pamho, AGtSP!

Have returned from San Francisco's Ratha Yatra seva...some for the better, some for improvement.

Was a Saturday program, a bit smaller than the Sunday events, still ecstatic as ever. We had a good crew of younger devotee's from NJP, about 4 to assist and our semi-regular grhastra's.

The difficulty was in short notice, 2 weeks prior, Berkeley had a Mini-Ratha Yatra on Telegraph, so some people chose not to come to S.F.

Regardless, the latter enthusiasm pervaded the actual day of the carts rolling and we felt the bliss of the Maha-Mantra jubilantly filling our ears. As usual, last-minute quirks brought volunteers to fine-tune or adjust paraphernalia and equipment, though nothing like have a wheel fall off or anything. In San Francisco anything can happen at Ratha Yatra... this time it was mostly mercy to the volunteers.

Missed your association, and the other Sannyasi's, only had the Brahmacari's from San Diego who were dancing all the whole parade with Vaisesika Prabhu, and all welcomed that. The festivities continued at Robin William's Meadow (former "Sharon" meadows) and Jagannatha Swami with Titikseva Kurunika rocked out the final afternoon show. The cooler evening air concluded the event. Break down was one of the best and returned to NJP fulfilled with the knowledge that we did another event for Their Lordships.

HpS - ASA --- I have personal experience of how one person came to the Festival and then Krsna arranged her life that from that experience she became a full time devotee and collected more funds than the Rathayatra cost and distributed hundreds and even thousands of big books!

Flew back to Houston Monday and caught up on the rounds and some rest, a bit exhausting for these old bones, yet all was fulfilled and only minor damage in the use of this temporary vehicle. Let's see how next year goes...

All Glories to the Vaisnava's!

HpS - Next stop, that universe where Lord Chaitanya is actually present in Jagannatha Puri???