Author Archives: Dandavats.com

Temple opening ceremony, Seoul, South Korea (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Caitanya Mahaprabhu says: “I have brought medicine to awaken very living being from perpetual sleep. Please receive the holy name of the Lord, the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, and awaken. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 5.13.9 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/mj4bK1

In The Beginning Was The Word (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Our 2017 summer festival tour has begun. As always, our focus is on delivering the holy names to one and all through the medium of harinama, attractive cultural shows on our festival stage, numerous booths and tents depicting India’s spiritual culture, our restaurant and many other attractions. Though rain canceled one day of festivities, the sun broke out enough the next day for us to share the wonderful world of Krsna consciousness with many fortunate souls.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/UuhZKR

Festival of the Holy Name (video)
The journey back to Godhead need not be a lonely one. We can make it with each other’s inspiration.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/we9CVK

Ratha Yatra Paris, France (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: One is understood to be an eternal servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead…Read More…

More success for the movie about His Divine Grace!
Giriraj Swami: Today we took Rajani Priya Dasi (Rose Forkash) to see “Hare Krishna! The Mantra, the Movement, and the Swami Who Started It All” in Pasadena. At ninety-six years of age, she may be the oldest person to have seen the film, but she enjoyed it with the enthusiasm and verve of a young girl. Such is the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and his society. Hare Krishna!
—-
Becoming Addicted … Today, after seeing the film *Hare Krishna! The Mantra, the Movement, and the Swami Who Started It All* for the third time in ten days, I at once began thinking of when and where I could see it again. But then I became concerned: “Maybe I’m becoming addicted.” Yet when I recalled Srila Prabhupada’s words in Juhu, “Instead of thinking, ‘Unless I have a drink, I will go mad,’ one should think, ‘Unless I associate with a sadhu, I will go mad,’ ” I concluded that this addiction—for a sadhu, for Srila Prabhupada—may be desirable, by his divine grace.
—–
Documentary Review: ‘HARE KRISHNA! The Mantra, The Movement And The Swami Who Started It All’
Review by LC Cragg
To read it click here: https://goo.gl/G64cZc

Rain Rain Go Away! (4 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: There’s a saying, “Rain or shine the show must go on.” Unfortunately, one day our show didn’t go on. The driving rain simply wouldn’t let up. We were obliged to cancel our festival. Praying for sunny weather so we may share our good fortune with others.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/MnKd3b

New App for ISKCON Temples
As we continue to be connected with mobile devices, we have a tremendous opportunity to engage with people like never before. Mobile is where people are connecting with friends and engaging with businesses. It has thus, become the most effective way to reach people anywhere at anytime. We envision our ISKCON family taking advantage of this technological trend and utilizing it to connect and communicate with their community.
We took this to heart and came up with a fantastic mobile app design. With this framework, we will work with each temple’s unique needs and create their app with features like:

Events
Media
Darshan
Donations (via Apple Pay, Android Pay and credit cards).
Temple info
And more

If you are interested in engaging your community with this flexible and affordable app, we would love to hear from you.

Please contact Venu Madhava Das at info@110digitallabs.com. Phone (830)-255-7684

New home for ‘slaughter-free’ Ahimsa Dairy farm.
BBC: The UK’s first “slaughter-free” dairy farm has moved to a new permanent home – where it hopes to provide a model for other farms to copy.
Dairy cows are usually culled when they get older and cannot produce as much milk, and their male calves are normally killed or sold for meat.
At the Ahimsa dairy in Rutland, oxen are put to work and cows can “retire”.
The farm was previously on rented land in Leicestershire but has secured its future with land bought in Manton.
Nicola Pazdzierska said that while their milk was more expensive, many people were willing to spend the extra.
“We charge a lot more for the product but part of that money is going into our cows’ pension fund, and at the same time, we don’t think milk should be a cheap product,” she said.
“In London a pint of craft beer can sell for £6.20, so we don’t think it’s unsustainable for our milk to sell for £4.50 a litre at a farmers’ market, or £3.50 for members.
“We want to make the model replicable so other farms can follow.”
Dairy cows are normally slaughtered after about five years when they stop producing as much milk, but Ahimsa cows go into retirement.
Male calves are normally killed shortly after birth or sold for meat, but the Ahimsa dairy puts them to work on the farm.
Newborn calves are normally separated from their mothers, but they stay together as grazing partners at the Ahimsa dairy.
Cows are usually artificially inseminated, but Ahimsa cows are impregnated by bulls.
Ahimsa cows are milked by hand rather than by machine.
Ahimsa cows can choose between sheltering in a barn or grazing freely on organic pasture.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/mFfJo8

