By Hari Narayana das
The Ogoh-ogoh festival commemorates the starting of the New Years day of Hindu Community in Indonesia. it takes place almost in every villages in Bali and some places in Indonesia. This festival invites many visitors to see the various kinds of demons in form of ogoh-ogoh.
“To implement this transcendental bliss to the people of your country there is immense work to be done ahead and this Ratha-yatra festival is only a bit of sample. If we get opportunity we shall be able to overflood your country with the waves of transcendental bliss, by the grace of Krsna. SPL to Aniruddha, 7th July, 1968
This national holiday was a great opportunity for the devotees in Indonesia to spread the mission of Gauranga Mahaprabhu where every people in villages and towns will glorify chant Hare Krishna Mahamantra. This year the the festival was held on March 8, 2016. Devotees in different parts of Indonesia such as Lombok, West Nusa Tengara, Jember, East Java, and Tolai, Central Celebes participated in the festival. The did Ratha Yatra on the festival.
Lombok Ratha Yatra: the devotees in Lombok already participated in festival for the 4th times. This year was very special because the Lord Chariot was New. The chariot was constructed by the chariot team lead by Brajanagara prabhu. The altar and the ornaments of the chariot were donated by H.H. Subhag swami Maharaj. The local committee made preparation started from making proposal to participate in the festival. Many times they did meeting with the ogoh-ogoh festival committee. A day before the festival many devotees from Bali arrived. They came to Lombok just to participate and do devotional sevice to the Lord jagannath. The preparation of the chariot was done in the area of the festival, because the distance festiva and the temple is quiet far.
On the day of the festival, the participants gathered in the main street of Mataram, The capital city of West Nusa Tenggara. The came to see the ogoh-ogoh and indirectly they got mercy by seeing the Lord on the chariot. there were 200 participants of the festival. While waiting festival started, the devotees sung Hare Krishna Mahamantra loudly in front of the chariot that every people could hear the Maha Mantra. At 16.00 pm the parade was started. Every participants performed their attraction in front of the the stage. The matajis danced gopi dance in front of the chariot for the pleasing of the Lords. The chariot that was pulled by the devotees while singing Hare Krishna Mahamantra. Everybody was happy and felt blissful. A ton Indonesian fruits, Rambutan fruits that were donated by Dina Darini mataji, were distributed along the way and srila Prabhupada’s Book were distributed to the audience. After arriving in the finish, then the pujari offered bhoga and arati to The Lord. The devotees took rest and honored the prasadam before they returned to their house to celebrate Nyepi day.
Meanwhile in Tolai, Central Sulawesi, was the Fifth Ratha yatara. T he devotees prepare the festival the day before festival. The local committee lead by Subala prabhu organized the preparation nicely along with the devotees of Sri Sri Radha Kunjavihari Temple. They decorate the chariot that donated by H.H. Subhag Swami Maharaja day before the festival. On the day of the festival the devotees gathered in front of the chariot to participate in the homa yajnya to invoke auspiciousness. Then the Lord put on the chariot and headed to the place of the festial. At 15.30 PM, the festival started and the Lord Chariot attracted more than 4000 people who enthusiastically saw the festival. The devotees with their melodious Hare Krishna mahamantra tune steal the audience attention. The dancer with their grace movement enchanted the audience and made them could not stop their body to move along. Packed rice, cookies, and fruits that already offer to the Lord were distributed to the mass of people.
Srila Prabhupada wrote in a letter “ For the present your endeavour should be to make rathayatra festival grand and successful. You should arrange the procession and procedure so nicely that all the neighborhood people may be attracted to join the procession.” (SPL to Upendra, 1stJune, 1968).
The final place of the Rata yatra was Jember. The devotees attended from around cities in Indonesia such as Bali, Banyuwangi, Malang, Rembang, Surabaya, and Probolinggo. They came by train, bus and other small car with their family and friends. The devotees started pulled the Lord at 07.00 pm. local time. The melodious kirtan brought people from all directions. Very soon the route became full of people, mostly from other faiths; there were people everywhere – young and old, and the chariot with the Deities of Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra stood magnificiently. Everyone was eagerly gazing at Gaura Nitai on the palanquin and Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra on the chariot. Everyone present came forward and pulled the chariot to the main road. Security for the Ratha was provided by local authorities and a group of local musicians playing nice tunes followed the chariot. The route of the ratha yatra was crowded by people who wanted to get darsan from the Lord. The devotees distributed the prasadam to the people along the route. They ran out of prasadam to distribute because more people eagerly took prasadam, even the fruits decorated the chariot also ran out taken by the people. They believed that by taking the food offered to the Lord it would bring a fortune in their life. Devotees also did book distribution and many took Prabhupada’s books and everyone happily honoured mahaprasad. It took 4 kilometers around the village.
