Author Archives: Dandavats.com

North Indian Carrot Halava.
Kurma dasa: Since so many have asked, here is my recipe for carrot halava. It is not the usual milky version. I like this one better because the taste of the carrots comes through.
Unlike the Middle Eastern sesame based halva, Indian halavas are more like fluffy puddings, and can be made with grains, vegetables, fruits, seeds or legumes. In my ultra-simple version of the famous North Indian dish, fresh sweet carrots are shredded and cooked with ghee or butter and sweet spices, then folded with dried fruit and nuts to form an aromatic dense pudding. Carrot halava is delicious, and ideal when you want to prepare something a little different. Serves 4 – 6 persons.
2/3 cup unsalted butter, or ghee, about 140g
900g (almost 2 pounds) carrots, trimmed, peeled and coarsely shredded (weighed after trimming and peeling)
1 teaspoon powdered cardamom seeds
¾ cup raw sugar
¼ cup sultanas
½ cup toasted almond slivers, pistachios or cashews
Light cream to serve
Melt the butter or ghee in a large non-stick saucepan over low heat.
Add the shredded carrots, increase the heat to moderate and, stirring frequently, cook the carrots and butter together for 30 minutes, or until the carrots are very reduced, dry and completely soft.
Add the powdered cardamom, sugar, and sultanas, and stirring steadily to prevent scorching, cook for about 10–12 minutes, or until the orange coloured ghee oozes out of the pudding, and the mixture is again nearly dry. Remove the carrot halava from the heat, fold in the nuts and serve hot or warm.

April 6. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Burglary in Prabhupada’s Room.
April 1966: Someone broke into Room 307 while Srila Prabhupada was out and stole his typewriter and tape recorder. When Prabhupada returned to the building, the janitor informed him of the theft: an unknown burglar had broken the transom glass, climbed through, taken the valuables and escaped. As Prabhupada listened, he became convinced that the janitor himself was the culprit. Of course he couldn’t prove it, so he accepted the loss with disappointment. Some friends offered replacements for his old typewriter and tape recorder. In a letter to India he described the theft as a loss of more than a thousand rupees ($157.00).
It is understood that such crime as has been committed in my room is very common in New York. This is the way of material nature. American people have everything in ample, and the worker gets about Rs 100 daily wages. And still there are thieves for want of character. The social condition is not very good.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=7

Bharatpur Rathayatra (Album with photos)
Deena Bandhu Das: Rathayatra for the first time in Bharatpur, Rajasthan! On Sunday, Radha Shyamasundara Prabhu arranged for Rathayatra and the people of Bharatpur opened their hearts to the devotees. Every block they arranged to distribute juice, water, and other cold drinks to the dancing devotees. For ISKCON’s 50th Anniversary, another Rathayatra for Srila Prabhupada! Relish the joy through Vittalrukmini’s pics!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/krDvTY

Gaura Purnima Festival at Bhaktivedanta Academy, the Hare Krishna School in Alachua, Florida.
Jaya Sri Radhe devi dasi: The students of the Krishna Sharanam classroom (7th-9th grade) at the Bhaktivedanta Academy recently put on a project to celebrate Gaura Purnima with their classroom Panca Tattva deities. Putting on a festival like Gaura Purnima helps the students build leadership and practical life skills. Each area of the project –decorations, jewelry, backdrops, and abisheka – had a student leader. The leader organized and prepared the necessary materials and engaged other students. They all collaborate together on the theme for the festival. This year’s theme was from the prayers by Queen Kunti, “As the Ganges forever flows to the sea without hindrance, let my attraction be constantly drawn unto You without being diverted to anyone else.” The students also wanted to portray Mayapur Dhama village as well as the Ganges flowing to the sea. They had only a small budget so everything was made by hand. This year’s feature was handmade banana trees, and a miniature replica of Navadwip featuring Srivas Unga, Yoga Pitha, and Narasimha Palli. The day before the Festival, there was an abisheka where the school was invited to view the Deities. On the day of the Festival, the class finishes up their Holy Name marathon, and the school and parents and guests are invited to chant with them and take darshan.
Krishna Sharanam
This yearly celebration is a time when whole class gets together and works on a project centered around Krishna. The excitement builds as the students see to all the details involved in making the festival a success. Madhuri Fitch was the leader of creating the village scene, Ksina Valdez was in charge of the altar decorations, Janvi Shah was in charge of classroom decorations that included the Ganges design, Anasuya Rico painted the backdrops which featured tropical foliage and flowers, Nishtha Kowlessar designed and coordinated the jewelry making, Haridas Leslie was in charge of the abisheka, and many other students assisted such as hunting and gathering in the woods to get the raw materials to make the Navadwipa village, making garlands, etc. Everyone had a hand in it. For many students, it is the highlight of the year…they develop sincere closeness to Panca-tattva, and realize the rewards of becoming part of something bigger than themselves.

