Bangladesh

Here is a brief report about Bangladesh – the land of natural opulence and
flourishing sankirtan movement of Lord Caitanya! Almost half of Sri Gaura
Mandala Bhumi is situated here, such as the Sripats of Sri Rupa Sanatana,
Saci Mata, Pundarikh Vidyanidhi Dhams, Narottam Das Thakur’s Kheturi! ISKCON
has built temples in many of these places and we can see that ISKCON has
made a great impact by its preaching activities and festivals. According to
HG Jagat Guru Gauranga Prabhu, one of the local leaders, ISKCON has a total
of 30 temples, 250 Namahattas and 80 Bhakti Vrikshas all around this
country. They perform some 22 ecstatic Ratha yatras, all on the same day all
over the country! I still remember attending one of the Dacca Ratha yatras,
where not less than 50,000 people had filled up practically every inch of
the road.

Prior to the stroke, Guru Maharaj has been visiting Bangladesh twice or
thrice a year for over 30 years. The recent visit was the first visit to
Bangladesh almost after two years. He was scheduled to visit around the 3rd
week of July 2010 but it was postponed because of the sudden urinary tract
infection, due to which he needed to be hospitalized. So the Bangladesh
program was rescheduled on the 23rd till the 28th August.

Dear devotees,

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All
glories to Guru Maharaja.

Guru maharaja left Mayapura on 23rd to Bangladesh. As he was leaving
Mayapura many devotees gathered at his residence to see him. After his
breakfast he gave darshan and maha to everyone. Before he got into his car,
he took darshan of Srila Prabhupada and Sri Sri Radha Madhava and Their Asta
Sakhis, Sri Sri Prahlad Narasimhadeva and Sri Sri Panca Tattva deities.
This is his first time visit to Bangladesh after the stroke. Many thousands
of devotees were eagerly waiting to see him. HH Bhakti Purushottam Maharaja
commented, “As Guru Maharaja is not traveling to different places as he used
to do before so the devotees are like fish out of water deprived of Guru
Maharaja’s association.” Guru maharaja celebrated Balarama Purnima
(appearance day of Lord Balarama) with Bangladesh devotees.