19880424 Arrival Address

The following is the Arrival address given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami on March 10, 1988 in Atlanta Georgia.

 

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: How is everyone? Hare Kṛṣṇa.

 

I cannot remember chronologically probably, some island from here. I went to the New York  Rath Yatra, where they had a big Rath Yatra festival at 5th avenue, and some devotees flora, lara, maria and they offered, nice gathering and enjoyed everyone, Washington square park or something , where the festival and everything was set up, so they all came and participated in so many people , kīrtan millions , very nice to give a short introductory talk, actually the Rath Yatra got little delayed, Balarām,___ they moved Balarām to Jagannātha because the , I booked the flight in the evening to Toronto, they told that the program will finish by 6, but it got delayed, trying to kind of rush up, there are so many , all devotees came and talked to them, preached to them, everyone have to Toronto.

 

But they already arranged a big program where about 200 Indians mainly Indian origin people , Canadian, program in Toronto, stayed there for almost 2days ,went on to England for a day and then went to Eastern Europe, I know coastal and other countries and not legalized, I don’t know how much I am supposed to say or not for me, not be able to legally function, and they want to Build a temple, I don’t know how much I am supposed to say or not, so , I cannot say that which country I went to  but two different countries I went , one is for short time and one for a day, and they are very fired up chanting kīrtan.

 

About 100 devotees, they have there, went to one farm and they have big fired up kīrtan, just jumping up and down like anything, and _ they, they don’t listen, they drink, (devotee laughs) think they are very cheap compare to Americans standards in the Dollar they are, long a way… any way, they asked the devotee.

 

In fact they like to stay because people are more simple and receptive, good place for preaching, able to preach  nicely they like it, this particular county, they don’t have too much trouble, but we have to be careful of course, once when I was there they announced that  legalized, , then I flew came back, was stopped, went back to Māyāpur India, just in time for the Lord’s Lord Jagannātha, excuse me snan Yatra, no I just  flood coming , almost flood all the streets, in Calcutta, there was like full streets on water through the British time, and they never repaired, no plumbing since that time, so, really designed _ smaller _, which so heavy rain all city flood sometimes, 4 -5 k…

 

So here was heavy rain, and they came out to pick up with a big bus because there was no way to … fill the water, and I said I want to go directly to the Panihati festival, and I had already sent money ahead that was donated, of course, periodically … no need of … (devotee laughs.)   I got the authorization from the temple board, I sent the funds ahead and they had already purchased the things, Chida, dahi and fruits and everything, and got to Panihati a little late, as my flight was delayed. So, they had already started to offer.

 

His Holiness Bhakti Caru maharaj was just leaving and so already offered and started to eat, about 5000 people already got, they expected about 50,000 but because of the rain I don’t know how many there would be.

 

So we have to go through the water, after that right around the Panihatti, Rāghava pandit place, rain near to Ganges, joyful, rain off, anyway and on behalf of all the devotees of New Panihati dham, I offered obeisance’s to Banyan tree where Nitāi had the chida dahi festival on that day, offered the prayers for everyone in addition, and then this year we completely covered the Rāghava Pandit house with the tent, water proof tent and they had offered the prasāda ciḍā dahi to Nityānanda’s tree and also to Rādhā Madan Mohan Deities of Rāghava Pandit. So, 15000 people got prasādam that day. Other people were lined up.

 

They are given the leaf plate, because of such a crowd, they are in plastic bag, putting chida and dahi. They gave me a clay pot, one of the, ___fully decorated, I wish I could have got it earlier to decorate the mahaprasad, I think we decorate the offering more here and then it is very nice and the one thing they had which we didn’t have, they had jackfruits (devotee laughs.)

 

Of course, we had everything that they don’t have. They had jack fruit, that is one thing. Some how they got jack fruit, and actually the main thing is in spite of rain and everything, so many people gathered, and doing kīrtan at Panihati. This is the special blessing of the Gaura maṇḍala bhūmi, Lord Chaitanya’s pastime places, although, there are so many obstacles, even in kali yuga, they proceeded to come! So many people do come, and that is the blessings of being born in India and being able to live there.

 

The tendency to respect the sādhus and go to the festival is there. So, after respecting some prasādam, and ---- all the deities and headed out to Māyāpur, huge rain started again, so after two days in Māyāpur, it was time for one or two days it was Jagannātha’s Snan Yatra festival, and _ lot of arrangements, they got about 1000 clay pots, clay water pots, in Bengal they use clay water pots, not such a big one, small but little wider neck, smaller not so big or may be gallon, three quarter gallons.

 

So, on that day, he announced to all the villagers, if you want to bathe Lord Jagannātha then you have to take a empty water pot and chant kīrtan to the Ganges, take a bath with your clothes on, fill up the Ganges water and head back to bathe Jagannath, wet, so ___little raining anyway, but 1000 didn’t come. About 600 ,700 came. Lot of them were women, they came, and first they came to our temple before going to the ganges, so this coincided with about ten minutes before the Govinda prayer, we can hear coming

 

Jai Jagannath

Jai Jagannath

Jai Jagannath

Jai Jagannath

 

(Devotee laughs...)

