Govardhana
Since several devotees have asked where I am and what I’m doing for Kartika, here’s the scoop:
For the month of Kartika, I am staying in a room at the A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Ashrama at Govardhana Hill in India.
I rise at 2:45am, attend Mangala Aarti at 4:15am and start parikrama (reverent circumambulation) of Govardhana Hill at 5:30am, returning to the Ashrama by 8am.
Next, I attend Srimad-Bhagavatam class in the temple room, which starts at 8am and is over by 9am. At 9:15am all the residents of the Ashrama take breakfast prasadam together in the prasadam hall: Kitchuri, subji and fruit.
The next program – group hearing and chanting – starts at Noon and ends at 1:30pm. For this, about ten devotees gather in my room in the ashrama for kirtana and hearing from the scriptures accompanied by some lively discussion.
After the noon hearing and chanting session, all the ashrama residents meet in the prasadam hall for lunch at 2pm.
Then at 3:30pm our next hearing and chanting session begins and goes until 6:30pm. There’s a core group who regularly attend both the hearing and chanting programs everyday throughout kartika, while other devotees join periodically.
During the noon session, we are reading from Srimad-Bhagavatam, tenth canto regarding the advent of Lord Krishna. During the 3:30pm session, we are reading the Sri Brhat Bhagavatamrta, volume I, which describes Narada Muni’s search for the devotee who has attained the most mercy from the Lord.
After the 3:30pm-6:30pm session, the devotees migrate upstairs to the temple room and sit together for the singing of the Damodara Astakama and the offering of a lamp to the Deities, both of which start at 7pm.
After this, there’s light prasadam available in the prasadam hall at 8pm and the devotees take rest as soon as possible afterwards to get ready for the next day.
In-between scheduled programs there is time for resting or taking care of one’s personal necessities.
I thank His Holiness Keshava Bharati Dasa Goswami, the head of the ashrama, as well as the temple president, Asit Krishna Prabhu, and all the resident brahmacaris for being so accommodating.
I am deeply grateful to have this precious time each Kartika to hear Krsna katha and to chant Hare Krishna without distraction.
At the same time, I am feeling separation from the all the devotees and I miss being on the sankirtana battlefield.
After Katika at Govardhana where we drink deeply from the nectar of Srila Prabhupada’s books, I always look forward more than ever to distributing that nectar.
Hoping that this meets you all well.
In separation,
Vaisesika Dasa
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