By Gaura Shakti Das This link will open a 17MB PDF document with photos and descriptions from NRR’s history. Many can see that this just barely touches all the projects and aspects that make NRR special. There are so many devotees and projects we real…
Author Archives: Dandavats
New Raman Reti’s History
New Raman Reti’s Community Development Conference a big success!
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By Mukhya devi dasi
The second Community Development Conference was a big success this past Saturday. There were over 100 devotees in attendance, and another 25 facilitators. The essence of the day was moving into specific focus groups of individual interest, and meeting together to see what is working, what is needed, and what being more involved would look like. The teams went through exercises together as a preview of what the actual committees (which will be identified based on a form everyone filled out called “My Offering” commitments) will be doing in conference 3.
Srila Prabhupada Samadhi Mandir in Vrndavana gets waterproofing
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By Parvati devi dasi
Last few months we cleaned the whole dome from top to bottom in preparation for waterproofing on the dome. We have just received the materials and hope to finish the job before the rainy season. We got some special silicon for in between the tiles, reputed to withstand the expansion and contraction of our Vrndavan extreme heat and extreme cold. Then, after any excess is cleaned up, the whole dome will get coated with a clear sealant to protect it from environmental pollutions so it stays white. We might have to keep scaffolding up there for some time. Sorry for the inconvenience. It’s a long, tedious process. We also look after the Bhaktivedanta Swami Marg signs and Bhaktivedanta Swami Arch, and are doing an overall cleaning, repair and painting soon.
Inis Rath Island Revival (7 min video)
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Vrsabhanu dasa: Inis Rath Island in Northern Ireland was purchased by the Hare Krishna devotees in the mid-eighties and Sri Sri Radha Govinda were installed in 1986 with a big ceremony.Read More…
The Glories of Sri Purusottama Month by Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura
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An article by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura from the Harmonist (published by Gaudiya math 2001). It is is superb and right to the point on explaining this month of Purusottama by the holy writings of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.Read More…(This post has b…
NASN April 2018 – North American Sankirtan Newsletter
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By Mayapur Sasi dasa For the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada this report contains the following North American results of book distribution for the month of April 2018. North American Totals, Monthly Temples, Monthly Weekend Warriors. Monthly Top 100 Indi…
The Monarch of the Months
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By ISKCON Mayapur
My bhaktas sometimes commit offenses, but in this Purusottama month, they will be protected from committing any offense. In this adhimasa, those greatly foolish persons who neglect to perform auspicious activities, such as japa, giving in charity, visiting and bathing at the holy places, and who are envious of the dvijas (brahmanas) are deemed wicked, unfortunate and living at the cost of others. Thus, they will not attain a scent of happiness, even in their dreams. Conversely, those who are filled with bhakti will take advantage of this Purusottama month to perform arcana to Me. After enjoying worldly happiness, such as wealth, sons and so on, they will eventually attain residence in Goloka.”
The TOVP and Purusottama Month Vrata, May 16 – June 13
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By TOVP staff Purushottam Masa or Adhik Masa is an extra month in the Vedic calendar that is inserted to keep the lunar and solar calendars aligned. But it is mainly called this because Sri Krsna has placed all His potencies, mercy and blessings in thi…
Tonic to Transcendence
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By Madhusudanan Das
Dr. O.B.L Kapoor narrated a story about Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada who was once a pharmacist, gave him a tonic at the pharmacy. When the doctor asked for his tonic to Krishna Prem, Srila Prabhupada replied, “I do not have a tonic, but I have a formula”. This formula was the topic of the seminars during the two day retreat organized for the Wellington devotee community at Otaki, New Zealand. Drawing upon the teachings given by H.G. Radheshyam Prabhu, H.G. Ambarish Maharaj Das gratefully shared his carefully collated knowledge with devotees thirsty for spiritual wisdom.
