A HUG OF LOVE by M.G Hreenka

From the very first time I visited Puri in Orissa, India, I had this craving in my heart to hug Lord Jagannath…

Dancing girls at Rathayatra Festival

Lord Jagannath is one of the forms of God worshiped in the gaudiya vaishnava, or bhakti yoga tradition. His name means 'Lord of The Universe'. His deity in Puri in made of neem wood and is over six feet tall.

Hundreds and thousands of pilgrims come to see Lord Jagannath every year at the Rathayatra festival, when he comes out of his temple. Everyone dances in front of his cart; many hoping for a hug. But only very, very few of his devotees get one.

What is a hug? A hug simply exists to feel a person’s love, to bring you comfort, to make your depression go away, to break the distance between you and the person you love.

I kept telling my mom how much I miss Jagannath after our Puri parikrama, which is a 19 km pilgrimage walk around Puri, the origin of Lord Jagannath. I’ve had this feeling since I saw Jagannath in Rajapur temple, Bengal. The craving has been in me ever since I was a child.

In December 2012, the Puri pilgrimage influenced me so much that this craving for a hug started to increase more and more.

Finally, One night Jagannath appeared in my dream and made my wish come true, gave me something I was dying to get: a hug of love from the Lord himself!

A Hug of Love

There was this one special day

that I had a sweet dream

Of my Loveliest Lord:

Like reality! it seemed.

To see his glorious form

was my longtime wish.

Now finally granted

What happiness I relish!

He gleamed with his beauty:

The Lord of The Universe just as he is!

Seeing his merciful face

my life was filled with bliss.

It was when I entered

the Puri Jagannath temple

And saw Baladev and Subadra

but no Jagannath!

Naturally, I wondered where he’d gone:

Off on a walk, maybe?

Or off to visit his bhaktas?

Nowhere could I see his lovely face.

Suddenly, I turned my face

to the right side of my bed,

And was shocked and bewildered

to see Lord Jagannath’s head!

He lay happily beside me

with his cute charming smile!

I didn’t know what to do

and was frozen for a while.

I tried to call my mother

but my voice had become lost:

Mute with excitement

I wished I could be heard at any cost.

Just then Lord Jagannath

turned his body over to me,

Looked onto my face

and hugged me tightly.

I couldn’t bear this happiness

that my wish had at last come true:

I was hugging Lord Jagannath!

All My burdens in a second away flew!

I woke up and I realized

how merciful Jagannath was.

Just as I wished to hug him

he appeared for this loving cause.

When you fully believe in the Lord

show your faith and trust.

He’ll never ever betray you

keep loving him as you must.

Just crave for his mercy

and he’ll show you the way:

He’ll appear and give his darshan

whether it’s night or day.

Photography by The Bhakti Beat

M.G Hreenka : “I am originally from Chennai, India and am currently obtaining my bachelor degree in biomedical engineering. My parents are initiated by Jayapataka Swami, and I am also aspiring for that same shelter. I started writing poems at the age of 16. My inspiration was my mother who is also a wonderful poet. I may not be a great poet but I love writing poetry for the sake of Krishna and his devotee’s pleasure. I wish to continue writing bigger and better ones soon! Besides poetry I have a love for singing and dancing.”

~If you are interested in seeing your poetry appear in this blog, or submitting a poem by a woman that has inspired you, please click here for submission guidelines. I greatly look forward to hearing from you!~

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