MOTHER GANGA MEETS LORD MADHAVA

Mayapur is famous for having floods, Ganga would overflow during the monsoons, and mother Ganga would cross the road (Bhaktisidhhānta Saraswati Marg) and enter the ISKCON Mayapur campus. She would flood the area for few weeks and then the water level would go down.

Ganga Devi reached Lord Narasimhadev everytime, sometimes upto His waist or sometimes upto His neck! However Radha-Madhava altar was built high for this reason, so that the floods don’t reach the altars. Narasimhadev’s altar was built later.

So Ganga Devi couldn’t reach Radha Madhava. The altar was built quite high. In 1996 or 98, she came very close to the altar, but she couldn’t make it inside Radha Madhava’s Altar. Just so close, then went back.

But in the year 2000, she came like never before! The waters rose up fast, other rivers also burst their banks to join forces with Ganga. And she rose upto Radha Madhava’s altar and touched the feet of Lord Mādhava. She went upto His knee! He was wearing a short dhoti but even that would become wet. She was completely satisfied after that. There was no more big flood after that. It looked like, it was her only aspiration. To touch Madhava’s lotus feet.

AFTER STORY:

When the waters were rising on the other side of the road, HH Jayapataka Maharaj told me that we should welcome Mother Ganga when she comes to ISKCON Gate. So the day when she came I worshipped her, blew conch as she entered the temple and in the afternoon I went there with a plate of Radha Madhava’s Rajbhoga Prasadam for Her. And as I offered to her and the plate sank I saw the Prasadam disappeared quickly, she had accepted the Mahaprasadam! I used to give her prasadam everyday of her stay here.

After she had touched Mādhava’s lotus feet, her water level reduced and she was leaving. On the last day, when I went to give her prasadam. Some of her waters were still here, as the ISKCON Mayapur campus is of lower height than the road, Bhaktisidhhānta Marg acts as a dam that holds back the river. So when I put the plate inside that day, the Mahaprasadam didn’t disappear, it was still there when I saw it in the evening. Meaning she had left.

So it was a pastime. A Lila of Ganga meeting Her Lord Mādhava. But some didn’t believe it. So they, the devotees, formed two groups, they did a poll: who thought it was a Lila, and those who thought it was a natural calamity. The managers mostly thought it was calamity, and the bramhacharis thought it was a Lila. So the managers said “So those who think it’s a Lila will have to clean the mess made after Ganga leaves!” Hahaha.. but when Jayapataka Maharaj was asked for conclusion, he said “Yes! ofcourse it is a Lila. Ganga Lila! Just as Yamuna wanted to touch Lord Krishna’s lotus feet when Vasudev was carrying him to Gokul, Ganga Devi also aspires for this.”