Monthly Archives: March 2014

Tuesday, March 25th, 2014
→ The Walking Monk

Toronto, Ontario
Birds and Time
I arrived at the Toronto Airport, anticipating warmer weather than what the prairies offered.  Such was the case, but we are still looking at below zero degrees, and what appears to be the most stubborn winter I can remember.  It’s interesting, one place that I visited in Winnipeg, Fort Whyte Alive Park, recently saw about 200 of those iconic birds, Canada geese, land on its grounds.  After a few hours, the birds got up in flight and headed back to where they came from, directions south.  People at the sight who had been working in the park for thirty years, never saw anything like this before.  It  just wasn’t the time yet for the feathered friends to settle in the north.
The chill, a mere ten degrees Celsius below zero, did not deter me from a daily walk.  I’ll always bundle up and brave any condition if equipped.  I just had a few precious hours at home, at the ashram, to reconnect with the other monks there, as well as with visitors.  That was more of a priority.  I did also manage to slip in a drama practice with some keen volunteers for our next take on “Little Big Ramayan”.  Stephen has come forward to play the role of evil Ravana.  He’s an opera singer.  And Corrado is a professional dancer and plays the deceptive Marichi in the form of a deer.  Somehow the talent is coming my way and I’m grateful. 
Monk-bonding and a scheduled rehearsal consumed some beautiful time before preparing for an early leave for Ohio the next morning.  I guess I stopped at home for as long as the geese stayed at the park.  This loss of time for a trek I’ll make up the next day, even if I have to fight for it.  The warrior in me will arise, watch out, time! 
May the Source be with you!
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Secret service Podcast–guhyam seva
→ Nityananda Chandra Das' Blog, ISKCON Dallas

secret service

Because you are My very dear friend, I am speaking to you My supreme instruction, the most confidential knowledge of all. Hear this from Me, for it is for your benefit. –  BG 18.64

Because of their tendency to hear from authorities, they also transcend the path of birth and death. – BG 13.26

O Janārdana, again please describe in detail the mystic power of Your opulences. I am never satiated in hearing about You, for the more I hear the more I want to taste the nectar of Your words. – BG 10.18

The one verse which Śrīla Prabhupāda gave the most lectures on is BG 7.1  Which is a verse wherein Krishna and Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasize regularly hearing about Krishna Conscious philosophy.  Such hearing spiritualizes ones consciousness and helps one develop a spiritual vision.   As it is said, we see Krishna first with our ears.

Therefore I am happy to let you know that we have a new podcast available.  You can find it here at http://feeds.feedburner.com/KalachandjisAudio  The benefit of a podcast is that you don’t have use your data streaming or lose lots of battery life while streaming.  You can set your podcast app to auto download classes when your in a wifi zone or you can just easily select the ones that you like.  

You can subscribe using the link above or you can also look for Kalachandji’s Audio on iTunes and subscribe there.

The Son of the Sun – part 4
→ The Spiritual Scientist

(This is a concluding part of a four-part series. You can read the previous parts here: part 1   part 2   part 3 ) Was Karna not disadvantaged lifelong because society considered him lowborn? 1. Yes, the notion that he was a charioteer’s son deprived him of the respect given to a son of kshatriya. Still, but […]

Have you visited WpRecipes today?

Love is greater than duty
→ KKSBlog

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 16 March 2014, Melbourne, Australia, Caitanya Caritamrta Adi Lila 13.80) Krsna shows that ultimately, higher even than dharma (duty), is the love that exists between Krsna and his devotee. That is why in Kurukshetra, Krsna broke his vow. Krsna had promised not to fight, but when Bhismadev was about to kill Arjuna, […]

Travel Journal#10.5: Mayapur, Rishikesh, Delhi
→ Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk

Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, Vol. 10, No. 5
By Krishna-kripa das
(March 2014, part one)
Mayapur, Rishikesh, Delhi
(Sent from Kolkata, India, on March 27, 2014)
Where I Went and What I Did
The first four days of March I stayed in Mayapur participating in Kirtan Mela, harinamas, and theelephant procession. Then I had a very eventful journey to Rishikesh with a lot of unexpected kirtana opportunities. In Rishikesh, Navina Nirada Prabhu had arranged a program of a week or so of up to six hours of harinama, book distribution, and prasadam distribution each day. Next I spent a couple days at ISKCON Punjabi Bagh in Delhi, chanting on the train, the train station, and temple the day I arrived and for three hours in Rohini with a group of devotees the day before Gaura Purnima. I also gave a lecture on Lord Caitanya, which some people really liked, and which you can hear at this link: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8G_-3HDls9WSlBaM0Z0UXlpdVU/
I share many, many beautiful quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s books and lectures, excerpts from Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s journal, notes on lectures given in Mayapur by Lokanath, Niranjana, and Radhanath Swamis and Dravida Prabhu, and notes from lectures given in Rishikesh by Ekalavya, Janardana, Mahabhavi, and Caitanya-candrodaya Prabhus.
Thanks to Navin Shyam Prabhu (Philadelphia) for his kind donations from his federal and state tax refunds. Thanks to Caitanya-candrodaya Prabhu (Dublin) for his kind donation and his purchasing of many clothes and other supplies to make up for what I lost by leaving my bag on a train. Thanks to Mohnish Goel (Delhi) for his kind donation and for assisting me at Punjabi Bagh. Thanks to Navin Nirada Prabhu for paying for the Radha-Madhava maha-prasadam I distributed to, from, and at Rishikesh. Thanks to Punjabi Bagh temple commander for the box of maha-prasadam sweets he gave me when I left.

Itinerary 

March 28 – March 30 – Kolkata
March 31–April 13 – Mayapur 
April 15–16 – Mumbai 
April 17–24 – Dublin, Belfast, etc.
April 25 – London
April 26 – Kings Day, Amsterdam, The Netherlands 
April 27–30: The Netherlands 
May 1–2: Manchester, England 
May 3–5: North UK Retreat  
May–July (first two-thirds) – The North of England, Birmingham 24-hour kirtana, London Ratha-yatra, Stonehenge Solstice Festival 
July (last third)–August (first two-thirds) – Baltic Summer Festival, Polish Woodstock, Czech Woodstock 
August (last third)–September (first half) – The North of England September (rest) – New York

Mayapur Kirtan Mela
To have many enthusiastic devotees from all over the world singing together in front of Panca-tattva is certainly a recipe for a successful event. The organizers did a good job trying to make it comfortable for everyone. For those who found it too crowded in the temple room, video of the event was displayed on TV monitors and projection screens in the courtyard. You could get as much drinking water as you wanted, whenever you wanted. At the end of the evening, there were bags of puffed rice, if you were hungry. I look forward to the new temple which will have more room to dance. Some of my friends wished the Kirtan Mela could go forever. I appreciate their glorious devotional sentiments. I am always physically exhausted by such events, so it is difficult for me to desire they go on forever, until I actually attain a spiritual body, although I like the chanting and dancing and to see others also engaged in it. 

Here devotees delighted in swinging each other.

They even danced while raised above the crowd by their friends.
The Vanipedia devotees displayed a poster listing 64 benefits from chanting Hare Krishna which Srila Prabhupada mentioned in his books. The list is also to be found on their web site, along with the context: http://vaniquotes.org/wiki/64_results_of_chanting_Hare_Krsna
More Harinamas in Mayapur
The regular Mayapur Harinama Party, which I have been involved with many years, has a rickshaw with beautiful Gaura-Nitai deities, a harmonium, and a sound system. During the Mayapur Festival, additional devotees join their party from time to time. 

 

Here three girls take pleasure in dancing for Gaura-Nitai.

One time Prithu Prabhu sang with the Mayapur Harinama Party. 

 

Once an elephant passed by us.
My friend Deva Krishna Prabhu, a book distributor in America, brought his college graduate daughter from Florida to Mayapur for first time.

