By Rasika Murari dasa
Lord Damodara Comes to Kuala Lumpur and Stays. a Brief Overview of The Damodara Program
It has been 10 years since the devotees of Sri Jagannatha Mandir, ISKCON Kuala Lumpur (SJMKL) bathed in the glory that is the Damodara Program. From humble beginnings of just 24 homes being blessed with the presence of Lord Sri Damodara, it has grown by leap and bound to a startling 20,000 homes in recent years. Lord Damodara is especially worshiped in the month of Kartika
(October-November) and His childhood pastimes of stealing butter and being bound by His mother, Yasoda are repeatedly sung and spoken by devotees throughout the world, especially those in the holy land of Vrindavana, India. Such amazing and sweet pastimes does the Lord perform that it has the potency to purify and soften stone-like demoniac hearts of materialistic man, as stated in the Bhagavad gita, janma karma ca me divyam evam yo vetti tattvatah? tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti?. In Malaysia, Deepavali (Diwali) is the most celebrated Hindu holiday for religious as well as customary purposes. Nevertheless, the devotees have utilized this spirit of celebration to bring out the glories of the Damodara month (according to Gaudiya Vaishnava calendar). Generally, people are in a festival and prayerful mood during this month, albeit with the lack of purpose or understanding of why in fact Deepavali is celebrated, they warmly welcome the devotees who explain the origins of this celebration. Therefore we have taken opportunity of this month to not only spread the mercy of Lord Damodara (Krishna) to the mass public but also educate and enlighten the people about ISKCON and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu? s message.
The methodology So one may ask, how actually does the Damodara Program work? The Damodara Program works by two tested methods, the Damodara Harinam and the Damodara Home Program (details of which are available in ?The Damodara Program? Booklet by Congregational Development Ministry (CDM), SJMKL). Firstly, let? s look at the Damodara Harinam method. Basically, it is a traditional harinam sankirtan (congregational chanting), with groups of devotees chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra along residential neighborhood. The extra added ingredient here is the presence of Lord Damodara murti, the form of Lord Krishna being bound to a grinding mortar by His mother Yasoda. Devotees carry the Lord on procession and go from home to home, with the intent of getting every single member of that household community to offer a ghee lamp to the murti of His Lordship. This activity of offering a ghee lamp to the Lord during the month of Kartikka is stated in scriptures as to have 1,000 times the benefit. Furthermore, this activity is not some simple punya or pious results but it is actually devotional service rendered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as stated in an article ?The Economics of Damodara Program? by HG Srivas Caitanya Dasa.
This agyatya-sukriti, or unknowingly performing devotional service can elevate any sincere fallen soul to the transcendental abode of Sri Krishna. Thus, the potency of this activity is further increased. The Damodara Harinam party goes from home to home, explaining the meaning and origins of Deepavali in connection with Lord Damodara then quotes the glories of offering ghee lamp to the Lord as found in scriptures such as Skanda Purana and Padma Purana (glories are found in ?The Damodara Program? booklet). Everyone from young age to old, rich to poor, able to disabled are given the opportunity to offer a ghee lamp to Krishna. While the household are engaged in offering the ghee lamp, it is advisable that Damodarastaka be sung followed by the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra. Small packets of prasadam are to be distributed as well. Generally, we do not solicit any donations or do any sales, because we are trying to make this a give all-take all festival. But people do sometimes give some donation and we reciprocate by giving some of Srila Prabhupada? s small books. So many wonderful experiences are gained through this simple Damodara Harinam that this article can span pages in length but just to state a few; people have willingly opened up their homes and invited the kirtan party to loudly chant and dance in their homes, this is the zenith of the harinam sankirtan movement, to chant and dance and make others chant and dance. Many have been moved by the simplicity and sincerity of devotees who seek no financial return but want to go out and give it all to the unfortunate souls. A vital attractive point about the Damodara Program is that a wonderful Damodara Kit is also distributed to homes and individuals, free of charge.