 

walking 3 miles, chanting Jai Jagannath, finally reached the temple. everyone was they didn’t know, going around the deities and they had darshan, they bow down, and sat down and what to do. (Devotee laughs)

 

So, they had darshan of Rādhā Mādhava and Sakhīs, and Lord Caitanya, Māyāpur Chandra, Nṛsiṁha dev, and got the blessings and then Prabhupāda, after that they went to Ganges with Elephants, went to the Ganges and filled up the water pot, and

 

Jai Jagannath

Jai Jagannath

 

And Hare Kṛṣṇa, about 100, 150 devotees, they went to Jagannath Temple and there we did the personally offered the mahā abhisek, all the Brahmins, and priests, Pañca Gavya, Pañcāmṛta, then about 108 different items of different herbs, sandle wood, kusha grass, various types of spices and water then on a special bathing device that has a 1000 holes in it, 1008, they bath, it become shower to the Lord, then they put Navaratna, nine jewels, diamond, sapphire, nine jewels, they put on that and water on that blue bath and then fruits juicers, orange juice, papaya juice, Banana water, coconut , fresh banana pore the water , then green coconut, and finally then everyone was lined up, they sitting with their water pots, (devotee laughs).

 

Then we had devotee, lined up, they don’t know, they have to keep the water pot, so many people and Tulsi in each pot and they came up Jagannath had a mahā abhisek, and he was dried off, that time, I took a room nearby, I took a bath with all the gurukul kid… Looking back, the mahā aratti, offered 100s of preparations all at Jagannath, in clay pots, cooked.

 

We hired, I hired a Brahmin pāṇḍā, from Jagannath Purī, a year or so ago and he trained two devotees how to cook in Jagannath Purī style, lot of time in Māyāpur we will get a same kind of sweet in Jagannath Purī.

 

Then the pastimes explained behind the Jagannath snāna Yatra, why we bathe Jagannath, he goes into, after this of course he goes for 15 days … days, Lord Caitanya couldn’t see Lord Jagannath, He was in very great separation, He would ran after the temple closed to Alalanath from Jagannath Purī and paid His obeisance’s to the deity of Lord Kṛṣṇa, worship there, His body was so hot in separation, when he paid His obeisances, iiisssssshhhh ….

 

Melted the stone vibration ssoo. That body imprint of Lord Caitanaya is still there in the temple, We worship there, so... _ Māyāpur by that time 5000 people had already gathered and there was no room at the temple we bachelors some have they fed very nice feast prasādam  they gave kitchadi, naturally Jagannath’s favorite, they gave chutney , sabhji, kitchadi, chutney,  four items they give, a sweet rice , , actually I forgot , either sabhji or one sweet , something there was four things, everyone was satisfied, very nice feast.

 

Then of  course there was most of the devotees all the devotees, all the gathered people got some of the mahā prasāda , mahā  mahā prasāda, 100’s of preparations, very ecstatic, really we can feel the mercy of Jagannath, this Jagannath in this place Māyāpur non different from Jagannath Purī, holy dham and Māyāpur they have replica of all the holy places in India, Kāśī, Banaras, Pushkara, Badrinath, Govardhan, Rādhā Kund, Shyāma Kund, Jagannath Purī, Dwaraka, all the places, even Ayodhyā, Daṇḍakāraṇya , Mathurā, all the different forest, they are all there in the Gaura maṇḍala bhūmi navadwip dham, Nṛsiṁha kṣetra, this place actually non different from Jagannath Purī, and everyone can come and serve Lord Jagannath there.

 

The special mercy that Jagannath gives is prasad, also very significant because, Kathayayini, I told the story in some places.  I don’t know if I told here Māyāpur may be in.  How mother Parvathi got the blessing to give up mahaprasadam and how Jaganath came as one of the ways to fulfill the desire, so everyone can get the prasādam, explain the glories of mahaprasadam, may be of next couple of days I can.

 

So, the next big festival was the Rath Yatra festival in Calcutta which was very key to the Soviet Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees. Originally in Soviet Union, the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement had been recognized, I was thinking that we should invite the Soviet officials.

 

When I came in to Calcutta and suggested couple of days before the Rath Yatra, then Adi ram prabhu said that he and Bhakti Caru Mahārāja just invited them yesterday. They got the same idea, so they had gone, actually the Soviet Union consulate had invited them to the temple and told them we are very sorry for all the difficulties that happened in Russia, but now that you are been recognized there, so you should stop making any propaganda against us. (Devotee laughs)

 

We are friends now, then showed that they got a special order from the __ we can see how we can affect the Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees all here, things all over the world they had, especially in India they are concerned, they should not be any more bad press, they said we didn’t know anything about Vedic culture, we are offensive to India, we didn’t know about their culture, (Devotee laughs) about the religion we don’t know, we thought it was coming from the west, now we understand that it is from India and everything.

