Śrīla Prabhupāda's Hare Krishna Society

Sri Gaura Purnima Mahotsava-Sedro Woolley,Wa. USA 2011

Hare Krsna to All

Pranams

All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

Yesterday, Saturday,on Gaura Purnima, we had a packed crowd of many devotees who attended our annual ecstatic event and who all reluctantly left --with smiles, a mile wide. The festival began with Sri Gaura Arotik with Makhancora prabhu leading . During the course of the evening many devotees whirled and danced themselves into ecstasy which is what happens when you have been infected with the Holy Names of Krsna and Rama. After this kirtan we did the Narasimha mantras to harmonium and Jaya Radha Madahva songs and then we gave a class on the conclusion to the Teachings of Lord Caitanya with the discussion of questions and answers between Lord Gauranga and Ramananda Raya. Then we explained the nasty conditions predicted for kali yuga, and how to remedy this by chanting Hare Krsna Mantra. We also went into some depth about the nature of sound vibration, its four levels (Vaikari, Madhyama, Pasyanti and Para Vak) and how at the 3rd level (pure intelligence or Pasyanti) one begins to see colors and forms in sound vibrations and then on the completely transcendental platform one will experience sound to be the exact same thing as that which it describes. Krsna is His Name, and He is fully conscious within it.

Anubhavananda prabhu wrote and gave us a very nice poem set to some music.

Next was the play of Jagai and Madhai vs. Nityananda Prabhu performed by Kanhaiya Prabhu and his kids. Sometimes I think Kanhaiya has missed his calling and should have been an actor instead of a computer programmer .Its pretty obvious he loves to perform for an audience of Devotees and in front of the Lord.

Then we did abhisek of two Salagram Silas and Kaliya Krsna murti, and everyone enjoyed pouring ghee, honey, milk , yoghurt and rose water over the Lord's bodies. Next was opening some presents for the Lord. We made a 6 foot long tulsi/vaijanti garland for the altar front edge. The tulsi beads were from old plants who gave up their bodies over the years and the interspersed Vaijanti beads (this flower is one of Krsna's favorites) came from Kanhaiyas parents who are now visiting here for a few months. We also gave the Lord's some beads made from pearl and gold caps as well as another set made from colored glass beads. Recently a new Salagram Sila appeared here as a donation to us, a Varaha Sila so we offered Him a silver nose ring as well.

After this Navadvipa and family did some bhajanas and Krsna Kirtan for the Deities and devotees pleasure.

There was some wild dancing going on at the end of this. After the Prema Dvani prayers everyone got a chinese party popper and we all simultaneously pulled the strings to the chorus of Sri Caitanya Ki Jaya !!!

And then the Feast !!

Chanting Dancing and Feasting-- this is the simple program given by Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya for all of us kali yuga inhabitants to become happy on a daily basis. Some will take to it congregationally, some wont. The fortunate ones take to it (and are happy) and the unfortunate ones ,even though invited, don't seem to be able to understand this simple process..

We offered the Lords' here over 108 different preparations including 56 different kinds of burfy, gulab jamuns, sweet rice (the "old fashioned" kind with camphor and cooked down rice-no large chunks at the bottom !!), all kinds of fresh fruits, dried fruits, nuts, subjis, pushpana rice, Gauranga Potatoes, differents chutneys, 4 kinds of pakoras, puris, pasta, pesto, and on and on... (see the photo below).