Life on Krishna’s Farm in the ’70s
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By Padmapani das
One of the most enlivening times for me was when devotees used to lead the chanting of Hare Krishna in the barn for the pleasure of the cows. They all seemed to enjoy the chanting as they happily chewed on their bunches of hay. Milk production increased and we became overwhelmed with surplus amounts. Some cows even gave two full buckets per milking. The Deities were offered many nice milk products made with butter, ghee, curd and whey—so the devotees never went hungry. By serving the Lord and His cows, we all got a taste of what life in Vrindavan must have been like when Krishna Himself lived there 5,000 years ago. It was simple yet sublime.
Sri Sri Radha Madhava’s 35th anniversary, ISKCON Leicester
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By ISKCON Leicester
Devotees speaking on the 35th anniversary of the installation of Sri Sri Radha Madhava in ISKCON Leicester. With HH Jayadvaita Swami, Praghosa Prabhu, Shaunaka Rishi Prabhu and many others. So many sweet memories of Radha Madhava’s installation 35 years ago!
All India Padayatra Visits Hampi, The Birthplace Of Hanuman In Karnataka
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By Acarya Dasa Anjeyanadri Hill is surrounded by lovely plantain and paddy fields. The hill has 572 steps to reach the top and offers a lovely view of the valley and of the Tungabhadra River. The Hanuman Temple at the summit is one of the attractions o…
My First Experience Of Padayatra In India
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By Abhay Charan Nimai Dasa
One day I met Akhila Dhara Prabhu, a senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada, who told me boldly, “If you want to experience the real nectar, then go on Padayatra”. So I decided to go, thinking, “If I am not going for ever, then at least I should go for a week.” So, on March 13th I joined the Padayatra India party, then in Bangalore, Karnataka. First I saw the magnificent oxen of the Kankrej breed, and I immediately paid my obeisances to them. They are huge and have well shaped body and horns. The two devotees taking care of them, Damodar Lila and Janardan Prabhus, allowed me to help feed and give water to the five oxen. I was told their names were Krishna, Nandulal, Kaliya, Jaya and Narasimha. Having walked 10 years with the padayatra, Narasimha is the senior.
Transcendental art course in New Mayapur France
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In August 2018 we will have our first ever Transcendental Art Seminar in New Mayapur France. This seminar will be given by Dhriti dasi and Ram Das Abhiram Das, senior disciples of Srila Prabhupada who were personally guided by Srila Prabhupada to creat…
Manipur Yatra ~ North-East India
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By Chandan Yatra Das
The beautiful state of Manipur is in North-East India. Manipur has a unique culture and is also known as ‘Land of Gandharvas’ and ‘Switzerland of East’. Manipur is a Vaishnava state with Krishna Consciousness been practiced widely amongst the common masses. “Royal families at Manipur and Tripura are descendants of Arjuna’s son Babhruvahana”, as stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 1 chapter 12 verse 21 purport by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-acarya of ISKCON. Arjuna begot a son named Babhruvahana by the womb of Citrangada, the princess of Manipur.
Jagannath Ratha yatra at Cilegon Ethnic Carnival, Cilegon Banten
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By Hari Narayana Das Sunday night, Cilegon was hot. The moon is not round yet, dimly lighted lights on both sides of the road stretching approximately 250 meters full of people on both sides. Young-old, male-female. All liked getting out of the corner…
Respecting Our Women In Iskcon
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By Kesava Krsna Dasa For some reason the subject of womanhood and the roles they play within our midst has raised strong feelings, usually centred on celibacy and the potential for victimisation. This shows that women are not really the problem – our …
A Tribute to our Mothers
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The cow is like our mother. Here is a tribute to three special mothers in the ISCOWP herd. They have been through significant difficulties living in the same dairy before they were rescued by ISCOWP members. Through grace and courage, they have forged…
Lord Chaitanya From Bengali To Tamil!
