The other day one devotee asked me if I had ever been in Mayapur during the auspicious day of Gaura-Purnima. Although I have been to the Mayapur Gaura-Purnima Festival six times I have never been here for the actual day of Gaura Purnima. I would always leave a few days before Gaura-Purnima. When I would tell my friends that I was leaving before Gaura-Purnima they would often say “yes, Vrindavan is also a nice place to go for Gaura-Purnima.” I would inevitably reply “no, I am not going to Vrindavan. I am going to Mumbai for Gaura-Purnima” My friend would inevitably reply with a tone of disgust on hearing the name of Mumbai. "Mumbai...for Gaura-Purnime?!?"
The fact is that it is often easier to appreciate the Lord and His Holy abode while hearing from highly realized souls. Every year at the Chowpatty temple in Mumbai there is a grand multi day festival for Gaura-Purnima. Generally Radhanatha Swami would speak Gaura Katha for many hours on those days and then the kirtans were intense, ecstatic and long. I really felt close to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu at these Mumbai festivals. The festival would culminate with a Gaura Aratika as the moon was rising. Totally ecstatic.
In any case we will spend our first Gaura-Purnima here in Mayapur and I am looking forward to it. I do feel the desire to go to Mumbai for the festival but I have no money to travel so the Lord has arranged for us to stay here in Mayapur. Oh well...I will have to stay in Mayapur for Gaura -Purnima!
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