Bhakti Vinod Maharaj blessing the bulls

By Acarya Dasa

On September 8th our party was in Kasaragod, a municipal town in the Kasaragod district. It was a very special day for us because Bhakti Vinod Maharaj decided to join us on pāda-yātrā for two days to give us his blessings. Maharaj gave the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam class in the morning and also joined us on saṅkīrtana. His enthusiasm inspired us and when he sang the Holy Names, he sang with all his heart. Every day at 7:30 p.m. after saṅkīrtana, we had Gaura Ārati in a major square of the town or village so the public could participate in the program as well. After the Ārati, Maharaj gave a class on Bhagavad-gītā emphasizing its great importance which inspired many people to purchase a Bhagavad-gītā afterward.

A wonderful experience

The next day Maharaj walked with us as we preached in various areas in Kasaragod. He said, “I like to be on pāda-yātrā, it’s a wonderful experience.” Maharaj spoke with Lokanath Maharaj who was very happy that he joined the pāda-yātrā. Bhakti Vinod Maharaj asked us to visit Trivendram again and to stay there for a few days, but our route had already been planned and our next destinations decided. After two days Maharaj left, but before leaving he said, “I will keep coming to pāda-yātrā’ and he blessed us to carry on with our mission with full enthusiasm.