Gaya: As war continues to divide their countries, five Russian women and a Ukrainian devotee came together on the banks of Falgu river in Gaya on Thursday to perform pinddaan for their ancestors and pray for peace between Russia and Ukraine.The six women performed the rituals on the 13th day of the fortnight-long Pitripaksh Mela, praying for the souls of their parents, grandparents and other family members. They also prayed for an end to the conflict between the two countries.The Russian devotees were Nina Hara, Anastasia Ismagilova, Yulia Lavrentieva, Ksenia Abramova and Ludmila Shalamova. They arrived in Gaya on Oct 6, and visited several religious sites in Gaya and Bodh Gaya before performing pinddaan at Falgu river, Vishnupad temple and Akshaywat.Ukrainian devotee Julia Kushka said people in both countries wanted the conflict to end. “The common people have nothing to do with the political conflict and we are friends. Along with praying for peace for the departed souls of our family members, we also prayed for peace between the two countries,” she said.Kushka, who had visited Gaya during the Jagannath Rath Yatra this year and performed pinddaan, inspired the Russian women to undertake the pilgrimage. She accompanied the group and guided them during their visit.The rituals were performed under the guidance of Jagdish Shyam Das, head priest of Iskcon’s Gaya branch. He said the visit reflected growing interest among foreigners in Indian spiritual traditions and Gaya’s significance as a centre for ancestral rituals.Anastasia Ismagilova said she was particularly impressed by the values imparted to children in India. “I was astonished and highly impressed to see a little girl, not more than three years old, lying on the ground with folded hands to pay obeisance to the spiritual guru guiding us. Such good sanskar can be seen in children from such an early age only in India,” she said.This was the third occasion during this year’s Pitripaksh when foreign devotees performed pind daan rituals in Gaya. On Oct 2, a group of 22 devotees from Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Italy and Latvia performed pind daan, while a devotee from Ghana performed the rituals at Dev Ghat on Oct 7.
