In a most beautiful tropical setting of coconut trees, palms, clear rivers and the deep blue of the Arabian Sea, a grand inauguration festival was held at the newly constructed ashrama [Hare Krsna Ashrama] in Mulki [near Udupi, Karnataka] on Sunday 2nd April. This new ashrama is a branch preaching center of Govindaji Gardens [near Mysore].
Devotees and guests from Bangalore, Mandya, Mysore, Mangalore, Srirangapatna, Udupi, USA, Canada, Serbia, Italy, and South Africa, as well as local devotees from Mulki took part in the festivities.
The program began on Saturday evening [April 1, 2006] with a Hari-nama Sankirtana procession through the village of Mulki which visited some of the local temples and then returned to the ashram. Srila Narasingha Maharaja led the colorful Sankirtan of chanting the Names of the Lord Krsna. The Sankirtan party was met with great enthusiasm by the local people, many of whom joined in with the chanting. The Hari-nama Sankirtana was also broadcast on the local TV channel from Mangalore.
The next morning, another Hari-nama Sankirtana was held in the village with devotees carrying pictures of Kaliya-mardana Krsna, Srila Prabhupada and Srila Sridhara Maharaja.
During the festival a new Krsna conscious publication in Kanada [the language of Karnataka] was released and distributed to several hundred people by the Sankirtana party. The book [written by Narasingha Maharaja] describes in brief the miracles and teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. When the procession returned to the asrama, arati was held for the Deities of Kaliya-mardana Krsna, Vira Narasimha, Giri Govardhana and Sri Salagrama.
Srila Narasingha Maharaja then gave a lecture on the topic of 'What is an Asrama?' He explained the importance of an asrama for those that wish to serve the Supreme Lord. He explained the meaning of the word 'ashrama' as 'a-shrama,' a place where no material work is performed. Maharaja explained that only selfless service to Lord Krsna should be performed in an asrama and that no one should come to live in an asrama for personal gain. Narasingha Maharaja also narrated some of the history of the land where the new asrama has been constructed — how it originally belonged to the Deity of Kaliya-mardana Krsna of the Madhva sampradaya and how it is now being re-claimed for Lord Krsna by the devotees of Sri Narasingha Caitanya Matha and Govindaji Gardens.
The lecture was followed by a Vaisnava Homa performed by Swami B.V. Giri.
Narasingha Maharaja then led another wonderful kirtana at the ashrama and prasadam of Lord Krsna was then distributed to all the devotees and guests.
The beautiful Deity of Kaliya-mardana Krsna was recently brought to the new ashrama from Govindaji Gardens and will now remain at the new ashrama as the predominating Deity to be served by all the devotees and to bless the residents of the area.
Plans for the future of the ashrama include regular street Sankirtana, book distribution and the eventual construction of a temple building [adjacent to the ashrama] wherein a larger Deity of Kaliya-mardana Krsna will be installed and regular pujas will be conducted.
During their stay at the new asrama, many of the visiting devotees took the opportunity to bathe in the Sambhavi River which runs alongside of the ashrama and to also bathe in the ocean [Arabian Sea] which can be reached after crossing the river.
Devotees also visited some of the local temples, such as the Sri Krsna temple of Madvacarya at Udupi and the Sri Venkataramana Ugra-Narasimha temple in Mulki.
