By Jhimli Mukherjee Pandey The devotees of Iskcon Mayapur celebrated Narsimha Chaturdashi, the divine appearance day of Lord Narsimha Deva in the temple on Friday, May 20. To commemorate the occasion, discourses from Srimad Bhagwatam , glorifying the pastimes of the Lord Narsimha Deva was recited by H.H Bhakti Purshottam Swami in the morning followed by "Darshan Arti". At dusk "Maha-Abhisheka" of the deity was performed by using sandalwood oil and other precious oils. Hundreds of devotees raised their arms and st...
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- 21 May 2016
By radhanathswami.comOn Saturday, May 7, Radhanath Swami spoke before a capacity crowd at The Rubin Museum of Art in New York City. The Rubin Museum is dedicated to the preservation of the art and cultures of the Himalayas, India and neighboring regions. On the eve of the release of his upcoming book The Journey Within, Radhanath Swami was interviewed by yoga teacher and social activist, Dana Flynn on the topic of how to live spiritually through yoga in an increasingly materialistic and impersonal world. Followi...
- 20 May 2016
By Vraj Vihari dasOur Founder, Srila Prabhupada, said that the love a mother has for her child is the closest thing to pure love in this world. We will examine that love as it manifested in famous mothers in the Vedic tradition as well as how it still manifests today.
...- 20 May 2016
By Acarya Dasa Every day we travel to new places, hosting various programs here and there. Our advance party of devotees’ head of to our next destination arranging accommodation and whatever else they can before the rest of us arrive. It is not always that whatever we plan happens, after all ‘man proposes, God disposes[1]’. We are never sure of so many things: like where we will have prasadam, how will we get water or where we will have arati –but as my Gurudev, Lokanatha Swami always says, “Nothing hap...
- 17 May 2016
By Krishna-kripa dasI share nectar from a Srila Prabhupada lecture. I include two inspiring quotes from Sanatana Goswami’s Brhad-Bhagavatamrita and one from Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s Sri Gitavali. I began proofreading Sarasvati Sanlapa, a book of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s conversations and discourses, soon to be published by Touchstone Media, and I share an awesome number of amazing insights from him. As usual, I share excerpts from the books and journal of Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami. I share some notes...
- 17 May 2016
By Madhava SmullenFor thirty years, a very special Lord Nrsimhadeva Deity has protected the devotees of New Vrindaban and all of North America, and received their love and service. Now, residents of the West Virginia village want to invite people from all over North America to come celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of His installation, and to behold the only full-size Nrsimha Deity on the continent, on His sacred appearance day. Sculpted by artist Soma Das in New Vrindaban and installed in 1986, the ferocious ...
- 17 May 2016
By Anna WebbBoise architect Bruce Poe designed the first temple in 1999 and the new expansion. Poe is not a Krishna devotee, but he has become a good friend to the congregation, said Gupta. Poe said that designing the temple and complex has been a journey for him, learning about the religion and how devotees regard the world, then coming up with a design that responded to those beliefs and particular rules about temple siting and orientation while fitting into a mostly residential neighborhood.
...- 16 May 2016
By Bruce WaltonSitting underneath a tree by the main library near the corner of Wick and Rayen avenues, a man known simply as “The Walking Monk” enjoyed a quiet Friday afternoon arriving for the first time in the city in his pilgrimage we across the U.S. His only supplies: a cell phone he rarely uses, prayer beads, a watch, some business cards and the bright orange robes and sandals he wears while he traverses the land. Bhaktimarga Swami, 63 is a Hare Krishna monk who started his pilgrimage just three d...
- 16 May 2016
By Devaki Devi DasiAfter a Bhagavad-gita lecture Srila Prabhupada was asked if he was in this world. He replied, "Just like I am in America. It is very easy to understand. I am not adopting any ways of life as the Americans. So I am not in America. Not only myself, all my disciples who are following me, they are also not Americans. They're different from American behavior, American ways of life. In that sense I'm not in America. I am in Vrndavana because wherever I go, in my apartment or in my temple, I live with...
