Author Archives: Dandavats.com

Karnamrita Das: I saw the grim reaper in my dream,
feeling no fear, I was curious to see him.
Coming near, he pointed his bony, pale hand toward me.
His other palm raised in blessing pose where it was written, the number 65—my age!
Then wit…

NYC Harinam (Album with photos)
Ecstatic Harinama Sankirtana in Union Square Park! Friday April 13th.
Srila Prabhupada: The yogis are trying to control the senses by force. “I shall go to the Himalayas. I shall not see any more beautiful woman. I shall close down my eyes.” These are forceful. You cannot control your senses. There are many instances. You don’t require to go to Himalaya. You just remain in Los Angeles city and engage your eyes to see Krsna, you are more than a person who has gone to Himalayas. You’ll forget all other things. This is our process. You don’t require to change your position. You engage your ears for hearing Bhagavad-gita As It Is, you’ll forget all nonsense. You engage your eyes to see the beauty of the Deity, Krsna. You engage your tongue for tasting Krsna prasadam. You engage your legs to come to this temple. You engage your hands to work for Krsna. You engage your nose to smell the flowers offered to Krsna. Then where your senses will go? He’s captivated all round. The perfection is sure. You don’t require to control your senses forcibly, don’t see, don’t do it, don’t do it. No. You have to change the engagement, the status. That will help you. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.62-72 – Los Angeles, December 19, 1968
Find them here: https://goo.gl/a261ss

Harinama at Coolangatta – 08 April 2018 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: My Guru Maharaja used to say, prana ache yara sei hetu pracara. A person can become a preacher if he has got life. A dead man cannot become a preacher. So you must be very enthusiastic that “I shall preach the glories of the Lord to my best capacity.” It is not that one has to become very learned scholar to become a preacher. Simply it requires enthusiasm, “My Lord is so great, so kind, so beautiful, so wonderful. So I must speak something about my Lord.” This is the qualification, enthusiasm. >>> Ref. VedaBase => The Nectar of Devotion – Vrndavana, October 20, 1972
Find them here: Harinama at Coolangatta – 08 April 2018

“Satisfied Yet Dissatisfied” (5 min video)
Mahatma das: We will do well if we can adopt the mentality of being satisfied with where we are at yet dissatisfied in the sense that we can do better. By satisfied, I mean that we accept who we are and where we are, but focus on becoming the person we want to be and focus on our goals. If we allow our present deficiencies to discourage us, we can’t move forward. Where you are heading is more important than where you are now.

1000 Miles Away (Album of photos)
Indradyumna Swami: One thousand miles away from Irkutsk, across the frozen Siberian tundra, is Krasnoyarsk, the 3rd city on our Russian itinerary. Here we were greeted by a blissful group of devotees, who introduced us to yet another amazing temple in this far-distant and isolated part of God’s creation. How do they do it? They are faithful followers of Srila Prabhupada, who is blessing them with unlimited mercy. Unique to the congregation is a group of gypsies, old friends of mine, who love to chant and dance in kirtan.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/nhuVFA

Srimad Bhagavatam in Mayapur, 8.14.6, Class Speaker: HG Bana Bhatta Das on 11.04.2018 (video)
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Today’s festival of Shri Shri Radha Krishna boat festival Iskcon Temple, East of Kailash, New Delhi (5 min video)

New Raman Reti – Alachua – Eco Farm Update – Building a Small Log Cabin.
Mukhya devi dasi: Our latest project happening is building a small log cabin which might serve as a little shop to sell the crafts and output from our devotees and our farm. Akuti devi dasi has been directing many sustainable projects at the Eco Teaching Farm including building a cob oven, the new Vrinda Devi temple, a sustainable flourishing garden, our biogas digester, a chikki hut with a cow dung floor, and more! Future projects for the Eco Teaching Farm include building tiny houses for volunteers & for retreats, building bamboo trellises for the garden, using the back fields for growing our staple foods, collecting the cow urine for different uses, making herbal salves, making sustainable organic clothing made from banana trees, learning to become a totally sustainable and zero waste farm…well, the sky’s the limit!
The log cabin is in the process of being built right now using local trees like White Pine and Swamp Maple. We have had some volunteers come and stop in for a few hours to help out and we’d love to have more. If anyone is interested in volunteering or just stopping by to learn how to build a log cabin, feel free to come by! This project is somewhat experimental so we will be learning how to build this together as we go. Thus far we have Akuti devi dasi heading it up with help from: Kaliyapani das, Purana Rishi, James and Erin, Jaya Nitai and Steve Hunt.

