March 8, 1974 : Mayapur
Lokanath: On March 8, the devotees were filled with anticipation. They'd be fasting, attending morning class and kirtanas, and bathing in the Ganga. There'd be initiations, many visiting pilgrims, an abhisheka at moonrise, and an evening feast. Late in the morning, about thirty devotees received initiation. In the afternoon those who became brahmanas got to visit Prabhupada to receive the Gayatri-mantra.
Aditya Dasi: I was the only person in the room with Prabhupada, so I thought it was appropriate to sit at a ladylike distance from him. But by sitting where I did, I had a problem following him when he was saying the mantras. I was holding a copy of the mantras in front of me, and he said, "Don't look at the paper. Just listen. Just hear me." I kept looking at the paper. To get my full attention, he insisted in a louder voice: "Don't look at the sheet. Just hear me as I say it."
Fasting all day used to be hard for many of us in those days. For me, it was not only a new experience but a difficult one, because I was thin, with no reserves of energy, and I operated on a daily intake. Especially the period from noon until moonrise used to be quite a task. I'd count the hours left, then the minutes left. Coming from a Hindu family, I had experienced fasting with no grains - surviving on fruits and roots. But a total fast was a new experience. Moonrise signaled Mahaprabhu's appearance and the end of the fasting period.
Aditya Dasi: I was the only person in the room with Prabhupada, so I thought it was appropriate to sit at a ladylike distance from him. But by sitting where I did, I had a problem following him when he was saying the mantras. I was holding a copy of the mantras in front of me, and he said, "Don't look at the paper. Just listen. Just hear me." I kept looking at the paper. To get my full attention, he insisted in a louder voice: "Don't look at the sheet. Just hear me as I say it."
Fasting all day used to be hard for many of us in those days. For me, it was not only a new experience but a difficult one, because I was thin, with no reserves of energy, and I operated on a daily intake. Especially the period from noon until moonrise used to be quite a task. I'd count the hours left, then the minutes left. Coming from a Hindu family, I had experienced fasting with no grains - surviving on fruits and roots. But a total fast was a new experience. Moonrise signaled Mahaprabhu's appearance and the end of the fasting period.
Reference: The Mayapur-Vrindavana Festivals with Srila Prabhupada (1972–77) - Lokanath Swami
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