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“Hare Rama! Hare Rama! Rama Rama Hare Hare!
Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna! Krishna Krishna Hare Hare!”

The main objective of Sri Swamiji is to propagate ‘Bhagavan Nãma’ (the Name of the Lord) amongst the masses, particularly the downtrodden. Around 25 young devotees of Sri Swamiji visit the villages surrounding our Mathurapuri Ãshram, on weekends and public holidays and chant “Hare Rama” Maha Mantra.

The sessions are broadly divided into two - morning and evening - and are generally of two-hour duration. Each village is served by a group of three or four of these young men. For the first 15 minutes, they go around the village chanting “Hare Rama” and the local children join them. They then assemble at a common place and help the children with their school lessons for an hour and a half. The session concludes with singing of Sri Swamiji’s kirtans and narration of a short story from our puranas. These stories mainly pertain to bhaktas who come from the lower strata of the society.

The response from the villagers is excellent. They chant the Nãma without any inhibition whatsoever. The deep response from the villagers - children and elders alike - is seen in their greeting the young men with “Radhe Krishna!” Presently the focus is on the colonies.

This work began in November 2000 in two villages - Mãhãnyam and Malaipattu. Gradually, the number of villages have increased and today about ten villages, namely, Kolathur, Vellãrai, Gunduperumbedu, Amarambedu, Poonthandalam, Irumbedu, Koothanur, Sirupãkkam and Neithavãyal, are being covered. While the first seven villages are at a short distance around the Ashram, Sirupãkkam lays about 160 kms and Neithavãyal, about 60 kms from the ãshram.

Diary of events:

09.02.2002 Saturday

Sirupakkam and Kumaramangalam :

Srikanth and Vasanth visited Sirupakkam and Kumaramangalam on Saturday, the 9th February 2002. Usual sessions were conducted.

10.02.2002 Sunday

Kalattupattu, Koothanur, Amarambedu, Gunduperumbedu, Vellãrai, Kolathur, Irumbedu, Mãhãnyam and Malaipattu :

A new village “Kalattupattu” was included today. Kesavan, Umasankar and Ramesh visited the place. Mostly, the village elders participated in the session.

As usual, Koothanur, Amarambedu, Gunduperumbedu, Vellãrai, Kolathur, Irumbedu, Mãhãnyam and Malaipattu were covered. Stories from our puranas were told in most of the villages and Sri Swamiji’si kirtans were taught to the children.

13-02-2002- Thirunãngoor Garuda Seva

Thirunãngoor is a kshetra near Sirgãzhi in Nãgapattinam district in the state of Tamizh Nadu. There are 12 Divyadesams (Holy Vaishnavite shrines sung by the Ãzhwãrs) in and around Nãngoor. During the annual Brahmotsav which is generally celebrated during the months of January - February, the Utsav Murthys of all the 12 temples are placed on Garuda Vãhanas and are taken in procession to a common temple for devotees to have darshan. It is a sight to behold - for the deities bedecked with dazzling jewellery sitting atop the Garuda vãhana, come in procession one after other. Thousands of people throng the place during the annual festival to see the Lord and obtain his blessings. This annual festival is popularly known as "Thirunãngoor Pannirandu Garuda Seva".

At the behest of Sri Swamiji. a group of 95 villagers led by Sri Kesavan went on the holy trip to Nãngoor on 13th February to chant the ‘Hare Rama..’ mahãmantra during this year’s Garuda Seva. The response from Kallatthupattu, Mettukolathur and Irumbedu was overwhelming. A group of 92 people in two buses reached Ãshram by 8.00am. They had darshan of Sri Swamiji, and received His blessings.

All the participants enthusiastically chanted "Hare Rama.." all along the way. They reached Madhuramurali Bhavanam, Thirunãngoor at about 3.30 p.m. They then visited the Divya desams that were recently renovated by Sri Swamiji’s devotees and chanted the mahãmantra. The villagers were very excited to see "Hare Rama…. " mahãmantra painted on all the temple walls.

Nãma kirtan continued till 11.30pm when Pannirandu Garuda Seva started. Thirumangai Ãzhwar with Kumudavalli Nachiar performed mangalasasana (sung hymns in praise of the Lord) to all the Utsav murthys who came one after another in procession, mounted on Garuda vãhana. The chanting of the mahãmantra echoed everywhere. It was a blissful experience indeed. Nãma kirtan went on till 1.00 a.m.

It was a very nice, refreshing and satisfying experience for all the participants, who were all eager to undertake the trip the next year.

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