We’ve cleared an area and measured up for the 10 x 10 cabin. The guys cut down and collected some White Pine & Swamp Maple trees. They measured 14 foot section of logs and put them on the trailer. It took about 3 or 4 guys to pick up one log, but strangely Akuti prabhu was able to carry one log by herself. The guys were a bit unsure about how they would feel pulling trees from in and around the swamp where the snakes hide, but they braved it and pulled the logs through. We’ve build tripods to hold logs as we peeled the bark back. Next we will let the logs dry for a few months. This week we are hoping to finish peeling all of the logs and next week we will be starting forms for the foundation by mixing and pouring the cement pillars. The week after that we are going to be working on making the framing for the wood floor and laying the logs. In four weeks we are going to start laying and saddle notching the logs. Anyone who is interested in learning how to build a log cabin is welcome to come to our workshops. Our volunteer hours are Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. If anyone is interested in donating any materials for any of our sustainable projects, it would be much appreciated. Thank you to everyone who has helped with our sustainable projects and with The Eco Teaching Farm! Stay tuned for more of projects.

TOVP: An update about the extensive work which is being done in the Temple of Vedic Planetarium in Mayapur (Album with photos)
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Documentary about a revolutionary spiritual master!
Avant Premiére, April 3, 2018
Buenos Aires, Village Recoleta
Have you ever encountered a man you thought was supernatural? Were you ever encouraged that perhaps the world had a promise of a spiritual future? Those who attended the incredible gala last night of the movie, “Hare Krishna. The Mantra, the Movement, and the Swami Who Started it All” left feeling inspired and hopeful.“ This film by John Griesser portrays the arrival of Srila Prabhupada, a saintly sage, in America. This spiritual personality, despite so many obstacles, revolutionized the hearts of millions of people and developed the Hare Krishna movement in these latitudes.
Participants filled the room: authorities of different faiths, government members, journalists and devotees. We all received superb attention from the organizers including vegetarian snacks, music, kirtan, and the chanting of mantras. There was time for questions and answers after the film while savoring traditional Indian dishes. Free distribution of a biography of this revolutionary saint, the subject of the documentary, was available for those interested in further understanding.. Every detail of the gala was involved in the message and atmosphere that Srila Prabhupada infused into the movement: humility, tolerance, joy, and vocation of service … These were two hours of a time without time, or even better, of a sacred time!

TOVP Fundraising Event Radhadesh (Album of photos)
A very nice fundraising event was organized for the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium (TOVP) in Radhadesh on the 11th of April in the presence of Lord Nityananda’s Padukas and Lord Nrsimhadeva’s Sitari (helmet) from the Mayapur Chandradoya Mandir, accompanied by His Grace Jananivas prabhu and His Grace Vraja Vilas prabhu representing the TOVP.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/Z3oaHq

Sadbhuja Das: Another mesmerizing event took place recently – Lifting of the flagpole and new flag!
Previously because of the c…Read More…

Morning Class SB 4.8.62-63 – HH Janananda Swami – 8 April 2018 in Iskcon Melbourne (video)
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Preaching in the Siberian tundra (13 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Our travels in the service of the Lord recently took us to t…Read More…

A visit to the ISKCON center, Dvaraka, in Kaunas (Album with photos)
Bhakti Chaitanya Swami: Yesterday afternoon and this morning we spent at our Dvaraka project in Kaunas, Lithuania. It’s a very nice center, with about 21 resident devotees, run very enthusiastically and effectively by Anantara prabhu.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/MMrp11

