75th Vyasa Puja of HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj was celebrated at Govardhan Eco Village (GEV) which is around 70 km from Mumbai on 7th Dec 2025. This Vyasa Puja was celebrated as “Festival of Gratitude.”
I had the wonderful fortune of attending this glorious event. People from all over India and also from outside India congregated at GEV to wish Maharaj on his appearance day. Around 20,000 devotees participated in the “Festival of Gratitude.”
Morning Program at GEV
Program began since morning with Mangala Arati, Narasimha Arati, Tulasi Arati and Sistastakam prayers at Sri Radha Vrindavan Bihari temple. The temple located in the midst of GEV is surrounded by beautiful trees, gardens and fountains. This exquisite temple has a magnificent rooftop and is open from all sides. The cool breeze from the surrounding greenery and the early morning sunrays gave us a soothing experience.
After the sistastakam prayer, devotees sat in the temple hall to chant Hare Krishna Mahamantra.
Chanting with Maharaj in the morning
The best part of the morning program was to get association of Maharaj during chanting. Maharaj came and sat with all the devotees to chant his rounds. Seeing Maharaj chanting with intensity motivated us too to chant our rounds with utter sincerity. It was such a divine experience that it cannot be described in words.
After chanting, there was darshan arati followed by guru puja. Maharaj did the guru puja and also participated in the kirtan. During the guru puja HG Yadubar Prabhu and HG Bali Mardan Prabhu were also present, and Maharaj embraced each one of them after guru puja.
After guru puja devotees went on Sankirtan to do parikrama of Giriraj Govardhan and the temples located in the Vrindavan Garden.
Srila Prabhupada katha by Prabhupada’s disciples
Srimad Bhagavatam class started at 8 am and continued till 12 noon. This class was special as in this class Srila Prabhupada’s pastimes were shared by Prabhupada’s disciples. HG Srutkirti Prabhu who was Prabhupada’s personal servant shared wonderful pastimes of Prabhupada from 8 am to 10 am.
After that HG Abhinandan Prabhu, HG Yadubara Prabhu, HG Sruti Prabhu and HG Balimardan Prabhu shared pastimes of Prabhupada.
HG Srutakirti Prabhu shares pastime of HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj
HG SrutakirtiPrabhu also shared as how HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj first met Srila Prabhupada at Cross Maidan festival in Mumbai. Prabhuji said that during the festival thousands of people had come to hear from Prabhupada. Maharaj was around 19 years old at that time and he was sitting at the back. Prabhupada could see Maharaj and asked devotees to bring that yogi on the stage. Devotees could not see Maharaj, but Prabhupada showed them where he was sitting.
After the program, when Maharaj tried to touch the feet of Prabhupada then HH Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaj said that no one touches Prabhupada’s feet. But Prabhupada said to Maharaj that you can touch.
Prabhuji was saying that Maharaj was a yogi in last life. He loves to live in the caves. Once in Hrishikesa, he was staying in a wealthy man’s house. But he would not stay in the house. He would go inside a cave located on the bank of the Ganges to chant Hare Krishna Mahamantra.
At noon there was bhoga arati. Lunch prasadam was arranged for all the devotees. Many devotees had come the day before to attend Maharaj’s Vyas Puja. But thousands of devotees on buses and cars were coming on Sunday from different places for the Vyas Puja festival.
The Evening 75th Vyasa Puja celebration of HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj at GEV
Evening program started from 4 pm onwards. Many senior disciples of Maharaj made their heartfelt offerings. They shared how Maharaj’s teachings and his personal dealing touched their heart and helped them in their spiritual journey.
Maharaj’s godbrothers who are Srila Prabhupada’s disciples also shared Maharaj glories. HG Srutakirti Prabhu, HH Chandramauli Swami Maharaj, HG Yadubara Prabhu and HG Vishakha Priya Mataji, HG Abhinandan Prabh, HG Sruti Prabhu, HG Balimardan Prabhu graced the occasion and shared pastimes of Maharaj.
Later HG Shubha Vilas Prabhu, HG Gauranga Prabhu, HG Radheshyam Prabhu, HG Gaur Gopal Prabhu, HG Govind Prabhu and HG Krishnananda Prabhu shared glories of Maharaj. Subha Vilas prabhu said that he considers himself fortunate as he got the service to distribute more than 5 lakh books of Journey Home.
