On April 3rd, 2022 an international event took place for a worldwide puja invoking the blessings from Lord Narasimha’s divine protection towards the devastating conflict happening in Ukraine. This conflict has affected the lives of thousands of Ukrainians and the number is growing every day. The conflict not only impacts Ukrainians but is impacting all of us globally. The event felt like a must to help Ukrainians and pray for the protection of all during these chaotic times. Organizers and helpers of the event stated they felt the presence of the Lord even in the days leading up to the puja. They felt a true sense of inspiration, a divine presence, and that they were being guided and moved throughout the process.

Puja 1 | Ahobhilam/Asia

The event started at dusk, an auspicious time expert Vedic astrologers and head priests chose to begin the performance of three pujas to three different Narasimha deities on three different continents. The first puja was performed in Ahobhilam in South India where head priests performed the yajna and Madhava Naidoo performed kirtan.

The second puja was performed in the same continent where the conflict is happening. At Simhachalam in Germany, the puja was performed by Amaraprabhu Das and kirtan led by Sacinandana Swami.  The third puja was concluded in New Vrindavan, West Virginia in the United States by the head priests.

Ukrainian devotee refugees told us that they were deeply touched by this event and felt honored and cared for.

Puja 2 | Simhachalam/Europe

One of the coordinators, Vekanta Das, was very pleased with the success of the event. Dhruva Gorrick, a coordinator of the event and a staunch devotee of Lord Narasimha, conducted deep talks about Narasimha’s pastimes and their correlation with the current world events. Sacinandana Swami concluded the event with a talk and brought on Krsna Das who ended the program with the chanting of the Hanuman Chalisa.

Many devotees reported back to us that they felt inspired to attend all three pujas throughout the day, and many said that they felt like they were inspired to meditate on Lord Narasimha all day long. Some even said that they had powerful dreams of Narasimha giving them reassurance or direction in their own lives. Some devotees even told us about mystical experiences they had because of this event.

Puja 3 | New Vrindaban/USA

A lot of feedback was received from devotees all over the world, and also from friends and well-wishers outside of our own sampradayas and communities, such as from the yoga community; many said that they could ‘feel the shakti of the event’ coming through the internet and they felt very connected.

At the conclusion of the event, the organizers felt it was a spiritual success. All were able to work cooperatively on the project in the mood of servitude. All were able to be faithful to their own traditions, reach beyond our own institutions, and invite others to participate in a true example of ‘spiritual networking’; and were able to unite all in a very powerful and concentrated prayer.

The event also inspired some of the participants, like Sacinandana Swami and Dhruva Prabhu, to continue these types of events. Amaraprabhu das, the head priest of the puja in Simhachalam, Germany, was also enthused and they have all decided to continue to collaborate on Narasimha pujas beyond this event. They are also developing a “brand” around The Divine Protector (coming soon) designed to reach out to a broader audience, introduce Narasimha and the idea of the power of prayer and seeking divine protection.