Gaura Purnima in Iskcon Silicon Valley (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “You are doing your duty very nicely. That’s all right. But by doing your duty, if you do not develop your Krishna consciousness, then you are simply wasting your time.” Bombay, January 6, 1973.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/afSRhe

Cultural Iskcon program in Hungary (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “When one becomes Krishna conscious, he loves everyone. If you chant loudly Hare Krishna, even the ants and insect who is hearing, he’ll be delivered, because it is spiritual vibration.” Bombay, January 4, 1973.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/NG38b5

ISKCON 50 printed clothing.
Colourful range of t-shirts, hoodies, zipper jackets, polo shirts, caps produced by mantradesignpri…

Shocked then Shocked Again!
Distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books to the coal-mine workers.
The bus party of Sri Sri Radha Gopinath temple Chowpatty went to the coal mines.
After a couple of days of good book distribution we decided to try the head-office. Jagganatha Prabhu met the head officer and obtained the permission and the next day we set up a stall beside the vehicle parking inside the gate. It was 8 am and slowly the officers were trickling in. Sun had just begun to show its face dissipating the early morning fog and it was warming up. From the corner of my eye I saw a security man, who had just arrived, rush at our table. He had a fair complexion, a shikha and tilak and when he arrived nearer I noticed on his name plate a surname that showed that he was a Brahmin. But what he did next was anything but brahminical. “Stop this!” he shouted. “Stop this immediately. You are not allowed here. What do you think? Is this some vegetable market that you can enter inside and sell your stuff? Come on get out. Just get out.” Our bus had just left out of the gate, but seeing the commotion, Rupa Raghunatha Prabhu stopped. I called the man and assured him that we had the permission of the officer to do the exhibition. But he did not listen. He physically began to move the crowd away from the table and shout expletives. I got so angry that my voice choked up. I had the urge to grab his collar and give him a smack but seeing his age I checked myself. I got the permission papers and with shaking hands showed him the signature of the authorities, but he just did not listen. “You first stop this and shift your table outside the gate. Just go out,” he said. “We are not going out,” I said. “We have the permission and just now the secretary to the head officer had come and sanctioned our stall, if you have a problem you meet him.” “No, you meet him,” he shouted back, “and ask him to call me in my office.” I stormed to the office of the secretary and told him the events. “Please call your security and tell them to allow us.” “Sorry, I can not do that. You have to move out,” he said. “But we have the permission of the head officer,” I said, “We met him yesterday.” “That is ok, but some men are objecting to this religious exhibition.” “I want to speak to the head officer,” I said. “OK,” the secretary called the head officer, but before I could speak to him, he briefed him about the objection raised by a certain section of office staff against us. The head officer sympathized with me but said that he was unable to help. Crestfallen I returned to the stall and told the devotees that we had to move out of the complex. The problem was that once we moved out hardly anyone would have come to our stall. Most men had vehicles and they would speed away once out of the gate. Only a rare soul would cross the road and come to us. I explained the situation to Rupa Raghunatha Prabhu. “Just show that you are shifting,” he said. “Move some boxes and meanwhile continue to distribute on the table. If someone again comes show that you are going but since some customers are there hence you are entertaining them. Wait till 11:30 am and then shift to some other location. I will take the bus to next mine.” I did as he told me. We packed 4-5 cartons and one devotee stood with them across the road while another continued the sales on the table. Then I went to the security man who had charged at us and said that we were shifting. He called me inside his cabin. “I am extremely sorry Maharaja,” he said folding his hands. “What you are doing is a very noble thing. See I am also a Brahmin,” he took out his sacred thread, “but what to do, we have to act rough. There were certain men at your stall who are against our dharma and simply to appease them I behaved in such a bad way. I know that your man had come yesterday and got the permission, still I troubled you only to make those men go away. Now you can continue your sale. Only thing is do not keep many books on the table. You can keep the excess in my office and when you need them you can take them from here.” “Hey Dharmu!” he called his man, “go get Swamiji’s books from the road.” His men brought all our boxes from the road to the office. “And please give me a set of books,” the security man requested me. My jaw hung in sheer shock at the turn of events. I gave him the books and continued low-key distribution even when the head officer arrived. Later we met him and he gave us a vehicle on which two of us carried 12 sets and went to a peripheral office and sold all of them.
Sankirtana Yajna ki jaya!
Your Servant, Murari Gupta Das

