By Praghosa dasa
On the 18th and 19th of November there was a two day nama yajna on Inis Rath island (Govindadwia) in Northern Ireland. Around 200 devotees gathered for the festival which was basically chanting the holy name together both bhajan style and kirtan style. Each day the chanting started at 7am and continued through till 9pm with of course a few decent breaks for prasadam!
The chanting in front of the beautiful forms of Sri Sri Radha Govinda was led by His Holiness Sivarama Swami and Madhava prabhu. It really isn’t an exaggeration to say by 9pm on the second day devotees were in a collective state of bliss. For sure they were a little tired physically but the big grins on their faces indicated that spiritually there were energised! Batteries fully recharged.
Inis Rath is an interesting place, the fact that it is an island on a lake creates quite a mood of togetherness as once you’re on it, it ain’t so easy to get off :) Therefore the mind usually surrenders after a little while and you are able to sit (or dance) peacefully without having to think about running home to do those outstanding chores. Furthermore due to the sparsity of population in the area the phone companies have yet to supply broadband internet connection, so there is also no on-line distractions. Initially devotees go through a few withdrawal symptoms, but once the cold turkey is over, one can immerse themselves fully into hearing and chanting the holy name. And the advantages of such immersion will benefit us long into the future:
“At the time of death one is certainly bewildered because his bodily functions are disordered. At that time, even one who throughout his life has practiced chanting the holy name of the Lord may not be able to chant the Hare Krsna mantra very distinctly. Nevertheless, such a person receives all the benefits of chanting the holy name. While the body is fit, therefore, why should we not chant the holy name of the Lord loudly and distinctly? If a person does so, it is quite possible that even at the time of death he will be able to properly chant the holy name of the Lord with love and faith. In conclusion, one who chants the holy name of the Lord constantly is guaranteed to return home, back to Godhead, without a doubt” SB 6.2.49 purport
So it was a really uplifting weekend and we are already making plans for next year. A big thanks to the small but dedicated Inis Rath crew, namely:
Manu das, Isani dasi, Mahamantra dasi, Bali Maharaja das, Gopal Acarya das, Ananda Maya dasi, Vrsabha das, Nagnajiti dasi, Bhakta Derek and an even bigger thanks to anyone else that I have forgotten to include.
By bhakta Derek
Nama Jagna November 2006
This year’s festival was so much more than just a huge success. It was an intense exhibition of love for the Lord and His Holy Name. It is very hard to understand or describe such a phenomenal event without being present to experience the totally ecstatic, vibrant, and transcendental atmosphere. The dedication of the devotees to the glorification of Krishna’s Holy Name is bewildering, and it would be hard to imagine that any living entity could enter such an intensely devotional atmosphere, and fail to be emotionally moved.
Day one began with the greeting of Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Govinda, who were beautifully dressed and expertely decorated (as always) by their most intimate servant Maha Mantra dasi. The wonderful flower arrangements by Nagnajiti dasi created a gorgeous canopy of natural beauty surrounding and enhancing the beauty of the most attractive couple.
H.H. Sivarama Swami led the chanting of the prayers to Srila Prabhupada, and continued with an emotional and heart-warming Kirtan that brought tears to the eyes of some devotees who said it was the first time they have had such an experience. The potency of the pure devotee’s chanting is not something that can be properly described in words, and those who were lucky enough to be at this event will always remember it. We cannot praise Maharaj enough, and his spiritual strength and dedication to the mission of Krishna Consciousness sets a standard that inspires all that come in contact with him.
The schedule for the Nama Jagna was chanting from 7am till 9pm, with a break from 1-4pm, each day. All glories to the transcendental cooks including Gopal Acarya prabhu, Gadadhara prabhu, and all their associates. Prasadam Ki Jay!
His Grace Madhava prabhu never fails to amaze the Vaisnavas with his ability to ecstatically and enthusiastically glorify the Holy Name for hours on end, and, along with the other devotees of the Bhajan band who are equally praiseworthy, they kept us all enthused and inspired to carry on when our determination may have otherwise failed. A HUGE “thankyou” to you all for you kindness in carrying this event.
We must openly offer thanks to those devotees responsible for keeping the children engaged nicely throughout the 2 days, with puppet shows, puzzles, board games, colouring, face painting, and devotional cartoons. The endeavour was concieved by mother Nagnajiti, and expertly arranged and executed with the combined forces of Uddhava prabhu, mother Anuradha, mother Natasha, and Nagnajiti.
One devotee must be mentioned in particular, due to the fact that he was engaged the full time during the Kirtan and Bhajans, and not able to move freely like the vast majority. On account of his surrender to serving the vaisnavas, the sound system worked without any major problems. Thankyou, Sri Hanuman prabhu.
Please do not take offence if we fail to thankyou all individually in this small review, as this is not intentional, you know who you are, and everyone’s service was vital for the festival to be such a success.
Special thanks to all the devotees who attended this celebration, and apolgies where they are due for the lack of facilities. Plans are underway to sort out any inconveniences that we reasonably can, and thankyou for you tolerance and patience.
We look forward to 2007, and beg the Lord for your association at the next Nama Jagna. Hare Krishna!
your servants at Govindadwipa, Inis Rath.