Sridharas Kirtan Group at Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir
The 1977 Mayapur festival was a time of immense spiritual gravity. While thousands of devotees gathered for the historic first and only Kirtan Competition, some profound moments happened away from the stage and in the privacy of vaishnava quarters where there was no expectations of performance.
This post explores a rare, intimate recording of Lalasamayi Prarthana, captured by Gopati das (ACBSP) and recently remastered in 2024 by Uttamasloka das (ACBSP).
There is a specific sweetness to the songs of Narottama Dasa Thakura. Srila Prabhupada often compared them to a fully ripened, juicy mango—overflowing with depth and spiritual nectar. Among these, Lalasamayi Prarthana stands out as a prayer of intense longing, a roadmap for the soul’s journey from material desire to the spiritual groves of Vrindavan.
In 1977, in a small ashram room within the "Long Building" at the Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir, the Sridharas Bhajan Group sat down to sing. Outside, the Mayapur Gour Purnim Festival was in full swing, but inside this room, the atmosphere was thick with a different kind of intensity.
This session was recorded using a Nakamichi 550—an audiophile portable cassette deck—paired with a three high-end ondenser microphones. The result is a field recording of startling clarity. After being meticulously remastered in 2024 by Uttamasloka das, this 49-year-old moment of devotion sounds as fresh as if it were recorded yesterday.
Verse 1
‘gaurāṅga’ bolite ha’be pulaka-śarīra
‘hari hari’ bolite nayane ba’be nīra
Translation: When will that opportune moment come to us when there will be shivering of the body as soon as we chant Lord Gauranga's name? And after the shivering, while chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, there will be tears in the eyes.
Verse 2
āra kabe nitāi-cānder koruṇā hoibe
saṁsāra-bāsanā mora kabe tuccha ha’be
Translation: When will I receive the mercy of Lord Nityananda-candra? When will my desires for material enjoyment become very insignificant?
Verse 3
viṣaya chāḍiyā kabe śuddha ha’be mana
kabe hāma herabo śrī-bṛndābana
Translation: When will my mind be freed from all material anxieties and desires? When will I be able to understand Vrindavan and the conjugal love of Radha and Krsna?
Verse 4
rūpa-raghunātha-pade hoibe ākuti
kabe hāma bujhabo se jugala-pirīti
Translation: When shall I be very much eager to study the books left by the six Gosvamis? One has to learn of the conjugal loving affairs of Radha-Krsna through the teachings of the six Gosvamis.
Verse 5
rūpa-raghunātha-pade rahu mora āśa
prārthanā koroye sadā narottama-dāsa
Translation: Narottama dasa always prays, "Let my only hope be in the lotus feet of the six Gosvamis, headed by Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami."
By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
"This song was sung by Narottama dasa Thakura, a great devotee and acarya in the Gaudiya Vaisnava-sampradaya... He has sung these songs in simple Bengali language, but the purport—the deep meaning of his songs—is very significant.
In this song he says, ‘gaurāṅga’ bolite ha’be pulaka śarīra. One has attained the perfection of chanting when as soon as he chants the name of Lord Gauranga, who initiated this sankirtan movement, at once there is shivering in his body. This is not to be imitated, but Narottama dasa Thakura is asking 'When will that opportune moment come to us?'
Then he says, āra kabe nitāi-cānder koruṇā hoibe. We are all asking about the mercy of Lord Nityananda. Nityananda is supposed to be the original spiritual master, so we have to approach Gauranga, Lord Caitanya, through the mercy of Lord Nityananda.
What is the symptom of a person who has achieved the causeless mercy of Lord Nityananda? Narottama dasa Thakura says that the symptom is that he has no more material desire... saṁsāra-bāsanā mora kabe tuccha ha’be.
Narottama dasa says further, rūpa-raghunātha-pade hoibe ākuti: 'When shall I be very much eager to study the books left by the six Gosvamis?' Akuti means 'eagerness.' One has to learn of the conjugal loving affairs of Radha-Krsna through the teachings of the six Gosvamis.
As long as the mind is too much absorbed in materialistic thought, one cannot enter into the kingdom of Vrndavan. But Narottama dasa Thakura says... when the mind is completely purified, being freed from material anxieties and desires, then I shall be able to understand Vrndavana and the conjugal love of Radha & Krsna, and then my spiritual life will be successful."
This isn't just a song; it's a historical artifact of the Mayapur Festival of 1977. By listening to the voices of the Sridharas Bhajan Group, we are transported to a time of foundational spiritual growth., therings, marked by gentle dholak rhythms, to more elaborate and outwardly expressive men’s kirtans featuring masterful dholak playing and a variety of sweet, devotional melodies. The location, just down the street toward the town of Vrindavan from the Krishna Balaram Mandir construction site, provided a constant soundtrack as we moved between Fogla Ashram and the temple.
In 1974, Fogla Ashram was central to all our activities. Each morning we gathered there for Srimad-Bhagavatam class and Guru Puja with Srila Prabhupada. When the Krishna Balaram Temple opened in 1975, most of us continued to stay at Fogla Ashram, though all of our activities shifted to the new temple compound. Even in 1976, Fogla remained home base for the majority of devotees.
That year, equipped with a better tape recorder than before, I was determined to capture the spirit of the Sita Rama Mandir’s kirtans. The open schedule on Rama Navami offered the perfect opportunity. Entering the compound, I offered my respects to the Sita Rama Deities and joined a group of six men deeply absorbed in kirtan. They greeted me warmly, then turned their full attention back to their chanting.
The result was a beautiful recording—one that captures not only their music, but the selfless devotion that sustained this sacred tradition for generations.