Nama Om Vishnu padaya Krsna preshtaya bhutale
Srimate Jayapataka Swamin iti namine
Nama Acaryapadaya Nitai Krpa pradayine
Gaura Katha dhama daya nagara grama tarine
Nama Om Vishnu padaya Krsna preshtaya bhutale
SrimateBhaktivedanta Swamin iti namine
Namaste Saraswate deve Gaura vani pracarine
Nirvisesa sunya vadi pascatya desa tarine
To my dearest Spiritual Master and father, my dear Gurumaharaj,
Please accept my sincere and humble obeisances at your Lotus Feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to your lotus feet!
My dear Gurumaharaj, I have been meaning to talk to you and connect with you for a long time now. This will be the first time I formally connect with you through my written words. I have so much to share with you and wish to serve you and please you and your devotees Gurumaharaj. Please kindly continue to be merciful unto a fallen soul like me. I will share with you my heart and my story of how we met and Lord Krishna's divine merciful intervention in connecting us, to this day I wonder and feel so much full of love and bliss when I reflect on the past events and I am very excited about the future in continuing to help you serve in Srila Prabhupada's mission. I am your aspiring fallen servant, Umeeka, Hare Krishna.
Any merit or positive qualities I have developed is only by the mercy of your graceful and elevated spiritual daughter, Her Grace Amala Manjari devi dasi. When I returned from my travels in Vrindavan in 2018, I was put in contact with Amala mataji by a devotee called Trupti mataji. Little did I know that connecting with Amala mataji would transform my life as I knew it. To rewind my story, before Vrindavan, I actually started practising Krishna Consciousness at the age of 21 when I joined Queen Mary University of London, the Krishna Consciousness society, there I helped serve as Vice President and Treasurer for two years. I did not really understand the philosophy or practice but I knew of Krishna since I was a baby. Growing up every Sunday my parents would take me to Bhaktivedanta Manor. As a baby I gazed at Radha Gokulananda and developed an affection for Them. I have been chanting for almost 9 years now. Through the mercy of Amala mataji, I started chanting 16 rounds last July 2020, there I jumped from 8 to 16 on 16th July 2020 on Ekadashi. I am still chanting 16 rounds to this day due to Amala mataji’s mercy, constant encouragement and care. She is a real gem of a Vaishnavi and I aspire to follow in her footsteps to help you serve in the mission and help many more souls come closer to Krishna.
My dear Gurumaharaj, in middle of December 2019 to January 3rd 2021 I had the great fortune to travel to Mayapur with some devotees from ISKCON Leicester - it was an amazing unforgettable experience. I vividly remember taking darshan of Sri Jagannath, Subadra and Baladeva and on the side I noticed a small stall. I was immediately captivated by your books - Touch your heart and Inspiring insights - I bought both of these. At that time, I did not know you very well, I had heard some beautiful loving stories however from your disciples which fanned the spark of devotion and appreciation for you. Little did I know, a week after returning from Mayapur Krishna would bestow on me two opportunities to meet you in person! I had the most fortunate opportunity to have your darshan at London Heathrow airport on 10th January 2021 and 11th January 2021 I attended your 50th Sannyasi anniversary in Birmingham. On both of these occasions, I wanted to take aspiring from you Gurumaharaj due to the love of your disciples for you and reading your books on the flight back to London. I deeply in my heart felt a connection with you. Sadly my aspiring did not happen due to time limitations. I was extremely blissful and touched to have your personal darshan and be blessed by your Jagannath stick. I felt my heart transform even more from these encounters.
By the Lord's and Amala mataji's grace I took aspiring from you on 21st August 2021 and it was one of the best days of my life a mixture of feelings - nervous but very happy and excited! As time progressed, and being at home with my parents a lot due to covid, I have been encouraging them in their Krishna Consciousness, by Krishna's mercy, they also took aspiring from you on 29th November 2021. My father Shuren, is now chanting 16 rounds and my mother, Nalini is chanting 4 rounds regularly. I have attached a picture of them below. I encourage them to listen and join your zoom Lord Chaitanya classes, listen to your short videos of inspiration and deepen their sadhana through reading, hearing and chanting Krishna's glories. Please my dear Gurumaharaj, kindly bless them both so they may continue to flourish in their love and devotional service to you, Krishna, Srila Prabhupada and make it back to Godhead in this life.
