A team of four

 

By Sahasranama dasa, Padayatra Nepal leader

Padayatra Nepal has observed its first Gaura-purnima, the walk having begun by the grace of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the father of the sankirtan movement, on January 19, 2021.

There are just two padayatris in Nepal, myself and Jayapataka Maharaja disciple Yasodanandan dasa, whose service had been with Dayal Gopal dasa’s sankirtan party. Yasodanandan, who recently replaced original team member Premharinam, loves padayatra and is serving very nicely. We have two oxen, Gaura and Nitai, and the four of us are currently walking through the hilly regions of Nepal.

Continuing west from Janakpur dhama, by Gaura-purnima we were in the Sarlahi district where we had a simple celebration at a doctor’s house. We did a small puja of our Sri Sri Nitai-Gaurasundar deities and performed abhishek of the oxen with water, also mixing turmeric powder with oil that was then smeared on their heads, horns, necks and hooves. This was followed by maha-prasad distribution.