One time they joined the Mayapur Harinama Party. 



The world harinama party, with singer and accordion player, Syama Rasa Prabhu, also did harinama every day.

People would watch from the Chakra Building balcony above. Lots of people danced.

While moving through the Mayapur campus, the world harinama party met the Mayapur Harinama Party, doubling the ecstasy!

After passing them, we encountered the Padayatra harinama party with their oxen and cart with large Gaura-Nitai deities. All kinds of wild dancing ensued between the two parties. Thanks to Bhakta Brandon for taking the picture with me in it.
Mayapur Hati (Elephant) Procession
The festive Mayapur Hati (Elephant) Procession is part of Saturday night life in Mayapur in the winter. 

The small Radha-Madhava deities ride on the elephant.

The big Gaura-Nitai deities are on a cart pulled by two bulls.

This time some Chinese ladies danced in formation in front of the party.

 One beautiful feature of the festival is the colorful mandalas on the pathway made of dyes and flower petals.

My world harinama party friends participated in the kirtana this time, and they kept singing after the deities returned to the temple and the procession had ended. Lots of people danced to the music.
Maha Abhiseka of Panca-tattva
There was a quite a queue to watch theMaha Abhiseka(Great Bathing Ceremony) of the Panca-tattva on the tenth anniversary of their installation. The queue was at least half an hour long, stretching all the way over to Vamsi Bhavan. People in the queue could not view the abhiseka very long. It reminded me of viewing Balaji in Tirupati. Actually, there were some devotees from Tirupati in the queue, and I joked with them that this queue was insignificant compared to the 24-hour queues in Tirupati. Some people stayed inside the temple, once they got in, and they got a longerview. I just caught the bathing of the deities with water and drying off, but still it was satisfying. Then I stood outside the door of the Panca-tattva temple, in a place where you could see the deities and where some devotees were dancing, and I danced in back of them. 

While we were waiting in line to see the maha-abhiseka,several people brought us the tasty water made of dairy products, fruit juices, and sweeteners from the partially completed bathing ceremony to drink – a nice gesture of friendship that eased our waiting. Later also, people offered each other that caranamrita (bathing) water. The most striking thing is that there was a great feeling of purification after the event, as if a burden had been lifted from us, and the feeling continued that day and extended through the next. I shared that final perception with Krishna Ksetra Prabhu, who also agreed.
Bizarre Journey to Rishikesh
I booked a ticket from Bandel to Haridwar, and I made it to Nabadwip Dham station in time to catch the Katwa Bandel local train to Bandel so I thought I was doing really well. I had doubts about the platform for Bandel and asked the person who sold me the ticket, and he told me platform two. I recalled when I had come from Bandel on the same train on the way to Navadvipa that we had come to platform two, so I had a doubt that the train going in the other direction would be on the same track. When the next train came, I said “Bandel?” to the people and they indicated the affirmative, so I got on the train. One couple with Vaishnava tilaka, apparently returning home from pilgrimage helped me find a seat and situate my largest bag. I decided to play the harmonium and sing Hare Krishna for awhile and then the Gaura aratisong. The lady especially appreciated both and sang along. Because it was dark and because I was playing the harmonium I was unable to monitor the stations that we passed. The couple got off at the next to last stop, and at the last stop I got off. I was shocked when the people told me were in Katwa, almost an hour in the wrong direction. 

