By Shyam Sunder Priya Das
Three day program ISKCON UTSAV began on Grand note. There was homam, Gita Chanting, Exhorvant Hare Krishna Kirtan ,Dance, bhajan and beautiful Kuchipudi style Krishna and Rama Leela ballet. Venue was very tastefully decorated with over 100 stalls, and noted singers from all over the state rendered devotional Krishna bhajans of a Vaishnav poet Anamacharya and the whole area echoed with Hare Krishna Kirtan as thousands of participants were chanting as loud as they could.
Dignitaries like Anam Ramnarayan Reddy, Minister for Tourism ,and Konathala Rama Krishna, Minister for commercial taxes (Govt of A. P.),along with seven MLA’s of Visakhapatnam district and District congress head participated in Homam and inaugratuion of ISKCON UTSAV. Responding to the request of ISKCON visakhapatnam, Tourism minister promised that more land will be alloted to ISKCON in future. On the last day of the UTSAV some local congregation took initiation. HH Jayapataka Maharaj lead Hare Krishna Kirtan with 10 to 15 thousand of people with his usual big jumper, and the local youth congregation were dancing wildly in front of the stage. There was very huge colourful Gas balloons , inflatable two ganeshas moving around and entertaining children , stalls displaying various products of different companies, banks, insurance, real estates, decors, Electronic products, Cars, Food stalls, children games, Free homeopathy stall ,with small merry go rounds for children etc.
There were number of ISKCON Stalls displaying Srila Prabhupad Books, Paraphanelia, Lifemembership stalls, Food for life stalls, Go seva stall, mandir nirman seva stall, Spiritual Q& A Stall ,and inside one hall there was continuous ISKCON Multimedia presentation. There was continuous mass Prasadam Distribution. Newspaper & TV channel gave very colorful wide coverage. It seems visakhapatnam people have liking for this kind of festivals
It was heartening to see such a huge crowd in our ISKCON FESTIVAL in vizag, thanks to the Traffic police arrangements, the parking went as long as 2km.
Your servant, Shyam Sunder Priya Das
Nice to hear