Have faith in Mahaprabhu they say, and the miracle was bound to happen! Three days later, Trump’s secretary called up the devotees saying, "I don't know what happened but he read your letter, took a bit of the food you left, and immediately said Sure,
“It was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post in the immediate aftermath of the assassination attempt against him. “We will fear not, but instead remain resilient in our faith and defiant in the face of Wickedness.”
Both in public and private conversations, Trump has said he is lucky to be alive after Saturday’s rally and suggested that only the divine intervention spared his life. Yes, for sure it’s a divine intervention.
Exactly 48 years ago, Donald Trump saved the Jagannath Rathayatra festival. Today, as the world celebrates the Jagannath Rathayatra festival again, Lord Jagannath returned the favor by saving him.
In July 1976, Donald Trump helped ISKCON devotees organize Rathayatra by providing his train yard for the construction of the raths for free.
At a time when the world celebrating the 9-day Jagannath Rathayatra festival, this terrible attack took place on him and his narrow escape owed very much to Jagannath’s intervention, claim staunch devotees of Lord Jaganath ad ardent fans of Trump. The first chariot procession of the Lord of the Universe Mahaprabhu Jagannath kicked off on the streets of NYC in 1976, with assistance from the then 30-year-old emerging real-estate mogul in United States of America – Donald Trump. Nearly 48 years ago, when the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) was planning to organize the first Rath Yatra in New York City, challenges were galore.
While the grant of parade permit at the Fifth Avenue was nothing short of a miracle, finding a huge empty site where chariots could be built was also never going to be easy. They knocked at the doors of every person possible, but in vain. It was then that the former US president Donald Trump emerged as a ray of hope for the Krishna devotees.
With ISKCON celebrating its 10th birthday in 1976, devotees in NYC were planning the first big Rath Yatra there. We had permission to use the Fifth Avenue, which in fact is a big deal. But we needed an empty site close to the starting point of the parade route, to build the massive wooden carts. Everyone we asked said ‘NO’. They were concerned about insurance risks etc, which is understandable.
DONALD TRUMP’S YES
Desperation of devotees reached peak, hopes were nearly shattered. Almost all the firm owners who were approached reportedly said they were in the process of selling the property at the Pennsylvania rail yard, which was marked as the perfect location for cart making. A few days later, someone told them that Donald Trump had purchased the old railway yard. But still there were concerns as a dozen other landlords they had asked for had already said no, and ‘why would Trump be any different? Nevertheless, some devotees went to his office with a request. His secretary took it but warned the devotees, “He never agrees to this kind of thing.” Three days later, Trump’s secretary called up the devotees saying, “I don’t know what happened but he read your letter. He immediately responded postively. The secretary then said, “Come on down and get his signed letter of permission.” Yes, Trump had signed the papers giving permission to use the open rail yards for construction of Rath Yatra carts.
APPROVAL FOR RATH YATRA PROCESSION
Receiving approval for parade permit was another daunting task that the devotees faced. On behalf of the Hare Krishna Movement, Tosan Krishna Das who was in charge of getting the permit had submitted a written proposal to the authorities. The Police department had initially said yes but again they said no as there was mayor’s edict since 1962 against allowing new parades on the Fifth Avenue. With no option left, Tosan finally approached the chief of Police in Manhattan.
Nobody had any clue about how the chief would respond to the application. But after a careful review, the police chief signed the papers with a smile. “I don’t know why I am doing this, the chief said. And then he signed it,” reveals Tosan.
Like other corporate company owners, Trump also could have easily rejected the proposal. Devotees thought the Police chief was no exception either. Why they didn’t say no, still is a question unanswered, as devotees cite it as a blessing of Lord Jagannath.
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