By Karunika dasi
Few days before Kartik last year, the late Uttama Chaitanya prabhu visited Mauritius to present the successful Kartik programme established in Malaysia. Although there was not much time left to implement the project in Mauritius, the devotees were very inspired by his presentation and started to spontaneously organize home programmes where they taught families how to offer ghee lamps to Damodar Krishna. During Harinama they would carry a picture of Damodar and clay lamps so that everyone they met could offer lamps.
This year, Ajay Chaitanya prabhu took the responsibility of organizing the Kartik programme. Gaura Gopal prabhu designed a beautiful card, “Lighting The Way Into Your Home”. Inside is a pop-up Damodar Krishna and the Damodarastakam. On the back of the card is a description of the holiest month of Kartik. The card is accompanied by an audio cd of Damodarastakam and the maha-mantra. They are sold at cost price. “The idea is to get as many people to offer Damodar Krishna a ghee lamp daily,” explained Ajay Chaitanya prabhu ,”and to teach them the glories of Kartik.”
The Kartik programme includes: organizing home programmes where everyone present can learn about Kartik and offer lamps; harinam programmes in towns and villages where an altar is set up and everyone is invited to offer lamps to Damodar Krishna and door-to-door presentation of the Kartik cards. Devotees also distribute cards at their workplace and to people they meet.
The programme is being a great success. Although Uttama Chaitanya prabhu spent only a couple of days in Mauritius and has now departed from this world, he lives on through this wonderful preaching programme. All glories to his contribution to worldwide preaching! Hare Krishna!
Karunika dasi