Sri Rama Navami Celebrated

By Nandagopal Jivana das

Sri Rama Navami, Appearance day of Lord Sri Ramachandra was celebrated at ISKCON New Delhi, Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi Mandir on 7th April, Friday. Atleast 5,000 people visited the temple to receive the blessings of the All Merciful Lord on his special day. The Lord was dressed in all new dark yellow dress with blue color peacocks made on it. All the three altars—Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi, Sri Sri Sita Rama Lakshmana Hanuman, Sri Sri Gaura Nitai were fully decorated with varieties of flowers and fruits. Temple Hall was also Full of Flowers. And, of course, Prabhupada was there to guide us to celebrate it with all our heart and soul. He was sitting, as usual, on his Vyasa-asana which was also decorated by flowers for the occasion, just next to the entrance of temple hall watching everything and everyone as we celebrated this great day.

Celebrities including Ambika Soni (Tourism Minister), Krishna Tirtha (M.P., Karol Bagh), Environment Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Amar Ujjval Singh, Meera Goyal (Mayor, South Delhi), His Excellency B.L. Joshi (Lieutenant Governor of Delhi), R.P. Singh (MCD Councilor) and Many More visited the temple to receive the blessings of the Lord.
From past 9 days, celebrations were going on. From 30th march to 5th April, H.G. Vrajendra Nandan Prabhu spoke “Sri Rama Katha” from his lotus mouth in the temple auditorium. This Ram Katha was attended by around 400 people everyday. On 6th, discourses were given at regular intervals on the life of Sri Rama and Kirtan was going on throughout the day for the pleasure of the Lord. In the evening, Rama-Lila was performed in the Pandal which was attended by more than 2,000 people. And at last but, hold on, not the least, the most auspicious day arrived i.e. 7th April, 2006, the appearance day of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Rama.
In today’s world we find nothing but miseries, ranging from bodily diseases to mental problems to wars between nations, communities, friends, relatives, etc. to uncountable natural disasters. Is there any solution to all these pains??
The Rama Navami celebrations and festivities is meant to bring about peace and happiness in our lives, by giving us a chance to think of, talk of, and remember the pastimes of the Lord. Since He is the only owner and enjoyer of everything and above all He is the well-wishing friend of everyone, then where is the question of unhappiness, disturbance, and misery? Only by surrendering to him can we become free from unhappiness and misery.
The festival of Rama Navami gives us a chance to bring the Lord to the center of our lives and help us in developing love for him, and hence provide us with a path by which we can go back home, back to Godhead.
We were also very fortunate that H.H. Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaja was present at the celebrations and we took this great opportunity of receiving his blessings as well. In the Morning, Maharaja Ji gave a discourse on Srimad Bhagavatam describing the Glories of Rama-Rajya, which we all are dreaming for. Even, Mahatma Gandhi dreamed that he would one day see Rama- Rajya in India. Maharaja explained how all bodily & mental sufferings, diseases, old age, lamentation, distress, fear & fatigue were completely absent during Lord Ram’s Kingdom. There was even no death for those who did not want it.
Rama Rajya was immensely popular& beneficial, and the spreading of Hare Krishna Movement can immediately introduce a similar situation even in this Kaliyuga.

After this, there was a Maha- Abhishek of Sri Sri Sita Ram Lakshmana, with the Vedic hymns like Rama Raksha Stotra, Rama Shahasra Naam; Sri Brahma Samhita was being chanted in the background, which lasted for around one hour or so. During the Abhishek, H.G. Mohan Rupa Prabhu was doing ecstatic Kirtan all the time, all the time for around one hour inspite of his ill-health. Maharaja Ji was present in the Sita-Rama Alter. Then, Lord was offered 56 bhog, fifty-six different types of Eatables along with a huge cake.
After this, it was time for feasting after the half day fasting at around 1 pm. ISKCON’s World Famous Love Feast was distributed to all the visitors and guests. “Steamy Hot Puris along with subzi, khichadi, halwa, sweets and thandai.”—The Menu may be commonplace but flavor was not, claims the Sood Family who were present in the celebrations from the morning.
Another Visitor, Mrs. Aggarwal says: “There is something special, something divine in the bhandara food. It’s as though Lord Rama himself blessed it. You’ll never get the same taste at home.”
And it was true that Lord Rama had personally ate that food and have blessed it for us, the fallen souls, for it was not an ordinary bhandara but it was Lord’s Prasada i.e. His remnants, His mercy in form of food. More than 1,000 tasted that something divine by having their own plates full of Prasadam. It’s astonishing that so many people attended the ceremony inspite of it being a working day.
In the evening, H.H. Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaja continued his morning discourse, in the pandal, on the glories of Rama-Rajya and how we can have it in this age of quarrel and hypocrisy. More than 2.000 people attended it which was followed by an ecstatic kirtan and a full- dinner Prasadam for all the guests. Maharaja ji very humbly requested all those who were present at the programme to take to the process of Devotional Service of the Supreme lord.
Anukaran Singh, a Sikh, who attended the lecture was more happy then anyone else. The reason he said was that he liked Maharaja Ji’s lecture very much and was very much inspired by him. He said that “Maharaja just speaks like Guru Nanak,” as Guru Nanak, he added, advises us in Granth Sahib to always chant the holy names of Rama, Maharaja also always stress on the same point. I think Guru Nanak himself is speaking from Maharaja Ji’s Lotus Mouth.
“Guru Nanak advises us, ‘Having heard the name of Lord Rama, we have become absorbed with love of God…The Name of Rama pleases the chanter’s mind, and he achieves supreme happiness. He for whom the chanting of the name of Rama is a constant companion, even when leaving this world he never goes to the world of Yamaraja. O brother, I meditate on Lord Rama.’”
(Raga Asa IV, Ghar I, Chant II, IX.1, 2.3)
So, I take this opportunity to thank all the devotees for their dedicated service for the success of the festival. I am sure that whosoever has contributed even a little, would definitely get the special blessings of Sri Sri Sita Rama Lakshmana Hanumanji.

Wishing you all once again a very very Happy Rama Navami.