Gurumaharaj, to also share with you the past year to year and a half I have been fighting with a sudden swelling and pain in my right eye. It has been fully investigated but to date there is not a clear diagnosis or explanation for it. Due to this health problem I have stopped working and have not been able to serve to my best capacity. I have been eager to serve you in so many ways and many opportunities arose by Krishna's grace but the intense eye pain and strain restricted me. My dear Gurumaharaj, please kindly bless me if it so pleases you that my eye heals and I can deeply and thoroughly engage more in your loving service, fully realise that I am not this pain or body, to serve diligently my mentor Amala mataji, and the amazing Vaishnavas in my Reading congregation.
My partner Darshak and I are also diving much deeper in our bhakti and Krishna consciousness together we pray that one day in the near future we will be married with your blessings and live a happy and healthy Krishna Conscious life together, please kindly bless us my dear Gurumaharaj that we may continue flourishing, serving you together and keeping Krishna at the centre of our bond always. He has helped me immensely over this difficult year to sustain a positive and service attitude during my health challenges - please bless him abundantly so he may also progress very nicely in his spiritual journey back to Krishna.
My dear Gurumaharaj, recently my dear mentor has appointed me as a Bhakti Vriksha leader for the girls group in Reading, I am not qualified at all but I have a deep desire to empower ladies and girls to flourish and blossom in their Krishna Consciousness. Yesterday I facilitated the sanga for my first time and we had 11 girls attending, all were so happy and grateful for the sanga. I could not have inspired, encouraged or nurtured them without my mentor's and your blessings and mercy - thank you so much. Please my dear father, kindly bless me that I may have the strength, good health and intelligence to continue cultivating and nurturing these amazing souls, being their instrument to help them come closer to Krishna. I am eternally indebted to Amala mataji for giving me this blessed opportunity to serve her, the congregation and you in this way. I also aspire soon to serve you Gurumaharaj in transcribing your lectures - I can only do this with your blessings.
The pictures below Gurumaharaj show me and my partner in Mayapur, the appearance day cake I made for you and my mum as you have the same appearance day! Also my total 111 extra rounds for your health to improve during the time you had covid, a photo of my mentor Amala mataji looking so blissful as always, my dear spiritual friends, your 50th Sannyasi cake that I was blessed to help decorate for you and also when I first met you in Heathrow airport - a moment I shall cherish forever.
I am most indebted to your loving and caring disciples such as Amala mataji, Vishal Gauranga prabhu, Rama Kanai Mathuresh prabhu, Pratapmaya prabhu, Bharati Revati mataji; aspiring disciples and my spiritual sisters - Saule mataji, Kusum mataji and your well wisher Darshak, my caring and kind partner, for their kind guidance, care, love and constantly inspiring me and helping me to come closer to you and Krishna. Please bless them abundantly my dear Gurumaharaj - they are such radiant examplary souls and I am endeavouring in their footsteps.
My dear Gurumaharaj, my appreciation and loving gratitude to you is overwhelming. During my very challenging health problems this past year, your inspiring words, classes, quotes, books and close association with your senior disciples have really kept me alive and stay positive, hopeful and optimistic in my life. One quote I will never forget is 'our blood type is B positive' and also to 'never give up' - I share these words with all whom I come into contact with, and they feel so much solace from this beautiful and powerful reminders. You are my guiding light, you are constantly burning away the deep rooted and dark ignorance of my vision, mind and heartt with the your torchlight of your knowledge and your radiant character. You are an exemplary Vaishnava who is the definition of purity, deep compassion and sincere care. It is so inspiring and heart touching for me. Please forgive me my dear Gurumaharaj as my words will not do justice.
One day soon Gurumaharaj, if it so pleases you and Krishna, I would to like to take shelter of your lotus feet formally, become your initiated disciple and serve diligently in the mission of Srila Prabhupada - to continue bringing Krishna’s children back to Him under your guidance and shelter. I will continue praying daily that our connection blossoms and my appreciation and service unto your lotus feet flourishes and is unflinching. I pray that life after life, I may serve you, Krishna, Srila Prabhupada and your extraordinary caring and sweet disciples. Thank you so much my dear Gurumaharaj for all that you have shown me, continue to teach me, given me and for reading my story and Vyas Puja offering to you.
Always aspiring in your loving service.
Please accept my abundant sincere obeisances at your lotus feet.
Your aspiring insignificant disciple from Reading UK, Umeeka
