Taking advantage of the Vrindavan Kumbha Mela currently underway, Krishna Balaram Mandir organized a Sadhu Sammelan on the topic of the 500th anniversary of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Sannyas. As leaders of various groups arrived, they garlanded a deity of Srila Prabhupada placed at one end of the courtyard, and they were then garlanded in return by new temple president Pancha Gauda Dasa.

The meeting commenced with students of the Bhaktivedanta International School chanting auspicious prayers of invocation, after which guests spoke on the significance of sannyas, the renounced order of life. Rajendraji Maharaja, head of the Ramananda Sampradaya, quoted the Bhagavad Gita and described different kinds of sannyas. He pointed out that Sri Chaitanya

Mahaprabhu had imbued sannyas with devotional love, praising Srila Prabhupada for sharing that love with the world through spreading the chanting of the Holy Name.

Sri Jnananda Maharaja, another leader, compared Srila Prabhupada’s harmonious bringing together of people from different parts of the world to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s inspiring the animals of Jharikhand forest to chant and dance together. And Nritya Gopalji Maharaja, President of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, expressed appreciation for how even ISKCON children are adorned with the traditional Vaishnava ornaments of Tulasi necklaces and tilak markings on their foreheads, while he struggles to encourage his initiated adult disciples to do so.

Other honored guests included local scholar Prem Das Shastriji, who narrated the story of Mahaprabhu taking sannyas, and ex-MLS government official Swami Ramswaroop Sharmaji, who urged the devotees of ISKCON to save the forests of Braja from destruction in the face of increasing development.

Rajendraji Maharaja and several others were injured in an accident arriving from Jaipur the previous day, adding special poignancy to their participation.

The gathering concluded with a grand lunch prepared — at the special request of the attendees — from pure cow ghee.