Usually when Prabhupada wanted something he would say, “Bring my secretary.” But in Mayapur he would call everyone. He would want everyone to hear what he was saying. At that time the devotees were just “recovering” from a big feast.

When Prabhupada called, all the devotees came down rushing. “What is Prabhupada calling for? What’s happening?” They saw Prabhupada intently looking out of the windows with tears in his eyes – he was crying! They looked out and saw a big pile of leaf plates thrown at the back of the temple after the feast. There were about fifteen dogs and about fifteen to twenty boys and girls and girls, little kids between eight and fourteen years, picking through the leaves and fighting off the dogs. They were eating the leftovers and licking the leaves. They were ordinary village children who were basically clean but poor.

Then Prabhupada revealed his mind, “How hungry they must be! They are picking the prasadam from the pile – they must be so hungry! We must arrange for their prasadam! If you want to make this mandir a house of Krishna, then you must see that within 10 mile radius, no one goes hungry. That will be success. Krishna is everyone’s father. How can the son go hungry in the presence of the father? Immediately arrange to distribute prasadam.”
(Told by HH Jayapataka Swami)

Thus Mayapur is where the Srila Prabhupada first gave the instruction to distribute Prasadam, and where Food For Life started.

In Mayapur, even the plants, dogs and insects are considered to be special and spiritual, though the real spiritual reality is not visible to our mundane vision. Similarly the residents of such a Holy place are considered spiritual, and as such service to them is very pleasing to the Lord.

Presently the ISKCON Mayapur Temple distributes approximately 350 plates of Free Prasadam every morning and 350 plates every evening, EVERY DAY, next to the Temple to the visiting pilgrims.

However, the visits to the surrounding villages has not been so regular due to lack of staff members and funds. Shastra dasa, who has 27 years of experience as a devotee and who ran FFL and school projects in Africa before, is now settled in Mayapur and is committed to expanding and maintaining the Mayapur Food For Life project. He started doing Harinama alone on a rikshaw through the streets of Navadvipa. Madan-Mohana dasa joined him and soon they realized the Holy Name is more easily welcomed on a full stomach, thus they began distributing Prasadam wherever they went. After starting this program on his own, the Mayapur Management appreciated his service and vision,and officially opened the“Mayapur Nagar Sankirtana Department” two years ago (2007). Presently there are 26 full-time volunteers who daily help to go out on Harinama and Food distribution.
..READ MORE