About Me

My Photo
Name:
Location: Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India

Hare Krishna! Welcome to the Gopal Jiu Publications blog. This will give you some information about Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami, show you some of the ancient tirthas and places we have been researching and visiting here in India, and give you some news and updates on our festivals, seminars and publishing works. You may also be interested in these other links:


Main blog site for Gopal Jiu Publications: http://gopaljiupublications.blogspot.com

Official site for Gopal Jiu Publications:
http://www.gopaliu.org

Now static blog sites with some old news:
http://sggsm.blogspot.com/

http://gopaljiunews.blogspot.com/

Friday, January 06, 2006

Mayapur Disappearance Festival 2005

Here are some photos and excerpts from talks given at last years disappearance festival in Mayapur:


Damodar Giri Prabhu (on the far left playing harmonium) and his bhajan group from Gadeigiri Orissa. Damodar is the cousin brother of Srila Gour Govinda Swami. Last year we brought them to Mayapur to do bhajans for Gour Govinda Maharaja's disappearance festival. If Krishna is willing we hope to bring them again this year 2006. This photo was taken inside of Nalini Mataji's house in Mayapur which she has constructed in dedication to Srila Gour Govinda Swami.


This is Tuku, the son of Damodar Giri Prabhu, playing mrdanga at the pandal program for Gour Govinda Swami's disappearance


The Gadeigiri kirtaniyas are famous for their expertise in the traditional ranihati (also known as raniti) style of kirtana started by Srila Shyamananda Prabhu, the sixteenth-century Gaudiya Vaishnava acarya who spread Vaishnavism all over Orissa.


Damodar Giri singing at the pandal program. Sri Srimad Kavicandra Swami is behind him to the right and further to the right is Sri Srimad Bhaktisvarup Damodar Swami


Here is an excerpt from Kavichandra Swami's talk:

"Maharaja is still present with us in his books and teachings. I once attended a lecture in San Diego given by Srila Gour Govinda Swami. Maharaja was speaking about grhastha life and garbadhana samskara. He quoted many, many verses describing the exact mantras, dates and procedures involved. Later I asked a devotee for a copy of the tape and was disappointed to hear that the recording didn't come out right. Then last year I was delighted to find the same lecture in printed form in Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu."



An excerpt from Sri Srimad Jayapataka Maharaja's talk:

"His Divine Grace Gour Govinda Swami's teachings are very important for everyone in ISKCON. Everyone should read his books."



Sri Srimad Jayadvaita Swami has been coming to the program for the last nine years


From the talk of Sri Srimad Gopal Krishna Goswami:

"Gour Govinda Maharaja created a wonderful temple for Srila Prabhupada in Bhubaneswar and inspired many devotees to distribute Srila Prabhupada's books. He was a fantastic speaker and gave many powerful lectures. We are fortunate now to be able to read them in the form of the books and magazines coming out."


His Grace Bhanabhatta Prabhu and Sri Srimad Bhaktisvarup Damodar Swami

In his talk Bhanabhatta Prabhu recalled: "I was fortunate to be present in Bhubaneswar in 1977 when Srila Prabhupada came there to visit. Many senior devotees were present and everyone was wondering why Srila Prabhupada was spending so much time in Bhubaneswar. There was nothing there at that time, only a jungle and a couple of mud huts. However, Prabhupada stayed there for a long time, an unheard of thing in 1977 for such a small place. I could see that Srila Prabhupada had great affection for Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja. Prabhupada would take him with him wherever he went. Gour Govinda Maharaja was different than the rest of us. He was very quiet and mature and had come from a vaishnava background. However, not all of the devotees were able to appreciate him. I remember one senior sannyasi in particular who spoke harshly of Maharaja. That person later fell down from sannyas and is now a householder. I think it was due to his offenses to Srila Gour Govinda Maharaja. Although I didn't get much opportunity to associate with Maharaja, at this late date, I hope to somehow make up for that a little by reading Maharaja's books and magazines."



Sri Srimad Radhanath Swami singing ye anilo prema dhana, Sri Srimad Jayapataka Swami on the right.


In his talk Radhanath Swami mentioned:

"Srila Gour Govinda Swami taught us how to love Srila Prabhupada. I have never seen anyone with such depth of love. I recently read a small booklet of Maharaja's lectures entitled, "After the Disappearance of Sri Guru". Therein Maharaja powerfully shows that real love means to never leave your guru or your guru's service."


Sri Srimad Shivaram Swami comes every year and charms everyone with his heartfelt and sastric comments about Srila Gour Govinda Swami

In his talk Sri Srimad Niranjana Swami mentioned the following:

"When Srila Prabhupada left this world, it was one of the most tramatic experiences of my life. Later when I heard from Srila Gour Govinda Swami I had the strong realization that Srila Prabhupada was personally speaking to me through him."



Sri Srimad Bhakti Vrajendranandan Swami attends nearly every year


Puspa-samadhi of Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami in Mayapur

posted by Gopaljiu Publications | 4:36 AM

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home