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By Bhakta Mohana Rangan
Many prominent Sri vaishnava Scholars and many eminent Social leaders and eminent media celebrities also graced the event. They spoke on the need for more information and awareness on God consciousness of ancient India and congratulated Sri Giridhari Prabhu for his work in this field. The honorable chief minister of Tamilnadu though couldn’t make up for the event but send an appreciation note. A part of which is as follows “I appreciate the activities of ISKCON spreading devotion to all without any discrimination of caste or religion. “I believe that release of this Chaitanya Caritamritam in Tamil will establish peace in society and serve as a great contribution to Tamil literary world. ”
Uttisthata Jagrata Chatra Samaj – A Spiritual Awakening
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Iskcon Mayapur: “Your program of speaking in colleges…is very much liked by me; in this way, try to penetrate every school and college and introduce our books profusely…That is the method recommended by my Guru Maharaja
TOVP Euro Tour Day 13: Zurich, Switzerland
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By TOVP staff
The usual program was held in the evening with kirtan, abhisheka and presentations by Jananivas and Braja Vilas prabhus. And once again, the devotees were so overwhelmed by Lord Nityananda’s mercy that, although only twenty five devotees were present, 65,000 Euros/77,000 USD was pledged. The temple President, Krishna Premarupa prabhu was so enthusiastic that even after we left and despite a large monthly mortgage payment, at the Sunday program he raised an additional 10,000 Euros/12,000 USD for a total of 75,000 Euros/90,000 USD. This is the type of sacrifice that brings the blessings of the Lord. We would like to thank the GBC, Dina Sharana devi dasi and temple president Krishna Premarupa das for their support and cooperation which inspired the generous response from all the devotees. All glories to Lord Nityananda! All glories to Lord Nrsimha! All glories to all the devotees of the Lord! The tour is now completed and the Padukas and Sitari have returned to Their places on the altar in Sridhama Mayapur.
Important changes in the management of the Bhaktivedanta Research Centre (BRC) in Kolkata
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By Hari-sauri das The future is very bright. We are organizing research projects and conferences in collaboration with Universities such as Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and Stockholm University. We are also in the process of affiliating with Kolkata…
ISKCON Bangladesh Chittagong takes a divine maneuver to purify the prisoners
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By Mukunda Bhakti DasPrisoners danced in ecstasy with the devotees during the concluding kirtan. The total environment of Jail changed all on a sudden. ISKCON Nandankanan distributed sumptuous Krishna Prasad among the prisoners. The prisoners were bles…
Vaishnava Care Team (VCT) in ISKCON Suva, Fiji Islands
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Now that many of our devotees are getting old, becoming sickly, leaving bodies, there is a special need to help them remember Krishna at the time of death so that it makes their journey back home back to Godhead more pleasant.Read More…
Twenty-five youth attend youth camp in a new format at ISKCON Varachha, Surat
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Around twenty-five young persons attended a residential youth camp organized by ISKCON Youth Forum Varchha in Surat, which had a unique activity-based format of learning, modelled using techniques from the Institute of Education at the University of L…
A new Film about New Vrindaban – ‘The Land of Krishna’
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By Vrsabhanu dasa Since the very beginning of ISKCON Srila Prabhupada encouraged the devotees to set up farm communities and become self-sufficient, depending on the land. Two of his disciples responded to an ad about a rural ashram in West Virginia an…
TOVP Euro Tour Days 11 & 12: Italy
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By TOVP staff The temple programs, though attended by a small number of devotees due to the holiday season in Italy, were still most ecstatic and inspiring. Greeting the Padukas and Sitari, we were met by bight faced devotees who enthusiastically chant…
108 preparations of never before seen beauty and creativity by Kiev devotees, Ukraine
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The devotes from Kiev, Ukraine, made these very attractive preparations for the Vyasa Puja of HH Niranjana Swami. Hopefully they taste as good as they look!Read More…
Toward a Fusion of Theological Horizons: Constructivist Reflections and Responses to the Question of Theism in the Yoga Sutra
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By Garuda das
IT is important to explore and disclose how–perhaps even why–we are going to speak about Christian and Yogic theism before conducting an exploration on theism in comparative relation between the two traditions. In this kind of discussion, it is inevitable that working definitions of key terms be provided, particular terms that will be clarified and offered to facilitate the discussion. In this study, I examine and draw from the particular studies of three scholars in the field who address the relationship between Christianity and Yoga in order to illuminate the dialectical tension between a resistence toward and the persistence of the development of a yogic theism. I will argue that Yoga as explicated in the Yoga Sūtra possesses a strong and natural theological character, containing a distinct, open-ended raw theism that necessitates the expansion of the domain and definition of the term.
