All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga

Pilgrimage to Sri Hapaniya Dham

According to the tradition established by Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, a festival is held every year at Sri Hapaniya Dham, the birthplace of Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, the day following His Divine Grace's appearance festival in Nabadwip.

A report by Prabhu Hasyapriya, describing this year's festival.

22 October 2011

Dear Devotees & Friends,

On Saturday we celebrated the Holy Appearance Day of Srila Sridhar Maharaj at his birthplace, Sri Hapaniya Dham. It was a wonderful festival with over a hundred devotees from Nabadwip attending and hundreds more local residents coming to take Prasadam. Sripad Tyagi Maharaj led the programme with Sripad Shanta Maharaj and Sripad Narayan Maharaj, who is visiting here from Mauritius.

Narayan Maharaj led kirtan and a wonderful parikrama of devotees winding through the rice paddies and banana tree groves of Hapaniya, visiting the various places connected to Srila Guru Maharaj and his relatives.  A light rain was falling, birds were singing, and the sweet kirtan of the devotees completed a perfect scene.

Back at the Temple, many bhajans were sung glorifying Srila Guru Maharaj and the other Vaishnava Thakurs. A few senior devotees spoke about the Pastimes of Srila Guru Maharaj and we read some excerpts from his writings. Srila Acharya Maharaj gave a wonderful lecture via mobile phone and it was amazing to see all the devotees' affection for him. Everyone was so anxious to hear his every word that the whole room was completely quiet while he spoke.

Next was the arotik to Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Radha Gopinath and an absolutely amazing kirtan led by Narayan Maharaj that had everyone jumping and dancing in joy to glorify Srila Guru Maharaj. Then a wonderful feast, which included Sri Sri Radha Gopinath's special sweet rice, was served to the hundreds of guests and visiting devotees. Everyone ate to their full satisfaction.

I feel very fortunate to have been at this holy place on such an auspicious occasion and share it with so many wonderful devotees.

Sri Hapaniya Dham ki jay!
Srila Guru Maharaj ki jay!