This Damodara Kit contains an altar-calendar, with deity photos of Lord Damodara being boud by mother Yasoda, the pictures of Sri Sri Pancha Tattva and the photo of Srila Prabhupad. The home dwellers are requested to repeatedly offer the ghee lamps throughout the month of Damodara. This is the main item in the Kit, so that for a continuous month, people are able to offer something to Krishna, Pancha-tattva and Srila Prabhupada. Another item in the kit is a leaflet explaining how and why a person should offer ghee lamps to Krishna during this time. Also a CD containing either Hare Krishna songs or movie pastimes of Lord Krishna is included in this kit.
Just like this, the Damodara Harinam takes only about 20 minutes per home, and it? s a quick and enjoyable method to get as many people to offer ghee lamps to Krishna. The Damodara Home Program on the other hand, takes a more personal approach. A devotee or well-wisher organizes the Damodara Home Program at their home and invites all neighboring relatives and friends to attend. A class on Damodara Lila followed by offering of ghee lamps to the song of Damodarastaka is done and finally sumptuous prasadam is served. The whole program only takes about an hour. The good aspect of this method is that cultivation of sincerely interested persons is present. Personal time can be spent and sincere relationships built. In Kuala Lumpur, we do both harinams and full home programs during Damodara to not only target a mass number of people but also try to cultivate some friends of Krishna.
Investments — all this efforts of going out and getting people to offer ghee lamps are mere investments in the supreme spiritual bank account. So then when do we harvest the returns? Like all good things, it takes times. Nevertheless, there should be progressive increase in number of home programs yearly, especially in homes of non-devotees. This shows progress and promise in the Damodara Program that interested souls are willing to open up their homes for Krishna. All activities in Krishna Consciousness require organization and intelligence. It is good to have devotees in a particular locality to do home programs and harinams around their respective area, so that constant cultivation is possible. In the beginning, we too went for numbers, a only preaching approach, but now we? re looking towards cultivation and reaping the harvest of Damodara Program. Nevertheless, the gita teaches us that there is no loss or diminution in the process of devotional service (bhakti). This is like planting a bamboo tree, the first 6~7 years, there will be nothing sprouting upwards but the real growth is in its roots. But the next 6 months there will be tremendous growth upwards. Similarly, we are continuously seeking the reservoir of water inwardly before shooting upwards. We are gradually seeing the results of our efforts now. Kuala Lumpur has about 500 Bhakti Homes (Sraddha Kutir, Krishna conscious practicing families) and about 20% of these are made from Damodara Program.
The Damodara Program has spread not only to households but also to schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, prisons, temples, even restaurants and offices! Everyone is wonderfully trying to spread the mercy of the Lord in service of Srila Prabhupada? s desire to spread Krishna Consciousness to all people. The Damodara Program also was successfully able to break social barriers and introduce ISKCON as the well wisher of society, of which we are. Yearly programs have only increased the familiarity and positive image of ISKCON in society. Due to its huge success and HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaj ardent promotion world wide, many neighboring Yatras showed their keen interest to take it up. Over the next couple of years, many senior members of our Society, Maharajas, and GBC have endorsed the program and encouraged us to share this dynamic preaching technique outside Malaysia. In the year 2008, four members of our Yatra volunteered to promote the Damodara Festivals internationally. They have visited places like North India, South India, South Africa, Mauritius, Fiji, Australia, Singapore, Indonesia and Middle East and etc. The focus was to convince and enthuse leaders at their locality on the simplicity and tremendous potential of this program. Then the rest is history? With hopes that more temples and yatras will take up this simple, bountiful and joyous program, we the devotees from SJMKL kindly submit ourselves to serve in anywhere possible. We pray that Lord Damodara will manifest all over the world during the month of Kartikka and spread his merciful glance over all the living beings. Thank you. Hare Krishna.
Also publish this message by HG Simheswara Prabhu (Secretary General of ISKCON Malaysia)
The Damodara programme has not yet come out of the “demand more than supply” phenomena. We notice that whatever the annual targets set by Yatras are easily accomplished. So the shortage is in the supply. Yet, it the Damodara programme also that is churning the supply of devotees. All glories to the ISKCON Sri Jagannatha Mandir, Kuala Lumpur for spearheading the Damodara programmes and for promoting it to the ISKCON world.
In service of Guru and Gauranga, Rasika Murari dasa (CDMC) Sri Jagannatha Mandir, ISKCON Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.