View source for When I was six years old my father gave me a ratha and I was performing the Ratha yatra in my neighborhood. And now in the western world you are worshiping Lord Jagannatha so gorgeously and it pleases me very, very much

<div id="compilation">
<div id="facts">
{{terms|"I also asked him to give me ratha, and the ratha was going from my home by the side of Syamasundara.'s house"|"I did in my childhood, Radha-Krsna worship and Ratha-yatra, the same thing"|"I was performing this Ratha-yatra festival. My father encouraged"|"I was playing with my boyfriends, Ratha-yatra, Dola, like that. My father encouraged"|"My Ratha-yatra was being performed very gloriously. My father used to spend money"|"Our father encouraged us in all respects to observe all functions such as the Ratha-yatra and Dola-yatra ceremonies"|"When I was six years old my father gave me a ratha and I was performing the Ratha yatra in my neighborhood. And now in the western world you are worshiping Lord Jagannatha so gorgeously and it pleases me very, very much"|"father used to encourage. This Ratha-yatra"|"he gave me Jagannatha-Ratha to duly observe the festival as my childhood play"}}
{{notes|}}
{{compiler|Labangalatika}}
{{complete|ALL}}
{{first|27Nov10}}
{{last|30Nov10}}
{{totals_by_section|BG=0|SB=1|CC=0|OB=1|Lec=3|Con=2|Let=2}}
{{total|9}}
{{toc right}}
[[Category:When|2]]
[[Category:I Was (Prabhupada)|2]]
[[Category:Six|2]]
[[Category:Years|2]]
[[Category:Old|2]]
[[Category:My Father (Gour Mohan De)|2]]
[[Category:Give Me|2]]
[[Category:I (Prabhupada)|2]]
[[Category:Perform|2]]
[[Category:Ratha-yatra|2]]
[[Category:My Deity Worship (Prabhupada)|2]]
[[Category:My (Prabhupada)|2]]
[[Category:Neighbor|2]]
[[Category:Western World|2]]
[[Category:We Are (Disciples of SP)|2]]
[[Category:Our Deity Worship (Disciples of SP)|2]]
[[Category:Jagannatha|2]]
[[Category:Gorgeous|2]]
[[Category:I Am Very Pleased (Prabhupada)|2]]
[[Category:Very Very|2]]
[[Category:Very Much|2]]
</div>
<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam" class="section" sec_index="1" parent="compilation" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam"><h2>Srimad-Bhagavatam</h2>
</div>
<div id="SB_Canto_2" class="sub_section" sec_index="2" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam" text="SB Canto 2"><h3>SB Canto 2</h3>
</div>
<div id="SB2315_0" class="quote" parent="SB_Canto_2" book="SB" index="87" link="SB 2.3.15" link_text="SB 2.3.15">
<div class="heading">By the grace of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, we had the chance of being born in a Vaiṣṇava family, and in our childhood we imitated the worship of Lord Kṛṣṇa by imitating our father. Our father encouraged us in all respects to observe all functions such as the Ratha-yātrā and Dola-yātrā ceremonies, and he used to spend money liberally for distributing prasāda to us children and our friends.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:SB 2.3.15|SB 2.3.15, Purport]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="purport text"><p style="display: inline;">In the Bhagavad-gītā ([[Vanisource:BG 6.41 (1972)|BG 6.41]]) it is stated that even a person who has failed in the proper discharge of yoga practice is given a chance to take birth in the house of devout brāhmaṇas or in the houses of rich men like kṣatriya kings or rich merchants. But Mahārāja Parīkṣit was more than that because he had been a great devotee of the Lord since his previous birth, and as such he took his birth in an imperial family of the Kurus, and especially that of the Pāṇḍavas. So from the very beginning of his childhood he had the chance to know intimately the devotional service of Lord Kṛṣṇa in his own family. The Pāṇḍavas, all being devotees of the Lord, certainly venerated family Deities in the royal palace for worship. Children who appear in such families fortunately generally imitate such worship of the Deities, even in the way of childhood play. By the grace of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, we had the chance of being born in a Vaiṣṇava family, and in our childhood we imitated the worship of Lord Kṛṣṇa by imitating our father. Our father encouraged us in all respects to observe all functions such as the Ratha-yātrā and Dola-yātrā ceremonies, and he used to spend money liberally for distributing prasāda to us children and our friends. Our spiritual master, who also took his birth in a Vaiṣṇava family, got all inspirations from his great Vaiṣṇava father, Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda. That is the way of all lucky Vaiṣṇava families. The celebrated Mīrā Bāī was a staunch devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa as the great lifter of Govardhana Hill.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Other_Books_by_Srila_Prabhupada" class="section" sec_index="3" parent="compilation" text="Other Books by Srila Prabhupada"><h2>Other Books by Srila Prabhupada</h2>
</div>
