Katha in Padra, Gujarat
The town of Padra near Vadodara in Gujarat had the good fortune of hosting Pujya Bhaishri’s Shrimad Bhagwat Gyan Yagya from 12th Oct. to 19th Oct. 2003. The chief hosts of this holy yagya were the families of Sarvashri Sureshbhai, Arvindbhai and Uttambhai.
The shobha yatra of Shri Bhagwat pothiji commenced on 11th Oct. 2003 from the house of the hosts and after winding its way through the streets of the town, being enthusiastically received by the devotees it reached the katha marquee where it was accorded a warm welcome amidst Vedic chants of the Brahmins.
Shri Krishna janmotsav was celebrated on the night of 16th Oct. and on the following day Govardhan utsav was celebrated. The devotees participated with great devotion and fervour in all festivals.
Pujya Bhaishri visited all holy temples of Padra. He also went to Nadiad to have the darshan of Shri Santramji, Shri Indira Betiji and Shri Dwarkeshlalji who is the present Aacharya of the chhatvi peeth of the Pushti sampraday. Shri Dwarkeshlalji katha also graced the katha on the first day and participated in the deep pragatya.
The katha wasn’t organized for any particular purpose but funds poured in during the katha and it was decided later by the organisers who announced that the money collected will be used to build a hospital.
Our Muslim brothers and sisters also came to listen to the katha. Everyone was very pleased. Baroda Municipal Corporation and Sanskruti Parivar of Vadodara, organised a discourse at the Gandhinagar town hall during one of the days of the Padra katha. Amidst a packed hall Pujya Bhaishri spoke on the topic Mohan thi Mohandas tak….
Pujya Bhaishri compared Mohan, Lord Krishna with Mohandas Karmachand Gandhi (Bapu) because both brought about a revolution in their own ways. Pujya Bhaishri said Mohan used hischakra to get rid of evil and Mohandas used his charkha using it as a symbol of Independence, a strong message to the British to leave the country. The surs or notes from Mohan’s flute bound the Gopis to him making them dependent and attached, partantra and Mohandas’s sut, thread of khadi played a huge role in giving India it’s independence, swatantrata. Mohan was born on the banks of Yamuna and left the earth from Dwarka in Saurashtra. Mohandas was born on the Gomti tat in Saurashtra and left his body on the banks of Yamuna in Kolkata. Pujya Bhaishri elaborated on the above and concluded that the important thing to learn from both of them is unattachment. Mohan told the people in Dwarka to leave during his Samvaran leela and Mohandas too raised the slogon of Quit India! Both were anasakta, unattached. That is how we should be too.