 

So then, we got an idea to inaugurate the Rath Yatra and dedicate it to the Soviet Union devotees. So, they agreed. We didn’t have anybody, the night before the Rath Yatra, we informed the press.

 

So, one time a government official informed everyone, there was so much of politics, it so happened that the communist party stopping from coming, so we didn’t inform anyone. They first told our newspapers, they didn’t told, so then the consulate general which the Ambassador of embassy of the capital… not capital the office is called Consulate General in other city, so he couldn’t come. He sent his wife to come, his wife and son three of them came and Bhakti Caru Mahārāja, __ and myself were there and other devotes, Subag swami Mahārāja, so garlanded them. We had nice garlands done.

 

We took him up on the top of the Rath to give a speech, so then I had them put some camphor on tray. I offered ārati to Jagannath and showed them what to do and handed to the vice Consulate. He offered, (devotee says Jai…Jai.) then all the newspaper men … (chuchu chuchu) …. You know, and then the wife offered, she offered they didn’t know what’s going on? (Devotee laughs). Then they gave a talk praising ISKCON for dedicating this to the soviet devotees and how this will promote the connection between India and Russia and things like that.

 

Then Bhakti Caru Swami Maharaj spoke, I spoke in Bengali. He could understand the Bengali, the vice console___ and then we offered a flower of Jagannath and then he went down and then we had him sweep the road!

Devotees: Jai Jai Jai

Devotees: Jai Jai Jai.

 

All the photographers, they were “pull the Rath”, came in the paper you know, that was a very nice Rath Yatra, there was 200,000 people watching and the whole rath would have been not a small one, we started right from the downtown bus terminus … another five kilometer north. For 4 miles or so north, the whole road was covered by sub way constructions. They are making subway in Calcutta, famous sub way…. They have a section open, … it is another section, they can open whenever they want... (Devotee laughs) Anyway, it is quite a big achievement that they had it open, also inside what section is that, but the other part that they are doing, so actually we couldn’t do the Rath, but actually for us, only how many kilometers, that we went this time, 7? 12, 7 kilometers, then we had a pandal program for 7days, they had big __ floats, in front of the Rath.

 

You know in India the Ramayan series, which is very, you _ 76 weeks, kept the whole country whenever Sunday 10:40 happen, the whole streets would be empty, Hanumān, Hanumān, all the vendors in the street they sell Hanumān’s gāḍha or club, in fact kids greet each other with the gadā (Devotee laughs) boys buy toys, they buy arrow, and bow, forecasting the Ramayan __ (Devotee laughs) _ people are really into the Ramayan, so we did a one float there with Kumbakarna finding Rāma, Lakshmana.

 

This amazing demon you know, he was you know, fourteen, fifteen feet height, he was like ten feet wide, big you know, eight feet head, he was coming, his eyes were cut off, blood pouring in, his eyes were red…. Ahhhhhh eating monkeys (Devotee laughs…) monkey’s bleedings hanging from the body, then there was this arrow coming from   Ram…. chuuuuuuuum… so the people (devotee laughs) … … grey, brown with green, red eyes!

 

So, they also had Lord Caitanya, Jharikanda, big there was what what was the other float? Raas with the gopīs, what else and there was one Gajendra mokṣa, that was with Viṣṇu with eight arms?

Garuḍa, that was the Garuḍa last time, so they had a very big pandal, they had question answer booth, they had Bhaktivedanta youth service booth, we had drams, different speakers.

 

I spoke for two three days at the end.

 

One day in the beginning and who was there from Bombay,somewhere? Lokanātha maharaj came. BhaktiCaru swami maharaj was there, Subag, right… Two days, I went to Assam for a day or so and came back, but everyday there was the pandal this year, __ normally about ten to fifteen thousand can sit. This time I don’t think the sitting accommodation was for more than five thousand sitting and standing accommodation, some few thousand but in every night, there must have been crowd coming and going between fifteen to twenty-five thousand may be on big days more.

 

How many on Sundays?

 

Forty thousand, you know big! What else is going on?

 

Gopal Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī, he came and spoke one day. So, the day after the Rath, of course, all the papers had big pictures of the Soviet consulate inaugurate there was in last page. They went to see the soviet consulate there were very happy , you know, __ actually want to see him , the next day, newspaper looking for a _ all the local communist leaders what do you think, Bengal the state government, India has multi-party democracy , not just two parties, they got dozens, and dozens of parties, hundreds of parties, (Devotee laughs) may be prominent at least a dozen parties, so in that particular state, there was a coalition of nine parties which are communist party, Marxist, communist party of India, the forward block, socialist, like that like seven different parties and all left, so the left front so went after the left front leaders, the number one leader state of chief minister , he didn’t made any comment.

