Srimad Bhagavatha Saptaham in Atlanta-Nov 2015

Come fall and the Indian residents in and around Alpharetta were eagerly getting prepared for the Baghavatha Sapthaham. Being the fourth consecutive year, the Baghavatha Sapthaham has now become part of life for the ardent Krishna bakthas who await the Krishna Karnamrutham which gets fulfilled by GOD by none other than Shri Ramanujamji and this year it was held at Sri Hanuman Mandir in Alpharetta from November 12-18 2015. Shri Ramanujamji began his annual US sojourn travelling across the US with stop overs in major cities for conducting Sapthaham. Having become an annual event, the meticulous planning began in right earnest and everything fell in place with the help of the devout volunteers as the day approached. The highlight of this year’s discourse was that the seven days coincided with the exact seven days that the real happening occurred thousands of year back when the seven days of thunderous downpour left the residents of Mathura in deluge which prompted Krishna to lift the Govardana hill to serve as an umbrella to protect his ardent bakthas indirectly conveying the underlying meaning that being in love with Krishna is all that we need and HE will take care of us come what may. With Shri Ramanujamji’spravachanam having become so popular it had attracted Krishna bakthas from Virginia, Florid and as far as California in the West Coast to take time out of their busy schedule to attend the discourse not to leave behind our dear Shri Hanumanji of Hanuman Mandir in Alpharetta who must have heard the discourses last year that he ordained HIS care takers to hold the event in HIS presence this year. Yes, the Chief Priest of Shri Hanuman Mandir, Alpharetta Shri Seshavatharam Puranam was keen in seeing this year’s event being held at the temple so that Shri Hanumanjican join in the Krishna Karnamrutham. And the other priests of the temple Shri Sriman Puranam, Shri Lakshman and Shri Ramanujam provided all the help for the smooth conduct of the pravachanam at the same time without compromising on the normal temple services for its regular bakthas.

Shri Ramanujamji promptly remembered his last year’s promise to handle the entire 10 cantos of SrimadBagavatham with particular emphasis on the creation of Cosmic Manifestation, Baktha charithra of Vritrasura, Ajamila, Gajendra, Bali and all and concluding with the Divine pastimes of our dear Krishna. It was really amazing how Shri Ramanujamji was able to keep up his promise as anyone can easily get carried away even with one of the topics for all the seven days as one starts delving into the ocean of Bhagavatham such being the magic of Baghavatham. Shri Ramanujamji in his own eloquent and inimitable style convincingly quoting from various Pramanams and Vyakyanams kept the Krishna bakthas spell bound at times rupturing the hall with their thunderous laughter at Shri Ramanujamji’s metaphorical and humor tainted real life comparisons which we believe Shri Hanumanji too would have relished to HIS heart’s content. The narration of the Baktha Charithra of Vritasura, Ajamila, Gajendra and all were so mesmerizing that left the audience wonder struck and in awe. It is a promise that the readers have to live through the pravachanam to gain first-hand experience to relish the divine Madhuram in it. With all being said and done, the one underlying note was that, surrender unto Krishna in full faith and feel being amidst HIM all the time like the cows and cowherds of Yadavapuri and HE will take good care of you.

As is the practice, this year too, the intervening week end of the discourse series added some extra color to the sapthaham with a cultural afternoon on Saturday which included the dance show by the kids from the various dance schools in and around Alpharetta, a skit on Krishna and some intermittent music. This year’s highlight happened to be the skit on Krishna prepared and stage managed by one of the volunteers who put all the energy to prepare the kids with some regular practice. Such was the volunteer’s enthusiasm that the voice of the participants were recorded and promptly edited and provided as a voice over during the real show. With the kids who participated, really doing justice the show resulted in a thunderous applause from the audience. The colorful show ended with a solo dance by Kum. Darshana Venkat who organized and choreographed one dance skit last year.

The concluding day of the pravachanam was spent on the events leading to the Krishna Jananam and ending with the RukmaniKalyanam. The evening discourse was just one part of the Sapthaham with the morning sessions spent in the Baghavatha Parayanam by the Krishna bakthas. With Rukmani Kalyanam also being part of the morning session, and the eager volunteers stepping in to address the appetite of the bakthas with their delicious preparations, the seven days passed by with just a wink of the eye. It will be some more days or weeks before the bakthas realize and emerge from the Krishna Karnamrutham from the sapthaham and start looking forward to the next year’s event. With each year passing by the Krishna bakthas keep growing as is the bondage amongst them which is clearly evident from the sharing of the work and untiring effort put in by each and every member of the Krishna baktha’s family for the Sapthaham to end in a roaring success.

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