by Tamal Krsna das
This February the second annual Sri Bhagavat-Kathamrta Mahotsava (Srimad Bhagavat Saptaha) was performed by prapujyapada Srimad Bhaktivedanta Madhusudana Maharaja in siddha-pitha Tivaripura-gram, the divine appearance place of our holy master, sri rupanuga-pravara nitya-lila-pravistha 108 Sri Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja. During his manifest pastimes Srila Gurudeva had ordered Madhusudana Maharaja to give Bhagavat-katha in Tivaripura. Also, Srila Gurudeva’s brother, Sriman Siddhanatha Prabhu, told us that Srila Gurudeva appeared in his dream to order him to invite Madhusudana Maharaja for the same purpose. Thus there was a special happiness for all who took part in this great festival, knowing that Srila Gurudeva’s desire is being well satisfied.
Each morning our Sripad Bhaktivedanta Sadhu Maharaja would lead a nagara-sankirtana party of about twenty-five blissful devotees from village to village, and sometimes through nearby Buxor city, where the devotees’ exuberant worship of sri-harinama completely captivated all the local residents.
Everywhere, crowds gathered and the devotees plunged in the seva-sukhananda of distributing Srila Gurudeva’s books (1000+), making friends, and inviting all to hear the sublime recitation of the grantha-raja, paramahamsa-samhita Srimad Bhagavatam. By the end of the week about four-thousand people were coming to hear bhagavat-katha.
Throughout the Saptaha sweet, traditional Hindi and Braja-bhasya kirtanas were performed by our Sriman Vijaya-krsna prabhu of Tivaripura and others, and a drama of the pastimes of Lord Sri Nrsimhadeva was also enacted. For the the final evening’s grand feast, the entire population of Tivaripura came together to collect bhiksa from surrounding villages, cook, and serve out maha-prasada to thousands of guests.
About one hundred people have now accepted harinama or diksa initiation in our Gaudiya-Sarasvata lineage, and among them two committees have been created. One committee is for facilitating the observance in Tivaripura of all holy festivals throughout the year, such as Sri Krsna-janmastami, Radhastami, Gaura-purnima, Kartika-vrata, and all Ekadasis. This committee will also collect the necessary ingredients for the annual Srimad Bhagavat-Saptaha festival - especially food grains for grand-scale prasadam distribution. The second committee is overseeing the construction of Tivaripura’s new Gaudiya Matha, which is the first of our Srila Gurudeva’s line in Bihar state.
Being fully enchanted and inspired by Srimad Madhusudana Maharaja’s unprecedented katha and association, Sriman Siddhanatha prabhu and others have donated a large piece of land just near to Srila Gurudeva’s birthplace for the construction of the coming ‘Sri Gaura-Narayana Gaudiya Matha,’ inaugurating for the continued proliferation of Srila Gurudeva’s glories and the conception of our rupanuga-guru-varga. Along with Sri Radha-Krsna-yugala and Sriman Gaurangadeva, our Srila Gurudeva’s arca-vigraha will be installed and worshipped in the mandira.
Paramaradhya Srila Gurudeva nitya-lila-pravistha Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja ki!
Tadiya janma-sthana siddha-pitha Sri Tivaripura grama ki!
Prapujyapada Srimad Bhaktivedanta Madhusudana Maharaja ki!
Tadiya Srimad Bhagavat Kathamrta Mahotsava (number 312!) ki!
Sri Gaura-Narayana Gaudiya Matha ki!
Sri Harinama-Sankirtana ki!
Gaura-premanande!
Devotees offerning pranam to the well and well-house Srila Gurudeva built with his own hands about 75 years ago
Tivaripura-vasis preparing giant puris for the feast
Village Kirtan
The place where Srila Gurudeva used to bathe in the Ganga daily
Book distribution in nearby city of Buxar
Sripad Madhusudan Maharaja with Srila Gurudeva’s family in his ancestral home and birthplace