<div id="Krsna_The_Supreme_Personality_of_Godhead" class="sub_section" sec_index="4" parent="Other_Books_by_Srila_Prabhupada" text="Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead"><h3>Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead</h3>
</div>
<div id="KBDedication_0" class="quote" parent="Krsna,_The_Supreme_Personality_of_Godhead" book="OB" index="1" link="KB Dedication" link_text="Krsna Book Dedication">
<div class="heading">My father gave me Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Vigraha to worship, and he gave me Jagannātha-Ratha to duly observe the festival as my childhood play.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:KB Dedication|Krsna Book Dedication]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">To My Father, Gour Mohan De  (1849-1930) </p>
<p>A pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, who raised me as a Kṛṣṇa concious child from the beginning of my life. In my boyhood ages he instructed me how to play the mṛdanga. He gave me Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Vigraha to worship, and he gave me Jagannātha-Ratha to duly observe the festival as my childhood play. He was kind to me, and I imbibed from him the ideas later on solidified by my spiritual master, the eternal father.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
</div>
<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Lectures" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures"><h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LectureonBG4710LosAngelesJanuary61969_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="147" link="Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969" link_text="Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969">
<div class="heading">I asked my father, "Give me this Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa mūrti. I shall worship." And father encouraged me. I was performing this Ratha-yātrā festival. My father encouraged.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969|Lecture on BG 4.7-10 -- Los Angeles, January 6, 1969]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">From our practical experience we can say we got this chance. We got this chance. We got very nice parents. And I was born in a family, a very pure family. And, of course, in those days they were rich also. We had Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa mūrti-sevā. So from the childhood I was taught... Not taught. I asked my father, "Give me this Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa mūrti. I shall worship." And father encouraged me. I was performing this Ratha-yātrā festival. My father encouraged. So this means that I got this chance again.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="1" parent="Lectures" text="Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures"><h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="LectureonSB2315LosAngelesJune11972_0" class="quote" parent="Srimad-Bhagavatam_Lectures" book="Lec" index="384" link="Lecture on SB 2.3.15 -- Los Angeles, June 1, 1972" link_text="Lecture on SB 2.3.15 -- Los Angeles, June 1, 1972">
<div class="heading">My sister and myself, whatever we were eating, we were offering exactly the same arcana. And father used to encourage. This Ratha-yātrā and Rādhā-Go.(?) Kṛṣṇa temple which we are propagating, it was, from the very beginning of our life, was initiated by our parents.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on SB 2.3.15 -- Los Angeles, June 1, 1972|Lecture on SB 2.3.15 -- Los Angeles, June 1, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Kṛṣṇa-krīḍām. Bāla-krīḍanakaiḥ krīḍan kṛṣṇa-krīḍāṁ ya ādade. This is the facility of taking birth in a Vaiṣṇava family. Children, simply by playing with Kṛṣṇa, they become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Some way or other, if somebody comes in contact with Kṛṣṇa, then his life becomes successful. So this kṛṣṇa-yoga, bhakti-yoga, can be practiced even by a child without interfering with his natural propensities. A child naturally wants to play, so he can play with Kṛṣṇa Deity. We had the opportunity of doing that. My father was worshiping Kṛṣṇa Deity. So I wanted to imitate him, and he gave me small Deity. That Deity is still worshiped. My sister and myself, whatever we were eating, we were offering exactly the same arcana. And father used to encourage. This Ratha-yātrā and Rādhā-Go.(?) Kṛṣṇa temple which we are propagating, it was, from the very beginning of our life, was initiated by our parents. So anyone can initiate his child to this Kṛṣṇa consciousness understanding from the very beginning.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Festival_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="6" parent="Lectures" text="Festival Lectures"><h3>Festival Lectures</h3>
</div>