 

But also the secretary of the leading party, he said one of the Russian do they like, you know, he didn’t make__but the other leader they really out spoke they said This is inconceivable, unimaginable that the soviet Russia Communist country do such things, religious function, Why are … people... how could they do it. The other one, you know, these people believe in fate, how they could go to their function, and the other one we have been crushed by the wheel of Jagannath (Devotee: haribol…)

 

(Guru Maharaj laughs) so the next day in the front page, soviet left front ruling left front governing leaders speaking out against the soviet consulate inauguration of Rath Yatra, so that was a big thing, when they came and _ into the how they have the leading papers, and Bhāti Caru maharaj and myself, went Belgium, that day we both were there, we had a long interview, that was also stating of in front page, you know, they took picture of us, we gave our reply.

 

No, it is quite appropriate what they do. Why are they complaining?

 

Anyway, when they marry their daughter, they do religious functions. So why they are having a double standard? Different things. This is very good the soviet devotees, they have struggled so much, now we have this dedicated to them. Then the next day, they come back with some more bad comments, then the day after that, a news comes from Russia that in Russia, one of the state governments had aired a television show against the Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees and the soviet supreme ministry of culture on religious affairs, whatever they called it, the minister of that, he made a national press release on television as well as all the papers announcing that they had not given permission to do the show. They were against the show, but actually they had done a detailed study of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement.

 

 They had approached a couple of people to study it, the main criticism on the TV show was that that we chant loudly our enormous mantras, we breakup family and they don't work social ... they don't work, so these were the main criticism, they are good too. Finally, quite good, vegetarian but quite good. They only chant for an hour and half or two hours, these people listen to music, so, we don't see diversified problem, they do their work in factory, as well as farm, we have given them recognition, so they don't do anything anti state, so that came out in all the Indian papers so, the Russian government endorsed the Hare Krsna movement (Devotee says Jai....)

 

They said every day, one day after the next, coming out so then I have given, some two leaders of the left, they say, why they are going to ISKCON, ISKCON is a American materialistic organization, you know, they all CIA [ not clear], you know, too much, response to us, they thanking us, you know, so then I wrote a reply, I didn’t put my name on, but they  put my name on, although my name on , still they published my name in all the papers, and most of the, there was a news editor in the time of Lord Caitanya he has also faced many obstacles, he was criticized by different people including Jagāi, Madhai, we are going  on preaching, this is not an anything 30:45 organization, as registered in India, no nothing against them, but simply preaching Indian culture.

 

So why they are falsely accusing us?

 

So, we are also falsely accused like Lord Caitanya was falsely accused, but anyway the movement is going to go on and it is going to be spread.

 

One of the important things we accept is is going to be spread, one of the things we accept is 31:09

 

I didn't remember now, one things was Gorbachev   well with the name we had , because name contain the name of Lord Caitanya, Goura bachev, (Devotee laughs... ) in Bengali there is a word called Bachav, which means save me,   Bachav, Bachav, (Devotee laughs)  one of the newspaper called Gaur Bachav,  the newspaper editors they just took  an opportunity  to take their shoes off and smashed on the faces of all the 31:58 leaders, they said the leaders they didn't say anything and the leading party of the soviet union does what they like, rightly they what they looking good, but the other leaders why they are criticizing, and they just want to, using very eloquent language, just like, you know,   this guy , that guy, [Not Clear – 00:32:20]  that the papers job and every famous writer, I told the things just writing like a comical, you know, smashing, Swami Gorbachev Fernandez, (Devotee laughs)

 

Gorbachev called the police bureau meeting and said the Hare Kṛṣṇa devotee there, he said I would like to introduce the Hare Kṛṣṇa devotee here, you know, Mr. Gorbachev, why are you allowing, you know, he is just depending, in words, like one sound round of Hare Kṛṣṇa, Claps., (Devotee laughs) came in the paper, the newspaper, people’s imagination you cannot imagine what effect there on the people of Bengal, very emotional people.

 

Just like you know they don't think that Hare Kṛṣṇa just like is legalized in soviet Russia,  speaking like you know, all soviet union like that (Devotee laughs)   which is not for all, may be you know, people here like, rickshaw drivers, and taxi driver, they year 2000 whole  world will be following Lord Caitanya predicted , you may want to wait for another 10 years the whole world will be (devotee laughs) now the Russians is gone you know,  no other problem , the china the sevā _ , everyone we talk, you know, just I come in newspaper, he came up and said Daṇḍavat, jai, you did it, you Hare Kṛṣṇa devotee you did it  you did it (Devotee laughs) ,,, you got the Soviet union of Lord Jagannath swami ki (devotee laughs and roaring)

 

It is like you know, everybody mind totally swept away in fact, so then, the communist leader he can't tolerate everyone just going into (Devotee laughs) the little guys, newspaper came up, what do you think... haaaaas. they didn’t realized, __ going to be, most newspaper published soberly, but one newspaper, Jayapatākā swami accused left leaders as Jagāi and Mādhāi (Devotee laughs.)

