Praṇamāmi Guru Tīrtha Padaṁ

I first saw Guru Mahārāja in December 1996 in Jalandhar when he came to install deities in the Śrī Śrī Rādhā-kṛṣṇa Mandir there. Before Śrī Devendra Prabhu built the temple, it was only known to my friends and I as a plot of land where we played cricket. After the temple was built, my friend invited me to a very nice function there.  We saw Mahārāja there for the first time and then we got attached. Then next year Mahārāja came there again and I went to the temple. At that time Mahārāja and Acharya Mahārāja were in the room and we asked a sevāk whether we can have darśana and he said, "Yes, yes, you go." That time I think Mahārāja was dictating and Acharya Mahārāja was writing. We paid obeisances and I spoke to Mahārāja and told him I wanted to apply tilak. He said, "If you desire to make the tilak, first pour the water in the pañcapātra and then call the holy rivers." I can't forget this kind of dialogue that took place while sitting near to Mahārāja; he was sp...

When Guru Mahārāja visited Ukraine his programs were in a public place such as a camp near the Black Sea, like a tourist camp. So he had his own room there and after harikathā or before harikathā devotees could visit him and speak with him. Generally, it was very free, everyone could come and ask some questions and he was very happy to answer them.  My personal experience was that when I met Guru Mahārāja in his room, he was very open. I was shocked because after association with ISKCON devotees for a long time it was very difficult to meet some Guru or talk with him. It was like an audience with some Prime Minister or President, very difficult to get. But still, when we first entered Guru Mahārāja’s room I was surprised that such a great person was at the same time very humble and he asked us, "How can I serve you?" It was very very sincere, in a very simple way.  He replied to all the questions that we asked and we just talked. It was like a conversation with a family membe...

I went with Guru Mahārāja to programs in Europe and the former Soviet Union States in 1999. He took me with his team and sent me in advance. Actually, I first came to Europe and then to the Soviet Union. So I was collaborating with European devotees and with ex-Soviet devotees about how to organize the program and how to receive Guru Mahārāja.   My idea was to bring him into the public as much as possible to different institutions such as universities and other spiritual organizations like ISKCON. We wanted to invite a lot of people and spread posters everywhere. We also had ideas to go to TV and radio stations and speak with journalists to give some advertisements about our programs in different places. So I went to different places along with local devotees we tried to bring him as widely as possible around Europe and the former Soviet Union. And Guru Mahārāja was prepared. Actually, we had an agenda for him in advance that presented him with information about where he would...

One time in 1996 or 1997 I was in India and there was an Annual Function in Ludhiana and pāda-yatra ( nagara-saṅkīrtana ). We went there by bus and at that time it was very hot there. The temperature was around 45 degrees; it was in the middle of April.  I had not taken initiation yet and I had just begun associating with devotees. We reached Ludhiana at 12 o’clock when the sun was at its peak and the ground was just melting. Everyone was thinking how we can walk without shoes? When we entered the temple, Mahārāja came with Trivikrama Mahārāja and other sannyāsīs and brahmacārīs . Mahārāja started maṅgalācaraṇa and performed kirtana : ‘Śrī kṛṣṇa caitanya prabhu, dayā koro more…’ As soon as Mahārāja came out of the temple and started singing " Jai dau, Jai dau " and before kirtana started, something happened that we can’t imagine. The clouds and heavy winds came and there was cooling there throughout the atmosphere. As we entered the main bazaar of Ludhiana, the halwais (s...