Somehow Fix Your Mind on Krishna
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By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupadaKrishna is described as akhila-rasamrita-sindhu, “the ocean of rasas.” There are five primary rasas. Rasa means the mellow or the taste we enjoy in every activity. Everything is done with some tas…
ISKCON sets up immersive 360 degree full dome at Mayapur
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By Millenniumpost staff Kolkata: ISKCON has set up an immersive 360 degree full dome at Mayapur to preach the message of harmony and world peace. The hi-tech theatre was officially launched for public viewing on the auspicious occasion of Narsingha Cha…
TOVP Euro Tour Day 10: New Yoga Pitha Dhama, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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By TOVP staff
Lord Nityananda poured His blessings on all the devotees incessantly. After greeting the Padukas and Sitari with kirtan and abhisheka, and speeches by His Holiness Chandramauli Swami, Jananivas and Braja Vilas prabhus, once again the ecstasy began to flow. Devotees from Croatia were also present and a total of eighty devotees started making their pledges. Eleven pledges were made for Silver Srivas Coins (9,000 Euros/11,000 USD) along with many other large and small pledges. The astounding fact is that before coming to the program many devotees did not expect to give anything significant, and some nothing at all. Yet, due to Lord Nityananda Prabhu’s influence their hearts were changed. The sacrifice of these devotees, like at all the other European temples, is very exemplary and significant, and a sign that our Lord Nitai is anxious to complete the temple.
News from New Govardhan
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By Mukunda Goswami Srila Prabhupada Uvaca – The Glories of Ramananda Raya – Sacred Sound Retreat – Transformation at SSR – Each Year Becomes Sweeter – BB Govinda Swami Aussie Visit – Let The Games Begin – New Horizons – Strong Foundations – Home Group…
ISKCON Devotee to Win Eurovision
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ISKCON devotee Yashodamayi d.d. (Ieva Zasimauskaitė) will be representing Lithuania in a popular international song competition Eurovision. She is a disciple of Srila Prabhupada’s disciple and initiating spiritual master HG Sankarshan das Adhikari. We encourage everyone to vote for her on the 8th of May (information on how to vote is given below).
Newsletter from Iskcon’s Sannyasa Ministry
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By Prahladananda Swami
This is Issue Number Eight of the Sannyasa Newsletter. Revealing one’s mind in confidence is one of the six loving exchanges between devotees that nurture the creeper of bhakti. I hope that this sannyasa katha inspires in you a deeper sense of commitment to the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu under the guidance and example of Srila Prabhupada and his sincere followers.
Vedic Cosmology: Integrating God and Physics
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By Mauricio Garrido, Ph.D. One of the strongest points of tension that often comes up in cosmology between science and religion is the age of the universe. Some interpretations of the Bible calculate it to be about 6,000 years old, while the most recen…
Vedic cosmology
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By Drutakarma Dasa Cosmology is defined as the study of the origin, purpose, structure and functioning of the universe. Vedic cosmology gives a vast amount of information about not only the structure of the phenomenal universe as we see it, but also a …
Where am I in Krishna consciousness!
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Arjuna said: My dear Krishna, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy. I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions.Read More…
First Jagannath Ratha Yatra in Parigi Moutong, Central Sulawesi
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By Hari Narayana Das Parigi Moutong District is one of the Second Level Regions in the province of Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. The district capital is in Parigi. Parigi Moutong district covers most of the eastern coast of Central Sulawesi and Tomini …
My Thoughts on Cancer
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By Sruti Dharma Das The last month has been a rollercoaster journey. For over 40 years I have spoken about the harsh reality of life in lectures, funeral sermons, congregational gatherings and personal meetings. Now I am facing those same realities in …