Jayapataka Swami: I am still absorbed in the unlimited, millions and tens of millions of pranams!! It will take me a few lifetimes to absorb all those pranams! You see today is Aksaya Tritiya, maybe you asked the question yesterday. Aksaya Tritiya is somehow connected to the creation of Lord Brahma. What I understand is that on this thithi, he started creation, secondary creations of the universe. So any spiritual activity done today lasts for a life of Brahma. Which is, one day is like 4 billion years. So, that is for almost eternity! And on this day in Jagannath Puri, they start the candan yatra. That continues for 21 days. At this time it is a bit hot in India, of course here we have been having like cool weather, comparatively, I mean for us! 25 degrees C, ha! But that is a lot in Europe! That is very high in Russian and Europe. But here at the time of Nrsimha Caturdasi, sometimes it gets about 40! But right now anyway, since it is a hot period, we offer the Lord sandalwood paste. That is why it has the name, Candan Yatra. And in Puri, they take out Lord Jagannath on the boat, in the Narendra sarovar. They normally they do that for 21 days also. But as a tradition, we do in Mayapur for seven days. Maybe during this lockdown period, they can consider doing it for 21 days! We want to thank the Rasamrita Kunja and Vraja Kumar, he has loaned the swimming pool, which is now in the temple room, which the devotees are using for the boat festival of the Lord. And from 5 to 6 in the evening, you can witness the Lords enjoying their boat festival. So, I am very grateful for the facilitation of the Lord’s boat festival. So, that is in a nutshell, something about the Candan Yatra and the boat festival. So today since it is Aksaya Tritiya any sponsorship of books, any donation, not only does it receives a 100 times benefit because of the Baisak month, but also some other result stays perpetually for a life of Brahma. Haribol! So many people have donated books and donated for the Food for Life and cows, for different programs. So devotees they have sent me donations and I want to thank all of them. On this occasion, I took the opportunity to distribute Bhoga for different Deities in Navadvipa dhama.
26-APRIL-2020 SRI MAYAPUR DHAM, INDIA