By HH Lokanath Swami
Dear devotees
This is an invitation to all of you to come to our new ISKCON Temple in my birthplace (Aravade, Maharashtra, India), on the auspicious occasion of Sri Nityananda Trayodasi, to welcome Their Lordships Sri-Sri Radha-Gopal on the 6th, 7th, and 8th of February 2009.
The inspiration for this project is a statement Srila Prabhupada made to me in a letter dated July 30, 1977. After I gave a report to him about the Second Annual Hare Krishna Utsav at Aravade. Srila Prabhupada wrote: “You should train one farmer from your native village so that he can actually become an ISKCON representative there.”
The Hare Krishna Utsav has been celebrated yearly for the last 31 years in Aravade, with more than 20,000 villagers attending it. Seeing the potential, we embarked on developing the “Hare Krishna Gram Project” as an effort to enhance “simple living and high thinking–” a life close to purity, to the earth, to fresh air, and to fresh water. We can enhance this kind of life further by giving the people in general a higher taste of Krishna consciousness, so that people, especially the village youth, will stay in their natural environment and not opt for the artificial life of the city. Prabhupada wrote to me, “The whole of India, and specifically your Maharashtra, are enthused by Krishna. Now you have to revive their Krishna consciousness. This is Tukaram’s country, but now they are becoming bad politicians. So revive them by the process of the sankirtana movement.”
This temple project is a very humble step towards achieving Srila Prabhupada’s vision. We will highly appreciate and be grateful for your auspicious presence on this blessed event of welcoming Sri-Sri Radha-Gopal in Aravade—the first step towards “Simple living and high thinking.”
Your ever well-wisher, Lokanath Swami
For photo’s and more info please visit: lokanathswami. com
SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE FESTIVAL
• It is an opportunity to associate with twenty ISKCON sannyasis, and a number of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples, and gurus–all under one roof at one time.
You will experience: • the wonderful, pure village life— “simple living and high thinking;” • the bliss of bhajans and kirtans with some of the very best kirtaneers in the world;
• a unique Krishna tattva-darshan diorama exhibition specially targeted for school children; • the beauty of the Vrindavan Garden and the majesty of Govardhan Hill; • the fun world of a children’s park; • the sparkle of the Kaliya Krishna fountain; • the heart-warming atmosphere of Gopal’s goshala.
The programme schedule is as follow
6th of February 09 – Bhaimi Ekadasi Morning Program & Ecstatic Kirtans by Prabhupada Disciples Delicious Ekadasi Feast Adivasa Puja and Netra-unmilan
(Eye opening Ceremony of Radha Gopal) The first ever elephant procession of their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Gopal Evening program filled with an Abundance of Devotional and Cultural Art Performances
7th of February 09 – Nityananda Trayodasi First Dharshan of Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Gopal Pranpratishta and Mahabhisekha Grand opening of the Krishna Tattva Dharshan Maha feast in the honor of Lord Nityananda Enlivening lectures on the apperances of Lord Varaha Deva & Lord Nityananda given by Prabhupada Disciples Jhulan Yatra and Utsav Parikrama
8th of February 09 The Grand Yearly “HARE KRISHNA” Festival Attended by 50,000 Devotees Dance and Drama Performances by International Artists Ecstatic Kirtans Exhibitions and Devotional Stalls The Fabulous Fire Jugglers From Europe Prasadam Feast Fireworks and much much more
POST-FESTIVAL ATTRACTION
The temple opening festival will be followed by a pilgrimage to holy places in Maharastra from February 9 to 12 in the association of H. H. Lokanath Swami and many more disciples of Srila Prabhupada’s and ISKCON leaders. We will visit Lord Vitthala in Sridham Pandharpur; the birthplace of Saint Tukaram in Dehu; and the famous pilgrimage town of Nashik, the dwelling place of Lord Ramachandra during His exile and the site of the Kumbha-mela.
Please book yourself as soon as possible as seats are limited.
Special accommodation and transportation …………. 2500rs Reduced rate————————————————- 1500rs
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ONE MORE THING:
If you would like to participate in the offering of the first deepdana during the installation yajna of Sri-Sri Radha-Gopal, Sita-Rama-Lasmanji, and Vitthala-Rukmini, please book yourself as soon as possible, as the offering will be done on a first-come first-serve basis.
TRAVEL GUIDE
• By air you can fly to Kolhapur (which is very near to Aravade), from Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Nagpur, Pune, and Goa. • By train you can come directly from Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Bangalore, Belgaum, Mysore, and Kolhapur; and from Goa to Miraj or Sangli, which are also quite close to Aravade. • By bus you can come directly from Mumbai, Pune, Belgaum, Solapur, and Hyderabad. • By road you can reach Aravade easily via the Pune-Bangalore highway.
Postal address: Aravade, Taluka – Tasgaon, District Sangli, Maharashtra (India) Please write to us at: LOK.Office@pamho.net,
Telephone contacts: Chinmayi dasi: 09850723481 Krishna Bhakta das: 09921177798