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Anniversary Festival in Sri Bankura
Tuesday, 26 January 2021
Betur (Bankura), Mednipore Division, West Bengal
Photographs courtesy of Sripad B.N. Sadhu Maharaj
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His Divine Grace told a little about the background of this temple on 5 July 2015: Our new temple in Bankura (Betur) is almost finished, and the Deities—Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharva Radha-Raman jiu—are going to be ready soon. Gurudev gave a very sweet name in the Kaikhali temple, but unfortunately at present we cannot serve the Deities there, devotees cannot go to Kaikhali properly, that is why I have chosen this name for the Deities in Bankura. Srila Sridhar Maharaj went to that place because of Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj, a disciple of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur. After Prabhupad's disappearance, Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj (at that time a brahmachari) returned to his home in Bankura and got married. Srila Sridhar Maharaj became very sad and went to his home to bring him back. Goswami Maharaj said, "Maharaj, if you give sannyas to me, I will join the mission and start preaching again." Srila Sridhar Maharaj agreed and after sannyas his name became Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj. You know that every year when do Nabadwip Dham parikrama, we stop at Nandan Acharya Bhavan. It is his temple in Mayapur. In Vrindavan also, his temple is in Imlitala. He is a very big preacher and captured many places of Mahaprabhu's pastimes. Nandan Acharya Bhavan is the place where Mahaprabhu and Nityananda Prabhu met for the first time; and in Imlitala, Sri Krishna meditated at the bank of the Yamuna at that place, and Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj got the service there. Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj's birthplace is near Bankura, and by the mercy of Guru Maharaj we got the land for our temple in Gurudev's time. Gurudev knew that place, knew that we had got the land there as a donation from a school teacher. I could not finish and could not start also the temple in Gurudev's time, but two years ago (2013) I started the construction, and now the temple is finished and I want to inaugurate it... (You can see the temple inauguration photographs here.) |
During the morning programme.
From early in the morning, devotees busily engage in last preparations for the festival: sweeping, cleaning, decorating, etc.
Devotees starting cooking.
The cows are covered by jute sacks to protect them against the night chills.
Above and below: decorating the gates of the temple to welcome all the auspicious and fortunate guests.
More sweeping service...
Devotees honour maha-prasadam in the morning.
Sripad Sajjan Maharaj sets up the book table and immediately attracts devotees.
Their Lordships Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharva Radha-Raman jiu.
Close to midday, His Divine Grace starts the class and main festival programme.
Washing ladles for the distribution of prasadam and picking up some vegetable leaves for cows.
In the meantime, buckets and tubs are getting filled as devotees prepare many exquisite preparations for the Lordships.
A mountain of rice and a huge tub of sweet rice are ready.
Sripad Ashok Prabhu and Sripad Virachandra Prabhu from Midnapore temple.
During the noon arati of the Lordships.
After the arati, all devotees sit down to honour maha-prasadam.
His Divine Grace speaks to some devotees after the class and happily observes the grand prasadam distribution.
After the festival, Sri Gurupadpadma leaves the temple to embark on the
annual rice collection continuing Sri Nabadwip Dham Pracharani Sobha
preaching campaign.
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“I
am praying to you all that you do not forget your service to your Guru, to the Vaishnavs, Bhagavan.” |
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