On the evening before Janmastami, Srila Narayana Maharaja organized a large parade with three harinama sankirtana parties, brass bands, floats portraying Lord Krsna's pastimes, camels and elephants. During the three hour procession, Srila Maharaja rode on a horse-drawn chariot. Tens of thousands of spectators watched in awe.
Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha
In preparation for the 2005 Navadvipa-dhama parikrama, Srila Narayana Maharaja led over 1,000 devotees (who had come from various western countries, various parts of India, and various parts of Navadvipa) to Sri Devananda Gaudiya Matha, to take darsana and receive blessings for the devotees from his diksa-guru, Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja and his revered god-brother, Srila Bhaktivedanta Vamana Maharaja. Next the parikrama party, now numbering about 5,000 due to many Bengali devotees from the Devananda Gaudiya Matha as well as local residents of Navadwipa joining the party, walked to the Ganges River, to the sacred place called Pancaveni, where all sacred rivers meet. There, the devotees performed sankalpa - making individual vows for a successful parikrama. They also repeated mantras for the spiritual success of the parikrama, performed acamana, and many reverently bathed there. After leaving the Ganges, the devotees went to the temple of Prapujya-carana Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja and had darsana of his samadhi. Finally they returned to Srila Naryana Maharaja's new temple, Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha.
Srila Narayana Maharaja leading the parikrama party
Arrival at Devananda Gaudiya Matha
Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprahu
Janmastami was celebrated with much pomp for two days in Mathura with Srila Narayana Maharaja. The evening before, Arila Maharaja organized a large parade with harinama sankirtana, bands, floats portraying Krsna's pastimes, camels and elephants. And, throughout the entire three hour procession, he rode on a horse-drawn chariot. Tens of thousands of spectators watched in awe.
On the morning of Janmastami, bhajanas began at about 6am, and at around 7am, Srila Maharaja gave a lecture on the meaning of various songs glorifying Sri Radha and Krsna. In the evening, from 8pm to midnight, Srila Maharaja and thousands of devotees listened to classical bhajanas of guest musicians . At midnight there was an abhiseka (bathing ceremony) of Srimati Radharani and Sri Krsna, followed by a feast to break the day's fasting.
A lifesize diarama of Sri Vasudeva Maharaja carrying baby Krsna across the Yamuna River was the first sight to see as a guest walked into Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha in Mathura.
Srila Maharaja walking out of Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha to join the Janmastami procession.
Blessing a young child in the parade.
Srila Maharaja's float.
The altar at Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha; Sri Sri Radha-vinoda-bihariji and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the center, Giriraja Govardhana to their right, and Parama-gurudeva Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja on their left.
