Report Melbourne, Australia, 2024
Dearest Guru Mahārāja,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda! All glories to your Divine lotus feet!
Please accept our wishes and prayers for your 75th appearance day! We at Melbourne Mahāprabhu Mandir are indeed blessed that Lord Krsna has allowed us to take shelter at Guru Mahārāja’s lotus feet.
By your mercy we have completed Vyāsa-pūjā celebrations at ISKCON Melbourne today (Friday the 19th April - Kāmada Ekādaśī). Even though it was a working weekday, we are happy to report that over 400 enthusiastic devotees, including disciples and well-wishers, participated in the celebrations which commenced around 9:30am in the morning.
The Vyāsa-pūjā celebrations program began with kīrtana and Vaiṣṇava bhajanas by Jaya Rādhe Mātājī. Emcee sevā was led by His Grace Mathura Manohara Prabhu. Homages began with offerings by various devotees, which include His Grace Pañcaratna Prabhu and his good wife Her Grace Atīta Guṇā Mātājī and His Grace Prabhava Prabhu, who are all Śrīla Prabhupāda disciples. Followed by many senior devotees including His Grace Jagannātha Rāma Prabhu, Her Grace Yamunā-līlā Mātājī and His Grace Gopavṛndeśa Prabhu. Also, senior disciples of Guru Mahārāja such as His Grace Karuṇānidhi Kṛṣṇa Prabhu, His Grace Ānanda Vallabha Prabhu, His Grace Mahātmā Prabhu and Her Grace Sāradhā Rādhā Mātājī also offered their homages. We are happy to report that many devotees in Melbourne paid homages to Guru Mahārāja and indeed we were running short of time as always.
We are happy to share with Guru Mahārāja that we had around 150 variety of preparations offered to your Holiness pleasure by your causeless mercy.
These included a huge, beautifully decorated Ekādaśī Coconut cake, 40 different flavored ice-cream, Samoa pulao, Paneer subji, Eggplant subji, Sabudana Pakoda, Tamarind Chutney, Salad, Ekādaśī Pizza, Gaurāṅga Potato, Ekādaśī Kolukaṭṭai, Buckwheat dosa, Sabhudana Uppma, Kāra sevai etc., variety of sweets such as Gulab Jamun, Cashew Chikki, Almond Chikki, Savoury nuts, Coconut cookies, Almond burfi, Carrot Halwa, Peanut Chat, Kaju Burfi, Badam Halva, two types of Shrikand, fruits salad, Coconut water and passion fruit drink, etc.
Puṣpāñjali was led by His Grace Karuṇānidhi Kṛṣṇa Dāsa. His Grace Ānanda Vallabha Prabhu performed ārati while His Grace Prabhava Prabhu and Acyutānanda Gaurahari Prabhu led a rousing kīrtana. Prasāda was served at 1:30pm to senior guests and other devotees. Every year Vyāsa-pūjā celebrations are getting celebrated grandly with creative decoration of Prabhupāda vyāsāsana and your Holiness’s vyāsāsana.
Not only the decorations but devotees were awed by the number of prasāda varieties being served on an Ekādaśī day. All the preparations were made with so much love that devotees honored the prasāda to their heart’s content. There will be a grains feast tomorrow 20th April evening at 6pm at Temple premises again.
Video Highlights of the Vyāsa-pūjā event will be complied soon and shared soon Guru Mahārāja but we have attached some photos along with this email Maharaj for Your Holiness viewing pleasure.
Everyone including aspirants, sheltered disciples participated actively and co-operated very well in the spirit of serving our loving spiritual father by engaging in various devotional services including donating lakṣmī, administering, emceeing, cooking, making garlands, decorating Guru Mahārāja’s vyāsāsana and the altar in the temple, cleaning, audio/video services, etc. In fact it is incomplete to not mention how many well-wishers actively participated in various services in presenting this Vyasa puja celebration report to Guru Mahārāja. This has truly been a humble, sincere and cooperative JSSS Melbourne family endeavor in attempting to make this year’s Vyāsa-pūjā celebrations another grand success for Guru Mahārāja’s pleasure.
Guru Mahārāja, on this auspicious day we thank you for allowing us to be engaged in your service and we all wish you a very happy and healthy appearance day.
We at Melbourne Mahāprabhu Mandir are continuing to pray that you will recover fully and that we will have your association in Melbourne soon.
From your spiritual children in Melbourne Mahāprabhu Mandir.