Interview with Manorama dasa (audio)
Today I spoke with Manorama dasa, who is from Alachua Florida. He works at the website Krishna.com, and as p…Read More…

Anuttama Prabhu – Interview (13 min video)
Interfaith Dialogue – Be proactive to reach out and build relationships with other organizations to ac…Read More…

How to find Krishna in family life (video)
Yesterday’s lecture by Bhakti Rasamrita Swami at ISKCON Leicester, UK.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/THSgjy

Photos and videos from the Sravanam-Kirtanam Festival in Villa-Vrindavana, Florence, Italy.
Srila Prabhupada: The Lord’s holy name is called sravana-mangala. This means that one receives everything auspicious simply by hearing the holy name. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 2.7.15 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/4XFFGs

Cow care in Mayapur (Album with photos)
We appreciate how the boys at the Bhaktivedanta Academy (Mayapur Gurukul) are taught to love, care for an…Read More…

A two day retreat by HH Bhanu Swami on Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu and the Sandharbhas (Album with photos)
HH Bhanu Swami had visited Govardhan Ecovillage on 2 nd June and had given seminars on Rupa Gosvami’s work, Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu; Madhurya Kadambini of Srila Visvanath Cakravarti Thakur and Tattva-Sandarba of Jiva Gosvami. The 2-day retreat was held in the seminar hall of the Satsang Bhavan and was well attended by the students of Bhativedanta Vidyapitha and the resident monks of Govardhan Ecovillage

Rathayatra and book distribution in Surat (Album with photos)
Jagannatha Damodar das: There was arranged the Rathyatra festival on 25 June’17 Sunday, on the auspicious day of Ashadh dwitiya in the city of Surat, Gujarat. Since Surat is one of the major cities of Gujarat, many thousand faithful people took part in it with a great enthusiasm. It was one of the best chance for the devotees to please Srila Prabhupada by distributing his books as Rathyatra is a festival in which totally new beginners who even don’t know the lord, some faithful people, few who do not believe in lord and even the people of different religions and sampradayas take part. As Srila Prabhupada once said in his lecture that “ There is no question of darkness where there is light, and Krishna Consciousness is the light that dispels the darkness of material sense enjoyment.”( Lecture, Ratha-yatra-San Francisco, June 27, 1971 ) and to bring the light of Krsna Consciouness to the conditioned people, under the guidance of the vice president of Surat ISKCON temple H.G. Vrindavan Das, team of around 150 devotees leaded by H.G. Radhesh Das celebrated this festival of Chariot by sacrificing their time totally to book distribution of Srila Prabhupada’s books for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada and in order to bring the Mercy of Lord Jagannatha to every people. The following is the book distribution report:
Maha Big books – 491
Big books – 75
Medium books – 25
Small books – 991
Srimad Bhagwatam full set – 13
Caitanya Caritamrita set – 1
Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhav – 1 Set
Lose BTG – 860
BTG 1 year subscription – 33
Plus some more books which are not counted
Total 2.07 L INR Lakshmi received.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/3eQ4Eq

Glorification of Aditya Mataji (video)
Several elevated vaishnavas talk in Vrindavana about the glories of this dear vaishnavi, disciple of Srila…Read More…

Trivikrama Swami and Mahatma Prabhu speak about Srila Prabhupada (video)
This talk was given by His Holiness Trivikrama Swami Maharaj and His Gra…Read More…

Iskcon New Zealand Kirtan Mela 2017 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Our centers are like the oasis in a vast desert. In the desert there is…Read More…

Liverpool Jagganath Ratha Yatra 2017 (Album with photos)
Liverpool is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia.
Srila Prab…Read More…

