All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga

Nadanghat—from Doctor's Surgery to Soul Surgery
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On the 5th of December, the day following Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj's Vyasa Puja festival held at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math in Nabadwip, five bus-loads of devotees leave at 7am towards Sripat Bamunpara, the holy appearance place of His Divine Grace.

On the way there, all buses stop in a town known as Nadanghat. This place is most significant in the Pastimes of Srila Govinda Maharaj, because it was here that he first encountered the disciples of Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj.

When Srila Gurudev was seventeen years old, he was living in Nadanghat while performing work in Dr Kali Singha Roy's surgery. A preaching party from Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, then only a small Temple on the banks of the Ganges, came to spread Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's precepts in the village. The young boy was attracted to the sounds of the mrdanga, and after some dialogue with Srila Sridhar Maharaj's party, he felt the deep desire to meet their eminent Guru. In the middle of the night he departed on foot, accompanied by one of the devotees, towards Nabadwip, directly from Nadanghat. And so unfolded the Pastimes of the Divine Servitor Srila Govinda Maharaj.

Recently some property was donated to the Math—the very house where the devotees had been staying. Sripad Acharyya Maharaj renovated the building and turned it into a place of worship of our Guru-varga.

The pilgrimage party today stops just outside town and performs Sankirttan all the way to this blessed place.

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The Sankirttan party chants glories to Lord Hari and our Guru-varga all through the town...
led by Sripad Bhakti Nirmal Acharyya Maharaj, who is responsible for the development of our centre in Nadanghat
   
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Today the building which gave shelter to the early disciples of Srila Sridhar Maharaj has been transformed
And the holy images of Srila Govinda Maharaj and Srila Sridhar Maharaj are worshipped daily within it
   

Little did the pilgrimage party imagine, when it congregated under the pandal to listen to the illustrious sannyasis' glorifications of Srila Govinda Maharaj, that Srila Gurudev would himself visit on this special festival occasion, and see the renovated building at this place so bound to his youthful Pastimes!

Shortly after the address begins, a telephone call to Sripad Acharyya Maharaj's phone causes lots of excitement.
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Many sannyasis gather to glorify our spiritual masters...
And a large crowd gathers to listen to their glories
   
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Suddenly Srila Gurudev's car appears
Everybody is amazed to realise that Srila Gurudev himself has graced us with his presence today
   
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Everybody is really keen to catch a glimpse of His Divine Grace who is surrounded by his assistants
The crowd presses in but Srila Gurudev is wheeled safely to the podium and then through to the small house to see the Temple room
   
There is a scurry in the crowd when the first glimpse of Srila Govinda Maharaj's car is caught and the signal given. The car drives in amidst the crowd. Larger Western men, who serve as Srila Gurudev's personal assistants, flank the narrow passage way which allows him to be wheeled to the podium where the sannyasis had been seated.

It is difficult to observe the goings on amidst the crowd pressing to catch a glimpse of His Divine Grace. Shortly after he is wheeled towards the building and taken inside to see, for the first time, the arrangement for his worship and that of Srila Sridhar Maharaj.

With so many people gathered for the festival occasion, the happenings are rather intense - indeed everybody was surprised that Srila Gurudev had ventured into it! Thus the visit was brief and soon the car went ahead. His Divine Grace would have time to peacefully visit the beautiful Temple built in his honour at his childhood village before the crowds could catch up.
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The visit is short but memorable, and everybody remains stunned as Srila Govinda Maharaj's car drives away...
Towards Bamunpara, his holy birthplace marked by the distinctive Temple domes of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math
   
 
Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Nabadwip
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