International Vaisnavi Retreat at Govardhan 2018 (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Arjuna says that “I’ll not fight. I’ll not fight with my relatives and brothers for the sake of achieving some kingdom. No, no, no.” Now, for the ordinary man it appears to be: “Oh, Arjuna is very nice man, nonviolent. He’s giving up everything for the sake of his relatives. Oh, what a nice man he is.” This is ordinary calculation. But what Krsna says? “You are fool, damn fool number one.” You see? And that we have already discussed. Asocyan anvasocas tvam prajna-vadams ca bhasase: [Bg. 2.11] “My dear Arjuna, you are talking like very learned man, but you are number fool one.” Yes. This is the, I mean to say, reward given. “You are, you are declining to fight? This is your nonsensical.” Now, just see. The things which are estimated in the public eyes very nice, very good, that is condemned by God. Condemned by God. We have got so many examples and experiences life that what is eulogized by some of our friends, it is condemned by others. So whole thing, our perfection of any act, that should be certified by the Supreme Lord. Dharmah svanusthitah pumsam… [SB 1.2.8]. Svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-tosanam [SB 1.2.13]. Hari-tosanam. We have to see it, “Whether the Supreme Consciousness is pleased with my, this action.” So Arjuna’s action was not approved, not approved by Lord Krsna. But the same Arjuna, he fought at the last. After hearing the instruction of Bhagavad-gita, he engaged himself in the fight. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.55-58 – New York, April 15, 1966
Find them here: https://goo.gl/buFV87

Chandra: I used to write an inmate in the Louisiana prison system. I forget her former name but she was initiated Sarva Laksmi dasi. On a Hari-nama in New Orleans, she approached a visiting sadhu and said, “I am the happiest woman on earth and I&…

WHAT IF??
[March 1972: JUHU BOMBAY, INDIA – Cornerstone laying ceremony at “Hare Krishna Land”] Atreya Rsi: In the same house, Prabhupada gave me a conch, left-handed conch, and he said, “Karttikeya has been such a great host to us and is well-wisher and so generous to us, and he has given me this conch, which is supposed to bring a lot of wealth, and I want to give it to you.”
So he gave me the conch and he said, “I never expected to be able to do all this. I thought maybe we could just have some chanting, we could have a few devotees, but I never…” and he referred to all the temples, all that.
Because Prabhupada, when he was saying that “I never expected it,” he was kind of laughing at himself.
He was saying, “Hey, I went after a little fish and I caught such a huge fish, I don’t know what happened.”
So I said, “Do you remember, Prabhupada, the story of Mullah Nasiruddin where Mullah Nasiruddin is sitting by a lake and putting some yogurt in the lake.

And people say, ‘What are you doing?’

He says, ‘I am trying to see if the whole lake will catch to become yogurt.’

They say, ‘How could that be possible?’

He said, ‘Yes, it’s not possible, but what if?’”

And we both laughed and laughed, “What if? What if?”

I said, “Yours was the same thing. You just ‘what if’ and it caught on,” and he says, “Yeah,” and we just laughed around that. It was a very joyous time.

—Atreya Rsi

Srimad Bhagavatam in Mayapur, 8.14.5, Class Speaker: HG Rajendranandan Das on 10.04.2018 (video)
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Hare Krishna Movie (7 min video)
Shirdika chats to the Director John Griesser and writer Jean Griesser about their movie: Hare …Read More…

Mayapur Dham Harinama, 11 April 2018 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: …so far these senses are concerned, that should be under my control. I should not be servant of my senses. And that is possible when I am situated in the spiritual platform of consciousness. Otherwise it is not possible. I cannot control my senses if I am on the material plane. It is impossible. But I can control my senses… But this is possible. This is possible. It is not impossible fact. This “swami”… We are known as swami. What is the meaning of “swami”? Swami means who is the master of the senses. That is the swami. Swami means master. One who has attained the perfectional stage of controlling the senses, he is called swami or goswami, master of the senses. So this can be done by practice, by knowledge. This is not impossible. I was also young man. I also, I was also married, and I have got my wife still living, and my family is still living, but some way or other, by practicing or by some knowledge, I have come out of the clutches. So everyone can have that. Not… This dress is not the swami. Actually you can also be swami, even in your, the present dress. The dress is immaterial. The actual fact is that one should, by spiritual development of consciousness, they should come to the stage of becoming the master of the senses. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.55-58 – New York, April 15, 1966
Find them here: https://goo.gl/cA1MDN

