Ready to go

Nandagram
Vrindakunda
Ayodhyavasini Rama
Spring Festival of Holy - Kunja Devata
Spring Festival of Holy - Vraja Kumaris
Spring Festival of Holy - Spring & Matangi
Spring Festival of Holy - Holi Begins
Spring Festival of Holy - Holi Concludes

We are almost ready to go. The suitcases are packed, sandwiches are prepared. Our flight leaves tomorrow from Birmingham airport. It will be some 17 hours later when we reach Kolkata. We will be in transit in Dubai with a two hours wait arriving in Kolkata on Wednesday just after 8 in the morning. If all goes according to plan our taxi driver from Mayapur will be waiting for us outside the airport holding up a sign with our name. It will be another four hour ride on an extremely bad road full with potholes till we reach Sri Dham Mayapur.

Tomorrow morning our Lords, Sri Sri Nitai Saci-Sundar will move out of the temple to take Their temporary residence at the house of Keshava Prabhu. Keshava has been working very hard over the past few weeks to renovate his house and especially his temple room. I have not seen it since then and look forward to our visit tomorrow morning. Tulsi devi has already moved.



In our absence the weekly Saturday programme will continue at Keshava's place. Our congregation is much excited and they have pledged their full support. Giriraja Govardhana will come with us to Mayapur, Puri and Vrindavan. He will travel in a silken bag hanging around my neck. To have the Lord so close to my chest is a great privilege. Also around my neck is a special sudarshan saligram sila in a silver locket. Both have been given to me by Puri Maharaja, who in turn received this transcendental gift from Indradyumna Swami. I feel therefore well protected in every respect.

The story how Giriraja came into my care has been recorded and you can listen to it by following this link. You can also read the Kartik Diaries from 2006 with their many audio links of music and talks by Dina Bandhu Prabhu at various holy places in and around Vrindavan. Last not least I have to say that it is very exciting writing this diary, especially as there are already some followers of this blog. Thank you so very much for your interest. It feels like our group of four has increased to seven. We will be thinking of you every step of this sacred journey. Walk with us and roll with us in the sacred sand of Vrindavan, bathe with us in the holy Ganga and come with us to see shore of the Indian ocean at Jagannatha Puri.

This will be the last posting from a computer. If all goes well all future postings will be done from my Nokia N95 mobile handset with the help of an Indian sim card. If that fails there is always an Internet Caffee.