Dinanatha Sandhya Aarti 1975

March 1975 marked the second major ISKCON Mayapur Festival, where more than 800 devotees from around the world gathered to celebrate Gaura Purnima with Srila Prabhupada. Each year, the festival reflected the steady growth and remarkable progress of Srila Prabhupada’s expanding mission. Srila Prabhupada circumambulated Sri Sri Radha Madhava each day, ringing the temple bell driving the devotees into an ecstatic frenzy. Large parikrama parties would visit holy sites. By this time, the monumental entrance gate was nearly completed, devotees were housed in rooms along the perimeter wall, the massive prasadam hall, capable of serving 10,000 people daily, was fully operational, the goshala was established, and a bathing ghat was under construction at the very location where the TOVP now stands. This was also the first leg in the festival, the second was the Krishna Balarama Mandir installation in Vrindavan. 

On the second evening of the festival, an unforgettable aarti led by Dinanatha Prabhu left a profound and lasting impression on many of us visiting from the West. The accompanying photographs of Srila Prabhupada, parikrama kirtans and the Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir project beautifully capture the atmosphere and historic moments of that era. 

In the kitchen, when we listened to this kirtan it would take us back to those ecstatic and supremely optimistic moments in Mayapur.  This kirtan became the soundtrack for many Sunday feast preparation days.  

Recorded live in 1975 by Gopati dasa (ACBSP)

Remastered in 2024 by Uttamasloka dasa (ACBSP)