Maharaj spoke at the end.
Here are few of the glorification of Maharaj shared by devotees. Many devotees spoke and they shared many pastimes of Maharaj, but I am here sharing those which I could recollect.
Offering of HG Gauranga Prabhu
When Maharaj expressed the desire to build GEV in Vada then no one was enthusiastic – neither the brahmacharis nor the congregation devotees. Everyone was thinking why Maharaj wants to develop the project which is so far from Mumbai. So, Gauranga Prabhu went to Maharaj and said that no one has desire to develop GEV.
Maharaj said that it is not about your desire or my desire. It is to fulfil the desire of Srila Prabhupada. Maharaj said, in New Vrindavan, Srila Prabhupada wanted to build seven temples which the Goswamis built in Vrindavan.
But unfortunately, it has not yet happened. So, I want to fulfil that desire of Prabhupada here. Because if I do not do so then when I will meet Prabhupada and he will ask me why you did not do so in spite of having land, resources and qualified devotees then what will I say to him. Maharaj said that we all have to come together to fulfil the desire and mission of Prabhupada. And for that we have to come out of our comfort zone.
Offering of HG Radheshyam Prabhu
Maharaj expertly makes sure that all the devotees and all the four bona fide sampradayas are respected and no one feels offended. Once when Maharaj had taken around 5000 devotees for South India yatra then one sannyasi said to Maharaj that you have conquered South India and also the Sri Vaisnavas.
Maharaj then explained to the sannyasi that he has no desire to conquer anyone and does not want to show that Sri Vaisnavas are less superior to Gaudiya Vaisnavas. Then he explained how Lord Chaitanya respected all the four sampradayas. The sanyasi was so inspired to hear this from Maharaj.
Once when Maharaj gave class then one scientist came to Maharaj as he had some questions. Maharaj looked in the temple hall and saw a devotee who is a professor and has good scientific knowledge. Maharaj asked that devotee to speak with the scientist. Later when Maharaj met the scientist then he was quite happy as all his doubts were now cleared. This shows that Maharaj knows how to properly address the needs of a person who approaches him.
Maharaj expects his disciples to take care of their spiritual life
Maharaj never forces his opinion upon others but expects his disciples to properly take care of his/her spiritual life. HG Radheshyam Prabhu said that once Maharaj was going to give class in Chowpatty temple and also there was Puspha Abhishek. But HG Radheshyam Prabhu told Maharaj that since he has invited HH Nava Yogendra Swami Maharaj in Iskcon NVCC Pune, he will have to go. Then Maharaj told Prabhuji that you are too hospitable.
Prabhuji was confused what to do. So, he asked Maharaj what to do and Maharaj said follow your heart. Prabhuji was confused but he decided to attend Maharaj’s program and sat in the car in which Maharaj was going. Prabhuji attended the festival and Maharaj’s class. Later when he returned to NVCC temple then HH Nava Yogendra Swami Maharaj was jokingly saying that you called me but you were not here.
Maharaj expects all his disciples, especially senior disciples, to attend his classes and take care of their personal life very nicely. Prabhuji was saying that when he chants in the temple hall in the morning then he looks around to see who all have come and when he sees the devotees then he folds his hand and greets them. Prabhuji was saying that Maharaj greets the devotees as if saying – Thank you for taking care of your spiritual life.
Offering of HG Gaur Gopal Prabhu
HG Gaur Gopal Prabhu in his offering said that Maharaj is such a great leader that under him we all feel valued and inspired to serve the mission of Srila Prabhupada with more grit and enthusiasm. He further said that Maharaj is the king of all hearts because he has stolen the heart of all the devotees. And he is king of all hearts because he has given his heart to Krishna, the king of Vraja.
Once a devotee who was getting initiated came with his fiancée. The lady was not practicing Krishna Consciousness. After initiation, the devotee came with his fiancée to meet Maharaj. But his fiancée was crying. When Maharaj saw her crying, he said that you cry very beautifully. Upon hearing this she started crying more. But on that day Maharaj’s words full of compassion touched her heart. Now she has become a devotee, and she chants daily 16 rounds of Hare Krishna Mahamantra.
