2nd issue - Nitya-seva newsletter

November, 2015 - 2nd issue

  The auspicious month of Kartika is special in New Vraja-dhama: one wonderful celebration after the other, all giving the opportunity to devotees to realise the words of sastra, that in the spiritual world every word is a song, every step is a dance, and there is a festival every day.

But for those who live here, the celebration of Govardhana-puja is the dearest.

"One of the reasons Krishna provoked Indra's wrath was to inaugurate an annual festival known as Govardhana-puja, a festival so important that the Lord ordered all devotees to observe it with care every year."

Everyone in the community is engaged in preparing for the festival—and “community” means the entire Hungarian yatra. Up to two weeks before the festival, devotees across the country are busy making preparations for the pleasure of Govardhana-lala.

“From the rolling hills of grains, vegetables, sugar, and fruit, and the bottomless lakes of ghee, yoghurt, milk, and honey that had filled Nanda's storehouse, countless preparations had been cooked. Endless varieties of taste, aroma, texture, and colour graced the multitude of preparations served in leaf-plates, leaf-cups, and clay jugs placed on silk tapestries laid end to end on the ground.” 

Similarly New Vraja-dhama’s temple room was covered with the delicious offerings from the devotees. And one might wonder: was the attempt to satisfy Govardhana-lal with the offering of 2 tonnes of foodstuffs a success? It was, for sure! All the happy faces of the devotees attending the festival were proof: because if Krishna is satisfied, then everyone else becomes happy.

“To describe the bliss of the Vrajavasis felt is impossible, but devotees who sincerely worship Govardhana hill will know that bliss, according to their faith in the eternal residents of Vraja.” 

And since devotees know that during Damodara month the benefit of doing devotional service multiplies a thousand times, two enthusiastic devotees decided that they would like to increase their already-existing Nitya-seva payment this month. One of them, a devotee from the United Kingdom, chose to sponsor Lord Ramacandra’s appearance day in the name of his parents. And the other devotee from Budapest, desiring to get the mercy of Srimati Radharani, volunteered to sponsor the day of Radhastami.

(Quotes are from Sivarama Swami's Nava-vraja-mahima, Chapter 9: The Festival and Lifting of Govardhana Hill)

Jaya Radha-Syama!

10th December, 2015.