Vrajamandala Padayatra Kartika 2009

By Parasuram das – October 3.

The full moon rose into the Vrindavan sky, the rasalila moon, announcing the beginning of Kartika. Devotees had cooked big pots of sweet rice and had left it overnight on the roof for Krishna to enjoy. 5:30am devotees were joyfully respecting that divine Prasad. 600 devotees gathered outside Srila Prabhupada’s Samadhi mandir ready to embark on the greatest pilgrimage of all. The Vraja mandala parikrama. A one month trek through the twelve forests of Vraj. Just as we were assembling to leave, the most unexpected thing happened. Thunder and lightening, and down came the rain, it was bucketing down. Everyone ran for cover as the roads turned into rivers.

The rain continued but by the afternoon it had eased off a bit and we took to the open road, one bullock cart temple, three kirtan devotees, and two devotees distributing books and prasad. I always feel nervous about going on this adventure, even though this was my 25th time around. We were giving up our M. V. T. apartment, with clean toilets and hot water, for the uncertainties of the padayatra lifestyle in the villages of Vraj. But as soon as you see the brajabasis eagerly running for Srila Prabhupada’s books and Prasad then you know you are doing the right thing.

This year we got 40,000 small books from Bombay BBT, each book would be distributed free with a prasada banana. There was nobody on the streets who didn’t want a book and Prasad. The Brajabasis love to read, and each book would be read by not just one person, but by many. By the time we reached Mathura the rain was still falling and the street had turned into a gushing river. I felt I was back on a Ganga safari. The two oxen Ram and Ghynashama were in water up past their knees yet they still managed to pull the padayatra cart. This was all wonderful lila for Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasunder to behold. The mud, the rain, the kirtan, and over 3,500 books had been distributed just on the first day.

The first forest we enter is Madhuvan – the Lord appears here as all four yugas. As Narayana to meet Druva, Shatrughna to kill Lavenasura, as Lord Krishna to bring his cows for grazing and drinking water, and as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu who came here at the beginning of His parikrama of Vraj. We arrive at 5:30pm, we position the cart in a suitable place for inviting the villagers for the evening program. In case some people don’t know we’re here I collect about 50 children and go on Harinama of the village. This is always a wonderful experience, by the time we return evening has come and we put on the movies to the delight of the villagers. Most of these villages do not have electricity, so the people have a choice of sitting in the dark or coming to the movies. We get between 1,000 to 2,000 people nightly. The priojector is solar powered and in India there is no shortage of sun. We get enough energy for 3 to 4 movies nightly. When the movie is over the best part begins – madhu kari – we go door to door begging food – rotees – hot milk – subji – pickle. We bring it back to their Lordships and after have a wonderful feast under the peaceful Vrindavan stars. We had a team of 5 devotees, HH Mahavishnu Swami also joined us for a few days.

He loved it and has committed himself for the whole parikrama next year. 48,000 small books were distributed this year on the tour, and tonnes of Prasad. This year’s books and Prasad were sponsored by the big hearted devotees of Ilford, East London. Prem Niketan prabhu, Hari Chandra prabhu + friends and family. We are eternally indebted to you.

Your servant, Parasuram das