<div id="HisDivineGraceSrilaBhaktisiddhantaSarasvatiGosvamiPrabhupadasAppearanceDayEveningGorakhpurFebruary151971_0" class="quote" parent="Festival_Lectures" book="Lec" index="44" link="His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Evening -- Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971" link_text="His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Evening -- Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971">
<div class="heading">I was playing with my boyfriends, Ratha-yātrā, Ḍola, like that. My father encouraged.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Evening -- Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971|His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada's Appearance Day, Evening -- Gorakhpur, February 15, 1971]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">My father was a pure Vaiṣṇava. From my childhood, he gave me Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deity for worshiping. A ratha... I was playing with my boyfriends, Ratha-yātrā, Ḍola, like that. My father encouraged. So I was trained up in this line, but in my youthful age, when I was college student, gradually, by their bad association or something, gradually, I lost my activities.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="section" sec_index="5" parent="compilation" text="Conversations and Morning Walks"><h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2>
</div>
<div id="1974_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="7" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1974 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1974 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
</div>
<div id="RoomConversationJune51974Geneva_0" class="quote" parent="1974_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="99" link="Room Conversation -- June 5, 1974, Geneva" link_text="Room Conversation -- June 5, 1974, Geneva">
<div class="heading">Just like we were educated from the very birth by our father. The same thing, what I am doing now in larger scale, I did in my childhood, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa worship and Ratha-yātrā, the same thing.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Room Conversation -- June 5, 1974, Geneva|Room Conversation -- June 5, 1974, Geneva]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be taught from the very beginning of life. The more younger, you capture it. Just like we were educated from the very birth by our father. The same thing, what I am doing now in larger scale, I did in my childhood, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa worship and Ratha-yātrā, the same thing.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="9" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1976 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1976 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
</div>
<div id="TalkatRadhaGovindaMandirMarch241976Calcutta_0" class="quote" parent="1976_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="61" link="Talk at Radha-Govinda Mandir -- March 24, 1976, Calcutta" link_text="Talk at Radha-Govinda Mandir -- March 24, 1976, Calcutta">
<div class="heading">So then I introduced Ratha-yātrā. So I.... My Ratha-yātrā was being performed very gloriously. My father used to spend money.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Talk at Radha-Govinda Mandir -- March 24, 1976, Calcutta|Talk at Radha-Govinda Mandir -- March 24, 1976, Calcutta]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Prabhupāda: And that is the inspiration of my devotional life. Then I asked my father that "Give me Rādhā-Govinda Deity; I shall worship." So my father was also Vaiṣṇava. He gave me small Rādhā-Govinda Deity. I was worshiping in my house. Whatever I was eating, I was offering, and I was following the ceremonies of this Rādhā-Govinda with my small Deity. That Deity is still existing. I have given to my sister. So then I introduced Ratha-yātrā. So I.... My Ratha-yātrā was being performed very gloriously. My father used to spend money. In those days ten rupees, twenty rupees was sufficient. I hired one kīrtana party and a small friends, they..., I think the brother of the present generation, and there was another De family here, so we performed this Ratha-yātrā ceremony. According to our children's imagination, it was very gorgeous. So I think our present Manmohan.... His name is? Gabhur Bhavana? (Bengali) Gopishvara Mullik. That Gopishvara Mullik was my father's friend. So he was criticizing my father that "You are performing Ratha-yātrā ceremony and you are not inviting us." So my father said, "That is children's play. What shall I invite you? You are very big man." "Oh, so you are avoiding. In the name of children you are avoiding us." On the whole, this Ratha-yātrā festival was very gorgeously.... Then imitating me, the other, my brother like, Kangalu(?), he also introduced Ratha-yātrā. And.... Kangalu. (Bengali) So all of them introduced Ratha-yātrā, and the destination was this Thakurbari, from there. So practically what I am doing now, the same thing, Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa worship and introduction of Ratha-yātrā. I am not doing anything else. You know very well. We are now performing Ratha-yātrā ceremony practically in all big cities of the world, in San Francisco, in...</p>
