Author Archives: Dandavats.com

ISKCON Nairobi – Muslim And Christian Students Get The Mercy (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The performance of sankirtan…

Iskcon Auckland New Zealand: Rathayatra day! (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The Hare Krishna chant is called the maha-ma…

May 25. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: 26 Second Avenue Kaleidoscope.
All glories to that 1966 kirtana which is still going on and is available any time. I think that those kirtanas were very special because of the degree of reciprocation and attention and focus. Back and forward he chants and we hear. We chant and he hears. The holy name is merciful. Pay attention and hear. It is a transcendental sound vibration. Try it, there is no tax.
Swami pounds the drum. He sings in almost relentless delivery, again and again giving the mantra as if he could go on forever, except the time and place don’t allow. We sing back to him. He is patient and convinced. “Just hear.” He knows we will take to it if we can only hear it. He has no doubt. The heart of everything is right there even now, even in the beginning, even in 1966 – the books, Gaudiya Vaisnavism, India, the sacred Yamuna, Radha-Krishna Deities, Sanskrit … Everything is here, present in the sound vibration of the holy name and in his own presence.
Remembering early times in New York is nice because it gives us an idea of what Krishna consciousness always is and what it should be today – the excitement and ecstasy to get together and chant. When the rhythm starts to build, the many karatalas sound like waves. It’s a crashing surf of happy emotions.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=8

From a Russian jail.
I worked as a senior flight attendant with a good salary and roamed freely around the world. I had a beautiful pregnant woman and everything seemed complete, but in my heart I felt a terrible emptiness.
The world had no attraction, as nothing made me happy. I started to smoke marijuana and take drugs. The grass and drugs made me feel better for a while, but finally began to make me feel worse. With all my strength I tried to abandon drugs, but I could not. The grass held me in her arms, and I did not have the strength to leave her.
One morning I got up and began to pray: “O Lord, in my life, nothing brings me joy, though you have given me everything I wanted. I am very unhappy. As a child I was happy! Please let me feel that way again and again!”
In my head I listened to a clear thought: “It will not be easy.”
I prayed earnestly and understood that I will have to pay quite a price.
Two months later the friend who supplied me drugs was seized by the police on the street, and to save himself, he told the police where I lived. Police found drugs in my house, and my “friend” was released on bail, after which he fled to another country and the whole case crashed down on me.
Suddenly I found myself in jail. The investigators denounced me, and I could not prove I was only taking drugs. Although an expensive lawyer was employed, I got a ten-year sentence for what I’d not done.
Now I know that this was a plan of Krishna’s, but then I did not understand it. Because Maya would not let me go, this was how Krishna cut my attachments.
In prison, Krishna began to send me the books of Srila Prabhupada.
Another detainee gave me the Bhagavad-gita and said: “This is the most valuable book for you.”
I read a few pages, but understood nothing and instead began to read gospels in the Bible. I read a lot about Christianity, but felt frustrated, as I had many unanswered questions. I had the feeling that something was hidden from people seeking God.
After six months in prison my condition was horrible. My relatives accused me. I felt bad. But Krishna took care of me and created a new situation.
Among the many books in the library I chose the Science of Self Realization.
I devoured the book. I reached the end and wanted more of these books, and knowing that I was in jail, I was very upset.
But Krishna continued manifesting through the librarian. She brought new books. Among them was Srila Prabhupada’s biography. I jumped for joy. For the first time I felt happy in jail! Reading it, I totally fell in love with Krishna and my dear Srila Prabhupada with all my heart and soul.
And this was not the end. All-attractive Krishna didn’t stop there,
knowing that I wanted to know more and more about Him. He sent a prisoner who had the First Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam. I could not believe my eyes.
After three days, the new prisoner was moved to another cell but let me keep the book. At that moment I understood that I hold in my hands the very same Krishna I had been reading about. I studied the book very carefully, taking detailed notes. I did not understand it all, but tried to assimilate every last word, stretching out in time the pleasure of reading, knowing that I had no more books of Srila Prabhupada.
I tried to get more books. I asked my mother, the only person who helped me, to please get me more books about Krishna. But she refused, because she was a sworn Christian. Later, I felt the presence of Krishna, and a week after that my mom agreed! I ordered five books. Amazingly Krishna convinced my mother. I knew that to change her mind was practically impossible.
I started to tell her with all my heart about the inspiration of Krishna, quoting Srila Prabhupada. She listened with interest.
Krishna gave me this knowledge, and I began to search on the internet for a guru. I grew to love Krishna with all my heart.
Reading about Him and His devotees and companions, I did not feel that I am in prison, because I constantly thought about him, and thus He did not leave my head.
I feel immense pleasure when I speak to other people about Krishna. Echoing japa, I smile.
I started to feel disgusted with the meat I ate.
Sometimes remembering where I am, I feel worried because I don’t know what awaits me in the future. Krishna took away everything. But then I think about Him again, and I become happy.
Now some questions torture me that I have no answer for. Why did they give me so many years, if even only one year was enough so that I never forget Krishna.
* * *
Bhakti Vijnana Goswami answered:
My dear friend, Krishna not in vain gave you ten years in prison, because if you got freedom now, you would lose everything. When you truly accept Krishna in your heart, his name can delete all other samskaras and free you from all material desires. This depends on only one condition: understanding that in this world nothing else can save me. Not money, wealth, wife, home,
doctors … nothing. Srila Prabhupada says that this condition is true humility. We are looking for protection, but only Krishna can protect us. If we love Krishna, He will come to us! Here we see how Krishna came to you in the form of the wonderful books by and about Srila Prabhupada!”