I was so much in anxiety to find the next train to Bandel, I left with just three of my four items, leaving behind the largest, the bag with all my clothes. As I was boarding the train to Bandel realized this, and I went back and looked through the previous train in all the new carriages with the blue seats which I had been sitting in. I do not know why I could not find the bag. I looked twice, but when I returned to the Bandel train platform I found I missed it, and thus all hope of catching my train to Haridwar. I reported my lost bag to the police, and I decided to go to the internet cafe and check the alternative trains. In the process, I distributed maha-prasadam to those led me to the internet cafe and its owner as well. A lot of people said “Hare Krishna” to me when they saw me in Katwa. I found that the train my friends would be taking leaves from Howrah, five hours away. As I am not accustomed to staying in hotels, and I could not find a Hare Krishna temple or Gaudiya Math in Katwa on the internet, so I decided to try for a sleeper train, in hopes of sleeping the five hours to Howrah. It was too late to reserve a seat or bed, so I decided to buy a general ticket and upgrade it. Unfortunately, the train did not arrive until 1:00 a.m., an hour and a half late, and all the beds were allocated. While I was waiting for that train, a guy who was eager to “talk with an American” talked with me. In the course of talking, I explained how Katwa was a special place because Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who he had known of, had accepted the renounced order of life, sannyasa. Actually I had never been to Katwa, and by accident I had come to this special city. Although no beds were available on the train, a railway policeman secured a seat for me, and I probably slept at most two of the five hours. After some people woke up and did not need their beds, I got half an hour of sleep in a free upper berth. At Howrah, I arrived just before 6:00 a.m. and found the booking office did not open until 8:00 a.m. I decided to take the bus to Fairlie Place where the international tourist ticket office is because that would give me more chance of getting a seat on the train my friends were traveling on. I arrived about 7:15 a.m. and sat on the steps playing Hare Krishna on the harmonium as others arrived to wait for the opening of the main booking office. I found the international tourist office did not open until 10:00 a.m., after the four-hour period prior to the train’s departure necessary to get a reservation. The Tatkal (emergency seats) were sold out, but there were five seats freed up from canceled reservations available for purchase which were considered guaranteed seats, and so I could buy a ticket for a reserved seat. One man behind the counter saw I was a Hare Krishna devotee, and he gave me special assistance. When I was all done and had the ticket in hand, he invited me behind the counter and explained how I was to find the seat I was assigned on the charts posted at the front of the train platform. Then he asked me to play a Hare Krishna tune on the harmonium. I played a three-part tune, just one mantra for each part, and he and the other rail employees appreciated. I distributed maha-prasadam to about seven of the people behind the counter, a few who had also helped me. In analyzing the unexpected sequence of events beginning with taking the wrong train, I found that people got to hear Hare Krishna, chant Hare Krishna, and take maha-prasadam who otherwise would not, so my difficulty with the trains increased my service to the Lord. Also I got to travel with my friends to Haridwar and Rishikesh, which was better than traveling alone as we could chant together both on the train and the longer stops on our journey and help each other in other ways. It was Krishna’s mercy we ended up in the same carriage out of the seven sleeper carriages and just ten feet (three meters) apart!

There were still over four hours before the train, so I waited across the street from the booking office for the bus to Minto Park, the area where our Kolkata temple is situated. One young man gave up his seat at a cafe, and invited me to sit and play on the harmonium. I did and he appreciated and gave me some tea as a donation, which I could not really accept. Then another man came to get some tea, and seeing me with my harmonium, asked me to play a Hare Krishna tune, and so I got to place again. I also distributed maha-prasadam to those who wanted it.

At the Kolkata temple, I took prasadam. Both the soup and the khichariwere wonderful. Then I took a nap and a shower, and bought four books from the temple shop, two each in Bengali and Hindi, to distribute on the train. I was happy to join my friends, Vishnujana, Harinamananda, and Nrsimha Caitanya’s Prabhus at Howrah to wait for our train. 

 
On the platform, I saw a beautiful sign on a fruit vendor’s cart.

On the train I sat in the upper berth, using my harmonium as a desk for my netbook. In this way, I was a little bit detached from the craziness of the train ride, the only virtues of which are the price, just $9 to go over 1000 km, and the chance to share the holy names through kirtana.

On the train, we chanted for an hour that night. One lady with Vaishnava tilaka, who raised up her arms and said “Radhe Radhe” and “Haribol,” especially appreciated. 

 

Ten people clapped along with us in three adjacent compartments of the train, and others listened appreciatively.

