Pilgrim's Diary - Return to Mayapur and the Loss of the Salagrams
By Vipramukhya Swami

Wednesday, March 7, 2001 - Kathmandu

11:30 AM

You know, I have a complaint about Krishna. It's true that He always saves His devotees, but generally He does it only at the last moment.

I've experienced that again and again on this trip. This has been the trip of delays. Just when we would think that everything was lost - a flight delayed or even cancelled, somehow Krishna would save the day. Getting to Jomsom was like that. Getting out from Jomsom was like that. Getting to Muktinath was like that. Now here I am at the Kathmandu Airport again, and getting to Calcutta will be like that too. The flight is (of course) delayed.

Anyway, the pressure is off now. There is no rush. I'm simply trying to get to Mayapur. I don't have a thing to do for another week, when I have to fly back to the U.K.

Last night I sent my adventures at the Kali-Gandaki River off to CHAKRA, complete with pictures. The story needed some editing, and I'm hoping the devotee who does the posting at CHAKRA will catch the mistakes. Typing on this small collapsible keyboard isn't always the same as typing on a regular computer. Sometimes characters get lost, words merged, or spaces lost.

Damodar Pandit showed up at the temple last night at 9 PM. He had taken the bus from Pokhara. Meanwhile, Raghanuga Bhakti and I returned the rented coats and he took me sight seeing around Kathmandu. I saw the King's palace, and the former public function area for the King. The King of Nepal is a real King with real power, and he seems to enjoy considerable popularity.

This morning I sang the morning prayers and Mangal Arati, and then I did my Salagram/Govardhan puja and spent the rest of the japa period packing and organizing my things for this morning's trip.

After that I gave class. Today is the disappearance day of Madhavendra Puri, the spiritual master of the spiritual master of Lord Chaitanya, and I spoke about him and about the festival in Santipur, West Bengal, that takes place on this day.

After class I took prasadam and then we drove to the airport. Now I'm waiting for my Indian Airlines flight, which is, as I said earlier, delayed.

2:15 PM - Kathmandu

Well, it's a nice day. I'm sitting outside in the shade. It's warm, but there's a cool breeze. Of course, I suppose I should be in Calcutta by now.

There's heavy security in Kathmandu ever since the hijacking from last year, which originated from here. What's holding things up is that every passenger has to be searched again, just before going on the steps up to the airplane. The Indian Airlines flight to Delhi is still being security checked now. Our flight will be next. After our flight I can see three other aircraft lined up. It's the same security crew that moves from one plane to the next. So it's taking time.

Meanwhile, I went out to identify my baggage, and the police had flagged one of my bags for additional inspection. I happened to be the bag with all of the Salagram Silas in it. I've heard they don't let you take Salagram Silas out of the country if they find you with them. They call them fossils and are considered part of Nepali heritage. Anyway, they made me open the suitcase, but a casual inspection satisfied the policeman. He smiled and said Hare Krishna to me. He didn't notice the Silas, which were in two bags at the bottom of the suitcase.

2:40 PM

The flight is officially 2 hours late now. I'm sitting in my seat. Because I was outside, I was able to be one of the first to get to the security check at the bottom of the stairs. Two men, one after another, searched me. Both had me open the bag that I carry Giriraja in. In that bag are also Giridhari and Chota Giri. They are my three Govardhan Silas. Also in the same bag are Gopal, my main Salagram, and four of the new Salagrams I picked up here in Nepal. Both men handled the Silas, asked me what they were, and then put them back. I just figure the Lord wanted to give His darshan.

These men aren't going to take my Silas away. I was more worried about the police check when they looked in my suitcase. Even though the policeman was friendly and obviously sympathetic to devotees, had he found the Silas in my suitcase he would have had a problem with that. It would not be the first time police in Nepal have taken away Salagrams from devotees after a trek to the Kali-Gandaki. Of course, I would have tried to convince him they were *my* Silas, and we worship Them as part of our religion. Probably I would have succeeded. It would not have been the first time devotees have succeeded in convincing the authorities to let them take Silas out of Nepal.

Anyway, he didn't find them and so there was no problem. I was praying that he would go easy on me. When he opened the suitcase he saw the digital camera on top, and some other ordinary items. That satisfied him. He asked me what was "underneath" and I just said there were just ordinary items. He was a kind guy and not in the mood to give me a hard time. They had simply flagged my suitcase not knowing it belonged to me, but as soon as he saw me I saw his face light up.

It's now 2:45 PM. They've actually closed the doors to the plane. That means soon they'll think about taking off. Hope the taxi I booked for Mayapur will still be waiting.

