Dear devotees and wellwishers,
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!
Srila Jayapataka Swami have spent 2 weeks in Atlanta, USA. Tomorow, on 16.
June, he’s going to leave to London, and after a couple of days continue to
India.
Guru Maharaja arrived in Atlanta temple in the afternoon of 3. of June. On
the 5, 6, and 7 of June he celebrated with devotees a wonderful Panihati
festival. Devotees arrived from all over USA, Canada and South Amerika. HH
Radhanatha Swami and HG Pankajanghri Prabhu were also present and gave the
opportunity to assembled devotees to see a wonderful loving vaishnava
exchange in action. Radhanatha Swami said he came because he wanted to see
his dear Godbrother Jayapataka Swami again.
Guru Maharaja was in a very joyful mood wellcoming many of his disciples and
wellwishers who came to see him. They were allowed to sing bhajans for him
while he was taking prasadam and to have group and some personal darshans on
certain times. The exchanges of love betveen Guru Maharaja and his disciples
were very moving and the atmosphere was surcharged with sweetnes and
inspiration. Guru Maharaja was giving his association as much as his health
condition allowed him. He inagurated the festival on Friday, and came on the
last part of Ratha yatra proccesion on Saturday. On the way to the temple he
was walking accompanying by devotees who encouraged him. Before Ratha yatra
Guru Maharaja gave about 30 initiations.
The Sunday was the main day of the festival. Guru Maharaja spent the whole
morning in the kitchen making and supervising all the variaty of chira dahi
preparations that are traditionaly offered to Sri Sri Gaura Nitai for the
Panihati festival. Some of the preparations were made according to Guru
Maharaja’s diet, so he could honour the prasadam feast after the offering.
HH Radhanatha Swami and HG Pankajanghri Prabhu also spent some time in the
kitchen helping in mixing the ingrediences for the offering. After finishing
that all of them came in the temple room and spoke in glorification of Srila
Prabhupada and this festival. After bhoga offering Guru Maharaja offered an
arati to Sri Sri Gaura Nitai followed by an extatic kirtan infused with the
mercy of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda. Guru Maharaja took part in the
kirtan by standing with the help of few devotees and moving slowly in the
ritham of kirtan. Devotees were completely in bliss by each and every
movement of his hands, and were dancing around him up to their most
capacity. While dancing Guru Maharaja exchanged a loving embraces with
Radhanatha Swami and Pankajanghri Prabhu inducing the great pleasure of all
assembled vaishnavas.
Few times in his talks Guru Maharaja expressed his happiness to be able to
attend this festival that is very dear to him, and which he started a long
time ago on this place called New Panihati Dhama. All of us who were with
Guru Maharaja during his treatment in Coimbature know how eager he was to
come to this festival, inspite of many disciples concerned about his health
condition during traveling.
The wheek after the festival Guru Maharaja came back to his daily rutine.
Only few devotees stayed apart of the servants, so he’s having peace and
time to rest. He takes acupuncture treatment every day in the afternoon, and
in the morning he’s going on hydrotherapy in the swimingpool. This weekend
he gave the afternoon lectures since many devotees and guests came for
Saturday and Sunday feast. When there was a time after the treatment he had
given a short lectures before dinner during the wheek days. We are keeping
his diet strickt as in the hospital. Doctor Acyutananda Prabhu from
Bhaktivedanta Hospital is always with Guru Maharaja and travels with him,
supervising his health condition daily.
Your servant,
Teja Gaurangi dd