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Gangamayee: She Flew
Her Own Airplane
By Annada Devi Dasi
with an introduction by
Mahavegavati Devi Dasi
Posted October 6, 2004

Dear Assembled Vaisnavas,

Hare Krsna. All glories to Srila Prabhupada, to our respective gurus, and to our guru varga.

Please accept my fallen obeisances. May Srimati Radharani give us service at the lotus feet of Her servants.

Upon my requests to various devotees concerning the details of Gangamayee Mataji's leaving the planet, the following letter written by Annada Mataji who was present for our Godsister's exit/entrance, was forwarded to me by one of my Godsisters, so I am submitting this to the assembled Vaisnavas. (I have taken the liberty to make very minor corrections in grammar and corrections in spelling and spacing. I have not changed any of the content in any way):

Dearest Prabhus,

Please accept our humble obeisance. All glories to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada whose bhakti and vedanta are unparalleled in all the three worlds.

I wish to share with you the astounding beauty of my dearest Godsister Gangamayee Prabhu's quick journey back to the actual lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada, much against my will and desire.

On the morning of the 1st of July, at about 10 o'clock, we had a little conversation. Ganga's body had been suffering intensely from all angles, especially for the previous week. She had stopped taking physical nutrition, as she could not keep it down. That included painkillers. She also stopped an opium patch, as it was causing complications.

I mentioned to Ganga that since her body was suffering so much, perhaps she should just go back home to Krishna and to Srila Prabhupada. She looked at me incredulously, looked at me with a questioning face, and in her usual practical way said, "Yes, but how?" I had no answer to this unexpected question.

During the morning she said, "I knew," and "I wonder."

By Krishna's arrangement, our sister Pravina arrived from Edinburgh at about 12 noon. Ganga acknowledged her, and said, "Pravina."

Pravina asked her if she was in pain and Ganga replied, "No."

At about 5:30 p.m., Ganga started to chant Hare Krishna very intensely. I noticed that her eyeballs rolled back in an unfamiliar way. I didn't like that. I chanted Sri Krishna Caitanya Prabhu to her.

Then there was a phone call. Mandakini, who had visited on the weekend, tried to coax Ganga to at least take a grape or a teaspoon of grape juice for some strength. Ganga heard her, and continued to chant.

"Ganga has chosen Srila Prabhupada and Mahaprabhu's medicine, Mandakini." Mondakini appreciated this wonderful choice. By Krishna's mercy she had no other.

I chanted japa by her side, paled by her deep calling on His holy name. At 10 p.m. a Marie Curie nurse arrived. She was exceptionally beautiful and asked Ganga if she was Elizabeth.

Ganga said, "No, Ganga."

The nurse, Debbie, said "Ganda?"

Ganga said very firmly and very clearly, moving her mouth widely to enunciate, "Ganga."

The nurse said, "Ganga?" and Ganga nodded.

Later in the night, Ganga said to the nurse, "I never went to school." Debbie asked me what she meant. It was so late I wasn't quite with it. I mumbled a reply...

At 1:00 a.m. of the 2nd (of July) I went to the living room and said to Debbie, "She's got the better of me. I can't keep up with her. Could you please come and sit by her so I can get some rest?"

I hopped into bed and hopped out immediately. I could not sleep while Ganga was chanting so intensely. At 1:30 she coughed once and was gone in an instant. The devotees were chanting Govinda Jaya Jaya (on a CD) at that moment, and Srila Prabhupada was chanting also.

Ganga did what she had to do in her usual way, with grace and particular thoughtfulness to detail. She didn't tell me what she was doing. It was up to me to figure it out or not. Also, I'm sure she wanted no fuss. It was all up to Krishna.

The evening we arrived home from London. When we came into the house—Brian, our neighbor, keeps Srila Prabhupada playing all year round for us—Srila Prabhupada was chanting "marobi rakhobi yo iccha tohara, nitya dasa prati tuya adhikara."

Hearing this made me fearful, and I soon changed the CD to Srila Prabhupada chanting the Cintamani prayers.

On reflection on Ganga's "I never went to school," I realized she was getting such love, strength,and deep realization from her attachment to Srila Prabhupada that she wanted it known where her education came from. It was not from any mundane school. It was from her beloved and true jagat guru, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.

From her total faith in his instructions, she had the strength to chant the holy name till her last breath and fly her own airplane on spiritual strength, for believe me, physically she had not the strength to even move.

Your servants, here and there,
Gangamayee and Annada.

Ganga left with dust from Srila Prabhupada's samadhi on her heart. She had had it there for a few days. It had been provided by Jahnava. She left on Sri Guru Purnima, (the day the disciplic succession is worshiped, from what I understand) and also the disappearance day of Srila Sanatana Goswami. Incidentally this is also the very day my parents left 21 years ago. Her mother left on Gaura Purnima, and her father on Radhasthami. Bob Everson, when he handed me her ashes said, "She made history. I've never known a cremation to go through on the same day."

She did us all many good turns, and knowing her will continue to do so. Of this I have no doubt.

Srila Prabhupada ki Jai!

May Srila Prabhupada bless us all.

Submitted for posting by a servant of the servants,
Mahavegavati Dasi

Hare Krsna.

© dipika.org October 6, 2004