Book distribution in a small village of Czech Republic (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: One should invite people, chant H…

Friendly Fire!
Sutapa Das: With genuine spiritual advancement comes the capacity and capability to have friendly relationships with one and all. Equipped with spiritual vision that penetrates beyond externals, one remains undisturbed by annoying idiosyncrasies, ideological differences, unpredictable personalities, and sticky character traits. We’re able to see something deeper, see the spirit, the underlying sincerity. We can see the heart. At this stage, we have no enemies, even if others view us as such. Indeed, the Bhagavad-gita explains that such friendly persons are spontaneously engaged in beneficial acts towards all living beings (sarva bhuta hite ratha). We could do with a few more people like that in the world.
Lofty, utopian and unattainable? Admittedly, although we desire these friendly connections with everyone around us, it just doesn’t seem to work out in real life. Fighting and friction seem an integral part of social intercourse. Why can’t everyone be friends with everyone else? Is the fact that we don’t get on with everyone a sign of our spiritual deficiencies? What could be the reason for people not liking us?
Our Problem – often, breakdown of friendships are due to underlying selfishness within us. When people smell agendas, duplicity and exploitation, to a greater or lesser degree, they run a mile. Lesson: examine yourself and avoid blaming others.
Their Problem – other times, people project their own struggles onto us and thus prevent a meaningful connection. Deep rooted issues of insecurity, envy and pride, naturally distance them from others. Lesson: be patient and don’t take it personally.
No Problem – sometimes, two people fall out simply because of misunderstanding and miscommunication. Random unsavory incidents can block what would otherwise be a healthy friendship. Lesson: don’t take things too seriously and learn to forget.
Natural Problem – since we are all unique individual characters, it is impersonalistic and utopian to expect that everyone will perfectly gel. Even pure souls have their differences, though it doesn’t block their appreciation of each other. Lesson: celebrate diversity and find atleast something to appreciate.
So, at the risk of sounding cheesy and cliched, lets make more friendly connections. Its a short life after all. As Abraham Lincoln said, “the best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend.”
Read more: https://goo.gl/VhfU7C

Preaching program in Kalachandji’s Hare Krishna Temple, Dallas (Album with photos)
Last night we were blessed to have taken the association of HH Jayapataka Swami. Such and amazingly surrendered devotee of Krishna and Srila Prabhupada. All glories to his service! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/w8wEHg

