Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundar wearing the garlands

By Acarya Dasa

Our pāda-yātrā party was passing through the village of Talugudi on June 14th  . Rupa Ragunath Maharaj was about to leave for Argentina after having spent some time with us.  He said to me that day, “We should dress Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundar very nicely with beautiful garlands.” We usually make simple garlands but I agreed that having nice garlands for Their Lordships would attract more people to take Their darsana too. After walking for some time I came across a garland shop where I saw a pair of fresh and beautiful garlands. I rushed over to the shopkeeper and asked him about the garlands. He said that the garlands had been ordered by a marriage ceremony and was priced at 1800 rupees. I thought about how beautiful the garlands would’ve looked on Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundar and was saddened that I could not get them.

No coincidences

While I was thinking like this a local namahatta devotee came to pay obeisances to the Lord. He wanted to offer something to the Lord so he went to the very same garland shop and brought the very same garlands I was looking at. When he approached me with the garlands I was so happy I immediately offered them to the Lordships. They looked very beautiful. Afterwards I asked the devotee, how he obtained the garlands since they were ordered for a marriage ceremony? He said that the couple had canceled their order and took some other garlands.

This was no coincidence! It is all part of the Lord’s lila. He must have inspired the namahata devotee to bring the garlands for Him. Everything is possible for the Lord. He can read the hearts of His devotees and the devotees have no desire except to please the Lord.

Such are the glories of our Sri Sri Nitai Guarsundar.