By Hari Narayana Das
There used to be a very vibrant preaching centre in Jalan Pleret, Bantul, Yogyakarta under H.H. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami and taken care of by Narasimha Chaitanya das. Six Brahmacharis used to preach extensively, teaching local people how to chant the maha mantra, reading Bhagavad-gita, distributing books, going to nearby villages. On 26 May, 2007 due to increased volcanic activity at Mount Merapi, an active volcano, a massive earthquake shook the whole of Jogjakarta causing widespread destruction and death by thousands. The building where the centre was located too did not survive the earthquake and all that was left was a pile of bricks and rubble forcing the devotees to move a different location in Bali. Still before leaving the devotees organized food for life program to assist the victims affected by the life changing earthquake.