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By Daamodara Dhananjaya Das<\/strong><\/p>\n Just imagine, we are on one of the most happening streets of a modern and a rich city like Ahmedabad (Gujarat) on the New Year\u2019s Eve at 11.00 pm, while the whole country is eagerly waiting for the clock to cross its 12. There\u2019s so much rush that it is barely possible even to move and everyone is singing and dancing, on some extrinsic song of a C grade Hindi movie, at the top of their voices and wearing weird masks, projecting their true demoniac qualities within and above all, they are SEVERELY INTOXICATED. And in such an environment if we suddenly see a group of devotees; bright-faced, peaceful, joyous, smiling, singing and dancing, decently dressed in a traditional Vaishnava attire, distributing Srila Prabhupada\u2019s books and Mahaprasadam, what could be our instant exclamation? OUT OF PLACE? NA-NA. That\u2019s exactly what our JOB is! We are here to permeate through the most impenetrable orchestration of Maya, with the help of the weapons of Harinama, Mridanga-Karatala, Mahaprasada, Srila Prabhupada\u2019s books and genuine CARE & LOVE towards the fallen conditioned Jagais and Madhais. And that\u2019s exactly what His Grace Muralimohan prabhu and his group practically did. By the mercy of Lord Nityananda, they acquired the brilliant idea of jeopardising their tolerance, purity and steadfastness, to get into the herds of the wildest of the cranks, just for the sake of trying to break through the indestructible clenches of Mayadevi and to make them chant \u201cHare Krishna\u201d, at least once. So, let\u2019s now hear from Muralimohan prabhu directly, about his Pains and Gains, in materializing this herculean task:<\/p>\n \u201cWe planned to celebrate the New Year\u2019s Eve in the form of a \u2018Maha-Harinaam Sankirtan\u2019 under the banner of ISKCON-50, with Srila Prabhupada’s small deity, on the famous C.G. Road, from Ambavadi to Stadium area, which is about 4-5 km. We requested and invited all the leaders of our team, who helped in hosting the \u201850 House Programs\u2019 in different places, which we celebrated in the honour of ISKCON\u2019s 50th anniversary in 2016.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe commenced the Sankirtan at 10.00 pm with around 45-50 devotees, while many others joined later. Sankirtan started with the ISKCON 50 banner in the front, followed by Srila Prabhupada’s deity and the Kirtan party and devotees at the back. Gradually the crowd in the Sankirtan increased and many other people from C.G. Road started joining our Kirtan. After about 45 minutes, more and more crowd started gathering around the Kirtan party and started dancing with us, most of them being youngsters, who had come to celebrate and enjoy the New Year\u2019s Eve. The devotees were encouraged by these people and led loud roaring Kirtan for a long time. Seeing them dancing in Kirtan, all the new devotees also started dancing, including devotee matajis. Upon seeing these devotee matajis dancing, many other matajis too, from the public, joined them in a circle.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cConsecutively, there came a group of intoxicated youngsters and started dancing wildly in front of the matajis’ group, on account of which, we had to assign some strong devotees to separate them from the matajis. These students sincerely got separated from them, as pleaded and went in front of ISKCON 50 banner in just one request. We also had to change the sequence and take our Kirtan party in front of our banner, to ascertain that these intoxicated students remain there at the place, and don’t mix with the matajis again. These were the higher class Jagai-Madhais. Later, some drunkards from the lower class, or rather the best in class of Jagais-Madhais, also joined this wild dance. We requested them not just to dance, but also to chant with us the “Hare Krishna Mahamantra\u201d and they chanted “Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, Hare Krishna, …” louder than us and in various funny voices. Seeing this, the devotees got enthused to chant even more louder than them. Later, while continuing on our way further, we made them raise their hands and made them chant the complete Mahamantra appropriately and even more loudly. Subsequently, some of them followed proper Mahamantra in Kirtan while singing and others who were intoxicated, continued with “Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, Hare Krishna, …”. They were not just dancing, but also kicking their friends in fun, to make them dance too. Very interestingly, many had covered their faces with masks, while some wore horn like luminous toys on their heads, which made them appear as the ‘Yamadutas’ dancing wildly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe noticed that many people folded their hands and chanted the Mahamantra and a few came and touched the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada, even in this rejoicing atmosphere of the New Year\u2019s Eve. Some sophisticated people would not have chanted as such, but because they were drunk and were seeing many other inebriated people dancing, they too joined the Sankirtan, chanting and dancing in their elated consciousness. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada are so merciful.\u201d This is an evidence strong enough, to affirm that Shri Harinama Prabhu and the association of His devotees, is stronger than clutches of Mayadevi.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were not able to make it up to the stadium, because the time had already crossed 11.30 pm and hence, we turned back, while all these people continued chanting and dancing with us, all the way till the end. We culminated the Sankirtan at around 1.00 am, which was followed by snacks prasadam\u201d, he continued.<\/p>\n \u201cWith a deep feeling of gratitude in my heart, I am very thankful to all the devotees of my team, who sincerely and kindly endeavoured in serving the ISKCON 50 celebrations, for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada and the Vaishnavas. Hoping for the mercy and blessings of all the Vaishnavas for all our team members and for being able to continue to serve Srila Prabhupada’s mission, for eternity\u201d, Muralimohan Prabhu concluded.<\/p>\n I am sure, these Jagais and Madhais who were pulled into the Sankirtan Yagna by the devotees, will be looked upon compassionately by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada and will very soon be delivered, in the same way we all have been delivered, due to his causeless mercy.<\/p>\n All glories to Srila Prabhupada and his movement!<\/p>\n All glories to ISKCON 50th Anniversary Golden Jubilee!<\/p>\n
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By Daamodara Dhananjaya Das<\/strong><\/p>\n