 

In the next day, all comes in we bought you know, like a kind of hurt, how come this, because he may a sanyasi, an ācārya, as per they you know, Indian they still, they never, guru whatever, that he came and said how can you say this, of course I give explanation, I didn't call them Jagāi, Mādhāi, how can you say this, we never expected such a respectable person says us as Jagāi Mādhāi, womanizer, drunkard, people say, wait a moment.

 

Jai Nitāi Gaura Chandra ki

 

Meanwhile, the news comes that in Poland we have given recognition just two days before the return Rath, so then we called up the organizer of the polish Yatra whether we can announce to the press, he said sure. So, we called a new press conference and announced that now as I already said that in future, other, communist country will also accept Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.

 

So, then two days later, we get the news as recognized, so its., kirtidas prabhu, said you can give news, so then we give the news release, press release, all, and they published again in the front page you know, recognition in Poland, just like, then in our return Rath all the newspaper cameraman are there, nobody coming this time?, then they published a cartoon in the front page, of the  Uganda, the second largest circulated paper in India in front page, cartoon there was Regan and Gorbachev, where they Harinām chaddar, and tilak, (Devotee laughs) dancing, behind them me, with my handsome , _

 

Then the caption says that  Māyāpur Gosāi tells everyone to chant the holy names by chanting hare Kṛṣṇa hare ram whether dayna whether baym, (Devotee laughs) whether left wing , whether right wing , whether left, all can be happy including Regan , Gorbachev , Jagāi, Mādhāi  (Guru Mahārāja laughs, devotee laughs, ) something like that,  ... _ some way or the other it is going on, then we thought  Rath finished, we give to the communist educational, they were burning you know, they went all the way to Delhi to complain to the Ambassador of soviet union how is that , he had been way out of tour he just came back..,  they came all newspaper clippings., look at look at, what happened , your representative went there and inaugurated a religious function, he set us back in fifteen years, and how could happen, you see, all Prabhupāda’s, Lord Jagannath, Jagannath swami ki jai (Devotee says jai... ).

Lord Caitanya transcendental pastime, actually we can't take any credit for anything, He is doing the whole thing, you know beyond any imagination these things happen and the response is there simply by Prabhupāda’s, Lord Jagannātha’s, Lord Caitanya's yoga māyā, all these things are going on. They go there and make a big complaint, and the Ambassador, he doesn’t know anything, this newspaper articles, this is of course something quite serious and certainly I have the intelligence to have to look into it and make a study, and you can take my re assurances we will do everything proper in this regard. (Devotee laughs)

 

___He said diplomatic, double he properly said, they published, then the next page big theotisan, ideology, some have in communist, he got whole editorial article and why this is not proper according to the soviet, according to the Marxist, and Leninist, other newspaper people said, actually Lenin was not so fanatical, he said even a priest can be a member and a party looking for the opportunity of the masses and so on, so, it was a very big controversy, then you know, then what happened? After this going to Delhi the news hit the paper that the Vice chancellor inaugurates Rath Yatra, he has been transferred out of Calcutta, so everyone speculates now, communist really proud, they done it, they got back Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, Soviet Union they showed the people, you know, don't think what is not, seems to be.

 

So then, lot of devotees came in and _ not do anything, we had a, actually they gave by Jagannath. Three days later, the vice chairman of the supreme soviet presidium which is like a cabinet of their supreme parliament, (senet) he comes on a good will visit to Calcutta, he met all the leaders and everything as he leaving from the Airport, the newspaper men said what about the inauguration of Hare Kṛṣṇa Rath Yatra, ISKCON Rath Yatra,  I don't know anything about it, the why you are making such a big deal of nothing, this doesn't change a character of prime minister, moreover _ this is within the parameter,  ISKCON is a registered recognized in the Soviet union, (Devotees: Jai.. ) hence our government officer attending one of their function they can do so, this is within their rights, they can do so . We want to just beating around the bush of democracy, people of democracy, let them practice the religion they want in the Soviet Union.

So, we don't know why they are making such a big deal of, it doesn't change the character of _ someone goes and inaugurate Rath Yatra festival.  In fact, he was not __ so that he was promoted (Devotee laughs) then the communist (devotee laughs) they are nothing to say anything.

 

Jagannath swami Ki jai...

 

Devotees: Jai

 

Chaitanya Mahāprabhu Saṅkīrtana andolan ki jai

 

Devotees: Jai

 

Haribol Gaur Premānande

 

Devotees: Haribol

 

So, we can see how many years together Soviet Union devotees has been struggling the devotees all over the world are trying to gain freedom for them from the torture they are underdoing, and the Prabhupāda says in the beginning the people won't take it, seriously the next things _ prosecutor then in the end they all accepted, so going through in different stages.

