Hari Nama in Kashmir!
BY: DEENA BANDHU DASA
Jun 11, 2011 — VRINDAVAN, INDIA
Our Prison Preaching Incharge, Jankinath Prabhu, decided to take out a Traveling Sankirtan Party for the summer. In their travels they reached Prabhupada Ashram in Uddhampur in Jummu, where HH Navayogendra Maharaja made very comfortable arrangements for their stay. From there they decided to go to Srinagar in Kashmir, where they had the address of Colonel Ashok Kumar, who is a disciple of HH Gopal Krishna Maharaja and would provide them nice facilities for staying and preaching.
When they reached the entrance to Srinagar, there was an army checkpost. The soldiers told them that better not to take this bus with Hare Krishna written all over it into the city. Someone may get upset and attack it! You park it here in our camp and take a taxi. So they arranged a taxi and went to see one of Navayogendra Maharaja's disciples, Sudarshan Prabhu, who maintains a small preaching center there. He took them to Lal Chowk, the main Bazaar of Srinagar, and the most tension filled place in the whole of India. When they got out of the car with Srila Prabhupada's books, suddenly they were inspired to do Hari Nama Sankirtan.
As soon as they started doing an ecstatic Hari Nama, everyone came to see what was happening. Shopkeepers as well as customers came out from the shops and everyone began to smile seeing the devotees chanting. Even from the offices people came out and all were very pleased to see Mahaprabhu's Sankirtan! Even some Muslims walked by and made shalom to them! They chanted all around this very historic place with everyone smiling at them. Suddenly a TV crew appeared, filming them, and soon other media persons arrived to take pictures!
They chanted for about a kilometer when they passed in front of a Muslim women's college. All the girls and teachers came out to see and surrounded them. They all began to smile and appreciate the Sankirtan. Although it is very difficult to get these people to chant the Holy Name, still the devotees heard them mention oh, the Hare Krishna wallas are here. Many times they could overhear them taking the Holy Name! Many soldiers of CRPF arrived with their weapons and began to watch the Hari Nama with pleasure. They told the devotees, don't worry we're protecting you!
They returned to the car and went to the famous Dal Lake, where you can rent house boats to stay. Again they started doing Hari Nama and everyone was very happy to see them!
Afterwards they went to Colonel Ashok Kumar's house for prasadam. He was overjoyed to see the devotees. A couple of the Bengali devotees had been frightened to get out of the car and complained to him that Jankinath almost got them killed! Jankinath countered that you have to die one day, so if you die on the field doing Hari Nama, that is glorious! The Colonel immediately chimed in, if you die in the field that is glorious, no glory in dying in bed. He then joined them in an ecstatic kirtan and fed them nice prasadam!
Jankinath called Yasomatinandan in Ahmedabad and recounted the story to him. He was overjoyed and said this is very historic that you did Hari Nama in Lal Chowk in Kashmir. Today Srila Prabhupada is very pleased with you!
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ki jaya!
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
In service of Srimati Vrinda Devi,
Deena Bandhu dasa
Jun 11, 2011 — VRINDAVAN, INDIA
Our Prison Preaching Incharge, Jankinath Prabhu, decided to take out a Traveling Sankirtan Party for the summer. In their travels they reached Prabhupada Ashram in Uddhampur in Jummu, where HH Navayogendra Maharaja made very comfortable arrangements for their stay. From there they decided to go to Srinagar in Kashmir, where they had the address of Colonel Ashok Kumar, who is a disciple of HH Gopal Krishna Maharaja and would provide them nice facilities for staying and preaching.
When they reached the entrance to Srinagar, there was an army checkpost. The soldiers told them that better not to take this bus with Hare Krishna written all over it into the city. Someone may get upset and attack it! You park it here in our camp and take a taxi. So they arranged a taxi and went to see one of Navayogendra Maharaja's disciples, Sudarshan Prabhu, who maintains a small preaching center there. He took them to Lal Chowk, the main Bazaar of Srinagar, and the most tension filled place in the whole of India. When they got out of the car with Srila Prabhupada's books, suddenly they were inspired to do Hari Nama Sankirtan.
As soon as they started doing an ecstatic Hari Nama, everyone came to see what was happening. Shopkeepers as well as customers came out from the shops and everyone began to smile seeing the devotees chanting. Even from the offices people came out and all were very pleased to see Mahaprabhu's Sankirtan! Even some Muslims walked by and made shalom to them! They chanted all around this very historic place with everyone smiling at them. Suddenly a TV crew appeared, filming them, and soon other media persons arrived to take pictures!
They chanted for about a kilometer when they passed in front of a Muslim women's college. All the girls and teachers came out to see and surrounded them. They all began to smile and appreciate the Sankirtan. Although it is very difficult to get these people to chant the Holy Name, still the devotees heard them mention oh, the Hare Krishna wallas are here. Many times they could overhear them taking the Holy Name! Many soldiers of CRPF arrived with their weapons and began to watch the Hari Nama with pleasure. They told the devotees, don't worry we're protecting you!
They returned to the car and went to the famous Dal Lake, where you can rent house boats to stay. Again they started doing Hari Nama and everyone was very happy to see them!
Afterwards they went to Colonel Ashok Kumar's house for prasadam. He was overjoyed to see the devotees. A couple of the Bengali devotees had been frightened to get out of the car and complained to him that Jankinath almost got them killed! Jankinath countered that you have to die one day, so if you die on the field doing Hari Nama, that is glorious! The Colonel immediately chimed in, if you die in the field that is glorious, no glory in dying in bed. He then joined them in an ecstatic kirtan and fed them nice prasadam!
Jankinath called Yasomatinandan in Ahmedabad and recounted the story to him. He was overjoyed and said this is very historic that you did Hari Nama in Lal Chowk in Kashmir. Today Srila Prabhupada is very pleased with you!
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ki jaya!
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
In service of Srimati Vrinda Devi,
Deena Bandhu dasa
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