{"id":7914,"date":"2021-12-29T10:04:18","date_gmt":"2021-12-29T04:34:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.padayatra.com\/?p=7914"},"modified":"2021-12-29T10:04:18","modified_gmt":"2021-12-29T04:34:18","slug":"iskcon-noida-completes-its-fifth-annual-eighteen-day-padayatra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.padayatra.com\/padayatra-new\/iskcon-noida-completes-its-fifth-annual-eighteen-day-padayatra\/","title":{"rendered":"ISKCON Noida completes its fifth annual eighteen-day padayatra"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

By Radhakunda dasa<\/strong><\/p>\n

ISKCON Noida recently held its fifth eighteen-day padayatra to Vrindavan under the leadership of Noida temple president Vamsidhar dasa. The first padayatra was in 2016, ISKCON\u2019s golden jubilee year, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic it had to be cancelled in 2020. However, by the mercy of our spiritual master, Lokanath Maharaja, we were successful this year. Padayatra began on October 3 from the ISKCON Noida temple as a large group of devotees and congregation members set off on the approximately 150km trek. On October 20, the auspicious first day of Kartika, we reached the Krishna-Balaram temple in Vrindavan dhama.<\/p>\n

Padayatra schedule<\/strong><\/p>\n

Day 1\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 3\/10\/2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ISKCON Noida to Farmhouse<\/p>\n

Day 2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 4\/10\/2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Farmhouse to ISKCON Greater Noida<\/p>\n

Day 3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 5\/10\/2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ISKCON Greater Noida to Azampur Gadi<\/p>\n

Day 4\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 6\/10\/2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Azampur Gadi to Dankaur<\/p>\n

Day 5\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 7\/10\/2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dankaur to Rabupura<\/p>\n

Day 6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8\/10\/2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rabupura to Jewar<\/p>\n

Day 7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 9\/10\/2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jewar to Tappal<\/p>\n

Day 8\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 10\/10\/2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Tappal to Jattari<\/p>\n

Day 9\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 11\/10\/2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jattari to Sofa ki Nahar<\/p>\n

Day 10\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 12\/10\/2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sofa ki Nahar to Khair<\/p>\n

Day 11\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 13\/10\/2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Khair to Bajana<\/p>\n

Day 12\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 14\/10\/2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Bajana to Naujheel<\/p>\n

Day 13\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 15\/10\/2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Naujheel to Sultanpur<\/p>\n

Day 14\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 16\/10\/2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sultanpur to Tentigaon<\/p>\n

Day 15\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 17\/10\/2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Tentigaon to Mat<\/p>\n

Day 16\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 18\/10\/2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mat to Panigaon<\/p>\n

Day 17\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 19\/10\/2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Panigaon to Vrindavan<\/p>\n

Day 18\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 20\/10\/2021\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Vrindavan parikrama on first day of Kartika<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Preparations for the padayatra had started one month earlier. The chariot and the oxen were beautifully decorated, the devotees were invited and dignitaries were called upon to attend the inauguration ceremony.<\/p>\n

On October 3 the morning arati was offered and then with the breaking of coconuts padayatra was inaugurated by the auspicious hands of Harivilas Varma, a great donor who sponsored our padayatra chariot, witnessed by many other guests. After an inspiring speech by Vamsidhar the padayatris departed at 3pm with many congregation devotees joining us in the procession.<\/p>\n

Along the way we had nagar sankirtan and distributed books wherever we overnighted and many villagers would dance with us as we sang the holy name. The next morning, we would perform mangal arati and after chanting rounds with Lokanath Maharaja depart for our next destination by 6:30am. This was our daily schedule.<\/p>\n

On day five we walked from Dankaur to Rabupura after mangal arati, a distance of 15km. Unfortunately, as we were about to stop for breakfast the yoke of our chariot broke and it was 2pm by the time the yoke was repaired. We finally reached our destination at 3:30pm after a tough day. We halted at Rabupura\u2019s Saraswati temple and in the evening, we were joined by Vamsidhar on a grand nagar sankirtan. We also discussed with some favourable people there and soon we will be having regular sankirtan in Rabupura.<\/p>\n

On day eight we walked 9km from Tappal to Jattari. Not long after leaving Tappal we came to a college where the guards and other people blocked our path, insisting that we wait there until a party from Noida had arrived. We had sankirtan and katha and then breakfast until Harivilas Varma and some Noida congregation devotees joined us and honoured prasadam with us.<\/p>\n

On October 19 there was much excitement among the padayatris as our destination was only a few kilometres away. It was raining but our hearts were longing to go to Vrindavan \u2013 \u201cmora mana Vrindavan.\u201d We then began to make arrangements for our arrival at the dhama as we decorated our chariot with flowers which had come from Noida with several congregation devotees.<\/p>\n

We entered Vrindavan on October 20, the first day of Kartika, to a rousing welcome at the Jagannath temple where the pujari performed arati of Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai. As we proceeded towards our ISKCON temple a second welcome came just after Atalla Chungi chowk from my parents, Indraneel dasa and Janhavi mataji. We were given a third welcome upon arrival at the Krishna-Balaram mandir by temple president Panchagauda dasa, Srila Prabhupada disciple Srutakirti prabhu, Nama hatta in charge Krishna Kumar prabhu, All-India Padayatra leader Acarya dasa, Istadev dasa, Brajbhumi dasa and many other devotees as we took the last few steps of our padayatra along a road decorated with rangoli. Panchagauda and Srutakirti offered a garland to Srila Prabhupada and then there was a grand kirtan with arati of Srila Prabhupada and Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai. After a talk by Panchagauda we took our utsava deities of Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai to Srila Prabhupada\u2019s samadhi where all the padayatris circumambulated the samadhi and then took darshan of Sri Sri Nitai-Gaurasundar, Sri Sri Krishna-Balaram and Sri Sri Radha-Shyamasundar.<\/p>\n

The padayatris along with our chariot and many devotees then performed parikrama of Vrindavan dhama. After prasadam the padayatris shared their realizations about padayatra and that evening we returned to Noida, thus completing our fifth Noida to Vrindavan padayatra.<\/p>\n

Srila Prabhupada, ki jai.<\/p>\n