Darshan July 14, 2010

book distribution report by Anita dasi

Ever get the feeling you are being watched? We did, and it was amazing – giant wide eyes and a smile hidden by the crowds waiting hours to have a chance to go up on the chariot for a special darshan. Our book stall was directly in front Lord Jagannatha’s cart. It’s inexplicable what it feels like to be distributing books and to look up and see Lord Jagannatha watching. Those eyes . . .


Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra spent the night in Their chariots and the whole next day. This way many could come for darshan. Very long lines formed behind each chariot. With offerings in their hands, people would wait for hours for a chance to go up onto the chariot and have a very close darshan. Several of us went along the lines distributing books. Since those in line were in a devotional mood (and also probably a bit bored waiting in line) many took books.


Many people visited our book stall as they waited for Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra to come down from their chariots and enter the Gundica Mandira.

Around 9 pm the police roped off the path to the entrance of the mandir. Sulata dasi and myself were lucky to be in the front row, and the police were very kind to do their best to keep the crowd from overtaking us. Hundreds of pujaris gathered with their gongs. There were fire-twirlers and dancers to entertain Lord Jagannatha. One pujari tied a piece the rope that pulled the chariots around our hands and said. “You are all Jagannatha’s children.” Later the same pujari came with some maha prashada from Subhadra. He came up to us so quickly I opened my mouth in surprise and he stuffed a piece of cucumber in my mouth. Mahaprashada ki jaya!

We watched as Sudharshan, then Baladeva, then Subhadra and finally Jagganantha were coaxed from their chariots, across the courtyard and into the Gundica mandir.

(In this photo you can see Sri Baladeva wearing a big flower crown as He comes down from His chariot.)

Ratha-yatra July 13, 2010

book distribution report by Anita dasi


“Mahaprabhu added this idea to the Ratha-yatra Festival, that the gopis brought Krsna from the mandir in Nilacala – they brought him from Dvaraka. . . .The singing of Radhika and the gopis is the deep mood behind the Ratha-yatra Festival. They were pulling the ropes of Jagannatha’s chariot by their moods of separation, and He was coming with them to Vrndavan.” – The Origin of Ratha-yatra

Hundreds of thousands come each year to Puri to see Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra leave Their temple, mount giant colorful chariots and pull the chariots by ropes down the Grand road to the Gundica Mandira. We came to witness Ratha-yatra and to serve Lord Jagannatha by offering those attending the festival an opportunity to understand the deeper moods of this festival and to receive the mercy of our Acaryas through their books.

Sulata dasi and myself distributed books in the proximity of the Gundica Mandir and waited for the carts to arrive. Many people would stop and take books.

For several years the devotees from the Jai Sri Damodar Matha here in Puri have set up a book stall in front of Gundica Mandir. Many people visit the book stall and it also serves as our base for book distribution.

Sri Balaram’s chariot comes first. When I first saw the bright top of His chariot coming down the road I hurried to meet it. I joined our kirtana party as they chanted and danced in front. When the chariot is moving there is a heart-stiring cacophony of gongs.The cart stopped for a little while and the kirtana party danced in front. Suddenly the gongs started up again. I was quite close to the ropes. Pulling the ropes can be quite dangerous because so many men are trying to get a chance and they literally run at times, but just as they started the end of the rope was sticking out, so Anandini dasi and myself ran over and grabbed the rope for a thrilling instant before dashing away.

We distributed books and waited for Subhadra’s chariot to arrive in a gentle rain. When I saw Lord Jagannatha’s chariot in the distance I hurried to meet it. After walking some distance I tuned back, a rainbow spanned the sky ending at the two chariots in front of Gundica. It seems there was a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow, better than a pot of gold.

Our kirtana party was there again, but this time it had swollen to include hundreds. I joined them for sometime until Jagannatha’s chariot stopped. I had my first glimpse of His giant and immensely merciful eyes. Those of you who have experience know what I am talking about; those of you who have not, I am sorry, I cannot find the words.

At dusk His chariot joined the other two in front of Gundica. The thousands of devotees in the crowd sang, offered ghee lamps, coconuts, prayers or just stood and stared.

One student named Asutosh was inspired to see us distributing books and began helping us by translating for us. Eventually he took his own small stack of books and began distributing alone. He met us again the next evening and says after reading the two books small books we gave him for helping that he wants to meet Srila Gurudeva.

Jaya Jagannatha!

Purification - Jagannatha Ratha-yatra July 10-12

book distribution report by Anita dasi

As we pulled into the train station at 6:45 am, I thought to myself, “Wow, everything is going so smoothly.” We entered the station and enquired what platform the train would be departing from, only to find out the train was running five hours late.


“No problem we can sing bhajans.” An hour passes. “Lets make breakfast.” Another hour passes. Tick, tick, tick . . .

“Lets distribute books.” We had a brought a box of books to distribute on the train, but out of boredom we broke it open. Unfortunately, after an hour we had distributed all the books except a few in Bengali and English. Only a few more hours to wait . . . tick, tick tick.

The books were a hit with the sampapri wallas. Even though there was a train teeming with hungry passengers in the station they set down their boxes of flakey sweets to examine the books. Word spread and more vendors came for books. I ran out and told them to follow me to the waiting room. Once I had more books they lead me to the room where they keep their goods. Nearly everyone one there took at least one book.

The five hour delay became six hours, and finally the train came. Once we were on the train it became more and more late. We were scheduled to reach Puri 12:30 pm, but it was 1:30 am when our train finally arrived. When we reached the matha the night guard did not know what to do with us, so we just collapsed on a balcony.

At 6am we awoke to gongs, whompers, mrdanga and devotees calling us to come clean Gundica Mandir. Delirious, we dragged ourselves downstairs.

“One day before the Ratha-yatra Festival, Mahaprabhu leads all the devotees to the Gundica Mandira to clean it. On the next day Jagannatha goes to Gundica Mandira along with Baladeva, Subhadra, and His devotees for ten days, after which they all return. Just as Jagannatha goes to Gundica Mandira after it is cleaned, so He may come into your heart if you make it very pure and clean.” – The Origin of Ratha-yatra

After some rest we returned to the Gundicha Mandir in the afternoon to distribute books. Sukadha dasi and Nagari dasi were just inside the gateway distributing books. Even though in this region they speak Oria, the Bengali books were a hit because so many Bengali bhaktas of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu were coming for gundica-marjana.