Unfolding Srila Prabhupada’s biggest vision on Education.
Srila Prabhupada incorporated his worldwide mission with deep concern for the suffering humanity. He outlined seven purposes which capsulized the essence of his mission. In these seven purposes Srila Prabhupada has immensely stressed on education.
Srila Prabhupada wanted to provide opportunity for all people to gain a systematic understanding of the profound vedic scriptures.
Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakura mentioned in a letter to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura in 1910 – “Saraswati! I had a special desire to preach the significance of such books as Srimad Bhagavatam, Satsandarbha and Vedantadarshan. You have to accept that responsibility. Sridham Mayapur will prosper if you establish an educational institution there”
Also, Srila Prabhupada wrote in a letter to Atreya Rishi Prabhu in August 20th 1971 – “Throughout the whole world there is no institution to impart knowledge in the matter of spiritual understanding. So we are going to open a big centre in Mayapur where this education will be internationally imparted. Students from all parts of the world will go there to take education in this important subject.”
All our previous acharyas – Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura and Srila Prabhupada desired to establish educational institute at Sridham Mayapur for the benefit of devotees worldwide.
To fulfill this vision of our previous acharyas, Mayapur Institute (MI) was established in the year 2000. Since the launch of the Institute in 2000, over 3500 students of various race, ethnicity, gender, and economic status coming from various places like USA, UK, Russia, China, Australia, Africa, Europe, etc. have been benefited immensely from different courses at MI.
Due to significant growth in student enrollment every year, the current Mayapur Institute classrooms and offices are inadequate. Hence, MI had embarked on setting up an exclusive campus at Mayapur.
Now, Phase-1 of the Campus Project is almost ready and the time has come to offer this to our previous acharyas for their pleasure.
3rd July is going to be a historical event as the vision of our acharyas will start to unfold, creating facility for hundreds of students to come to Mayapur to study the scripture.
We invite you all to witness this wonderful historic event.
On 3rd Jul 2017, 8.30 Am onwards
Venue: MI Campus, Crossing Taranpur Road, Mayapur
Program details: Kirtan, Srila Prabhupada arrives at MI Campus from Temple, Guru Puja, Video Lecture by Srila Prabhupada, Speech by HHJPSM, Sannyasis, SP Disciples and Senior devotees, Inauguration and offering of the New Campus to Srila Prabhupada by H.H. Jayapataka Swami followed by Mahaprasadam at 12.00 PM

Harinam, book and prasadam distribution @Bajrasandi Park, Bali (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “As a result of chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, one makes such great advancement in spiritual life that simultaneously his material existence terminates and he receives love of Godhead. The holy name of Krishna is so powerful that by chanting even one name, one very easily achieves these transcendental riches.” (Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 8.28)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/EqX4A3

What success should be (2 min video)
Sivarama Swami describes the real values of life.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/AEQoHXRead More…

Joy of Krishna Consciousness (7 min video)
Bhakti yoga is the eternal science of loving service to Krishna or God. The philosophy of this movement is rooted in ancient Vedic texts, particularly the Bhagavad Gita (Song of God), which contains the essential teachings of Krishna on how to achieve the highest perfection of life.
The Hare Krishna devotees are known throughout the world for their melodious chanting of the Hare Krishna Mantra, which the Vedas declare as the most sublime and effective means for spiritual enlightenment in the current age:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Ram Hare RamRam Ram Hare Hare

Krishna is a name of God meaning “the all-attractive one,” and Rama is another name meaning “the reservoir of pleasure.” Hare invokes His presence in our lives. This Maha (great) Mantra is chanted either congregationally (sankirtan), or individually (japa), as a meditation. Since each of us is constitutionally a part and parcel of God, the chanting of His holy names brings one innate satisfaction and the highest pleasure.

The chant is called a mantra, a vibration of sound that cleanses the mind, freeing it from anxiety and illusion. And this is a mantra anyone can chant. It’s for people of all religions, all nations, all colors, and both sexes. No need to pay any fees, join any group, or turn your life upside down. Whoever you are, whatever you do, you can try the chanting for yourself and experience its result.

Krishna and His energy are fully present in the sound of the mantra, so even if we don’t know the language or intellectually understand how it works, by coming in touch with Krishna we’ll become happy, and our life will become sublime.

