STEADY PADAYATRAS IN MAURITIUS

By Ayodyananath dasa

This year’s World Holy Name Week Festival  and  the Kartik month Padayatra were  dedicated to the quick recovery of His Holiness Jayapataka Maharaja.

A 3 day padayatra during World Holy Name Week

A three day Padayatra was held from September  21st  to 23^rd. It started at 5p.m from ”Caro-Battat” and  reached the Nrisimha Mandir in Valetta a few hours later. The procession was followed by local people and about 100 of them packed into  the Mandir Hall. Shyam Sundar Prabhu attended the first day of Padayatra and  delivered a nectarean katha. The whole program ended with ecstatic kirtan, an arati and delicious prasadam served to all the devotees and guests. On the second day  we walked from Petit Verger to Moka Harry Hall, from 4 to 7 p.m.  Ram Govinda Maharaja attended that day and delivered the evening lecture, following by the regular program and Ekadasi prasadam,  About 150 people joined this event. The last day, also in late afternoon, we went from the village of  Valetta to  the Vuillemin Shivala Hall. About 100 people attended the Hall program, and listened to the lecture delivered by Sanatan Das,  a local Padayatra preacher.  The program ended at 9 p.m that day.

Offering of lamps by villagers during the entire month of Kartik

The Padayatra  team covered 20 nearby villages, giving the public the occasion to offer a lamp to Sri Radha Damodar carried in the back of a vehicle. Everyday hundreds of people joined the Dipa Utsav program followed by  the distribution of sweets.