The longtime servants and life force of our Sridham Mayapur Chandra mandir
have arrived in Atlanta. Pankajanghri prabhu, was greeted at the airport by
many congregation members headed by one of the former Panihati temple
president, Gokularanjan prabhu at 7 pm at the Hartsfield airport arrival
lobby.
This airport is a tirtha of the Brihat Mrdanga Sankirtan of Book
Distribution. It is fitting that Pankajanghri prabhu’s first arrival in the
USA was at such a holy place. The first devotee to distribute 200 big books
in one day, Carudesana prabhu, in 1974 did it at this location. Srila
Prabhupada heard of his great feat and wrote him a letter thanking him for
his service. Some say this gave birth to the Christmas marathon. Carudesana
stayed on book distribution until mangal arati because so many people were
traveling on the day before Thanksgiving (USA).The next Thankgiving holiday,
all the temples followed his example.
Gokularanjan explained how he fought the City of Atlanta Legal department in
order to keep book distribution alive in the airport and at the Smokey
Mountains tourist attraction. He said that one of the city lawyers told him
that the city spent more legal man hours fighting our book distribution than
they did fighting Martin Luther King’s civil rights movement. Many other
ISKCON Atlanta pastimes were told to HG Pankajanghri prabhu while he waited
for HH Jayapataka Swami to arrive an hour later.
Approximately 50 devotees were gather to greet his HH Jayapataka Swami. Many
garlands were offered to both prabhus. At our temple, they were greeted by
blissful kirtan lead by HG Balabadra prabhu and another 50 devotees.
Balabadra has the unique position of being born in Atlanta, joining the
temple in 1973, being temple president for 14 years, and never serving at
any other location besides ISKCON Atlanta in his entire 36 years of service
to Srila Prabhupada. I don’t think there is another devotee in ISKCON with
this history.
Jayapataka Swami greeted the deities and gave a short arrival lecture. He
said that he was motivated to come to our Panihati festival because he new
we needed help with the festival. Vedasara prabhu, our temple president,
spoke with him earlier this year and encouraged him to come. Also, he had to
return to the USA in order to maintain his USA visa. Plus, this is his 2nd
home outside of Sridham Mayapur and he wanted the devotees association.
Jayapataka Swami is accompanied by a team of caregivers including doctors
and servants. His blood pressure is normal at 125. I haven’t seen him since
the London Rathayatra of 2008. He is normal in every way except for the
weakness in his facial muscles, legs, and arms. He said he has taken 900
steps with assistance during his London visit. He walked into the temple
room from our driveway up a flight of small stairs. He fed himself in his
room after the arrival ceremony and spoke with devotees in his room.
The devotees at ISKCON Atlanta are very happy to see our Panihati Festival
leader take so much trouble to come and lead us in the festival. His
determination to continue his service despite physical difficult is a sign
of his dedication to Srila Prabhupada’s mission to fulfill the desire of
Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu to spread the chanting of the Maha Mantra to every
town and village of the world.We are also pleased to receive Pankajanghri
prabhu on his 1st visit to some of the tirthas in the USA. He is 65 years
old and only leaves Sridham Mayapur every five years to renew his visa for
India. So, he decide to come and offer obeisances at some USA tirtha before
he turns 70. His body may be to weak travel such a distance.
ys,
Sikhi Mahiti das