I met a devotee in the departure lounge, and he's on the same flight, also on his way to Mayapur. His name is Mukunda Madhava dasa - same name as one of my disciples. He is a disciple of Japayataka Swami and lives in Kathmandu near the airport. He says he chants 16 rounds a day, but he's not wearing a dhoti. He's never been to Mayapur and is going for only one day to see it for the first time.

5:00 PM

I don't even want to tell you what happened. It's the worst news I could imagine. They lost my suitcase - the one with all the Salagrams in it.

The suitcase simply did not turn up in Calcutta. Two other people also lost their bags. In my suitcase were the Salagram Silas I found at the Gandaki River.

My Govardhan Silas, my main Salagram named Gopal, and four of the Salagrams I found at the Gandaki are still with me. The others, for now, are lost. Also in the suitcase were both of my digital cameras which we use for CHAKRA, the new and the old, all of my puja paraphernalia including crowns, little flutes, a mosquito net and some other stuff. Financially, the cameras were worth a lot. Spiritually the Salagrams were worth more. There is no lock on the suitcase.

I registered the suitcase as lost along with the other two passengers, and was informed that there isn't another flight coming from Kathmandu until the day after tomorrow, which happens to be Gaura Purnima. They said that if they find the suitcase it will probably be on that flight.

I am in the taxi on my way to Mayapur now, bouncing around as the driver tries to pass some truck on a typical road leading away from the airport.

I put the Salagrams in my checked baggage on purpose. Normally, I would never do that, but this time I did it to try to safeguard the Salagrams. Obviously the Lord has some different plan.

I can only wait to see if they find it. I was told to call them on Friday to see if the suitcase arrives with the flight on that day. I asked what happens if they lose it altogether, and the official at the service desk told me then I could put in a claim. I suppose that means they will pay me money, but I doubt they could compensate me for the loss of both digital cameras, what to speak of the Salagram Silas.

The Lord moves of His own accord, and it is our philosophy that the Salagram Sila is an authorized form of the Lord. For some reason the Salagram Silas did not decide to come with me to Mayapur. I can only wait to see if They come at all. Will Krishna save the suitcase and return Himself to me? He's been proving again and again on this trip that He saves us at the last minute. But now I am safe and He is missing.

Thursday, March 8, 2001 - Mayapur, India

After Mangal Arati, I came up and did the puja for my Silas. Giriraja, Giridhari and Chota Giri - my Govardhan Silas - and Gopal, my Salagram Sila, are safe. I had to purchase new puja paraphernalia for Them last night and somehow I managed to bathe Them this morning.

After Mangal Arati, Pancaratna Prabhu made some announcements. That's when I learned officially about Tribhuvannath. I had heard indirectly, but nothing was confirmed until this morning. My dear friend and Godbrother, Tribhuvannath Prabhu, who preaches in England and Africa, who is one of the earliest disciples of Srila Prabhupada in the United Kingdom, who is cent percent dedicated to preaching Krishna Consciousness - that great soul has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. He may have only a few weeks to go.

This is indeed sad news that overshadows any woes that I may have. If Tribhuvannath Prabhu leaves his body soon, I am certain he will go to the spiritual world. Krishna is calling His devotee to come back to Him. Please, dear devotees and readers, say some prayer for Tribhuvannath Prabhu. He is a great soul. The power of prayer is very great.

As I sit here in my room typing these words at 9:45 AM, a huge kirtan preceded with a band (drums, trumpets, horns, you name it) is going by outside here at the lotus building. Devotees are singing, "Jaya Jagannatha, Jaya Baladeva, Jaya Subhadra," and carrying Their Lordships to a rathayatra cart that is waiting for Them. They will then go on a Rathayatra festival around Srila Prabhupada's Samadhi.

Later, at noon today, there will be a special Ganga Puja (worship of the Ganges River). The Ganges River, which flows across the street from here, is considered worshipable because it is said to emanate from the lotus foot of the Lord and is mixed with the dust of the Lord's lotus feet.

I'm going to call tomorrow to see if my suitcase has come from wherever it has gone. If it comes, I'll go to Calcutta to retrieve it.

Tomorrow is Gaura Purnima, the appearance day of Lord Chaitanya. Millions of pilgrims will come to Mayapur and this place will be completely packed with people. It will also be the day the local people observe Holi, where they throw colored dye and colored water at each other. It's a dangerous day to go out because people will throw colors at you and completely ruin your clothing. The colors are permanent.

There can be no pictures with this article unless and until the missing suitcase with the digital cameras finds its way back to me. Why were the digital cameras with my suitcase? I had absolutely no other room to carry them in my checked baggage.

  © CHAKRA 10 March 2001

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