This years’ Vyasapuja celebrations were the best I have attended in a long time.

The management and devotees decided to have four days of glorification instead of one. Considering the size of the Mayapur community we knew that one day would not be enough for all the devotees to get the chance to glorify His Divine Grace so four separate days were designated for the event.

On Monday August 30 the 650 children and teachers from the Bhaktivedanta National School held a pandal on their school grounds, with individual presentations from the children and a drama. The culmination was a talk by HH Jayapataka Swami, who had just returned from a preaching tour in Bangladesh, and a wonderful feast.

On Tuesday August 31 it was the turn of the Mayapur householder community. Over 200 devotees gathered in the Mayapur Community Hall in the late afternoon to hear glorifications from Srila Prabhupada’s grand-disciples. Once again Jayapataka Swami illuminated the event with his presence, and another wonderful feast of over 130 preparations cooked in the homes of the devotees was distributed.

On Wednesday September 1 the Sri Mayapur International School (SMIS) hosted the senior devotees at midday.  One of the highlights was the talk by HG Naru-gopal prabhu, who is the chairman of the Mayapur Administrative Council.

Naru-gopal came to Mayapur in 1983 as a 9 years old student, joined the SMIS asrama and spent 14 years there before moving into responsible service as manager of all the guest houses, and then chief administrative officer of the Mayapur temple. He is a prime example of the success of Srila Prabhupada’s mission to educate young boys and train them for a life time of service and leadership in ISKCON. Once again, HH Jayapataka Swami graced the event and afterwards another succulent feast was served.

Thursday September 2 was Janmastami (see other blog entries).

Friday September 3 2010 saw the culmination of four days of glorification of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.

Devotees designed and built a wonderful lotus asana for Srila Prabhupada in the Panca-tattva temple.

Srila Prabhupada sat resplendent surrounded by a pond, with swans and lotus flowers, complete with a fountain in front.

Behind him a star burst emulated a shining effulgence

and the whole set up was bedecked with gorgeous flower arrangements. It was at once elegant and simple and a reflection of real love and appreciation of all he has done for us.

The morning began with Srila Prabhupada singing the samsara prayers at mangala-arati. Then after greeting the Deities at 7.00AM we held the regular guru-puja, with Srila Prabhupada sitting magnificently on his regular Vyasasana surrounded by cushions and bolsters newly covered in gorgeous silks and cottons.

Rama-sraddha prabhu, one of a few young Indian boys who joined in Hyderabad in the mid-1970s, led an exuberant kirtana.

At 8.00AM we sat before a screen and watched the DVD “Following Srila Prabhupada” Vol. 1 while listening to a brilliant lecture by Srila Prabhupada given on the disappearance festival of his Guru Maharaja Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur in Hyderabad in December 10 1976.

Srila Prabhupada spoke on the first four verses of his famous poem “Adore Adore ye all the happy day, blessed than heaven, sweeter than May, when he appeared in Puri the holy place, my lord and master, His Divine Grace.” The lecture brought back special memories for me because I was fortunate to have recorded it. [This will be published shortly in Transcendental Diary, Vol. 6 due for release at Gaura Purnima 2011]

The video was riveting, seeing Srila Prabhupada in the earliest days of the movement dancing and chanting like Lord Caitanya in the Jarikhanda forest, awakening the hippies and animalistic men of America with the holy names. A feat which still strikes me as astonishing, unrepeatable and inconceivable.

At 9.00AM the program began in the Panca-tattva temple and went through to midday with individual glorifications presented by Srila Prabhupada’s disciples from around the world.

We then held an abhishek of His Divine Grace

before the traditional puspanjali offering, and arati peformed by HH Jayapataka Swami.

After a great feast, we gathered again in the temple in the early evening. At 6.00PM the children put on a drama about Srila Prabhupada’s journey to the west in 1965 called “Swamiji at Sea”. Then after evening arati, we continued with offerings until 9.15PM, when the festivities ended with the serving out of generous helpings of a gigantic birthday cake in honor of Srila Prabhupada.

All in all it was one of the most satisfying celebrations we have had, and next year the glorifications by different segments of the community will spread over one whole week. Don’t miss it! Mark Mayapur as the place to be for Janmastami and Vyasapuja in 2011.

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