The GBC Meetings began on the 12th. 50 + senior devotees have arrived to
attend this meeting. It is very enlivening and purifying to be in their
presence. The Mumbai management have offered wonderful facility for their
stay. They have a good team of devotees engaged in various services for the
pleasure of the senior visiting Vaisnavas on this occasion.
The meeting sharply begins every day at 10 am. All the members arrive to the
conference hall and they first offer short Guru Puja to Srila Prabhupada and
then start the meetings.
Guru Maharaja goes every day to the temple in the morning to have darshan
and offer damodar lamps to the Deities. He generally walks with the support
of the devotees from his room to the temple. It is approximately 750 to 900
steps. From the temple he goes on his wheel chair to attend the meetings.
Everyone is happy to see Guru Maharaja back and inspired to see his lively
spirit in spite of his bodily limitations.
On 12th evening Guru Maharaja went to Bhaktivedanta Hospital to meet all the
doctors and devotees who had so lovingly served him while he was in Hindhuja
and Bhaktivedanta hospital. He expressed his heartfelt gratitude and I heard
he gave the most wonderful lecture and everyone felt very enlivened.
Unfortunately I missed hearing the class that day. Some of you might have
watched online. Guru Maharaja came back to Juhu late in the night.
On the 13th evening Guru Maharaja went to Chowpatty. Bhaktin Olivia from New
Vrindavan who is assiting HG Malati Mataji expressed her strong desire to go
for that program in Chowpatty. She said to me, “I want to desperately go.”
Since I was also thinking to go and also she had strong desire to go we
requested a local devotee to somehow arrange for a car to take us to
Chowpatty. It wasn’t easy to get a vehicle because all the cars are already
busy. I was trying to find out if there was any space in Guru Maharaja’s
servant’s vehicle. So when I called Vrajesvar Gaura prabhu he said he and
his wife Santa Gopi also would like to join with us. Until the last minute
it wasn’t sure if there was going to be any vehicle to take us. At 6pm we
got a call saying Guru Maharaja went out of his room to go to Chowpatty. We
rushed to the reception and the car for us was not yet there to pick us up.
Finally the devotee who had said will arrange the vehicle managed to get a
car for us. Pujya Visnupriya also wanted to join with us. Vrajesvar Gaura
prabhu was planning to go with Guru Maharaja in his vehicle. So along with
my husband we were 5 of us. Then Revati Raman prabhu’s daughter Krishna
Priya just came out of the reception and we all asked her to also join and
she brought her mother Bhaktika Mataji along with her. We were 7 of us and
the driver and somehow we all managed to fit into the car. Krishna Priya
also mentioned how she had strong desire to go to Chowpatty for this program
of Guru Maharaja. It was so amazing to see how Krsna fulfills everyone’s
desire. It is said in the scriptures that Krsna is the best manager. With
one move he accomplishes many results. With one car he fulfilled many
devotees’ desire simultaneously.
We were all waiting and waiting and waiting for Guru Maharaja to come. After
a while we came to know that he had gone to the GBC conference hall to
attend the tailend of the meetings:-) Guru Maharaja is really far out! No
one can imagine to do what he does. Around 6.45 pm we left to Chowpatty.
There were 3 vehicles all together; Guru Maharaja’s vehicle, servant’s
vehicle and our vehicle. Our vehicle was supposed to follow Guru Maharaja’s
vehicle but somehow due to traffic the driver couldn’t keep up. Not only
that, he did not know the way in the middle for a short distance. We were
going around a bit and finally managed to find the way. Apart from that we
had really good time. Pujya Visnupriya and Krishna priya led some kirtans
and Damodarastakam song. We reached 20 minutes later than Guru Maharaja’s
vehicle and we all jumped off the car and ran inside.
To be continued……..