PHOTO-TOUR REPORT
GURU-PURNIMA
July 30, 2007
Guru-purnima is a festival celebrating the appearance day of Sri Krsna
Dvaipayana Veda Vyasadeva, the literary incarnation of the Supreme Lord Sri
Krsna, by whose mercy all the Vedic literatures have manifest and we have
received them. Throughout India and the world, people celebrate this sacred day
by worshiping his representative, Sri Guru, who purely presents all Vedic
knowledge from the vyasasana (the seat of Srila Vyasadeva).
This year, 2007, the festival was
observed in India on July 30. To make himself easily accessible, Srila
Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja sat in four places Mathura, Vrndavana,
Govardhana and New Delhi over a four day period (July 29-August 1).
Knowing Srila Narayana Maharaja to be a representative and manifestation of Sri
Vyasadeva and Vyasadevas entire disciplic succession of self-realized spiritual
masters, each day several thousand devotees, and especially in Mathura and
Vrndavana tens of thousands, gathered to have darsana and worship him. Each day,
around 8am, he would offer arati to all of the gurus in his line, to his diksa
and siksa-gurus, his grand-spiritual master (Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati
Thakura), his great-grand-spiritual master (Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura) and to
the entire disciplic succession up to Srila Vyasadeva and ultimately to Sri Sri
Radha-Krsna and Their associates.
In Mathura, at Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha
After that he sat on the Vyasasana until about 2 pm, at which time, on behalf of
Srila Vyasadeva and his disciplic succession, he accepted garlands, gifts,
pranami, and prayers. At that time he also gave his heartfelt blessings to all
present, and to their families.
In each place the temple management
made a very good arrangement for the guests to line up (although sometimes the
temples looked more like a USA international airport arrival lobby) to see and
make their offerings of gifts and garlands, and also to ask for blessings or
initiation.
Line in Mathura
(PLEASE CLICK ON THE PHOTO ABOVE TO VIEW A CLIP OF THE MOVIE)
In Vrndavana, at Ananda Dhama
Line in Ananda Dhama
On the evening of July 30th, Srila Narayana Maharaja visited Gopinatha Bhavan,
just next door to Sri Krsnas famous pastime place Imlitala on the bank of the
sacred Yamuna River, where the first two weeks of the annual Vraja Mandal
parikrama will be hosted.
Srila Maharaja and the devotees present saw how, at one end of the enormous
lecture hall, an altar is being constructed for Sri Sri Radha Krsna and
Mahaprabhu. Srila Maharaja discussed with Sripad Gopinatha dasa, about the
simhasana (throne of the Deities), cooking facility, and storage for the
Deities' paraphernalia. After inquiring about the path for doing parikrama of
the Deities, he took that path around the altar.
He then toured the area where the kitchen for the parikrama party will be
situated, and heard about the managers plans for building rooms to store
prasada and further construction.
Touring Gopinath Bhavan
Editorial Advisors: Sripad Madhava
Maharaja, Sripad Brajanath dasa, Sri Prema-prayojana dasa
Report written by: Anita
dasi
Pictures and movie by: Anita dasi
Proofreader: Krsna-kamini dasi
Editor: Syamarani dasi