Karatalas: Weapons of mass inspiration!
The Sanskrit word “kara” means hand and “tala” – a rhythmic pattern. Literally, karatalas – a hand tool to maintain the rhythm. However, this instrument is considered to be a divine instrument. Cymbals sound can be compared with the bell ringing – so big is its cleansing effect. This clears the sound and the one who plays the kartalas, and those who hear it said that God himself death Yamaraja and his servants yamadutas can not go to the one who plays the kartalas.
Patron Saint of cymbals is the gopi Sudevi. She needed to pray to learn to play this wonderful instrument. Before start playing them, favorably pronounced this pranama mantra:
“I will defeat death, I will defeat Yamaraja, and I happily will win over all his servants (yamadutas). Hearing the sound of cymbals from afar neither death, nor any of his servants of Yamaraja, certainly will get close to someone who engages in kirtan. ”
Prabhupada stressed that for the devotees there is no need to learn any oter musical instruments to lead kirtan. Lord Chaitanya gave us the easiest method, and all you need for chanting.
“I think that we have no need to use different musical talents to spread Krishna Consciousness. It is better that people strictly follow the path of Lord Caitanya and His sankirtana devotees. We use mrdanga and karatalas, and that’s enough. We are not musicians. We are Krishna bhaktas. Therefore, we are not interested about all these different musical talents. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is God Himself. If He believed that it would be better to spread the Krishna Consciousness in an other way, He would have done it. No, our process – it’s just play on mrdanga and kartalas, travel and chant Hare Krishna and ask everyone to chant Hare Krsna and just preach the philosophy of “Srimad Bhagavatam”. We do not need to try to add anything to this simple method.“
Srila Prabhupada, letter to Jagadisha, 28.12.1974
(Translated automatically from Russian) http://goo.gl/hDrJFH

Beautiful Festival “The culture of India in Russia 2016” in Moscow (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Anyone who carries Krishna within himself, constantly, can go anywhere and turn the place into a sacred pilgrimage. Letter to Rupanuga, July 3, 1968.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/BgBJj1

Mayapur Institute: 23 students from different parts of the world successfully completed their Teachers Training Course-1 and receivi…

Travel Adventures of a Krishna Monk.
Diary of a Traveling Sadhaka, by Krishna-kripa das.
Srila Prabhupada from a class on …

May 24. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: The Krishna-ized Storefront.
Swamiji is a bold performer. He is expert at creating excitement. His foreignness is charismatic – his golden complexion, his yellow tilaka, his shining teeth, lips and eyes, delicate fingers. Nothing showy.

Preaching program and Rathayatra in the town of Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine’s fourth largest city (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: O Hari-nama! The tips of the toes of Your lotus feet are constantly being worshiped by the glowing radiance emanating from the string of gems know as the Upanisads, the crown jewels of all the Vedas. You are eternally adored by liberated souls such as Narada and Sukadeva. On Hari-nama! I take complete shelter of You. (Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila, 4.71 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/DlQqo3

The 2016 One Day Walk Across Detroit, Usa (Album with photos)
Jambavan Dasa: The “Walk Across Detroit” was first conceived five years ago by myself, Jambavan Dasa, and my dear friend,Yugala Kishora Prabhu, as a pilgrimage meant to increase our dependence on the Lord. When we walked out that door on the first year, we didn’t bring any food, money, or even a cell phone with us. We simply left the house with the desire to remove all that was superfluous in life in order to better live in the moment with the world around us. Since that time, it has grown larger with each passing year, but that same spirit of faith, dependence, and humility is there. During the walk, we also strive to call out to Lord Gaurasundara to remove all that is superfluous within our heart so that we can be better prepared to serve him throughout the coming year. It is, in essence, a pilgrimage, and one which we are finding yields tremendous realizations if engaged in sincerely.
Concomitant with our pilgrimage for internal development, is also an opportunity to reach out to others in order to share with them the beauty of Krishna consciousness. As such, we engage in kirtana as we walk down the streets of Detroit and we speak with whoever comes out to talk with us. In fact, this year a few people even came up to us requesting literature, which we in turn gladly handed over to them. Each year we also have many appreciative people who come up and thank us for just walking through their neighborhood. Many times these people live in such distressed conditions filled with poverty that they are simply thankful that someone would take the time to walk down their street and bring them a message of hope and solace. Although we may not necessarily state that this is our intent as we make our way down their block, it is clearly felt within the hearts of these people.
The walk is also an opportunity to learn more about the City of Detroit itself. As we wind through the streets of the Motor City, I stop at certain historic locations in order to tell my fellow walkers more about the buildings, neighborhoods, etc. which we see along the way. For example, this year we visited the Del Ray neighborhood, including the historic Fort Wayne, as well as the magnificent Guardian Building, which is located downtown. In this way, those who preach in the City of Detroit are able to better understand the people and the place with whom they are trying to connect with.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/LwXpSC

