February 24, 1977 : Mayapur
Lokanath: At five in the morning on February 24, a 747 with over three hundred devotees aboard landed at Calcutta's Dum Dum Airport. This was the first jumbo jet landing at Dum Dum and was nationally publicized. The flight originated in Los Angeles and it left New York with about two hundred devotees. In London it took on board another hundred. During the whole trip, the devotees were flying high. At meals, everyone was provided packages of prasadam. There were joyful exchanges of prasadam between the devotees from Los Angeles, New York, New Vrindavana, and London - samosas for rasagullas, burfi for sandesa. There were bags and bags of sweets.
New Balarama mridangas had just been made and were being brought to Mayapur. They were used for the inflight kirtanas. Keeping up tradition, the devotees danced in the aisles; the pilot had to make several announcements to please stop rocking the plane. Later, Hridayananda Goswami and Pancadravida Swami preached to the pilot for a couple of hours. He thanked the devotees, saying, "It is on account of your Hare Krishna society that this 747 will land in Calcutta for the first time." At the airport, ten buses waited to take the devotees to Mayapur.
Radhapada Dasa : After arati we hurried up the stairs, with the idea of going to Prabhupada's quarters. Prabhupada had just come out of the bathroom and was about to enter his room. As he touched the handle of the door, he looked to his right and saw all of us being stopped by Hari Sauri Prabhu. Coming to our rescue, he said, "Come, come. Let them come." He gave us a big smile as we offered our dandavats. Then we stood there with folded hands. Prabhupada signaled us to come into his quarters. He asked Tamal Krishna Maharaja to offer us garlands.
With this unexpected reception - the garlands, his smiling, and his merciful glances - he was practically smothering us with love. It was too much. Words are inadequate to describe our joyful feelings at that time.
New Balarama mridangas had just been made and were being brought to Mayapur. They were used for the inflight kirtanas. Keeping up tradition, the devotees danced in the aisles; the pilot had to make several announcements to please stop rocking the plane. Later, Hridayananda Goswami and Pancadravida Swami preached to the pilot for a couple of hours. He thanked the devotees, saying, "It is on account of your Hare Krishna society that this 747 will land in Calcutta for the first time." At the airport, ten buses waited to take the devotees to Mayapur.
Radhapada Dasa : After arati we hurried up the stairs, with the idea of going to Prabhupada's quarters. Prabhupada had just come out of the bathroom and was about to enter his room. As he touched the handle of the door, he looked to his right and saw all of us being stopped by Hari Sauri Prabhu. Coming to our rescue, he said, "Come, come. Let them come." He gave us a big smile as we offered our dandavats. Then we stood there with folded hands. Prabhupada signaled us to come into his quarters. He asked Tamal Krishna Maharaja to offer us garlands.
With this unexpected reception - the garlands, his smiling, and his merciful glances - he was practically smothering us with love. It was too much. Words are inadequate to describe our joyful feelings at that time.
Reference: The Mayapur-Vrindavana Festivals with Srila Prabhupada (1972-77) - Lokanath Swami
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