Music:
His Grace Mahatma Das
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/NyIDTP

300 kg of paneer from ISKCON farm, Gita Nagari
Everybody has heard about the amazing Sadhu Sanga Retreat in North Carolina last month. What most people didn’t know is that one less publicized dream of Srila Prabhupada was also becoming true. An ISKCON farm, Gita Nagari, delivered 300 kg of paneer, produced with the farm’s milk from protected cows, to the festival kitchen. Hope this will become a reality soon, that the farms will produce food to our temples, restaurants and congregations. All glories to Gita Nagari, for their exemplary karma-free dairy and all glories to the event organizers, who encouraged and valued the farm’s produce by buying it! This is a way to go!
https://www.facebook.com/gitanagarifarm/

Kolkata Rathyatra Pandal Program (2017) (Album with photos)
Kolkata Rathyatra Pandal Program at TAI Brigade Parade Ground (2017) P.C. Souvic Das & Sourav Saha
Find them here: https://goo.gl/yJbg5L

HH Radhanath Swami at the Denver Hare Krishna Temple (video)
Srila Prabhupada: Nowadays people are very much inclined to the meditational process…Read More…

Exclusive look of the red carpet at the Los Angeles Premiere of Hare Krishna! The Film with guests including New York Times Best Selling Author and Spiritual Guide Radhanath Swami (3 min video)
Giriraj Swami: I just saw the film for the second time, and got even more out of it than the first time, and I am eagerly looking forward to seeing it again—and again.
…last night at the movie ‘Hare Krishna: The Mantra, The Movement and the Man who started it all’ …….with some wonderful association, including Guru Maharaj, the Producers and the Director (Yadubara das and Visakha dasi) of the film.
I highly recommend it!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/6XFREC

Baltic Sea Festivals began (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Yesterday we held our first festival of the summer. As I looked at the photos I realized they could have come from any of the 1,200 festivals we have done along the Baltic Sea coast over the last 28 years. But then I realized that each festival is unique in itself, for every year the guests at our events are different. Remembering a purport from Srimad Bhagavatam, I was struck with wonder how by participating in our programs many hundreds of thousands of people [ Srila Prabhupada uses the term ‘onlookers’ ] have benefited:

“As the river flows on till she reaches the sea, similarly pure devotional service flows by the association of pure devotees till it reaches the ultimate goal, namely, transcendental love of God. On the contrary, it increases more and more without limitation. The flow of devotional service is so potent that any onlooker also becomes liberated from the modes of passion and ignorance.” [ SB 1.5.28 purport ]
Find them here: https://goo.gl/iWyFiU

Have you heard of “Mistik Pizza”?(4 min video)
Turin Hare Krishna Cultural Center in Italy has celebrated the 2nd Anniversary.
It is a miraculous story like the ones of Srila Prabhupada! Prabhu das, Hayagriva das and Abhiram das came to Turin, Italy, to establish ISKCON Turin with nothing in their hands. It was a mission given to them by H.G. MadhuSevita Prabu.
They had only their camper and a desire to give the Holy Name to the city of Turin. With the power of sadhana bhakti, they started preaching and distributing books in Turin and the little cities around the town.
On the way, Bhakta Simone joined them. At the end of the first year, they have already established Hare Krishna Cultural Center, performed programs during the week, organized Sunday Feast every Sunday, distributed food at the homeless shelters of Turin.

They financed everything with donations and by distributing books of Srila Prabhupada. Krsna was generous to their sincere efforts.

Bhaktya Labhya Prabhu and his family was a big help from the start to this transcendental team by always going to the center once a month, cooking and giving lectures right from the start. Mercifully, Sannyasis and elevated Vaishnavas go there to give lectures like H.H. Krishna Kshetra Swami, H.G. Madhu Sevita Prabhu, H.G. Param Gati Prabhu, Ali Krishna Mataji, Gandharvika Mataji, Kaunteya Prabu, Praghosh Prabhu, Harikirtan Prabhu and Parabhakti Prabhu.

Now, they have celebrated the second anniversary and they showed us the power of service attitude. They have doubled the amount of visitors. They have fixed programs during the week. They have created nice relations with the Municipality of Turin and get their support. This enthusiastic bhaktas are already looking forward to create a bigger center to have more guests and to give more service.