The Siberian devotees in Irkutsk (Album of photos)
Indradyumna Swami: The Siberian devotees in Irkutsk push on our movement despite all odds – one being extremely harsh weather. Their reward is the great joy they experience in chanting the holy names in each other’s association.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/Ds9QS5

Harinam Sankirtan: The greatest gift to this world
Harinam Sankirtan is Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s gift to this world in this particular Kali-yuga and it’s very rare.
There are 1000 Kali-yuga’s in one-half day (day-time only) of Lord Brahmas time.
It takes 4 billion 320 million human years to travel through 1000 Maha-yugas (A cycle of Satya, Treta, Dvāpara and Kali-yuga’s) which happens in 12 hours of Lord Brahma’s day-time period from sunrise to sunset.
Then add the same duration of time (4 billion 320 million earth or human years) for Brahma’s inactive 12 hour night from sunset to sunrise to eventually see that Lord Caitanya appearance in just one Kali-yuga, the same Kali-yuga we are in now, is very, very rare.
Lord Caitanya does not appear in the other 999 Kali-yugas that all occurs during Brahma’s day from sunrise to sunset.
A 24 hour day-night period of Brahma happens over a period of 8 billion 640 million human years

There are no yugas during Brahma’s 12 hour night time period while he sleeps. Also the time between Brahma’s sunset and sunrise is when this material universe experiences a partial annihilation which happens over a period of 4 billion 320 million human years.

So one day-night 24 hour period of Brahma equals 8 billion 640 million human years as already explained.

Lord Caitanya therefore comes “once” in a day-night time of Lord Brahma and so does Krishna in His original Form at the end of a Dvāpara-yuga.

Your aspiring servant Gauragopala dasa ACBSP

Hash Bash ‘Bash Crash’ 2018 (Album with photos)
Deva Madhava das: Some time ago Grace started introducing herself as Gray because she felt Grace was too much to live up to. When she was younger she felt the world was an opportunity to connect with others, there was good inside all people, and that her purpose was to help everyone feel loved and cared for. Lately though, feelings of anger were coming up inside her, seemingly out of nowhere. She was regularly feeling scared and isolated from both strangers and familiar relationships and didn’t know why. But it occurred to her that maybe part of the problem was with herself, that she’d wrongly given up on living for goodness always just because it became a little tough after childhood. So just recently she started introducing herself again as Grace.. like she’d done with me, and had written a series of Philosophical essays on her own theory of the best lifestyle.. Radical Gentleness. She’d gotten a Bhagavad-Gita As It Is a few years ago and appreciated it as profound book; though she couldn’t relate how to apply it in her own life. She was relieved and grateful, after an hour of dancing in the Harinama, to get a bottle of water and a Science of Self Realization.. which is “topically organized and easier to relate to than the Gita.”

Grace is the best kind of person we could hope to meet at a Hash Bash in 2018. Far from the energized rally it used to be.. with Marijuana practically legal now and the party scene thats developed over the years.. the event, like most modern efforts, has traded in its nobler aspects for the typically crass, indulgent fluffiness of today’s social justice scene. Most thoughtful people in the Detroit area keep Hash Bash on their calendar only to remind themselves to avoid Ann Arbor that day. But we look forward to the opportunity each year. As HG Madhavanada Prabhu, who got our consciousness primed for maximum impact all week with his wonderful katha, shared after his blazing kirtan.. “Some devotees were cautioning me ‘maybe its not so good this Hash Bash program.. we don’t want folks to affiliate us with this kind of crowd.’ But I can see they’re wrong, we have to be here.. look at all these people.”

Its not 1973 anymore, and that’s a good thing. Krishna Consciousness is for more, and has much more to offer, than merely what burnouts and hapless hippies can generally appreciate and accept. But that doesn’t mean those people shouldn’t get their chance.. That doesn’t mean a classic Hare Krishna street corner carnival doesn’t have its place in 2018. 6 Hours of Harinama, 2,000 servings of halva, 100+ big books and the thousands of people who heard the Holy Name last Saturday are proof “Old is Gold” as Madhavananda Prabhu puts it. Gauranga!