3 Days Bhagavata Katha in P.J.High school, Wada, Mumbai (Album with photos)
Given by H.G. Sanat Kumar Prabhu. Above 400 people …

TOVP e-Newsletter #8 – May – August 2016.
Plans For 2016, New TOVP Phone App Goes Live, Appreciation for Krsna Kumar prabhu and…

Ratha-yatra in Surabaya, Indonesia (Album with photos)
Kavicandra Swami: Surabaya is the 2nd biggest city in Indonesia. They have a yearly beautiful flower festival parade. The government is kindly allowing us to join with Jagannath Ratha Yatra. As per the rules, the Ratha is covered with flowers.
Outside of India, I have never seen so many people waiting to see the Lord’s ratha coming. The population is majority Muslim with many Christians and some Hindus. The is no racial tension and all are friendly.
Pictures are worth a thousand words so join us.
The devotees organized very nicely, with around 150 attending. The kirtans s were,sweet, loud and clear so millions heard the holy names.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/ctmgJt

Harinama Sankirtana Israel (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: In this age, hearing is more important than thinking, because one’s thinking may be disturbed by mental agitation, but if one concentrates on hearing, he will be forced to associate with the sound vibration of Krishna. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 3.24.35)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/jAQEUR

Basingstoke Festival, UK – 20th May 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Those who are advanced and highly qualified and are interested in the essence of life know the good qualities of Kali-yuga. Such people worship the age of Kali because in this age, simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, one can advance in spiritual knowledge and thus attain life’s goal. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 11.5.36)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/IptpZw

May 23. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: A First Taste of Ecstasy.
In the very beginning I wasn’t completely overwhelmed by Bhagavad-gita classes by the Swami, but soon they took over my life. When I wasn’t there I was thinking about them, doing the chanting, and trying to read his book. Other things started to lose importance. It was like a magnet, heading for that storefront. In the beginning, I would do other things sometimes. One night after a delicious time at the storefront chanting and singing and getting into the atmosphere of the Swami, I left the storefront and got a pizza and a coke and thought that was also delicious. It was like a part of the same thing, to have a pizza and a coke sitting at the counter in a racy Puerto Rican neighbourhood, gobbling down a pizza in the summer and thinking, “Krishna! Krishna and everything.”
I didn’t have the whole thing together because there weren’t any rules and regulations. It wasn’t like nowadays. (If I did something like that in the later stages of knowing Prabhupada, I would think, “Boy, I was just at the temple and now I’m in maya.”) In the beginning, we had no idea what was right or wrong. It was just great to be chanting Hare Krishna. The more association I got with Swamiji, the more it got me to thinking about all those things I had done before meeting him – eating pizza, playing a jazz record … Bit by bit, Swamiji indicated that all those things should be replaced. No, I shouldn’t eat pizza, I shouldn’t drink coke, I shouldn’t listen to jazz. I shouldn’t even listen to Ravi Shankar. Those things were sense gratification. To love Krishna, I couldn’t have any sense gratification. There were right ways to do things. We innocently took to his instructions. We wanted to do what he said: “Okay, no sense gratification.”
Then I decided that there was no way to make such a transformation while living on Suffolk Street, so I moved to a new apartment. It was like a new life. A new sleeping bag (I left behind the bed, all the records, the cats, the marijuana, the LSD.) I moved in and painted the walls white, chained my typewriter to the radiator, remembered to bring my work clothes. No sense gratification. Early in the day I would make my own capātīs like crackers and put slices of tomato on them and then cover them over with a dish. Then later I would return to my own Hare Krishna lunch of a crisp capātī and slice of tomato. At night, some milk. Life was good.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=8

Narasimha Chaturdasi Celebration 05/20/2016 Durbar Square, Bhaktapur
[Full Album, 406 Photos]
This Festival was co-ordinat…

Lord Narasimhadeva’s appearance day and Harinam in Passau (Album with photos)
Passau is a German city on the Austrian border, lies at the confluence of the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers. Known as the Three Rivers City.
Srila Prabhupada: When the living entity understands the target of his life, he takes the arrow of his purified life, and with the help of the bow – the transcendental chanting of pranava, or the Hare Krishna mantra – he throws himself toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 7.15.42 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/UnKQ6g