Dhruva and Parijata (7 min video)
The story of how two highly successful individuals in the corporate world came to run an organic farm in Port Royal, PA.
Farm life transforms one’s conception of “success”. In this short video hear from our dear leaders, Dhruva and Parijata, how it continues to transform their hearts.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/kRp1MJ

Gaura Purnima Celebration at SJMKL (Album with photos)
Gaura Purnima was attended by more than 400 guests at Sri Jagannatha M…

April 5. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Invitation Downtown.
David Allen, a twenty-one-year-old seeker who came up from the Paradox, had just moved to the City, optimistically attracted by what he had read about experimentation with drugs. He saw the old group as “a kind of fussbudgety group of older women on the West Side listening to the Swami’s lectures.”
David: We weren’t known as hippies then, but it was strange for the people who had originally been attracted to him. It was different for them to relate to this new group. I think most of the teachers from India up to that time had older followers, and sometimes wealthy widows would provide a source of income. But Swamiji changed right away to the younger, poorer group of people. The next thing that happened was that Bill Epstein and others began talking about how it would be better for the Swami to come downtown to the Lower East Side. Things were really happening down there, and somehow they weren’t happening uptown. People downtown really needed him. Downtown was right, and it was ripe. There was life down there. There was a lot of energy going around.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=7

New issue of Bindu.
K Bindu #372 includes: Why Quarrel, plus a continuation of crucial points for advancing in bhakti from Vallabhacarya. The latest issue of Sri Krishna-kathamrita Bindu e-magazine was just released. This issue includes: * Why Quarrel? – His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains why people in different religions argue. * Why Quarrel? – Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja speaks about why devotees in Mahaprabhu’s movement sometimes quarrel. * WISDOM, PATIENCE AND SURRENDER Part Three – A first time translation done especially for this issue of Bindu of some writings of Srila Vallabhacharya regarding three crucial points for making advancement on the path of devotion. * Committing Sins for Attaining Vrindavan – A fresh translation done for this issue of a verse by Srila Prabhodananda Saraswati Thakur. It can be downloaded here: https://archive.org/details/bindu372

NBS#34 Devahuti attains Vaikuntha.
Dear Devotees, Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All g…

Pilgrimage to India and Bhakti Shastri (Sabbatical Course)
For those who are proficient in their understanding of Krishna Consc…

Veda Course.
The residential Veda Course is designed for those wishing to gain a foundational understanding of bhakti-yoga. Ov…