<p>Hari-śauri: Philadelphia.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Philadelphia, London...</p>
<p>Hari-śauri: Melbourne.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Melbourne, Australia...</p>
<p>Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Paris.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Paris. So the same thing, the same Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa worship temples and same Ratha-yātrā, in a bigger scale. But the same thing was begun as play from this quarter, this Thakurbari.</p>
<p>Indian man: Year 1917. (Bengali)</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, no, no. I began my.... I think from 1904 or '5, from my very childhood.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="Correspondence" class="section" sec_index="6" parent="compilation" text="Correspondence"><h2>Correspondence</h2>
</div>
<div id="1972_Correspondence" class="sub_section" sec_index="7" parent="Correspondence" text="1972 Correspondence"><h3>1972 Correspondence</h3>
</div>
<div id="LettertoBhavanandaHonolulu9May1972_0" class="quote" parent="1972_Correspondence" book="Let" index="233" link="Letter to Bhavananda -- Honolulu 9 May, 1972" link_text="Letter to Bhavananda -- Honolulu 9 May, 1972">
<div class="heading">I asked my father to give me Radha-Govinda deities and he gave me and I worshiped. And I also asked him to give me ratha, and the ratha was going from my home by the side of Syamasundara's house.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Letter to Bhavananda -- Honolulu 9 May, 1972|Letter to Bhavananda -- Honolulu 9 May, 1972]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Regarding Radha-Govinda's temple, it is in shabby condition, that I saw in 1967. I stayed there, and it was a great painful experience for me at least. In my childhood, Radha-Govindaji were the source of my enjoyment. I asked my father to give me Radha-Govinda deities and he gave me and I worshiped. And I also asked him to give me ratha, and the ratha was going from my home by the side of Syamasundara.'s house. Our house was later termed to be Govinda Bhawan, 151 Mahatma Gandhi Road. So Syamasundara. is just like my younger brother, we call him by nickname "Gabu." His elder brother was Siddhesvar Mali and his nickname was "Subida," an he was calling me "Moti," so we were very intimate friends from the perambulator. We were riding on the same perambulator when we were very small children. We were so intimate that he would not go in perambulator without me. We would not separate even a moment. But he is now dead and gone. Now ask Gabu to help us to hold the Rathayatra Festival for eight days at Radha-Govinda Temple and have one continuous kirtana and distribution of prasadam at the Chadni Hall. It is a big hall, at least 1000 men can be accommodated there, and in front there is a nice veranda and the deities can be kept there for eight days with gorgeous decoration, and in this way establish nice performance. Syamasundara. may invite his relatives to partake of prasadam.q</p>
</div>
</div>
<div id="1974_Correspondence" class="sub_section" sec_index="9" parent="Correspondence" text="1974 Correspondence"><h3>1974 Correspondence</h3>
</div>
<div id="LettertoRavindraSvarupaParis10June1974_0" class="quote" parent="1974_Correspondence" book="Let" index="244" link="Letter to Ravindra Svarupa -- Paris 10 June, 1974" link_text="Letter to Ravindra Svarupa -- Paris 10 June, 1974">
<div class="heading">From my very childhood I was also worshiping Lord Jagannatha. When I was six years old my father gave me a ratha and I was performing the Ratha yatra in my neighborhood. And now in the western world you are worshiping Lord Jagannatha so gorgeously and it pleases me very, very much.
</div>
<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Letter to Ravindra Svarupa -- Paris 10 June, 1974|Letter to Ravindra Svarupa -- Paris 10 June, 1974]]: </span><div style="display: inline;" class="text"><p style="display: inline;">I want to thank you a hundred times for the excellent way you are worshiping the Deity there as I can see from the color photographs you have sent. From my very childhood I was also worshiping Lord Jagannatha. When I was six years old my father gave me a ratha and I was performing the Ratha yatra in my neighborhood. And now in the western world you are worshiping Lord Jagannatha so gorgeously and it pleases me very, very much. Thank you again for the way you are conducting the deity worship in the Philadelphia temple. As for the Ratha ceremony, you go on with it, I shall attend there next year. But you go on holding a splendid ceremony for the people of the city. I am sure it will be a success.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>