Rathayatra in Lenasia in Johannesburg, South Africa (Album of photos)
Bhakti Chaitanya Swami: Photos from our Rathayatra in Lenasia in Johannesburg, South Africa this Saturday. A small but wonderful festival on a perfect day
Find them here: https://goo.gl/tPfmKP
I was speaking on the phone with dear Riddha das (in Mayapur) and I was in Santa Cruz, California. We were speaking about how Srila Prabhupada challenged some of his early disciples to go to Africa to preach Krishna consciousness. At first, none volunteered and all were reluctant. Then Srila Prabhupada said:
"Then I shall go!" In the case of South Africa, early on, there was a resident of Lenasia outside of Johannesburg, an Indian township, whose name was Mr. Rasikbhai Parikh. He wrote a letter to Srila Prabhupada inviting him to come to South Africa. That was the impetus for the beginning of the Krishna Consciousness Movement in South Africa.
Mr. Parikh was a dear, sweet-hearted, and deeply thoughtful spiritual revolutionary in his own right. He became our friend from the beginning. It is only fitting that his influence be recalled for the Rathayatra in Lenasia, where we had many programs early on, and received much affection from the residents because of their honor for Srila Prabhupada and their enthusiasm for our efforts. Pusta Krishna das