Citra Karuni devi dasi / Turin / Italy
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/RTmCka

Harinama in Florence, Italy (8 min video)
Srila Prabhupada: Simply by chanting the holy name of Lord Krishna, one can be freed from all undesirab…Read More…

Beautiful temple room in a devotee’s house (Album with photos)
Bhakti Caitanya Swami: Today we had a wonderful house program at the home of Madhavi devi dasi. Her temple room has been decorated in wonderful ways. She has nice altars and a beautiful ceiling. I think any householders would be proud to have a temple room at home like this.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/MgtdnW

“One should taste the meaning of Srimad-Bhagavatam in the association of pure devotees, and one should associate with the devotees who are more advanced than oneself and who are endowed with a similar type of affection for the Lord.” (Cc Madhya 22.131)

Preaching program in Tantris Center for Yogic Science (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “O Lord,” the demigods say, “the impersonalists, who are nondevotees, cannot understand that Your name is identical with Your form.” Since the Lord is absolute, there is no difference between His name and His actual form. In the material world there is a difference between form and name. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.2.36 Purport).
Find them here: https://goo.gl/TycprP

TOVP: 3 Small Kalash on the Chatris installed (Album with photos)
Sadbhuja Das: As the works around the temple go on, we have a further report fo…Read More…

Prize winner at the Borehamwood Carnival!
Parasuram dasa: A picture paints a thousand words! Award winner at the June 2017 Borehamwood Carnival.Read More…

The Real Adventure (video)
PS Alumni presents: “Krishna Consciousness – The Real Adventure” by HH Kadamba Kanana Swami – An insightful evening into the life of a present day Swami who has dedicated his life to spirituality and sharing with others.
“It is in the compelling zest of high adventure and of victory, and in creative action, that man finds his supreme joys.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Along the path of Kadamba Kanana Swami’s spiritual journey, he has encountered many adventures which will enthrall you all throughout this unmissable evening where he will share his insights and inspirations.

About the Speaker….
Kadamba Kanana Swami started his spiritual life in Vrndavana, the Holy land of Krishna and immediately felt he found his home. He became a disciple of HH Jayadvaita Swami.
He joined ISKCON in 1978 shortly after Srila Prabhupada’s departure from this world and served in Vrndavana from ’78 to ’84 in various types of management.
After a one year break from India in Australia he returned to India this time to take charge of the construction of Srila Prabhupada’s Samadhi in Mayapura and remained there from ’85 to ’90.
He liked the pioneering spirit of working in India and above all he liked to stay in the Holy Dhama.
In 1990 he became the Temple President of the Krsna Balarama temple in Vrndavana and remained in that position untill ’95.
After that he began to travel and preach around the world and in 1997 he received sannyasa.
These days besides preaching in Europe, South Africa, India and Australia, he still has some involvement in supervision of the Vrndavana temple.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/F6jCGL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOzR4maVU8E

Kurma Rupa’s Disappearance Day 2nd Anniversary (2 min video)
Kurma Rupa prabhu was initiated by ISKCON Founder Srila Prabhupada and for some time, he served at ISKCON New York by training new devotees in the practice of Krishna consciousness. But after Prabhupada passed away, he felt less inspired to continue that service and followed his heart’s desire to serve in Vrindavana, India. In the early 1980s, he moved to Vrindavana, started Care for Cows in 1997, and never left.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/aK2ZFm

I like one girl in the Temple, can I approach her? (3 min video)
By bhaktin Mrinal Ghiya.
Srila Prabhupada: Formerly marriage, at least in India, at least up to our time, the marriage was taking place not on the liking of the boy and the girl. No. It was decided by the parents. So… Just like I was also married man. I was married when I was a student, and I did not know what will be the… But the parents arranged.
[Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.15.46, Lecture, Los Angeles, December 24, 1973]
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/CRhoYc

Ratha Yatra at Stonehenge, UK (Album with photos)
Midnight Ratha Yatra at Stonehenge for summer solstice and Harinam party till Sunrise and some…Read More…

46th Kolkata Rathyatra (2017) (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The secret of surrendering to Krishna is that such surrendered devotee sees that everything is part of Krishna’s plan. Whatever is meant to be I am doing. Let me do it with my full attention to every detail. Let me become absorbed in such service, never mind what it is. Let all other considerations be forgotten and only my desire to do the thing best for Krishna’s alone pleasure is my motive. Letter to Jayapataka, December 19, 1972
Find them here: https://goo.gl/t2m6cj