St. Augustine Festival of Chariots April 9.
11th Annual Festival of the Chariots
and Ratha Yatra Parade
Saint Augustine, FL Saturday, April 9, 2016
MEDIA RELEASE
Contacts: Bhadra das at 352 316-4560 or Bhadradas@gmail.com,
WHAT: An Indian multi-cultural parade and festival will be celebrated with entertainment for the whole family. There will be live music, theatre, classical dance, books, and lots of free delicious vegetarian food. The Ratha Yatra Parade is the oldest known parade in the world.
WHEN: Saturday, April 9, 2016. Mayor Nancy Shaver inaugurates the procession at 10:15 AM. The Parade begins at 10:30 AM. at the Plaza and returns there by noon. At 1 PM there will be an hour long procession down St. George Street without the Chariot. Then at 2 PM cultural program begins. The free food will be served out all day from 11 AM onwards. The festival continues until 3 PM
WHERE: The Plaza de la Constitucion at St. George Street and Cathedral Place.
WHO: All are welcome. Free admission. Wholesome fun for the entire family.
SPECIAL: VERY VISUAL event with colorful traditional costumes and flower decorations. Photography is permitted.
If you’ve ever dreamt of visiting colorful, exotic India, we have a treat for you. Get a taste of India without leaving Florida.. Saturday, April 9, 2016. The 11thAnnual Festival of the Chariots & Ratha Yatra Parade, an Indian multi-cultural extravaganza, will take place at the main plaza in St. Augustine from 10:30 AM to 3 PM. This year St. Augustine Mayor, Nancy Shaver, will inaugurate the procession at 10:15 AM
There will be lots of family-friendly activities and entertainment: live music, a play, classical Indian dance, books. But the big draw is the delicious vegetarian food. There will be a sumptuous feast served free of charge to all, starting at 11 AM.
The procession route is about 2 miles long and can be easily walked by all age groups. It begins at 10:30 AM at the Plaza and returns to the same location. The parade will move in a leisurely fashion, stopping here and there along the route, giving way to song and dance. The procession’s unique feature is a huge chariot with a blue, red and yellow canopy decorated with swans, lotus flowers, flags, Hanuman and a brass chakra on top. This chariot has two very thick ropes attached to it that are over one hundred feet long. These ropes are pulled by the parade-goers, propelling the chariot along the parade route. Riding on the Chariot are the beautiful Deities of Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra, decorated with stunning silk outfits & real flowers. It’s a vision from another world. Accompanying the procession is lively Indian music and dancing, backed by double-headed mrdanga drums & karatala hand cymbals. It’s an ecstatic, exciting event.
The festival is sponsored by ISKCON Alachua, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness whose Founder/Acharya, His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, came to America from India 50 years ago and introduced the timeless tradition of the Festival of the Chariot (called Ratha Yatra in India). Since the 60’s this festival has been held yearly in over 50 major cities in the United States, Canada, and all over the world. Eight Ratha Yatras are held yearly in the state of Florida: Clearwater, Jacksonville Beach, Tallahassee, UCF Orlando, Tampa, UF Gainesville, Daytona Beach & St. Augustine.
All are warmly invited to attend this joyous, colorful festival, free of charge. Take advantage of a rare chance to experience the vibrancy of India, right here in Florida. Questions? Call: Bhadra das at 352 316-4560 or Bhadradas@gmail.com.
Please check out our website and our facebook page:
http://festivalofchariots.org
http://facebook.com/rathayatras

The Real Gift.
Nandini Mataji: At Borivali Station, I was distributing books. Taking a break, I sat on the bench. Nearby I saw an educated young man standing. So I went and showed her the books. While talking to him, I smelled that he was little drunk. He happened to be working for a big company Mahindra & Mahindra tractors. He was a young man of only 24. He opened up showing his distress. No one listens to anyone. Everyone is selfish. He went on and on venting out his distress. Finally, I told him the glories of reading this book and that it has the solution for all problems.
The man gathered courage and took the Gita and promised that he will surely try. However, I gave him by mistake a hindi Bhagavad Gita instead of Marathi Bhagavad Gita. I also gave him our Temple card and number. After few days. He met me again at Borivali station. He looked more peaceful. He came and told that by mistake he had taken the Hindi book instead of Marathi. But nonetheless, he read few pages. And really he felt very good. Since that day, he said he hasn’t taken any drink. He said he had promised his girlfriend and also his family member that he won’t drink in future. Just by taking that book and reading few pages I felt so good. He thanked me and left. He said that this is real gift‐ to give this message of Gita instead of gifting pens and water bottle.

Tight Knit Group (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Our last stop in New Zealand was Christchurch in the south island. Sti…

Today’s program: Book and prasadam distribution at Besakih Temple, Bali. April 3, 2016.
We distributed 5000 glasses rosela water, 3500 prasadam cakes.
Happy seva with friends and Russian devotees.
Srila Prabhupada: If by the tongue you chant Hare Krishna mantra, and by the tongue you taste prasadam, you will be perfect, simply by executing these two things. London, July 12, 1973.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/XypmbZ

April 4. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: The New Hip Crowd.
The new group from The Paradox was young and hip, in contrast to the elder, more conservative uptown people who had been attending Prabhupada’s classes. In those days, it was still unusual to see a person with long hair and a beard, and once such people started coming to the Swami’s meetings on the West Side, some of the older people were alarmed. As one of them noted: “Swami Bhaktivedanta began to pick up another kind of people. He picked them up at the Bowery; or some addicts. And they came with funny hats and grey blankets wrapped around themselves, and they startled me.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=7

