Welcome all of you to Prayaag Mahakumbh ISKCON Megakitchen 2025. We are cooking meals for 300K pilgrims today.
Heartfelt gratitude to Shri Gautam Adani ji and Adani Group for their generous sponsorship of the meals so that all the Kumbha mela pilgrims get a grand experience of shahi snana, gita gyana and transform their homes into a temple. Hare Krishna!
Celebrating Success: Reflections on ISKCON UK 2024/25 Book Distribution Marathon Festival
More photos: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/152kM0Yf09npj2PlpZi8whGEQj0cyXpkO
This year, our community gathered with immense enthusiasm and devotion to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our 2024 Book Distribution Marathon.
The festival, held at the Bhaktivedanta Manor on 25 January 2025, brought together devotees from UK and Ireland uniting us in the spirit of Sankirtan and the glorious mission of spreading Krishna consciousness through literature.
The Sankirtan Festival morning commenced with a very inspiring class by HG Praghosa das followed by a vibrant kirtan. (http://www.dandavats.com/?p=113796)
As participants entered the venue, they were greeted with the melodious sounds of kirtan rendered by the devotees from the Bhaktivedanta Manor ladies ashram, creating a vibrant atmosphere filled with joy and devotion. The festival commenced with heartfelt prayers, invoking blessings from Srila Prabhupada and the guru-parampara, acknowledging the divine guidance that has propelled our efforts forward.
Throughout the day, attendees were thrilled to hear inspiring presentations detailing the successes achieved during the marathon. Devotees shared heartfelt stories of their experiences in the field, recounting touching encounters with seekers and the profound impact of distributing sacred texts like the Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, and various other books. Each story served as a testament to how the mercy of Sri Krishna flows through our efforts and how these sacred messages resonate with souls yearning for spiritual knowledge.
The significance of our collective efforts was highlighted as we celebrated not only the number of books distributed but also the lives changed through our compassionate outreach. The festival featured a display showcasing the total number of books distributed during the marathon, which exceeded our expectations, signifying the dedication and determination of each devotee involved.
It was also a very historic moment for ISKCON UK as HG Visvambhara Das after 24 years as chair of the ISKCON UK Book Distribution Committee handed over the position of chair to HG Gopal Raya Das. A new ISKCON Book Distribution Committee was put in place by HG Gopal Raya das and approved by the ISKCON UK National Executive Council.
To honour our beloved Srila Prabhupada’s vision, HG Gopal Raya Prabhu shared the national goals, calendar of events and plans for 2025. These goals aim to empower devotees with valuable insights to enhance their Sankirtan skills, ensuring that our book distribution efforts continue to flourish in the years to come.
The festival culminated in a grand feast, nourishing both the body and soul. As we shared Ekadasi prasadam, the atmosphere buzzed with camaraderie, laughter, and spiritual discourse. We reflected on the collective achievements of our community, renewed our commitment to continue the mission of spreading Krishna consciousness, and celebrated the bonds of friendship forged through this divine service.
In conclusion, our 2024 Book Distribution Marathon Festival was a resounding success, filled with inspiration, devotion, and shared purpose. It served as a reminder of the power of Sankirtan and the pivotal role each devotee plays in disseminating the teachings of Srila Prabhupada to a world in need of spiritual enlightenment. Together, let us carry forth this momentum and continue to spread the joyous message of Krishna consciousness to every corner of the United Kingdom and Ireland.
May the blessings of Srila Prabhupada empower us to serve with fervor and dedication in the years to come!
Thank you to all the devotees who participated and made this event a memorable and transformative experience.
The First Meeting – Ultadanga, Kolkata
HH Indradyumna Swami: We recently visited Ultadanga, the sacred place where Srila Prabhupada first met his eternal spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. It was during this profound encounter that Abhay Charan, as he was known at the time, offered his obeisances and received the life-changing instruction to spread Krishna Consciousness in the English language. After the meeting, his friend—who had urged him to meet Srila Bhaktisiddhanta—asked, “What is your opinion of this sadhu?” Srila Prabhupada replied, “Here is the right person who has taken up Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission, and now it will be distributed.”
The advantage of worshiping the Supreme Person
Translation
Therefore, desiring to marry a girl of like disposition who may prove to be a veritable cow of plenty in my married life, to satisfy my lustful desire I too have sought the shelter of Your lotus feet, which are the source of everything, for You are like a desire tree.
Purport
In spite of his condemning persons who approach the Lord for material advantages, Kardama Muni expressed his material inability and desire before the Lord by saying, “Although I know that nothing material should be asked from You, I nevertheless desire to marry a girl of like disposition.” The phrase “like disposition” is very significant. Formerly, boys and girls of similar dispositions were married; the similar natures of the boy and girl were united in order to make them happy. Not more than twenty-five years ago, and perhaps it is still current, parents in India used to consult the horoscope of the boy and girl to see whether there would be factual union in their psychological conditions. These considerations are very important. Nowadays marriage takes place without such consultation, and therefore, soon after the marriage, there is divorce and separation. Formerly husband and wife used to live together peacefully throughout their whole lives, but nowadays it is a very difficult task.
Kardama Muni wanted to have a wife of like disposition because a wife is necessary to assist in spiritual and material advancement. It is said that a wife yields the fulfillment of all desires in religion, economic development and sense gratification. If one has a nice wife, he is to be considered a most fortunate man. In astrology, a man is considered fortunate who has great wealth, very good sons or a very good wife. Of these three, one who has a very good wife is considered the most fortunate. Before marrying, one should select a wife of like disposition and not be enamored by so-called beauty or other attractive features for sense gratification. In the Bhāgavatam, Twelfth Canto, it is said that in the Kali-yuga marriage will be based on the consideration of sex life; as soon as there is deficiency in sex life, the question of divorce will arise.
Kardama Muni could have asked his benediction from Umā, for it is recommended in the scriptures that if anyone wants a good wife, he should worship Umā. But he preferred to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead because it is recommended in the Bhāgavatam that everyone, whether he is full of desires, has no desire or desires liberation, should worship the Supreme Lord. Of these three classes of men, one tries to be happy by fulfillment of material desires, another wants to be happy by becoming one with the Supreme, and another, the perfect man, is a devotee. He does not want anything in return from the Personality of Godhead; he only wants to render transcendental loving service. In any case, everyone should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for He will fulfill everyone’s desire. The advantage of worshiping the Supreme Person is that even if one has desires for material enjoyment, if he worships Kṛṣṇa he will gradually become a pure devotee and have no more material hankering.
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