Want a Selfie with a BULL! ISKCON Padayatra Bulls are Waiting for You

Want a Selfie with a BULL! ISKCON Padayatra Bulls are Waiting for You

Mangaluru: Even though on the eve of Diwali, the members Hindu Jagarana Vedike Kadeshivalaya and Sri Rama Bhajana Mandira had jointly organised a unique competition named ‘Selfie with Gau Mata’, where your selfie with the cow getting many “LIKES” on the social media you could win cash awards-provided the selfie has to exclusively with a Cow- and many had taken part in that contest which ended on 20 October. But now you have a chance to take a selfie with “Giant Bulls” – five of them which are seen in the parking lot of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) -Sri Jagannath Mandir-Kudupu Katte, on the outskirts of Mangaluru, around 10-12 Kms from the City.

Commuters travelling by bus, or driving or riding through the Kudupu Road are all attracted by these five bulls which weigh around 700-750 kgs each- and they are known as “Kankrej “- an Indian breed of Zebuine cattle -they originate from the arid region of the Rann of Kutch in the state of Gujarat, and in neighbouring Rajasthan. Kankrej is also known by the names like Bannai, Nagar, Talabda, Vaghiyar, Wagad, Waged, Vadhiyar, Wadhiar, Wadhir and Wadial. It is a dual-purpose breed, used both for draught work, and ploughing/farm work.

Since many people gather around these bulls to take a snap or a selfie, they get agitated and try to gore at passersby, but the caretaker of these Bulls who had traveled all the way with the Bulls through many states said, they are not harmful and had not injured anyone so far – they only get agitated because of the crowd. The ‘padayatra’, which includes five giant bulls from Gujarat, each of them carrying a spiritual name, covers an average of 8-12 km a day. The devotees, who start early morning and reach a staying place by noon, hold programs for the public in the evening from 5 pm to 8 pm after resting for the afternoon. The programs include a procession through the town area, ‘pravachan’ or discourse based on Bhagavad Gita translated into local language, among others.

Speaking to Team Mangalorean, Smitha Krishna Dasa- Vice President at the ISKCON-Sri Jagannath Mandir-Kudupu said, “The purpose of the ‘padayatra’ is to demonstrate the principles of simple living and high thinking and to distribute Bhagavad Gita in various languages and bring its sublime message to people. In the long run of life, human being encounters miseries through body and mind, sorrows and calamities wait for his way that arises out of the divine will and even sometimes inflicted by other living beings. To overcome situations, there is no other way except to follow Bhagavad Gita. “

“One who follows Bhagavad Gita in his life realizes Lord Krishna alone is the supreme personality and surrenders unto him, finds solace in taking shelter of the Lord and achieves life’s accomplishment. Baghavad Gita provides answers for each and every situation we come across in our life. Through this Padayatra, we are promoting the principles of Bhagavad Gita, or people can visit our Kudupu Sri Jagannath Mandir if they want to learn more about Bhagavad Gita” added Smitha Krishna Dasa.

Sources reveal that the first “Padayatra” started on September 2, 1984, at Dwaraka Dhama, India‘s westernmost point. Since then it has been traveling all over the country, covering thousands of kilometers while distributing books and pamphlets in 10 languages. The Padayatra has successfully introduced or revived the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra in thousands of villages throughout 19 of India‘s 25 states.

A grand procession with a bullock cart and a mobile temple is part of the ISKCON All India Padayatra for world peace. The padayatra has already traveled over 2 lakh km covering many states over the past 33 years. The purpose behind the padayatra is to create awareness about Sanatana Dharma and to spread the message of Bhagavad Gita.

This ISKCON Padayatra had reached from Kerala to Mangaluru on 26 September, and now the Padayatra Bulls are at the Kudupu ISKCON, before they travel to Udupi on 8 November. The names of the Bulls are- Nanda Kishore, Kaliya, Jay, Narasimha (the oldest one -12 years) and Krishna ( youngest- 4 years). These bulls are fed five times a day with dry grass, fresh grass, cotton seed cake, Boose-wheat flour food etc.

Also Read Related Article:

All India Padayatra by ISKCON Receives Grand Welcome in Mangaluru