Govardhana Puja Celebration
Sedro Woolley, Washington 
2005

     Hare Krsna Prabhus, friends and asociates-- Pranams
     All glories to Srila Prabhupada and Sri Giri Hari...

     Yesterday we had another ecstatic festival honoring the Supreme Lord Sri Bhagavan Radha Govardhandhari, by constructing a small replica of the mountain called Govardhan in Vrndavana India, and offering to Him (the Lord) many wonderful preparations as well as arotik, circumambulation of the mountain and rousing kirtans enjoyed and enthusiastically chanted by all attending.
     After class, during which we read and heard from Srila Prabhupada's Krsna book the story of Krsna versus Indra , we all chanted the Damodarastakam bhajan and everyone got to offer Govardhan some candles during that song.
     One of the new guests was Dr. Chandel, who is famous for his accupressure treatments both in India, Canada, and America. He was awarded the Siromani award (comparable to the Nobel peace Prize) in India some years ago by Mother Theresa. Although in a older body, he was dancing like a young man, as he said, "like Krsna", age of 16 years. In fact, everyone was very enthusiastically dancing around Govardhan mountain as we had a very ecstatic kirtan during the arotik.
     The feast offered to Sri Krsna included:
     Most of the 3 foot by 2 foot mountain was halava mixed with our own dried organic grapes turned raisins, in addition to couscous and bean pate made with lazy wife pole beans toasted sesame, sunflower , and pumpkin seed, as well as roasted filberts from our own trees and cashews plus various herbs and spices.
     Various nuts like walnuts, pecans and peanuts and different kinds of dried fruits like cranberries, figs, apricots, papaya and banana landscaped the hill along with pumpkin pakoras for boulders.
     Special features of our hill are the Govardhana sila at the summit , plus cows, a mystic yogi in his cave, various other animals, snakes, and the demon Dvidvid gorilla roaming about.  At the other end is a lake made of sweet rice.
     We also offered basmati rice, chapatis, hot and sweet tomato chutney made from our own tomatos, pumpkin koffta balls deep fried in ghee and soaked in a homemade tomato spice sauce. A spicy split pea dahl and a fruit nectar made from apple, elderberry, plum , lemon and salmonberry juices sweetened with honey and turbinado sugar and a little buttermilk rounded out this wonderful feast.

CHANTING DANCING AND FEASTING- THIS IS THE SIMPLE PROGRAM TO BE HAPPY IN KALI YUGA AND WE HAVE FOUND THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN TO BE TRUE...

Hare Krsna
Damaghosa das
Nov 7, 2005