How to instantly win people’s hearts?
Point out the good qualities of their children, or even their pets. How to make people dislike you? Insult or harm someone dear to them.
Similarly, the most grievous way to block the Lord’s mercy is to have contempt or irreverence for those who love and serve Him, especially those sacrificing to teach others about spiritual life. If we offend Krishna by insulting His dear sons and servants, we will fail to feel the ecstasy of love of God when we chant His holy names, as in the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
—Urmila Devi Dasi

Powerful dynamic preaching in Hong Kong (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: In the Adi Purana Krishna tells Arjuna: “Anyone who is engaged in chanting My transcendental name must be considered to be always associating with Me. And I may tell you frankly that for such a devotee I become easily purchased.” (Nectar of Devotion, 12)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/S6aUmy

Recipe – Peanut Butter Cookies (5 min video)
There is this specific statement in the Padma Purana: “A person who honors the prasada and regularly eats it, not exactly in front of the Deity, along with caranamrita [the water offered to the lotus feet of the Lord, which is mixed with seeds of the Tulasi tree], immediately can achieve the results of pious activities which are obtained through ten thousand performances of sacrificial rites.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/l2G8BT

Scenes from the Nandagram- Farm Community, Gujarat, India (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Our centers are like the oasis …

Preaching program in Moscow, Russia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Pure devotees chant the Hare Krishna mantra, and simp…

What kind of devotees we are making?
Subhaga Swami: Srila Prabhupada wanted all his disciples to become gurus. To spread Lord Caitanya’s message to every town and village many gurus are needed. The guru should be an elevated person, beyond material attraction. That is not easy. We must understand we can never, never, never be happy here [in the material world], despite our dreams. Srila Prabhupada said this movement is for building character. We should be introspective to see how well we are doing. We are tested. At every moment, we are tested. By surrender to Krishna, one develops all the good qualities. The advanced soul worships everyone, seeing them as all souls, part of God, who are differently situated because of their karma. Ideally a man should not see his wife as an object of sense gratification. There is a saying that a brahmacari sleeps like a dog, eats like a bird, meditates like a crane, and bathes like a crow. Prabhupada gave the ideal thing and wanted us to implement it. “It is good to have a big temple,” Srila Prabhupada said, “but we have to see what kind of devotees we are making.” Srila Prabhupada said if the purity is not there, everything is lost. Without hearing and chanting about Krishna, maintaining our temples will become a burden. Sometimes we are given so much responsibility in devotional service, and that is so there is no room for maya. India is fast changing [losing its culture]. ISKCON is to save India. A brahmana is very truthful and will tell everything. A brahmana is also very pure. Krishna sees our pure devotion. He does not ask about our social position before admitting us into His spiritual kingdom. A devotee was reading the verse describing the demoniac qualities, pride, arrogance, anger, etc. One devotee said to Prabhupada, “So many of us have some of these qualities.” Srila Prabhupada replied, “They will have to go.” Bhaktivinoda Thakura once sat on the floor of the train when there were no seats. He did not say, “Get up. Don’t you know who I am? I am the magistrate.” He was humble.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/oqUI1t

April 3. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: James Greene.
James Greene, a thirty-year-old carpentry teacher at Cooper Union, was delving into Eastern philosophy. He lived on the same block as The Paradox and began hearing about the Swami from Harvey Cohen and Bill Epstein, while regularly taking his evening meal at the restaurant.
James: It was really Harvey and Bill who got things going. I remember one evening at Mishra’s in which Swamiji was only a presence, but did not speak. Mishra’s students seemed more into the bodily aspect of yoga. This seemed to be one of Swamiji’s complaints.
His room on 72nd Street was quite small. He was living in a fairly narrow room with the door on the one end. Swamiji would set himself up along one side and we were rather closely packed. It would have been no more than eight feet wide, and it was rather dim. He sat on his thin mattress, and then we sat on the floor.
We wouldn’t chant. We would just come and he would lecture. There was no direction, other than the lecture on the Bhagavad-gita. I had read a lot of literature and in my own way I was looking for a master, I think. I have no aggression in me, or go-getting quality. I was really just a listener, and this seemed right – hearing the Bhagavad-gita – so I kept coming. It just seemed as if things would grow from there. More and more people began coming. Then it got crowded and he had to find another place.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=7

