{"id":6031,"date":"2019-06-02T18:03:52","date_gmt":"2019-06-02T12:33:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.padayatra.com\/?p=6031"},"modified":"2019-06-02T18:04:46","modified_gmt":"2019-06-02T12:34:46","slug":"vaishnavi-evening-walk-complements-childrens-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.padayatra.com\/padayatra-new\/vaishnavi-evening-walk-complements-childrens-event\/","title":{"rendered":"VAISHNAVI EVENING WALK COMPLEMENTS CHILDREN\u2019S EVENT"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Jayabhadra devi dasi \u2013 IGF preacher ISKCON Amravati<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Following the\u00a0<\/span>ISKCON Girls\u2019 Forum Vaishnavi padayatra at Amravati, I had been looking for the opportunity to hold such walks in our nearby centres. When the chance came to have a children\u2019s padayatra at Dhamangaon it seemed natural to follow that with a Vaishnavi padayatra later that day, an idea to which ISKCON\u00a0centre leader Damodardulal dasa\u00a0kindly agreed. At the end of the little Vaishnavas\u2019 padayatra on the morning of May 19, we then made ready for a Vaishnavi padayatra to be held that evening.<\/span><\/p>\n

A cycle cart was decorated with balloons and colourful laces and a photo of Sri Sri Nitai-Gaurasundara was framed and put on the rath, so that everyone could have darshan. In front of the procession would be small Gaura-Nitai deities, behind Them two matajis holding the banner, and then the rath followed by matajis singing kirtan.<\/span><\/p>\n

Damodardulal\u2019s mother, Kamala mataji, waved the flag and inaugurated padayatra outside the centre at 5:30pm. About thirty matajis joined the parade, and when I sought assurance along the way that no-one was getting tired, their answer was \u201cthe Lord is with us \u2013 how can we be tired?\u201d We happily walked and sang for about 5km in the pleasant evening atmosphere, stopping at every square to make announcements about the glories of the holy name and the goal of our padayatra. We also performed street plays on four topics: \u201cWhat is Padayatra?\u201d; \u201cThe Importance of Bhagavad-gita\u201d; \u201cGlories of the Holy Name\u201d; and \u201cRegular Satsanga Programme in Dhamangaon,\u201d which were all much appreciated by the public and our matajis.<\/span><\/p>\n

We reached our destination at Mr Yadav\u2019s house in Dattapur at 8pm, where the family welcomed us with garlands. It was Mr Yadav\u2019s daughter\u2019s birthday, and we joined in the celebration with a birthday song for her, ISKCON style: \u201cHare Krishna to you, Hare Rama to you.\u201d Then we all honoured prasadam and shared our realizations, thanking each one who joined the party and declaring padayatra successfully completed.<\/span><\/p>\n