 

Even in America now in different some people are laughing some people are prosecuting, before accepting, you know the prosecution is over for sure, some of the people, the other people are favorable, because here it is not so centralized each individual takes its own opinion, when some of the countries when the whole government gets involved, the government goes to the stages, but the devotee their main determination, in fact is countries with small  the devotees very united, I mean some of the countries in the eastern block the devotees, brahmacārīs are still sleeping in one room, 100 devotees share two bath rooms (Devotee laughs) you know the whole situation, they don’t have so many facilities, they don't have cars, they carry their book bag, they carry _ aluminum things, they carry fifty kilos, 50 pounds of books miles going on train, go and distribute things, and go back to their and take more books really super, they are fired up.

 

If the devotee didn’t get car, they say I don't do sankirtan a day. leaving the temple _ take the bus (Devotee laughs) .... right... rare devotee seen stack of books, there is no question of cars, you know, nearest bus stop is way out a distance place, hidden away so no one can see, they are risking of being arrested, you know, ___don't do anything (Devotee laughs) temple president, we are resting you know, ... (Devotee laughs) doing there, remember people are hungry in India. no food, devotees making so many conditions to do service, remember how, so many other devotees in different countries are struggling so much, we start no facility here, so much facility, still no one is satisfied, you can see, because of their sacrifice, how Lord Caitanya blessed.

 

I heard from Kirtiraj prabhu actually the devotees Soviet Union doing Harinām outside the Museum __ three days a week. (jai.) Almost every day they go to Red square and do Harinām, there you know one day the police came to what to do came to?

 

Thing in Harinām in Red square the devotee preaching we know it is authorized, it is Purifying in Russia, you know he is giving the whole lecture, busy places hundreds of people gather around, like surrounded by people and he is giving the _ and the guys people are not supporting ... Why Not?   _ (Devotee laughs...)

Sankirtan Yajni ki.

Devotee: Jai

 

and back the devotee doing Harinām.   anyway, this are over I am sure, Rath Yatra really on top of everyone’s consciousness during the because of the whole soviet dedication and now time to get fifty soviet devotees to India for the festival to big tour in India also, they also had a big effect on India.

 

India and Russia very friendly you know, this is good, we can use the Indian friendship to also preach Indian culture, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mission so I could have a little service I can offer to the cause, this is really considered to be team work and put under my name all, anyway,  actually the Rath Yatra festival did some preaching and middle east again for security reason I don' t know I should mention the countries, there some preaching in mainly in expatriates Indian working ,, like that we preach and  making   back unto the Bangalore where the Government had authorized given a sanction give us 7 seven acres of land, 3 billion Dollars, Rs.30 million roughly approximately  right in the city centre in a city proper, so they are doing some formalities to getting the possession , we have , to raise in 90days 700,000 Rupees ,about 50,000 dollars which is peanuts, then we have a money , drive for collection so I went there, and saw the whole situation , and thought that this year will spend Janmāṣṭamī festival, they could get the Governor to come and everything  arranged, and went back to Māyāpur there we have Julan Yatra.

 

Then I went to Malaysia for Rath Yatra, Māyāpur then Malaysia for Rath Yatra than Thailand than to Bangladesh, where flooded in our temple yet to go , _ temple I have to go by a little boat , actually reached their late but already dark but little like _ kanau _ very low side, I have my computer , big suitcase, everything, go to three miles over the flooded fields, in the dark in kanaur, big black cats coming then all of a sudden big wooden boat come , we will go, and one devotee no problem, let us go by Kanau, go by the boat, then we go by the bigger boat, sure enough to middle of the open field about 10feets of water, everywhere, big storm hit, you know., sssssssssssssss kanau would have definitely sung with all our stuffing’s, some have reach our temple and all water everywhere, the buildings are out of the water by 1inch,  and you know, problem do certain things, how to go to temple, actually they put a bamboo walkway from place to next to one place  still  some have we went there because of several hundred people gathered to see me and to hear lectures.

 

There was made a program of building a big temple they chooses Rūpa and Sanātana birth place, important , maternal birth , their parents lived there, and as soon as they born there, there is no definite, things they are born exactly there and somewhere, but that was the place where they grew up first ten twelve years of their life, anyway definitely a holy place of Rūpa and Sanātan, we did a smruti kīrtan , the local villagers twenty about twenty acres of land , big piece of land , are building a huge temple there from donations from devotees from Australasia and anywhere in the world, so, we saw that , gave a donation of 3000 , then they could distribute prasādam and on then went to back to over the river again  over the flooded area , to Pundarik dham, Pundrarik vidyānidhi's birth place, beautiful temple there and the Jagāi temple of Vasudev datta, Nitāi gaur deities were installed.