Deva Madhava das

Photography Courtesy: Arjun Bhattacharyya
Find them here: https://goo.gl/W8EqUX

Murari Kirtan Valley – Vrndavan Villages (13 min video)
ISKCON Murari Sevaka is a farm community in Mulberry, Tennessee, USA based on Srila Prabhupada’s desire to create Vrindavan villages. It was established in 1976 by Srila Prabhupada who named the presiding deities, Sri Sri Nitai Gaurachandra. The temple throughout the years has gone through many ups and down. However, in the recent years, it has picked up a notable momentum in the trail to fulfil Prabhupada’s desire to create Vrindavan Villages. One may ask, what exactly is a Vrindavan Village? Is it that we replicate Vrindavan Dham from India? Is it that we create farm communities to grow our own food, make cloth, etc.? is it a retreat location? Not exactly. Vrindavan is where Krishna is the life and soul of the entire village. Every breath taken is heavy with the thoughts of Syam. Every step taken is in the hope to come closer to Govinda. Rather than replicating Vrindavan Dham, far more important, Our Acharya suggest, is to imbibe the moods of the Vrajbhasis. Our Dear Srila Prabhupada at the end of his manifested life on this earthly planet emphasized the importance of establishing Vrindavan Village where Radha and Krishna are the central focus of any act. Whether we are milking the cows, making garden beds, planting trees, or cooking – everything is centered around Radha and Krishna. Life in the village is very simple which leaves more time to cultivate your internal Bhajan to Syamsundar. We have first-hand witnessed this at Murari Sevaka. There is more much to say about Murari Sevaka. However, we will reserve that for another time.

Below is a video to introduce you to the residents of Murari Sevaka. We put together this video to explain, in a concise manner, the importance of Vrindavan Villages. We ask everyone to come and bless us with your association. Come, stay for as long you like, and see for yourself if this is something that sparks a fire in your heart.

We ask that you may be merciful on us and bless us in the pursuit of fulfilling Prabhupada’s desire to create Vrindavan Villages.

Srila Prabhupada ki Jai!
Vrindavan Village ki Jai!
Gaudiya Guru Varga ki Jai!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/32TzPb

Gilles le Suisse avec les dévots d’Hare Krishna (video)
Radhadesh: The documentary which was shot during our festival in January finally got aired during Easter weekend. Its a wonderfully made and positive take on the Hare Krsna movement & Radhadesh with at its center the Chanting of the Holy Names, Prasadam, and Sadhu Sanga. Quite simply incredible to have such encouraging footage broadcasted on the main french Belgian tv channel. The Maha Mantra has surely reached hundreds of thousands of more ears and hearts. Thank you for all the many devotees who gave their best during the festival to ensure our special guest Gilles le Suisse a simply unique Krsna Conscious experience.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/ws6JEu

Most ancient festival of India called RathYatra was celebrated today as “Festival of Joy” despite of freezing cold all the devotees were determined to serve his lordship “Jagannatha”!!
Such an amazing festival!! (Album with photos)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/zKxrBm

Why don’t we get reactions to our actions in the same lifetime? QA Karma and Destiny Series (3 min video)

HG Jivanath Prabhu is sharing with us his memories before he met devotees and during being in the Sankirtana movement. (18 min video)Read More…

“Seminar on Japa” with His Grace Mahatma Prabhu. This seminar was given in London (video)

Srimad Bhagavatam Class by H.G. Mukunda Datta Prabhu in ISKCON Vrindavan, 05.04.2018 (video)
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Book Distribution – weekend of April 4-6, 2014 (Album of photos)
Mohanasini Devi Dasi: The bliss is never ending! Thanks to Fo…Read More…