1200 devotees gather in Kiev, Ukraine for an ecstatic festival (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Comparing one’s own suffering to the suffering of others, one should be kind to all living entities. One cannot avoid the sufferings inflicted by providence, and therefore when suffering comes one should fully absorb oneself in chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 7.15.24 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/6WwHm1

Who is stronger, lord Vayu or Lord Jagannath? (video)
In this lecture Mayesvara prabhu narrates to the Los Angeles temple devot…

Jusaniya Devi Dasi, disciple of Srila Prabhupada left her body.
Dear disciples of Srila Prabhupada,
I am the son of your G…

Iskcon Videos presents “10 million views” a video project to promote spiritual activities of devotees around the world. Please view and share to get 10 million views!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/6npZpT

Photo highlights from the Manor’s Nrsimhadeva 2016 celebrations. (Album with HR photos)
David Crick: Bhaktivedanta Manor celebrated with a full programme on Nrsimhadeva Caturdasi with a beautiful altar display, a hilarious (and at times, ad-libbed) reading by the Bhaktivedanta Players, special class by Temple President Srutidharma Prabhu and a Nrsimha Kavacha Yajna. They then joined the ISKCON-London temple for maha harinama sankirtan in central London before spending the rest of the day at an external venue where there was an abhishek by the children and a drama and dance performance by the ladies ashram. The evening was rounded off with a sumptuous prasadam feast. Please find below photos from select parts of the day. Special thanks to Bhaktin Margarita for the London pictures. Find them here: http://goo.gl/0X6RZa

New Eco-School Inaugurated In Krishna-valley, Hungary.
Krishna-valley in Somogyvamos, Hungary is one of the fastest growing villages in the area. In the past two decades, due to the hard work of the devotees, the 275 hectars of land has become Europe’s largest eco-village.
There are 50 children living in Krishna-valley, who, by know, outgrew the original school building. Therefore it was time to build a new building, which, with its 200 square meters, 3 classrooms, big communal space could accommodate an additional 48 students.
The construction was financed by ISKCON Hungary, individual sponsors, as well as by the Human Resources Ministry of Hungary.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/ITTFx7

May 22. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: The Unthinkable – “What If?…”
Prabhupada struggled to leave India for America. It is a poignant drama: the preparation, the delay, the difficulties he had to undergo. What if something had happened to prevent him coming to us? Or as Prabhupada always pointed out, no one expected such an old man to embark on such an enterprise. Everyone retires at that age. Krishna and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura could have been sufficiently pleased by the path Prabhupada had already chosen, renouncing family and social life for the full-time service of Krishna. And yet if Prabhupada hadn’t come, what would have become of us?
He wrote and struggled to get donations to publish Back to Godhead in Delhi. Then he chose to reside in a little room in the Vamsi-Gopala temple in Vrndavana. Then he immerses himself in pure devotional service in the holy dhama in the Radha-Damodara Temple. But he thought, “Why shouldn’t people all over the world have the peace they are actually hankering for?” He rarely received visitors, but stayed alone writing. He walked to visit the temples in the evening.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=8

ISKCON at 50: How India’s bhakti movement manages its finances.
ISKCON is famous for its vegetarian food which is also distributed free on special occasions. Last year ISKCON Juhu distributed more than 10 lakh plates of prasadam meal and 60 lakh cups of halva in and outside the temple premises. The prasadam meals are also distributed to the underprivileged during several festivals, as part of Anna Dan Seva initiative during Makar Sankranti, at temple anniversary celebrations and other occasions.
“We are able to give free prasadam meals due to donations that we receive from devotees,” says Mukund Madhav Das, vice president, ISKCON, Juhu. Some of its most celebrated devotees offer their services either through dance and music and funds thus raised are donated to the temple. There are generous donations too made by the devout who visit the temple regularly either through cash or kind or by paying for services such as feeding cows, for free meals for the needy, etc. The temple also raises funds through sale of religious books, its restaurant Govinda in the premises, snacks and bakery shop and gift shop.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/BrPvRI

Lenore Skenazy: How does a suburban American kid end up living in India, leading a congregation that feeds 300,000 impoverished children a day, along with running a hospital, an orphanage, a handful of eco-villages, and about a dozen schools for the very poor?
And by the way, in between all these India duties, the swami travels the world to lecture at campuses across the states, including Google’s and Harvard’s, talking about things like spirituality and stress.
“I have to admit to them that swamis have as much stress as them,” Radhanath Swami chuckled. “It’s just a matter of how you deal with it.”
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/Lg1yEM