 

 Mukunda datta and Vasudev datta lived near Pundarik Vidyānidhi, very holy places, eastern Bangladesh, my left that time biggest flood has started I didn't hear how much the temples are affected flood, I think the bigger flood mainly affected the central Bangladesh , we have already,  I don't think affected so much , I am not sure, I didn't send any sos... went to Nepal and the former Prime Minister invited me to see  him, and requested that we are having world biggest Hindu federation meeting and Mauritius in September and you  must come, I asked whether I have to go, he said, not I am binding you , you must come, very plea you know, it is essential, it is very important meeting you need to come, please come.

 

So, then I got made out an arrangement to Giriraj Maharaj to go that's why I delayed my coming by a week here, suppose to come a week earlier, go to Mauritius to World Hindu Federation we did preaching in Nepal and doing a nice kīrtan there to build a temple, now they are designing the temple and went to Patna, Bihar then went back to Māyāpur, then Julan Yatra in Māyāpur, swing festival.

 

Then we go to Bangalore for Rath Yatra and Balarām's appearance day, we moved the deity, by that time they got the possession of the land , gave the money to the Government , the Government gave them the certificate, nine day festival was planned from Balarām appearance day to Kṛṣṇa's Janmāṣṭamī, and Prabhupāda's appearance day the Governor hasn't come , the Vyāsa pūjā day, it’s a big celebration so on Rath Yatra day we carried Kṛṣṇa and Balarām from the temple to the new land, where the little temple had been built, the land like an hill and top of the  hill situated , a big pandal there for nine days, every night performing artist, movies , coming and singing Bhajans for Kṛṣṇa Balarām then on Janmāṣṭamī, then I went a tour of south India to Guruvayur one has give us a land to build a facility for there , very ancient temple established by Bruhasbhathi and Vāyu in a place which was worshiped   by Lord Śiva himself.

 

This Deity was worshiped in Dwarka, by one of the queens of Kṛṣṇa so that deity is very famous temple in India, most famous temple in Kerala, and the second most famous in South India after Tirupati.

 

So they want to give us a facility there, Lord Caitanya come here traveled all these areas , king of Travancore, the Ex-king, former ruler Padmanābha Temple where Lord Caitanya visited then did some preaching program there, preaching program in madras Prabhavishnu maharaj came for some function also then I came back in the , Bangalore function after we did Janmāṣṭamī and everything abhisek, crowd dressed all the chief guest _ like costumes like Kṛṣṇa, Rādhā, Pāṇḍavas, then they had a big competition for five thousand students participating competition on Kṛṣṇa book and different Vedic literatures they gave prize ,, then the Governor of the State he came along with ministers and big politicians , they formally inaugurated the project the _ project, and he gave a talk and he said that Kṛṣṇa Conscious movement is doing very good work we have to able to recognize that they are many institutions some are good and some are bad.

 

But ISKCON, is one of the best institutions, so many people who are taking swami , but they don't live upto, but ISKCON, fulfilling the, so he was speaking highly about the Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement and he inaugurated the land and Prabhupāda’s  Vyāsa pūjā Prabhupāda garland, he speaks about Prabhupāda especially the teachings of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu cultural center and educational center would be built there , various facility to training the people, and the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's culture so then after that again I return back to Māyāpur where the head of the district , had a meeting he wants to do the very comprehensive development of Māyāpur , Māyāpur , just begun , that’s I am in Māyāpur I haven't given so many details , samādhi is to get constructed and so all the _ went top of the )) Gaura pūrṇimā , work is being done, and again stopped __ two three government meeting we have to widen the road, putting the street lights, put in running water, public latrines,   bus stop parking slot and move all those shops in front of the temple (Devotees: Jai ) ..

 

To a little mini market, bazaar (devotee laughs) bazaar bazaar... (devotee laughs) so we had two three meetings and topic and I have to go back to the meeting on the 8th again and the _ government officers came out and finalized, everything and we were shown the piece of land that we are willing to give them, we have to give piece of land to move others.

 

So then I went to Malaysia where we have other Rath Yatra , __ third one, and a national meeting and from there went to Thailand, Kavichandra maharaj, and some other preachers , they published some book on Brahmā and publishing books, some more books there and preaching in colleges in Thailand, and flew to Bombay and that be former Prime Minister of Nepal  chairman of World Hindu Federation which is an organization trying to bring all Vedic Buddhist Hindu Jain Sikh organizations under one umbrella, anything comes from India is really Kichadi, (Devotee laughs) but with a good purpose,  that they want to try to see that they get equal right, they  prosecuted in different countries they wanted to be  unity , the other time had misunderstandings that, with a good purpose they are trying to fulfill.

 

Although Prabhupāda always said that the real things to achieve by done by uplifting everyone's spiritual consciousness, but anyway this was an attempt so I usually _ these types of functions, no Vaishnavas are on and as a result, we have big leaders from different countries, we have problem, because we don't coordinate well enough with one another with different Hindu organizations and they think.