We hope that Prabhupad is pleased and bless the devotees who worked so hard and organized such a wonderful Ratha-yatra. Srila Prabhupada mentioned in his letter that “ I thank you all very much for making the rathayatra festival so successful. Please convey my gratitude to all the boys and girls who participated in this great transcendental service.”(SPL to Upendra, 4th July 1968). He also blessed all devotees as he stated in his other letter that “…may Krishna bless you all for your sincere service that you may all go on making more and more advancement in Krishna Consciousness.” (SPL to Jayananda das, 19th July, 1976).
On behalf of all the devotees involved, we express our sincere feelings of gratitude to H.H. Kavichandra Swami and H.H. Ramai Swami, the GBCs of Indonesia for their support, guidance and encouragement at all times to increase the sankirtan movement in Indonesia. Our humble obeisances to H.H. Subhag Swami for inspiring us with the life and dedication of Sriman Jayananda Prabhu, for helping us realize the importance of Srila Prabhupada in our lives and keeping us united in family of ISKCON. We offer our humble obeisances to Srila Prabhupada again and again for showering his unlimited mercy upon the devotees and keeping us engaged in the movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
The Director, Padmanayana das, informed that the Mayapur Institute started in the year 2000 with just 3 Bhakti Sastri students and today after 15 years of operation, 157 students from 30 different countries are receiving graduation certificates. To date, 2500 students have graduated from Mayapur Institute. Definitely, this must be a great joy to Srila Prabhupada. Mayapur Institute is fulfilling Srila Prabhupada’s vision sincerely over the last 15 years.
HH Bhakti Vighna Vinasa Narasimha Swami recollected the introduction of systematic sastric study in ISKCON. Initially HH Satsvarupa dasa Goswami would set the exam, there were no classes, exams were based on elementary philosophy and the students who passed were given the Bhakti shastri degree certificates. Later a team of devotees from China Tour were called, who went through rigorous classes during the kartik month in Vrindavan under expert educators like HH Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaj, Bhurijan Prabhu, Ravindra Swarup Prabhu and Satyanarayan Prabhu. Over the years the Bhakti sastri program has been developed into a systematic study and training course. Education is very important. If we look at the countries in the world, every country in the world has a budget and in that budget a major portion is for education. ISKCON should also have a budget for education.
HH Bhakti Chaitanya Maharaj mentioned how he had studied Nectar of Devotion 4-5 times but when he attended HH Giriraj Maharaj’s class, he realised he did not know anything. Maharaj also reiterated the point that the best way to learn is to teach.
HH Bhakti Brihat Bhagavat Swami explained how there is a difference between studying on electronic gadgets and studying holding the traditional book or granth in the hand. Maharaj also expressed that how teaching at Mayapur Institute has always nourished him. 
HH Subhag Maharaj expressed that it is responsibility of all members of ISKCON to scrutinizingly study Srila Prabhupada’s books and become Brahmanas by quality. Maharaj appreciated Mayapur Institute for creating so many brahmanas through its various courses.
HH Bhakti Rasamrita Swami mentioned how he has been witnessing Mayapur Institute from the stage of its inception and how it has grown to a flourishing educational institute that it is today, having a worldwide reputation. Definitely it is a matter of great joy for all of us. Srila Prabhupada must be extremely happy to see so many courses and programs going on and devotees in large numbers coming here every year to study. Maharaj then mentioned that knowledge is connected to the mode of goodness and feature of mode of goodness is happiness. So, when one acquires knowledge he feels happy and when one acquires knowledge about Krishna, which is transcendental to the mode of goodness then one feels transcendental happiness. Maharaj then wished that we could do such activities more and more, all day along, every day of our life. Maharaj concluded by saying that by implementing this knowledge in one’s life and disseminating it to others, one can try to repay his or her debt to Mayapur Institute.
“It has been 12 years, I wanted to come to Mayapur and take up Bhakti Sastri course at MI. We were able to do it this time, taking off from our busy preaching and management services. I was thinking of doing this course online, but we gained immensely by doing this course staying here in Sri Mayapur Dham for 4 months. The association of many senior devotees and Sanyasis is very enlivening and nourishing. We get to ask questions, hear from them. We got deeper insights into the scriptures and we now realised many mistakes that we used to do in our preaching. Such systematic education is very essential.” – 
“Earlier I did correspondence Bhakti sastri course from VIHE. There is a gulf of difference in live courses and online or correspondence courses. This time when I did Bhakti Vaibhava Course from MI, I could experience it. We get to speak to different experienced teachers, co-students, and share our understandings. It is very enlivening. I was thinking that I know many things, but as I went through the course, I realised I did not know anything.”
“The Bhakti Sastri course is the best thing that happened to me in my spiritual life. Coming to Mayapur and studying in the association of devotees really transformed me. When teachers are more experienced, students are also more enthusiastic to study. It is the most powerful experience of my life. I am very grateful to the teachers and fellow students” – 
Besides the inspiring words of above prominent speakers and students sharing their experiences, the occasion was also graced by a kirtan and drama by Bhakti sastri students. HG Atul Krsna Prabhu palyed the role of MC for the program. Padmanayana prabhu concluded the program by thanking all the dignitaries and students for attending and making the graduation ceremony a grand success.