Kumbha Final Shahi Snana (Album with photos)
Deena Bandhu Das: Today on Purnima, we took part in the final Shahi Snana and our one month tapasya comes to an end! This time we took Srila Prabhupada’s murti to the ghat and all the devotees bathed him! For this procession, we had to start at 2:30 AM to be there on the auspicious time! Come along with us through Vittalrukmini photos!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/D9865O

Celebrating the Glories of the Vanaprastha Ashram.
In spiritual culture where self-realization is the goal of life, the elderl…

Lord Nrisimhadeva’s Appearance Day.
Our Christian friends are fond of quoting the Bible that “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life,&#8221…

Nrisimha Caturdasi Celebration – 2016 – ISKCON SALEM (Album with 53 photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Always remember that our first bu…

May 21. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Images of His Divine Grace.
Two of my favorite pictures from my “wallet”:
one shows Prabhupada
standing beside the birdbath
in the courtyard at 26 Second Avenue.
He is stout and strong, wrapped in big swathes
of khadi cloth. It’s a formal pose,
with japa-mala, from the early years
of strong health when Swamiji
played the drum 3 hours in the park.
You can worship his feet in gray shoes.
The other photo is also formal:
Prabhupada sitting with his 3 Bhagavatams,
with japa-mala, much cloth wrapped around,
and an almost sad, compassionate gaze.
I’ve shown two photos from my wallet.
And I wish to show 30 million more …
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=8

Naperville is Celebrating the 50 Years of Founder’s Journey.
Fifty years ago, on August 13, 1965, a lone elderly pilgrim and teacher, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami boarded the cargo ship in Calcutta, India for the one month sea voyage to New York City. While it was not unusual for immigrants from India to head to the US, what separated Swamji was the mission that urged him onward.
More than forty years before, during their first meeting, Swamjs guru had instructed him to spread the message of Lord Krishna to the English speaking world. Thus, after a lifetime of preparation, at the age of 69, Bhaktivedanta Swami, later to be known as Srila Prabhupada, left for the New World not seeking riches, but to teach and distribute the greatest wealth of India and the East—knowledge of God, or “Krishna Consciousness”.
Today, fifty years later members of the society, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), and other admirers and followers around the world will be honoring this unique spiritual teacher and his achievements on August 13th, 2016.
Several community leaders, Academicians, Businesses professionals, and Naperville community in general will be joining us to celebrate the festivities. The celebration will include a brief presentation about ISKCON’s 50 year journey, cultural programs, and free delicious vegetarian feast for everyone in the Matea valley high school auditorium, Aurora IL. The invitation is open to all supporters, well-wishers and general public. Please visit www.iskconnaperville.org for more information and rsvp.

Newly Appointed Professor Talks Scholarship’s Role in Vaishnavism.
Professor Ravi M. Gupta (Radhika Ramana Das) is the newly appointed Charles Redd Chair of Religious Studies, and Director of the Religious Studies Program at Utah State University.
It’s a prestigious position that brings to mind a gruff, silver-bearded elder. But Radhika Ramana flips that idea on its head. At a youthful 34, he’s got a beaming smile of pearly whites and a full head of black hair. He’s also disarmingly unpretentious despite his astonishing academic journey.
Homeschooled by his mother Aruddha Dasi at his home in Boise, Idaho, Radhika followed a highly unconventional curriculum based mostly on Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam, from which he learned reading, writing, comprehension, grammar, and critical thinking skills.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/mUA437

A Special Welcome!
Indradyumna Swami: Last week In St. Petersburg, Russia we held an initiation ceremony welcoming devotees into our Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya, under the auspice of our beloved Srila Prabhupada. It was a joyous occasion which we celebrated with ecstatic chanting and dancing to the Lord’s holy names. All glories to the samkirtan movement of Lord Caitanya, presently flooding the great country of Russia with causeless mercy!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/FjluhR

ISKCON-Delhi – Sri Narasimha Chaturdashi Maha Abhishek: 20-05-2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s transcendental mission is to distribute love of Godhead to everyone. Anyone who accepts God as the Supreme can take to the process of chanting Hare Krishna and become a lover of God. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 4.41 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/lyrbcp