 

Sometimes devotee think you have got Hindu because we are not preaching sectarian, but they think the other way , not __Vedic culture and explain it properly, so try to smooth out the misunderstandings, that without the use of the word Hindu, we use the Vedas, then we take the word Hindu then something not very formal and even many people they say the same things just for convenience they use  the name so because of some misunderstanding of different parts of the world so  met different leaders made some good rapport with them and how to lift the ban _ they said they have problem in Indonesia ,they wanted to get rid of that, one country said they want to buy 50,000 Bhagavad Gītā’s in their languages (Devotee says jai ).

 

Different prime minister of Mauritius inaugurate function to came Bhagavad Gītā for me, and spoke for few minutes he was very favorable, sir please come again and preach in our country, so very good contact, they actually was inspired, one lady was head of the movement for uplifting the women in Indian culture and she said the this is such a big job, I do not know how to begin, I do not know what to do?

 

She said, “I have to give a talk because important service”.

 

I explained how I can new panihati, we had a Sunday school in Atlanta, where the students come and they learn everything Sunday, come here learn and how in different parts of the world we have Namahattas, how that, most important things is to Chant

 

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare

Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

 

Or any name of God, and this kīrtan, Sankirtan, so important so they actually appreciated very much, they even mentioned, it is a very good idea and we would think about all these things, so hopefully by the last year going to Hindu Conferences, situation are not so, you know, Hindu organization are not so spiritual, but try to get little bit of association from them so that they are more open to accept the Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement ISKCON and they are propose that I should be made an executive member of the executive council, controlling body of the organization, and they also approved the proposal I made regarding king to have a radio broadcast the message of the Vedas from mount Everest, all over the world shortly but how they are, we should help to _.__ make a feasible study , so anyway after that function basically I came directly here to America, did Harinām and __ area with all the devotees and then came here New Talivan, _ program last night before in __ and here I am back home in New Panihati (Devotee says Jai) ... this time (Devotee laughs).. Guru Maharaj laughs...

 

We can see actually, all over the world, I don't go outside my zone anymore just a few, we get report, actually the devotees are very enthusing, actually Kṛṣṇa Conscious movement progressing very nicely we can see how, we have impact having world .... __ how impact as divided into smaller group things like that most dangerous things I have _ actually the devotees are more united now, this year we had GBC meeting in Galaxy, north American GBC discussing various national _ cooperation , and Niranjan Mahārāja came , came from __ , we actually extraordinary situation  developed in the zone, so they asked me to spend some more time here  , till Gaura Pūrṇimā , I was not planning much time this year  in north America, and I have been asked to more time in Māyāpur , and Bengal, and but now I have to adjust little bit more than anticipated three week to month at least a remaining year up to Gaura pūrṇimā....Vaishnava year

 

Any question?

 

Devotee: not audible

 

His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami: Some Rath Yatra, I have changed the ropes, they had ropes in previous year, tear the rope big big rope, like a _ this year we have a brand new Rath was donated by one life member and it was made of Solid Steel (Devotees) it look like wood first you know, quite heavy actually, looks heavy, look like wood, fifty people to move we got special used airplane tie up in jumbo jet, some big put there Jagannath Rath Yatra huge, yeah, main wildest people are north Calcutta actually , streets are narrow, more densely populated    , enthusiastic people and then , pull that wildly, so we don’t have problem like going so much , we did break the couple of times on the return Rath we just started but 84-88, we have four years’ experience , now we have whole crew of devotees , have walki talkie given by the one Government agency, it is very difficult to private agency walki talkies, they have loud speaker system, they have flag , we developed a system Red and green flag when they wanted to pull, you pull out the green flag, and when you wanted to stop you hold up the red flag, then the people out there h... push the people back in case they don't stop, so now the whole team effort, they were was one or two near incidents were ladies, you know why these happens in ladies tangle up in sarees, fall down, right under the Rath, and break blow , blow the air horn heeeeee....nnn , (Devotee laughs) air flag, then we have whole police around the Rath, wheels and we have our own guards , couple of police men and our own volunteers, they  and final guy , over the wheel,  __ , so now I don’t know what's going to happen when the north Calcutta road open again, whether we may pretty much under control still much fired up it’s a , I mean we have better and stronger Rath also, so we have a clear stretch and we have a __

 

Sometimes, the Rath _ the back Rath Jagannath was a last, Balarām in the first and Subadra in the middle, Subadra mainly by women only man was the driver, men are complaining why they cannot join? (Devotee laughs).  Many male also pulling the Rath of course Prabhupāda, they are very fired up they never you know, like devotees don't pull the Rath they do kīrtan, devotees chanting kīrtan for eight hours straight, which we don’t pull the rath, but people fight to pull the Rath.

.