One man took a book and gave 100 rupees as a donation. That man and a younger one talked to the devotees afterward.
The other devoteesshared their compartment with a young couple and their young child. At the beginning of the journey I considered that such a situation could give the young devotees some practical realization about what married life is actually like. During the journey, the kid, who wore a shirt but no pants, ended up passing urine on Harinamananda Prabhu’s orange wool cadar, the bed it was on and the bed below it, and later passing stool, beginning on Harinamananda’s kurta and finishing on the floor of the train. It was completely disgusting. When I praised Harinamananda Prabhu for his tolerance, he said that there was nothing else he could do. It was ironic that I had predicted they might get some realizations of married life. I also better understand why they use diapers in the West, as it keeps such problems more contained.
When the train stopped a longer time at a couple of the larger cities, we chanted on the platform. Both times we were surrounded by an audience. Once I took a few pictures and a video (http://youtu.be/Zak9FIpK97g): 
 
I was happy traveling with my devotee friends as we got to do a lot of chanting together.
Harinamas in Rishikesh

Navina Nirada Prabhu had arranged a program of a week or so of up to six hours of harinama, book distribution, and prasadam distribution each day. Ekalayva Prabhu, the world harinama party, a group of devotees from Scandinavia, and my friend, Caitanya Candrodaya Prabhu comprised the party. Many Westerners and Indians visiting Rishikesh, as well as some of the locals, appreciated the chanting, books and spiritual food.

Mahabhavi Prabhu, who is based in Norway, made and distributed halava prasadam. 

 

Before going on harinama we would have a morning program at Nigah Tourist Resort, at Laksman Jhula, where we stayed.
The first day alone I had so many nice experiences. 
  

One smiling young lady from Bristol, happy to see us on harinamain Rishikesh, recalled seeing Hare Krishnas at the Stonehenge Solstice Festival, which I attended the last four years. 

 
One Czech couple remembered Hare Krishna from the Trutnov (Czech Woodstock) festival I attended the last five years, and I gave them a card I still had for the Prague temple and restaurant. A middle-aged lady was happy to see us, recalling Hare Krishna from many places, especially her home town of Gastonbury, where we have a booth at a mammoth music festival and have a Ratha-yatra which she has sometimes attended. She told us to go on with our wonderful chanting and said, “Haribol!” as we left. A Brazilian couple who danced with us said that Hare Krishna is big in Brazil and thanked us for sharing our joy in Rishikesh. Roon, a young book distributor, told me everyone he spoke to in Rishikesh was favorable. I showed people the mantra on the cards and had them say each word. I said they could keep the card if they promised to chant the mantra once a day and many did. All these wonderful experiences and more happened my first day in Rishikesh, situated at the foot of the Himalayas, along the Ganges River, where it is against the law to sell meat and where yoga ashrams of all descriptions abound.

Some people who were involved with Hare Krishna in other parts of the world and who were visiting Rishikesh came out with us almost every day. 

These included a very enthusiastic girl from Saint Peterburg, Russia, (left), and a Slovakian guy with a beard and dredlocks (center) and his Spanish girlfriend (right). One Italian devotee lady was very happy to join us one day to distribute books. An Indian man from Rishikesh played a one-headed drum with us several times. 

 A man from the Italian part of Switzerland, who knew the devotees there, played his small accordion with us a few times. 

A Prabhupada disciple from Montreal took pleasure in playing the flute with us at least a couple times.

Many people clapped to our music, some watching from above. 

 One lady named Aneta from Germany rode up on her motorcycle and stopped in front of the harinama party, She looked at the joyous chanting for ten minutes or so with a smile on her face. She recalled seeing the devotees in Cologne. I told her how I had passed through our temple in Cologne three times and had chanted in front of the large cathedral in the city which she said is called the Dom. She was pleased I gave her the address to our temple and restaurant there so she can connect with the devotees again.

Other motorcyclists were also entranced by the devotees’ chanting.

So were people in cars.

