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!