Author Archives: Dandavats

Wellington Retreat connects Hearts and Souls
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Hare KrishnaBy ISKCON Wellington

What began as a wet and cloudy Friday evening marked by long traffic jams quickly opened up into a pleasant, spiritually charged morning as devotees trickled in for Mangala Arati. After Tulsi Arati, the enchanting voice of Srila Prabhupada accompanied the devotees in the chanting of 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Devotees from all walks of life and age groups took part in the programs – from toddlers and teenagers to adults – all gracefully dressed in Vaishnava attire. While the parents and young adults attended the presentation and group activities, the children were engaged in storytelling, games, art and craft to teach them the values of patience and gratitude.

Jagannath Ratha Yatra on Cilegon Ethnic Carnival (CEC)
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Hare KrishnaBy Hari Narayana Das

At 01.00 PM the carnival started. The Mayor of Cilegon, Mr. Tubagus Iman Ariyadi welcomed all the participants and expressed his gratitude to all. “The CEC participants bring a good message that all Cilegon people must unite to realize a peaceful life by appreciating diversity and enhancing ownership,” Tubagus said when opening the “Cilegon Ethnic Carnival.” Other important guests who attended the carnival were the Ambassador of the Republic of Panama.

1st Ratha Yatra in Sragen, Indonesia
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Hare KrishnaBy Nila Kamal das

Sragen is regency in the eastern part of Central Java province in Indonesia. Its capital is Sragen, located about 30 km to the northeast of Surakarta. Sragen is bordered with East Java Province to the east. Presently there are no devotees that are staying in Sragen. The first time devotees held the Ratha Yatra festival in Solo, Indonesia, a few months prior, they met the Tourism leader of Sragen. The Tourism leader of Sragen requested the devotees to join in their annual city parade and hold a Ratha Yatra festival as well. This was in mid February. When HH Subhag Swami was present earlier in the year in Indonesia, after being informed about the invitation from the Sragen Tourism Department, he encouraged the devotees to hold a Ratha Yatra festival there. And by the Lord’s arrangement on the 4th of April, an official invitation was sent to the devotees by the Sragen Government.

Brooklyn’s Radha Govinda Mandir
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Hare KrishnaBy Madhava Smullen

The sale has been a matter of interest, concern and controversy amongst the New York temple’s board members and congregation as well as devotees around the U.S. So the meeting, held at the Dweck Auditorium of the Brooklyn Public Library, was well-attended by over 120 people. The event was hosted by the GBC’s Brooklyn Temple Sale Committee – Bhakti Charu Swami, Sesa Das and Praghosa Das. They were joined by co-counsel Guru-Gauranga Das, a Prabhupada disciple and corporate finance attorney. Proceedings began at 7pm with a spiritual invocation by Bhakti Charu Swami, who emphasized the need for trying to understand Prabhupada’s desires and working cooperatively together.

A Krishna conscious message on the Manchester event
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Hare KrishnaBy Sivarama Swami

This material world is full of danger. It is dangerous place. It is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, duḥkhālayam. It is the place of miseries. You cannot become happy in a place which is meant for miseries. That we have to understand. Kṛṣṇa says, the Supreme Personality, that duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15): this material world is place of miserable condition.

A Facelift for Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold
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Hare KrishnaBy Satyaraja Dasa

An ambitious multi-year and multi-million dollar renewal effort is in the works, with an enthusiasm that rivals the Palace’s initial construction. The Palace Restoration Committee, established in 2010, is focusing first on the outside Palace wall, and then will move on to the Palace and the grounds. Gopisha Dasa, project manager for Palace restoration, says, “I was absolutely overwhelmed when I first saw the Palace. It was so beautiful. But what was most exciting to me was the spirit of cooperation, to see so many devotees working together for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada. That same spirit is alive again, and it will facilitate, even mandate, the Palace’s new incarnation. In fact, it is now a priority to improve the entrance way and front steps by 2016 as an offering to Srila Prabhupada for the fiftieth anniversary of ISKCON.”