People often watched our chanting party from a restaurant on the hillside above us and the steps leading up to it.
One lady who was watching the chanting came from a town an hour south of London which she said was the oldest in England. I told her how I spent a lot of time in Newcastle in the summer, and she said that she has a friend who lives in Newcastle and that the people there are very friendly, but their accent is the most difficult you ever will encounter, something I also experienced. I said our temple in Newcastle is very lively, and the devotees sing for eight hours straight the last Saturday of the month. She found it inconceivable that Geordies, the natives of that region of England, who she described as working class people, would ever become Hare Krishna devotees. I smiled and said that one or two of them have become Hare Krishnas, and I added, “That shows how universal Hare Krishna is!” As she lived near London, I asked if she would like an invitation for our center there, and she said she would. I told how the devotees there sing for two hours on Oxford Street every afternoon. I gave her an invitation and explained that we also have an Indian vegetarian restaurant at the same location, which she would probably like, having come to Rishikesh.

All kinds of people were happy to see our party.
 

 
 All kinds of people were happy to dance with us.

One scholarly devotee initiated by Srila Prabhupada enjoyed dancing with us.

Caitanya-candrodaya Prabhu delighted in getting the Indian guys to dance.

A few people took mantra cards and chanted along.

Once we passed a music shop, and a guy inside played the drum along with us. 

 

A couple of times our party entered a shop, and chanted through it one time. Usually the owners were pleased with the attention.

Once we chanted under an awning in front of a shop when it rained briefly.

We also chanted by a Shiva fountain.

One day we chanted down by Ram Jhula, where we were based two years ago. More younger Westerners are to be found around our new location of Laksman Jhula.

Navina Nirada Prabhu, Janardana Prabhu from Denmark, and Bhakta Roon, also from Denmark, enthusiastically distributed many books, and the donations paid for all the expenses of the party.
When the world harinama devotees were with us, there was extra intensity, and many people vigorous danced with us as you can see in this video (http://youtu.be/cXaPTWztABM):  


After the world harinama devotees left, it was more mellow (http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGerEnGdI0xI3oPyCpQ9nnyMn6iASe733):

 
The last couple of days, since people were leaving our party to their next destinations, we did not have scheduled harinamas, so I would have some of my own, getting one or two people to join me. When I was chanting alone, I had some nice experiences. A swami from another mission chanted several mantras with me on a couple occasions. A group of Gaudiya Vaishnavas from Bulgaria chanted with me for ten minutes. A couple of young Indian men played the shakers and sang vociferously with me for twenty minutes. Their white girlfriends had no interest at all in the kirtana,and were eating and talking with each other as the guys sang. The two guys said they had gone to the Vrindavan gurukula, and their names were Lalita Das and Jagan Mohan Das. I was happy to see their enthusiasm for the chanting, but amazed to see the apathy of their girlfriends. After lunch, I went out chanting with Caitanya-candrodaya Prabhu. A man from the Italian part of Switzerland, who had previously played his miniature harmonium with us, played with us again. In the course of our chanting procession we encountered the Indian gurukulis who were happy to see us. This time in addition to the guys chanting, one of the girls chanted Hare Krishna with us and the other took a photo of the whole scene. It was interesting to see the increased interest of the girls in the kirtana. As we continued onward, the Hare Krishna girl from Saint Peterburg joined us.
The last day I went out for 40 minutes before lunch. I did not even make it to Laksman Jhula, the bridge where we usually chant. 

I met the Indian gurukula boys and their girlfriends, who I then learned were from Switzerland, Nandulal, a gurukuli who remembered me from America, a lady and a kid, and a old man from Vrindavan, and they urged me to stay and sing with them. So I stayed there singing, and Jagan Mohan and Lalita Prabhu bought fresh orange juice for everyone in the party. One of the Swiss girls both chanted and danced and the other took pictures. An older man from Rishikesh who had joined us on harinama a few times before played his one-headed drum. Nandulal borrowed a two-headed drum from a vendor to play along with the chanting. It was very lively, and we must have chanted for half an hour. A group of Indian pilgrims came by, and sat with desiring to have their picture taken with us. I encouraged the gurukuli kids to chant Hare Krishna every day during their travels. They were having such a good time, perhaps they will.