- 16 May 2016
By Braja Vilas dasNext Friday (May 20th) is the most auspicious appearance day of Lord Narasimhadeva, the half-man half-lion avatara who appeared to save Prahlad Maharaja. Lord Narasimhadeva has a very special mood of affectionate protection towards His devotees, and thus He is very dear to them. In fact, we constantly rely on His shelter. As Srila Prabhupada said, “We should always consider that this material world is a dangerous place and therefore we shall chant Lord Narasimha's Holy Name in order to be protected by Him in all dangers.” (Letter to Himavati - 4 July, 1970) Thirty ye...
- 16 May 2016
By Bhakta AseemYet again the Lord Sri Sri Jagannath, Baladev and subhadra devi came out on to the streets in Karnal on 12th May 2016 to shower the people with their profuse blessings. Their Lordships passed through the main market area in full splendour and gave their Darsan to thousands of people. All the devotees and locals from all spheres of life got a chance to come together and serve the Lord to their hearts content. The program started many days in advance. The local devotees regularly go out for sankirtan in the city and the nearby villages throughout the year. Their efforts were v...
- 16 May 2016
By Bhakta AseemThousands of people thronged the street in Rupnagar on 14th May 2016 to deliver a very warm reception for Lord Jagannath , Baladev and Subhadra devi for the first time ever, seated on a chariot, in this relatively smaller district of Punjab. Rupnagar commonly known by name Ropar is located on the banks of the river Sutlej besides Shivaliks. It boasts of one of the richest archaeological site of the Indus valley civilization with records dating back to the period of the Mahabharata. This city is also well known for its Gurudwaras. Devotees from different parts of India and ...
- 16 May 2016
By Radha Mohan dasThat brings in the question of whether an individual can form a genuine relationship with Krishna without committing their physical body to any activity. There is some room for this in Vaishnava philosophy. For example, influenced by the 1999 Hollywood blockbuster The Matrix, In Maya- The World as Virtual Reality Sadaputa das compares the Vedic view of this observable universe to an advanced virtual reality program. In his book, virtual reality is used as a metaphor for our situation as conscious beings. The basic theme is that what we can imagine doing in a virtual realit...
- 15 May 2016
By Mayapur Sasi dasaFor the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada this report contains the following North American results of book distribution for the month of April 2016. North American Totals, Monthly Temples, Monthly Weekend Warriors. Monthly Top 100 Individuals, Monthly Top 5, Cumulative Countries, Cumulative Temples, Cumulative Top 100 Individuals, Cumulative Top 5
...- 15 May 2016
By Basu Ghosh DasOver this past weekend, from Friday May 6 through Sunday May 8, the South Vrindavan temple, at Puthur village, Thrissur District, Kerala, was inaugurated. Deities of Sri Sri Radha Vrindavan Krishna, Jagannath, Baladev, Subhadradevi, and Sri Sri Gaur Nitai were installed in the temple. The temple is promoted by ISKCON Bahrain temple president Udarakirti Chaitanya Das, and devotees from Bahrain, named "Balaramdesh" by HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaj. Situated on 12 acres of land, and surrounded by the homes of Balaramdesh devotees who are relocating to South Vrindavan, the temple...
- 15 May 2016
By Vilasini Devi Dasi"How is it possible to be healthy and happy in a place where the weather is constantly dreary and cold?" I thought. I remembered Srila Prabhupada's statement in a purport to the Srimad-Bhagavatam (4.24.36): "When there is sufficient sunshine, the mind remains clear and transparent in other words, the sun-god helps the mind of the living entity to become situated on the platform of paramahamsa ['topmost swan,' or transcendentalist]." Does it not follow, then, that with insufficient sunshine the mind becomes hazy and opaque and stays on the platform of a crow? After all, ...
- 14 May 2016
By Saksi Gopala DasaIt was the Thursday before Christmas, and London's Oxford Street (the longest shopping street in the world) was brimming over with Christmas shoppers. Twice already that week plainclothes police had arrested devotees chanting Hare Krsna there, but today we were intending to avoid any trouble. The five of us took a new route, profusely distributing the holy name to everyone within earshot. As we made our way through Piccadilly Circus (London's "Times Square") and then along crowded Regent Street, we brought smiles to many faces and raised eyebrows on many others. Finally ...
