“Journeying Through Spiritual Sites: Exploring Bateswar Temple and Tampara Lake”
On March 5th, 2023, we embarked on a Full day Spiritual Retreat Program by starting our journey from ISKCON Brahmapur after a mini breakfast at 9 AM. We were a group 200+ of spiritual seekers of different age groups from Brahmapur, Odisha who yearned to explore the rich local ancient temples of the Ganjam district and delve deeper into the mysteries of spirituality. Personally, this was my first picnic with ISKCON Brahmapur. Previously, I have attended more than twenty similar spiritual events and retreat programs on behalf of ISKCON Gurugram (mostly to Mathura/Vrindavan). I am primarily connected to ISKCON Gurugram from my work location in Gurugram, Haryana, and have done so in the last fewyears.
Our first destination in this journey was the impressive Bateswar temple in the Humma, Ganjam district of Odisha, dedicated to the revered Lord Shiva. The temple boasts beautiful architecture and intricate wall picture carvings, making it a must-see for any visitor. Bateswar is an 8th-century temple that is sure to leave a lasting impression. Kudos to Odisha Tourism for its recent development with the new addition of children park. As we entered the temple premises, we were greeted by the soothing sound of the temple bells, flowers and the fragrance of incense sticks. We took a moment to offer our ghee lamps, prayers and seek the blessings of the Lord.
After that, we headed to the sea beach where we had an ecstatic Beach Kirtan led by our favorite HG Kalanidhi Prabhu and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore and the warm sun on our skin filled us with a sense of tranquility. We also relished the delicious Juice Prasadam after our Beach Kirtan, which added to the overall experience.
Next, we gathered for a spiritual lecture by the HG Pancharatna Das Prabhuji, Temple President, ISKCON Brahmapur on the importance of Shiva Tattva. He narrated the story of Shiva/Hunter and deer, which left us all spellbound. The story taught us the significance of compassion and how it can transform our lives. I’ll write a separate blog for this story in upcoming days. Later, HG Manikishore Das Prabhuji ,ISKCON Brahmapur, General Manager gave a talk on “5 Stages of Consciousness” and “The ABCDE Framework/Model” to improve it, which was insightful. He explained how we can improve our consciousness by following the ABCDE model. This will be a separate blog post, which I will write shortly. Stay tuned and follow me on Medium.
Our next destination was the Tampara Lake, which is located in the Chatrapur, Ganjam district of Odisha. The lake is surrounded by lush greenery and is a popular spot for picnics and outdoor activities. We reached the lake in the afternoon and were welcomed by the serene surroundings. We had a spiritual Kirtan by the lake, which filled us with a sense of joy and happiness. The music and the chanting were like a balm to our souls.
After the Kirtan, we had a superb dance performance and a spiritual drama. The Dance performance was based on the life of Lord Krishna and was a beautiful depiction of love and devotion.
The spiritual drama was centered around the theme of forgiveness and taught us the importance of chanting irrespective of age. Watch below — It’s in Odia but for the benefit of Non-Odia readers, I’ve written a summary of the story in a YouTube video description.
We also participated in a quiz, which was a fun way to learn more about our scriptures on spirituality. My mother answered one of those tough questions.
We ended the day with a thankful heart to the temple authority, and all devotees who supported and returned to Brahmapur at 7 PM. Overall, the spiritual picnic was an enriching experience that gave us peace and contentment. We were grateful for the opportunity to connect with like-minded people and explore the spiritual richness of our country. We are already looking forward to the next one and can’t wait to see what the future holds.
Entire photo album can be seen here
