The devotees of Goloka Dhama again opened their doors widely to welcome pilgrims for the annual Sanga Mela festival. There are many small and big events at such a festival so that usually we need a few days to digest them and can spiritually feed on them for weeks. The highlights of this year´s Sanga Mela was the outstanding Krishna-katha given by Sacinandana Swami, Ojashvi Prabhu´s stirring kirtans and Shri Shri Radha Madana-Mohana´s ever-present grace. In the evenings Sacinandana Swami spoke about the archetypical spiritual journey of every soul travelling on the path to Krishna on the basis of Akrura´s journey to Vrindavana and all the stages one goes through: the bliss of the prospect of coming in contact with Krishna, the hopelessness of realizing one´s shortcomings, the hope that comes from then full-heartedly taking shelter at Krishna´s lotus feet and again the bliss of finally meeting Krishna. In the mornings Maharaja spoke about how to take shelter and the importance of singing Krishna´s names with devotees. Of course, he also left us with a message for the new year: if you want to change your life, don´t forget to pray to Krishna for support. New year´s resolutions that neglect Krishna´s mercy are hard to stick to, if it is possible at all. 

Text and photos by Mangala Dasi