One devotee lost his young son. He was very disturbed. He came to GEV and asked Maharaj if he could put the picture of his son along with the Goswamis’s samdhi. Maharaj said, yes. Not just that Maharaj even paid obeisances to the picture of the devotee son and offered Giriraj prasada to him. This greatly touched the devotee who had just lost his son.
HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj speaks
Maharaj began his class by thanking all the devotees for coming to GEV to attend the “Festival of Gratitude.” As the road to GEV was full of potholes and was not smooth, so Maharaj said that devotees have come traveling on road which is like aghasura.
How to develop gratitude for Srila Prabhupada and Vaisnav acharyas
Maharaj spoke in detail how Srila Prabhupada dedicated his life to serve his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarswati Thakura. He shared the pastimes of Srila Prabhupada when he first met his guru in 1922 at Ulta Danga Junction Road, Kolkata. In the first meeting, Prabhupada was saying that people will begin listening to the message of Krishna only when India gains independence.
But Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura told that Krishna Consciousness is emergency, it cannot wait for anything. All these things like political changes, regime changes will keep on happening and most importantly these are not going to solve the problems of our life. Krishna Consciousness can only save the world and humanity. Maharaj said that Prabhupada would narrate his meeting with Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and would proudly say that “I was defeated by my spiritual master.”
Maharaj then explained that Isvara Puri got the opportunity to serve Lord Chaitanya as his guru because he did menial service for his spiritual master, Madhavendra Puri.
We should also develop the attitude of service and then we can have gratitude for Srila Prabhupada and our acharyas.
Radharani provides ingredients to cook sweet rice to Rupa Goswami
Maharaj said one important thing which I liked a lot. He said, “When we do not get what we want we get depressed. And when we see others getting something then we become envious of that person. All this is because of false ego. On our own we cannot free ourselves from this ego. But when we beg Krishna for his mercy and practice devotion to him with determination then Krishna can mercifully take away the ego.”
Maharaj also shared the pastime that when Rupa Goswami decided to cook sweet rice for Sanatana Goswami, then Srimati Radharani personally came to provide all the ingredients like rice, milk, sugar to Rupa Goswami. Rupa Goswami prepared kheer (sweet rice) and offered it to Sanantan Goswami to eat. When Sanantan Goswami began eating, he found that the taste of the sweet rice was beyond this world.
Rupa Goswami said how a little girl came and gave him all the materials for cooking. When Sanatana Goswami heard the description of the girl then he understood that she was Radharani. Sanatana Goswami was upset with Rupa Goswami that he had taken service from Srimati Radharani. He said that our purpose is to serve Radha & Krishna and not take service from him. Rupa Goswami also realized his mistake. But both of them continued eating the kheer.
Maharaj shared this pastime to teach us that all our great acharyas want us to always be engaged in serving Krishna unconditionally and without any ulterior motive.
With his heart flooded with humility, Maharaj said, “I am a very small person, I have not achieved anything great in life, but I am getting an opportunity to serve you all.” The world especially the devotees know Maharaj’s extraordinary achievements and his unflinching dedication towards the mission of Srila Prabhupada.
The Ecstatic Kirtan
Although it was getting late, still devotees were relishing each word which was coming from the lotus mouth of Maharaj. After flooding the heart of all with Krishna katha, Maharaj said that let us now do kirtan.
He said, “As you all have been sitting for 4-5 hours, so please get up to perform sankirtan.”
I do not think that anyone was feeling tired after hearing wonderful glories of Maharaj and finally his nectarean words. We all joyfully participated in the kirtan. Towards the end of kirtan, Maharaj asked devotees to raise their hands, close their eyes and loudly call Krishna by chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra.
We chanted 3-4 times and each time Maharaj said that our chanting the names of Krishna should be millions of times louder than the previous chanting.
Maharaj’s association, his divine words, his heart touching kirtan immersed all the devotees in an ocean of joy. It was the best way to celebrate 75th Vyasa Puja of HH Radhanath Swami Guru Maharaj. It is because of his mercy only that thousands of souls all over the world, including me, now know that the purpose of life is to give our life to Krishna.
Program concluding at round 10:30 pm. There was delicious Krishna prasadam for all the devotees.
Sri Sri Radha Vrindavan Bihari Temple at GEV
