Shrimad Bhagwat Katha in Detroit, Michigan

Shrimad Bhagwat Katha flowed to Detroit, Michigan at the end of Pujya Bhaishri’s Summer yatra in Americe. The katha commenced on Sunday, July 11th, 2004 and was held at the Southgate Civic Arena, 14700 Reaume Parkway in Southgate, Michigan, a suburb of the city of Detroit.

The city of Detroit and the state of Michigan are located at the “center” of America and not only the local devotees but people from the neighboring states of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio drove down to listen to the Bhagwat katha in Detroit. People also from the nearby Province of Ontario, Canada crossed the peaceful frontiers connecting the United States and Canada on a daily basis to savor the enchanting Katha.

Approximately 750 people attended the Katha on a daily basis and delicious Mahaprasadam was served in the kitchen area on a daily basis prior to the commencement of the Katha (until 6:15 p.m.). Dedicated volunteers served the prasad to the devotees and made every effort to be sure that everyone had a great, relaxing meal prior to the start of the Katha session. Although the audience at the Katha was mostly from the state of Gujarat, the Katha organizers had requested Pujya Bhaishri to narrate the Katha in Hindi so that other non-Gujarati devotees could appreciate the sweetness and divinity of the Katha as well. This gesture by itself conveyed unity among all devotees, which was the main theme that Pujya Bhaishri emphasized at the start of the Katha.

During the early mornings, Pujya Bhaishri offered Darshan time to the devotees who visited him at the host family’s residence (Shri Arvindbhai and Smt. Prabhaben Patel of Allen Park, Michigan) and Pujya Bhaishri also addressed the questions and inquiries presented by the devotees. There were some youngsters who played the dholak extremely well and sang bhajans in their melodious voices, and their contributions certainly added to the divine atmosphere. Immediately after, Pujya Bhaishri proceeded to go for several padhramanis each day. The blissful days passed by very rapidly, and the last day of the Katha was upon the devotees so quickly! The concluding session began at approximately 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 18th, 2004 and the enchanting Katha (approximately 40 hours in duration) ended on a very positive note.

During the Katha, there were four significant Utsavs that were choreographed and organized by Smt. Diptiben Desai (who resides in Northville, Michigan) and Smt. Ranjanben Shah (who resides in Novi, Michigan).

Shobha-Yatra The host family, Shri Arvindbhai & Smt. Prabhaben Patel, their daughter Dimple along with other family members brought the “Shrimad Bhagwat Pothiji” to the Katha hall at around 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 11th, 2004. Pretty young ladies dressed in colorful costumes carrying various Kalash and Divas surrounded the Pothiji that arrived in a ceremonious parade accompanies by drums, raas-garba, prayers, etc. There was also a patriotic display of India and USA flags, and the national anthems of both nations were sung upon the Pothiji entering the Katha hall.

Shri Krishna Janma It was a thrilling, marathon seven hour session on Thursday, July 15th, 2004. Pujya Bhaishri commenced the Katha at 6:15 p.m. and the excitement was building throughout the session as the narration proceeded towards the birth of Lord Krishna. At 12:45 a.m. all of a sudden the Katha hall turned dark and there was thunder and lightning (via special effects) and Pujya Bhaishri celebrated the birth of Lord Krishna by chanting ‘Jai Kaniya Lal Ki’ and showering prasadam to the delighted devotees — there was a stupendous celebration by Vasudevji, Nandji, Yashodaji, etc. which was embellished by harmonious music. Pujya Bhaishri and the devotees were in a totally enchanted mood as they sang and danced joyously late into the night to celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna The celebration lasted approximately 30 minutes and the session concluded at 1:15 a.m.!

Shri Govardhan Lila (Annakut) On Friday, July 16th, 2004, another unique session took place where Pujya Bhaishri affectionately and sweetly described the numerous phases of “Shri Krishna Leela” The Katha began at 6:30 p.m. and it ended just after midnight. The 5 ½ hour session contained plenty of melodious sankirtan to accompany the story of Lord Krishna. At the culmination of the Katha session, there was an artistic rendition of the Shri Govardhan Lila by enthusiastic devotees of all ages, and the highlight of the event was the lifting of the “Govardhan Mountain” by Lord Krishna. The “Govardhan Lila” festivities were followed by the ‘Annakut’ presentation, which contained a wide variety of mouth-watering, appetizing dishes prepared by various devotees. The Annakut prasadam was offered to the devotees at the main mealtime on subsequent days.

Rukmani-Vivah On Saturday, July 17th, 2004, the Katha once again spanned many hours. The session began promptly at 6:30 p.m. and ended at midnight, after which the celebrations of “Rukmani Vivah” took place. The blissful wedding ceremonies were enhanced with prayers, mantras and Vedic chants from the Shastrijis. At the ceremonies, the participants wore colorful and festive outfits, there was exchanging of gifts, and traditional wedding music was also played. The wedding ceremonies lasted until 12:45 a.m.!

It was truly unbelievable that in the “blink of an eye”, the Katha had concluded so soon after it began!