Amazing Harinam in Hong Kong, China Island (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: All glories to the chanting of Hare Krishna m…

Walk Acros Detroit.
Next month we will once again be lead across the once of the most fascinating cities in the country – Detr…

Sannyasa initiation for Ambarish prabhu (Bhakti Ratnakar Ambarish) (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: We are not afraid of maya because Krishna is there. Krishna says, “My devotee will never be vanquished by maya.” Maya cannot do anything if we become strong. And what is that strength? Chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare loudly. (Lecture on Bhagavad-gita, 3.6.10, Los Angeles 1968).
Find them here: https://goo.gl/aPWs1d

Hare Krishna Festivals UK – Colchester Festival – 31st March 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: O my Lord! Persons who…

Spiritual leader shares passion with locals (2 min video)
“A high-ranking leader within the Hare Krishna movement is visiting Dunedin.
He’s travelling the globe to celebrate 50 years since the spiritual practice was introduced to the western world.
And he’s sharing his own unique journey from marine to monk.”
Indradyumna Swami: An interview with Dunedin TV, in New Zealand that was seen by 150,000 viewers. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to Sri Krsna Sankirtan!
Watch it here: http://goo.gl/eRdNsq

Harinama in Barnau, Russia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind, one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila, 17.31)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/nqEVb9

Harinama in Barnau, Russia (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than the straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind, one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila, 17.31)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/nqEVb9

Kirtan Forever (4 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Sacred Sounds festival last week at New Govardhan, Australia.
Srila Prabhupada: “In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way.” (Brhan-naradiya Purana)
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/zWZkPX

HG Hrdaya Chaitanya Prabhu a member of our GBC body met India’s PM, Narendra Modi, yesterday at Brussels, Belgium.

April 2. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Bill Epstein.
Harvey Cohen and Bill Epstein were friends. Harvey was a freelance artist and Bill worked at The Paradox. After Harvey had been to Prabhupada’s place at Dr. Mishra’s yoga studio a few times, he came by The Paradox and began to describe all about the new Swami to Bill and other friends.
Bill: I was working at The Paradox one night and Harvey came to me and said, “I went to visit Mishra and there’s a new Swami there, and he’s really fantastic!” Well I was involved in macrobiotics and Buddhism, so at first, I couldn’t care less. But Harvey was a winning and warm personality and he seemed interested in this. He said, ‘Why don’t you come uptown? I would like you to see this.’
So I went to one of the lectures on 72nd Street. I walked in there and I could feel a certain presence from the Swami. He had a certain very concentrated, intense appearance. He looked pale and kind of weak. I guess he had just come here and had been through a lot of things. He was sitting there chanting on his beads, which he carried in a little bead bag. One of Dr. Mishra’s students was talking and he finally got around to introducing the Swami. He said, “We are the moons to the Swami’s sun.” He introduced him in that way. The Swami got up and talked. I didn’t know what to think about it. At that time, the only steps I had taken in regard to Indian teachings were with Ramakrishna, and this was the first time, to my knowledge, that bhakti religion had come to America.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=7

Is Mark Twain pleased with the devotees? (Album with photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Dunedin is the second largest city of New Zealand’s South Island. It has a population of 120,000, 10 per cent of whom are students studying in the town’s universities. After a visit to Dunedin in the mid-1890s, the American writer Mark Twain said: “The people here are Scots. They stopped here on their way to heaven, thinking they had already arrived.” Jahnava-mata dasi has developed a thriving temple in the town with a number of activities, including a daily lunch program that is very popular at a local university. During our short stay we held harinam, did both a radio and television program and finished with a very successful public festival. I think Mark Twain would be pleased to know that for a day and half, Dunedin was just like Vaikuntha!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/JY9yVM

Nyastadanda Jayanti 2016 – videos of our recent Annual Festival at Dandabhanga.
Srila Prabhupada: We should take any lila of Krishna as Supreme. The Vrindavan lila, Krishna’s lila with the gopis, is the most confidential lila. We should not entertain this confidential lila unless we are liberated. It is very difficult subject. And because they cannot understand what is Krishna’s lila, they imitate, they fall down. Vrindavan, August 11, 1974.
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Ratha Yatra – Durban, South Africa – 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: You expand the empire of Krishna consciousness….