Navadvipa, West Bengal Festival

Subal Das

All Glories to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga

You are cordially invited to attend

Sri Navadvipa-mandala Parikrama 2012

Conducted under the guidance of

Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja

Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha

M. Kolerdanga Road (near the Ganga Bridge)

Navadvipa, West Bengal

This year, the festival will be inaugurated on March 2nd with the devotees observing sankalpa, or a vow to ensure the success of their parikrama. The last day of the festival will be March 9th.On March 3nd, we will begin our five-day Sri Navadvipa-mandala Parikrama, a pilgrimage to each of Navadvipa's nine incomparably beautiful islands. As we wind our way through these islands, we will chant compelling and surcharged kirtanas that we will cherish forever, reverentially touch our head to the dust of the numerous holy places related to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's pastimes, and hear nectarean harikatha that will change our lives and strengthen our commitment to the path of Gaudiya Vaisnavism. Our pilgrimage will be completed on March 7th.

—

A New Temple in Navadvipa

by Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja

[The largest of Srila Narayana Maharaja's European hari-katha festivals was held in Italy last week, with over 700 devotees and guests in attendance. The main theme of his lectures was the glory of mahat-sanga, or sadhu-sanga (association with self-realized souls), in continuation of the series of classes he gave on the same subject in Badger three weeks earlier. Because this was also the week of the Ratha-yatra festival in India, he also spoke on that topic for two days. At the beginning of his June 23 class, he made the following announcement to the assembled devotees:]


Italy - June 23, 2004
 
Very soon, before Navadvipa parikrama takes place, we are going to establish a preaching center there in Sri Navadvipa-dhama. We will perform Navadvipa-dhama parikrama from there. We will try get at least ten acres of land, where we will build a temple with a goshala, kirtana hall, printing house, publishing department, guesthouse and brahmacari ashram. These will gradually be developed, just as in our Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti Devananda Gaudiya Matha.

I will soon be 85 years old. I have managed the Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti for about 50 or 60 years. Now, in my advanced age, I can no longer carry that burden. There is not so much time. I want to write and publish many books, as did Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja, because my Gurudeva ordered me to do this. I also want to travel throughout the world, to support and nourish devotees everywhere.

And, I have decided to make this temple, especially for the international assembly of devotees.
But that new temple wants so much money. All of you can personally give at least a small donation. We are here in Italy for 7 days. If 500 persons donate something, we can purchase that land. We can very quickly build a fence, and then the buildings and so on. All will be done by the time of parikrama. Somehow I have promised – I have taken a vow – that we must do parikrama from that place this coming year. I request you all to help. Sannyasis should inspire others to join in this big service of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Nityananda prabhu. I think you are happy to hear this, so try to help me in this service.

Editorial advisors: Sripad Madhava Maharaja and Sripad Brajanatha dasa

Transcribers: Vasanti dasi
Typist: Anita dasi
Editor: Syamarani dasi
HTML: Bhutabhavana dasa