By Basu Ghosh Das
View pictures at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13998688@N02/sets/72157602343886055/
and,
http://iskconludhiana.com/main/component/option,com_gallery2/?g2_itemId=2188
On Saturday, 6 October, 2007, ISKCON organized the twelfth annual Sri Jagannath Rathayatra Mahotsav in the largest town of Punjab, Ludhiana.
Once a small village, Ludhiana town was created by one of the Moghul Emperors of India, several hundred years ago. Now, with a population of approximately 40 lakhs (four million), Ludhiana is the biggest city of Punjab State in India. The Punjab – literally the land of five rivers (“pancha” is “five” and “abja” is “waters”) – was divided into two parts between India and Pakistan – by the erstwhile rulers of India, the British, back during 1947. Later on, the Indian half of the Punjab was again divided into three States: Punjab, Hariyana and Himachal Pradesh.
His Holiness Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaj, ISKCON GBC Zonal Secretary for most of North India is very enthusiastic when he describes the response and participation of the public of Ludhiana in the Rathayatra festival as “the largest in the world”. Seeing the huge crowds in the streets throughout the six kilometer route that the Rathayatra moved through towards it’s destination at Durga Mandir, it’s hard to dispute him!
Throughout the route, large crowds gathered in the roads “as far as the eye could see”. The largest road, “Rani Jhansi Marg”, one of the main commercial roads of the town, was lined with enthusiastic citizens, thousands of whom ISKCON devotees decorated with “vaishnava tilak” on their foreheads.
Many people were waiting both on the sides of the road and in the many pandals (stages) erected on the roadsides, to greet Their Lordships Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadradevi, on Their transcendental Rath.
Literally thousands of citizens approached the Rath to offer “arati” (worship) with arati “thalis” (plates), ghee lamps as well as offerings of incense, sweets and various fruits to Their Lordships on the Rath.
There was profuse distribution of sweets, fruits and various types of drinks from the pandals that lined the roads. Large “flex” computer print-out boards, with pictures of Lord Krishna and Jagannath’s Rath were mounted on the pandals as well as erected throughout the town. They were too numerable to count! It was really amazing to see such wide, seemingly “all-pervading”, publicity!
His Holiness Gopal Krishna Maharaj told me that over ten lakh (one million) of the citizens of Ludhiana participated in the Rathayatra. In his opinion it’s ISKCON largest Rathayatra in the world in terms of “people participation,” and seeing the huge crowds and their tremendous enthusiasm, it was hard to disagree!
At many of the pandals lining the roads, various “trade associations” of businessmen from various diverse fields of trade gathered to welcome the Rath. Some of the associations were the “Jewelers Association”, “Automobiles Dealers Association”, and the “Stock Brokers Association”, among others.
The Chief Minister of Punjab, the Honorable Parkash Singh Badal and his son, Suhkbir Singh Badal, the working President of the ruling Akali Dal Party were to have been present to inaugurate the Rathayatra However, due to the sudden death of one of their party’s key workers, they were unable to attend. However, they deputed the Punjab Tourism Minister, Sri Singh, who came on their behalf and swept the road in front of the Rath, as the Raja of Puri, the “Gajapati” (Lord of Elephants) does every year at Jagannath Puri (see pictures 2.9 and 2.10).
The Chief Secretary of the Government of Punjab, the topmost Civil Servant of the Punjab Government, was also present at the inauguration of the Rathayatra.
A number of senior ISKCON devotees attended the Rathayatra. They included His Holiness Gopal Krishna Maharaj, Sriman Makhanlal Prabhu, Sriman Mahaman Prabhu, co-Zonal Secretary for Punjab, Sriman Basu Ghosh Das, Temple President of ISKCON Baroda, Sriman Mohanrupa Prabhu, Temple President of ISKCON New Delhi, Sriman Vaishnav Prabhu, Vice President of ISKCON Vrindavan, Janardan Prabhu, General Manager of ISKCON Vrindavan, , Sarvabhauma Prabhu, senior preacher, ISKCON Vrindavan, Sakshi Gopal Prabhu, TP of ISKCON Kurukshetra, Bhaktivinode Prabhu, co-TP of ISKCON Chandigarh, Varaha Das, TP of ISKCON Punjabi Bagh, New Delhi, Indranuj Das, TP of ISKCON Amritsar, Nityananda Ram Das, Secretary, ISKCON Baroda, Narottamanand Das of ISKCON Chandigarh, Krishna Kanti Prabhu, ex-TP of ISKCON Chandigarh, and Vanamali Das of ISKCON, Mira Road, Bombay.
There were also many devotees from ISKCON temples at Vrindavan, Kurukshetra, Chandigarh, and New Delhi, and congregational devotees from all these places and more, including a contingent from Moradabad, UP. There were a number of foreign devotees from Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and other countries in the CIS who participated as well.
The “Bhaktivedanta Institute on Wheels”, the large ornately outfitted “tractor trailer” truck from BI Kolkata was present with their group of preachers and set up their usual display at one point in the route.
Kirtan parties consisting of these above mentioned devotees performed ecstatic street sankirtan throughout the six kilometer route of the Rathayatra. The Rathayatra began at four in the afternoon and continued until past eleven in the night!
Besides several kirtan parties, the Rathayatra procession consisted of two beautifully decorated elephants, carts, and several brass bands.
The next night, on Sunday, October 7, at Kothari palace gardens, some 12 kilometers from the center of Ludhiana, on the Ferozepur Road, a “Hare Krishna festival” was organized. The festival was inaugurated by Sri Sukhbir Singh Badal, son of the Punjab Chief Minister and working president of the ruling Akali Das Party.
Sriman Sakshi Gopal Prabhu and his musical party entertained the gathering with kirtans and bhajans.
His Holiness Gopal Krishna Maharaj, Sriman Mahaman Prabhu, Sriman Basu Ghosh Das, Sriman Makhanlal Prabhu, Sriman Sakshi Gopal Prabhu and Sriman Rajasuya Das, the Temple President of ISKCON Ludhiana, all spoke to the gathering.
All those who attended the Hare Krishna festival were treated to a free feast of Krishna prasad.