The Sacred Ganges

This year I first crossed the Ganges River on my way from Navadvipa to Mayapur coming to Mayapur. I played my harmonium and chanted Hare Krishna during the boat ride. One devotee sprinkled auspicious Ganges water on us as we waited for the boat to get underway. Then on the way to Rishikesh, I crossed the Ganges from Mayapur to Navadvipa to catch the train. This time it was approaching dusk, and I played harmonium and sang the Gaura Arati song, our evening prayer, in addition to Hare Krishna. When I missed my connecting train, I had to go all the way into the city of Kolkata to buy a ticket for the train my friends were taking the next day. As I crossed the bridge from Howrah to Kolkata, I saw an old man place his palms together. At first I did not understand why he was doing that. Then it occurred to me that it might be out of respect for the river. I thought it was a little quaint, and then I remembered that it was not any ordinary river, it was the same Ganges, just a little downstream and more polluted than in Mayapur. Thus I also put my palms together in respect, and another man followed me. However, when I returned from the Kolkata temple to Howrah to catch the train, I crossed the Ganges River in ignorance, not being reminded by anyone of her glory. After our train reached Haridwar, some twenty-seven hours later, and we were riding by motor rickshaw to Rishikesh, I was happy to see the Ganges River again both near the beginning and end of our journey. It was quite a bit narrower and faster flowing. At the Nigah Tourist Resort, one of the better of budget guest houses at Laksman Jhula, the Ganges was both visible to our eyes and audible to our ears because of being near its rapids. When I would chant Hare Krishna on beads looking and listening to the Ganges I found it to be a most wonderful experience.
I chanted extra japa on Ekadasi looking at and hearing the rapids of the Ganges River. . . . I thought how Queen Kunti, the mother of Krishna’s friend, Arjuna, prayed for constant attraction to Krishna without diversion as the Ganges inexorably flows to the sea. . . . King Pariksit desired to leave his body on the bank of the Ganges. . . . For thousands of years, sages have been meditating on its banks here at Rishikesh. . . . There is a feeling of peace and timelessness. It is one of my favorite places to chant.
Almost everyone likes to swim and the devotional practice of bathing in the Ganges is one of the easier ones for most people to follow. Somehow I have never developed a taste for swimming or bathing in natural bodies of water. I know some of it has to do with the sand, the feel of which I do not like on my feet. In 1988 I lost my glass bathing in the Ganges in Mayapur, and subconscious impressions of that inconvenience may play a role. I was planning to bath in the Ganges at least once, and by the influence of Navina Nirada Prabhu I finally did, two hours before leaving Rishikesh. It was very cold, which is not surprising as its source is a glacier not so far away, and I just quickly dunked my head in the water. It was refreshing, although I did not find it as refreshing as my friend, Caitanya-candradoya Prabhu, who said bathing in the Ganges is as refreshing as a five-hour nap! While discussing the Ganges with friends, Nanda Kumar Prabhu, who takes tours to Rishikesh, told about one lady tourist who was very bossy and was never satisfied with any situation. Her occupation is to be in charge of two hundred nurses. After she bathed in the Ganges, she developed a positive attitude, and when the tour continued to Vrindavan, she became attracted to donate to help one project there. Nanda Kumar Prabhu was surprised to see such a marked change for the better in her personality. From the books of revealed knowledge, we understand that bathing in the Ganges frees one from sinful reactions, and thus it is reasonable to consider one might advance in good qualities by such a bath. I wonder what other stories exists offering evidence of this. If you know any, please write me. I love to collect stories that offer evidence consistent with the truths of the Vedic literature. As Caitanya-candrodaya Prabhu and I took a taxi to Rishikesh to catch our train, we sang the Gaura Arati song while passing the Ganges on our left. The song tells of arati ceremony performed by great souls in worship of Lord Caitanya. The setting of the beautiful ceremony which attracted the minds of the whole universe is the bank of the Ganges River. It was wonderful to connect with the Ganges many times in the last couple of weeks, and I have a sense that it increased my devotion, especially while chanting Hare Krishna on beads in Rishikesh while seeing and hearing her.
Chanting on the Train from Haridwar to Delhi
On the night train from Haridwar to Delhi, I arose and started chanting at 5:00 a.m. At 5:15 a.m. an older Indian man arose, put away his bedding, and sat staring out the window. See him wasting his time, I gave him a mantra card and said, “Best use of time: Chant Hare Krishna.” He moved his head in equivocal Indian way, and read the words from the card. He sang it softly to himself for a whole hour. As he left, I gave him and his wife Radha-Madhava maha-prasad,which they gratefully accepted, and I told him to chant the mantra every day, prati-din.In my experience, it is rare a few words of spiritual instruction go so far as my first words to him. I hope he follows my final instruction with the same enthusiasm.
Punjabi Bagh Delhi Temple
For the third time, I went to the Punjabi Bagh temple in Delhi. It was wonderful to see many congregational people at the temple throughout the day. There were twenty or thirty singing in the late morning just before the raj bhoga [lunch offering] that swelled to fifty for the noon arati. There must have been eighty for the evening arati, and they do a full hour of kirtana in the temple after that arati. It is wonderful to see such enthusiasm for the chanting, which is the yuga-dharma, the spiritual practice of the age.