- 12 May 2016
By Shanti Rupa Devi DasiIn conjuction with ISKCON 50 celebrations ISKCON Malaysia has planned to conduct a cross country Mahabharatham Quiz contest in Tamil - A first of its kind in Malaysia. Organised by ISKCON Malaysia, the first leg started off by Perak branch of ISKCON Malaysia on the first of May 2016. Tamil schools from ipoh, Taiping, Teluk Intan and Sungei Siput took part in this event. They all gathered at the Mahamariamman Temple hall in Ipoh . A total of 18 schools paticipated. The event began by a welcome address by HG Param Brahma Das, the regional chairman for the state of Pe...
- 12 May 2016
By Visakha devi dasiThe mayor of St. Augustine, Nancy Shaver, was delighted to attend. She said, "The Festival of Chariots is a moment of joyful peace for me, I am invited to attend many programs but this festival gives me inner peace." She was given Kurma's cook book & she said "I will definitely try using the recipes." She inaugurated the event by breaking a fresh coconut before the Rathayatra cart, and the procession began. Seven mridungas accompanied the lead kirtan singer, as Adikarta das played a harmonium and a newcomer played a base drum. The hari- nam party, flanked on both sides b...
- 11 May 2016
By Arjun BhattacharyyaThis festival was dedicated to ISKCON's 50th anniversary. There were special presentations covering various topics i.e. ISKCON 50 year ago, ISKCON's future in North America and a special presentation on Srila Prahbupada’s new biography by Yogesvara Prabhu. An inaugural kirtan was held on Thursday evening. Three consecutive days of: sadhu-sanga, tumultuous world-class kirtans, ecstatic chanting & dancing, sumptuous prasadam, transcendental entertainment,engaging presentations & so much more! (150 photos)
...- 10 May 2016
By Bhaktivedanta ManorDairy Queen Honoured The Manor honoured Lalita Sakhi dasi, who is moving on after three years of innovation in her role of managing the Dairy. Under Lalita’s stewardship, the milk produced by the cows that graze on the Manor fields was transformed into rich butter, yoghurt and ghee. These items form the core ingredients in the famously delicious savouries, main meals and sweets made by the Manor’s deity department. Lalita also pioneered the production of palatable condiments, such as jams and chutneys, made from fresh ingredients grown on the fields surrounding th...
- 10 May 2016
By Ravindra Svarupa dasaMy first connection with the Hare Krishna maha-mantra happened during the “Summer of Love” in August, 1967 in the course of a wedding within a three-room apartment in Powelton Village, the budding hippie district in Philadelphia. The wedding epitomized the time and place. The groom and I had become close friends during our travails as fellow philosophy majors at the nearby University of Pennsylvania. Thin, angular, his pale beak-nosed face densely hedged with a curly black beard, Steve presented “the Jew” with a delicious hint of self-parody. His bride Cathe...
- 9 May 2016
By Krsnanandan DasSummer Camp classes for children started from 14th April at some residences and it continued for 10 days. Every place had a good response of enthusiastic children. The children who attended the summer camp enjoyed learning shlokas of the 12th Ch of Bhagavad Gita, singing bhajans like Madhurashtakam, Guruvashtakam, hearing the stories of ‘Mighty HANUMAN’, playing Krishna Conscious Games and had the feeling that they had chosen the best Summer Camp. On 23rd April, 2016, the respective teachers invited all the students and their parents from almost 30 places. So there w...
- 7 May 2016
By Ekalavya Das“This is the first time ever that we have been given permission by the honorable Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain to perform Harinam Sankirtan publically!” exclaimed Sridhari Madhav Das, the organizer of ISKCON Bahrain’s presence at the event called Bahrain for All, All for Bahrain. Held on Friday, April 29, 2016, from 4 pm to 10 pm, the event was sponsored and patronized by the office of Bahrain Prime Minister – His Highness Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa. Fifty thousand fortunate residents of Bahrain turned up for the festival and were in for a treat whe...
- 6 May 2016