By Mahavaraha Das
On the evening of the 27th of Oct 2016, Bollywood fashion designer Rohit Verma invited HH Jayapataka Swami to have a Damodar program at his fashion studio in Mumbai. It was a short and well organized program for which Rohit Verma had invited about 50 of his close friends. Maharaja described the Damodar lila to the audience. He stressed in the fact that Srila Prabhupada, ISKCON’S Founder Acharya wrote him a letter that the Karthik month was a special opportunity like a discount offer for those people who are otherwise busy at work. “It brings all auspiciousness by doing a little devotional activity of offering lamps to Lord Damodar in this month.”,he said.
The point was noted and well received by the guests in attendance. This was followed by a melodious singing of Damodarastakam. Maharaja gave out Damodar kits to each of the attendees along with a small book of Srila Prabhupada and a box full of delicious Prasadam snacks from ISKCON Juhu’s Govindas.
The guests spent more than an hour interacting with Maharaja and were asking him various questions and seeking his blessings. They said that the whole evening was very enlivening for all of them. Rohit Verma’s sister Anuragini Radha dd and her mother Rajasri Gopi who are both disciples of Maharaja played an important role in organizing this program and making it successful. The Janmasthami dress of Sri Sri Radha Rasavihari, Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, and Sri Sri Sita Ram Lakshman Hanuman this year was both designed and gifted to Their Lordships by Rohit Verma.
Jayapataka Swami was accompanied by the Temple President of ISKCON Mumbai HG Braja Hari Prabhu to the Damodar program.
Here is a list of some of the people who attended the program:
Poonam Dhillon: Bollywood actress, Former Miss India
Aditi Govitrikar: Bollywood actress, Former Mrs.World
Vindu Darasingh:Bollywood actor
Nisha Rawal: Bollywood actress
Madhurima Nigam, wife of Singer Sonu Nigam
Priyanka Shah: Bollywood actress
Ashish: Bollywood actor
Kanwaljit: Veteran designer
Monisha Khatwani: Bollywood Tarot reader
Parth: Astrologer
Kalpana Gandhi: Ex-owner of Britannia