Some of the guys got into dancing in the evening kirtana.

They were so enthusiastic they continued dancing outside during the Nrsimha prayers!
Rohini Harinama
Devotees tell me that Srila Prabhupada wanted to have twelve temples in Delhi. We have eight, and four are under construction, one of these being in Rohini. Rohini is an expansion of the nearby Punjabi Bagh West temple. Kesava Murari Prabhu, a leader at Punjabi Bagh, plays a role in the development of the Rohini project. 

He has an awesome bas relief of Radha-Krishna in his office.  

He invited me to go on harinama with him in Rohini. In two weeks, on March 30, they plan for Ratha-yatra in Rohini, an event I attended two years ago as I happened to be traveling through Delhi that day. This year they decided to do harinama on Gaura Purnima and the day before and follow the exact route of the Ratha-yatra distributing invitations to it. That sounds like such a practical way to advertise a Ratha-yatra, I am surprised I never heard of doing it before.
 

They have three harinama carts. 

 

They have small Gaura-Nitai deities who ride the carts.

They are equipped with one of the loudest sound systems of that size I have ever heard. The back of cart has a diesel generator just to power it.

Parikrama at Sri Ramaghat And Chirghat (Album 86 photos)
→ Dandavats.com

Chir Ghat is one of the holy ghats (series of steps leading down to a water body) on the banks of the river Yamuna. This is the place where the famous pastime of Krishna stealing the clothes of the young Gopis (Cowherd Maidens) of Vrindavan took place. This place was earlier just on the banks of River Yamuna. But over the years, as Yamuna has changed its course, now Chir Ghat stands at some distance from the Yamuna. There is an ancient Kadamba tree at this place which is still existing since the time of Lord Krishna. Read more ›

Jivan Mukta Studio, US, Question & Answer Session
Bhakti Charu Swami

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS Founder-Ācārya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda The Following Conversation is a Question & Answer session which was held in the Jivan-Mukta Studio, US. Interviewer: Another very important, very special event here. We have our guest Bhakti Charu Swami. Would you please join me in welcoming Bhakti Charu Mahārāja to(…)

New Vrindaban’s Transcendental Throwback Thursday – 03/27/14
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

New Vrindaban’s Transcendental Throwback Thursday – 03/27/14. Each week we highlight an earlier era of ISKCON New Vrindaban. This week’s challenge: In addition to the processional forms of Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra, there are six devotees in this photo, five whose faces are recognizable. How many can you identify? Extra Credit: Where are they and […]