, Jayadvaita Maharaja, Amiyavilasa Maharaja, Romapada Maharaja, Syamasundar prabhu, Vaiyasaki Prabhu, Ravindra Swarupa Prabhu, Mothers Malati and Krsnanandini to name but a few!
Most of the Prabhupada disciples recalled their memories of association with HH Bhakti Tirtha Maharaja and then a wild kirtan concluded the ceremony as well as a feast!
Special thanks goes to the Gita Nagari devotees for such a welcome and a wonderful festival. For those of you that have not visited Gita Nagari, it is a special place situated in the middle of a forest in Penssilvania. It is yet another one of those wonderful places that we should be grateful to Srila Prabhupada for giving us for our spiritual inspiration.