The only “prisoner of conscience” to die in a Soviet labor camp.
When Saci-suta was a young boy in Armenia he would hike into the country hills and renovate abandoned churches with a friend and later met the devotees. He was always encouraging the other devotees in the Yerevan temple even when the Russian soldiers would come and break up the Sunday festivals and destroy the few furnishings in the ashram. Later, he became a fearless book distributor and would take Communist books out of the library and use the bindings for Srila Prabhupada’s books making them beautiful with his devotion. Then he was caught by the KGB and would not denouce Srila Prabhupada and his movement so he was eventually thrown in a Siberian prison. You cannot imagine the difficulties the devotees encountered at that place. He was so sick with tuberculosis that he passed away. The devotees didn’t know the story until one day a man came up to them when they were on street sankirtan years later. He was exhuberant…and crying, saying, “I was with him. He was so pure. What they did to him. I was with him when he left this world.” He then told the devotees just what happened that day that Sacisuta dasa left his body in a prison in Siberia. That day Saci took up the bed sheet as he had never done before and fashioned it into a dhoti and with some toothpaste applied very nice tilak. With colored paper from magazines he made a garland for Krsna and then put it on himself chanting very intensely. His friend left the dorm facility for some time and when he returned Saci-suta was no longer chanting…just sitting there very straight. After some time the man asked him, “Saci, what is wrong? …you are always chanting. You are funny, Saci…what are you doing?” and then he walked up to our dear Saci-suta dasa and looked very closely this time…“Saci…Saci!” and began crying realizing Saci-suta had left this filthy place forever.
Read more: https://goo.gl/f9KGgz

TOVP: Sadbhuja Das: The second crane has been coming down as you can see in the images.
Now that it has been removed, we are us…Read More…

Krishna has Justice and a Plan for Everyone!
Once there was a sweeper in a well-known Krishna temple and he was very sincere and devoted. Every time he saw thousands of devotees coming to take darshan of the Lord, he thought that the Lord is standing …

Radha Kunda Seva: March 2018 Photos and Updates (Album of photos)
March was a month of simple, steady, and happy service. We a…Read More…

Srimad Bhagavatam Class by H.H.Bhakti Brihad Bhagavatamrita Swami in ISKCON Vrindavan, 07.04.2018 (video)
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Festival of Joy (Album of photos)
Inaugural Jagannath Rath Yatra Through Downtown Dallas.
Srila Prabhupada: The yogis are trying to control the senses by force. “I shall go to the Himalayas. I shall not see any more beautiful woman. I shall close down my eyes.” These are forceful. You cannot control your senses. There are many instances. You don’t require to go to Himalaya. You just remain in Los Angeles city and engage your eyes to see Krsna, you are more than a person who has gone to Himalayas. You’ll forget all other things. This is our process. You don’t require to change your position. You engage your ears for hearing Bhagavad-gita As It Is, you’ll forget all nonsense. You engage your eyes to see the beauty of the Deity, Krsna. You engage your tongue for tasting Krsna prasadam. You engage your legs to come to this temple. You engage your hands to work for Krsna. You engage your nose to smell the flowers offered to Krsna. Then where your senses will go? He’s captivated all around. The perfection is sure. You don’t require to control your senses forcibly, don’t see, don’t do it, don’t do it. No. You have to change the engagement, the status. That will help you. >>> Ref. VedaBase => Bhagavad-gita 2.62-72 – Los Angeles, December 19, 1968
Find them here: https://goo.gl/bdNjmq

Srimad Bhagavatam Class by Amala-bhakta Swami, Los Angeles, 4-6-18 (video)
Amala-bhakta Swami: A few days ago one of my students asked me, “how, in the Mahabharata, did Shakuni, while playing dice with King Yudhishthira, win the entire Pandava kingdom by cheating? The text says he did it by ‘deception’, but what did he actually do to deceive Yudhishthira?” I answered him fully in my Srimad-Bhagavatam class yesterday. Perhaps some of you might also like to know how.

In The Frozen Shores Of Far Eastern Russia (Album of photos)
Indradyumna Swami: Five hundred years ago Lord Caitanya stated that His holy names would be heard in every town and village of the world. That being said, who could have ever imagined that such chanting and dancing would ever reach the frozen far eastern shores of modern-day Russia, the largest country in the world? But here we are witnessing this historic phenomenon first hand ie: a beautiful ISKCON temple on the bay in Vladivostok, stunning deities, hundreds of devotees and numerous preaching programs going on simultaneously. All this has been made possible by Lord Caitanya’s foremost modern-day representative, His Divine Grace Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. May he be glorified throughout the 3 worlds!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/otV681