Jaipur Yatra ~ City of Victory
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Hare KrishnaBy Chandan Yatra Das

One time, Jiva Gosvami heard a flute playing, and then Damodar called out and said, “Jiva! Come; I am playing the flute for you.” And Jiva Gosvami came to the altar and there he saw Damodar dancing! The Deity of Damodar was dancing – His three fold bending form playing upon His flute beautiful, sweet music for the pleasure of His devotee. Jiva Gosvami saw the beautiful form of Damodar, whose eyes were like lotus flowers. His head was decorated with a peacock feather, a garland of beautiful forest flowers was around His neck, and lovely ornaments decorated His body. He was dancing and singing, playing sweet, sweet melodies on His flute for His devotee. Jiva Gosvami fell unconscious in ecstasy, and when he came back to consciousness, he could only cry in ecstatic love. These were some of the pastimes that Sri Jiva Gosvami performed with Sri Damodar, who is worshiped here.

Iskcon Wellington Celebrates H.H. Subhag Swami’s Visit After Many Years
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Hare KrishnaBy ISKCON Wellington

A lot has changed since H.H. Subhag Swami’s last visited the Wellington ISKCON temple many years ago. But the one thing that remains unchanged is the teachings of Srila Prabhupada and his disciples, H.H. Subhag Swami Maharaj being one of them. Initiated by Srila Prabhupada himself in 1971, H.H. Subhag Swami has since served Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission and vision from Sridham Mayapur for the last 40 years out of his 46 years in ISKCON.

Real education
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Hare KrishnaBy Urmila Devi Dasi

He will think, “I don’t like pain, so why should I give pain to an animal just so I can eat?” He’ll be honest: “I don’t like to be cheated, so why should I cheat others?” And he’ll always speak beneficially: “I like to hear the truth, I don’t like to be insulted, and I want to hear what is useful to me. Let me speak to others that way.” A truly educated person, therefore, will try not to hurt anyone, even by his words.

Appreciation Ceremony Honors 1,000 Collective Years of Service
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Hare KrishnaBy Madhava Smullen

From the very beginning, Tejomaya braved many austerities. He and Manonatha worked with Madhava Gosh in the garden, and would get badly suburnt after a whole day in the sun. By night, they would mix and carry cement used to build Prabhupada’s Palace. In October 1974, the two friends were initiated by Srila Prabhupada. Tejo was transferred full-time to the Palace construction crew, and became integral to the team of whom Prabhupada said, “These devotees are my jewels.”

The Lotus feet of Lord Shri Krishna Bhagavan
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Hare KrishnaThe beauty of the lotus feet of the Lord is compared to the petals of a lotus flower which grows in the autumn season. By nature’s law, in autumn the dirty or muddy waters of rivers and lakes become very clean. At that time the lotus flowers growing in the lakes appear very bright and beautiful. The lotus flower itself is compared to the lotus feet of the Lord, and the petals are compared to the nails of the feet of the Lord.

CD Review: Agnideva dasa’s Prayer to the Lotus Feet of Lord Krishna
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Hare KrishnaBy Swami B. A. Ashram

For those of us who love Agnideva prabhu and his kirtana, it has been far too long since his last CD. Of course, tracks from his most recent CDs, as well as from his older cassette albums and temple kirtanas from Laguna Beach, Los Angeles, etc., and, more recently, from kirtana festivals around the world, have circulated so widely and for so long that generations of devotees seem to have tunes we identify with him as part of our DNA. We hear the evidence of this in the cheering as Agnideva segues to another “classic Agni tune,” one of those tunes most second-generation devotees grew up with as their parents played them in the kitchen, in the car, and at bedtime, in a kirtana mela. And wherever Agnideva has gone the last few years, devotees have asked about his next CD. And Agni has responded by smilingly assuring them, “We’re working on it.”

Govardhan Eco Village Wins The National Agri-tourism Award
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Hare KrishnaBy Anand Caitanya das

The conference was organized by Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) on the occasion of 10th World Agri Tourism Day, with the main aim to promote Agri Tourism in Maharashtra. Ways to increase employment and investment opportunities in Agro Tourism sector were discussed at the conference. Jaykumar Rawal, Minister of Tourism, Government of Maharashtra and Pandurang Fundkar, Minister of Agriculture & Horticulture, Government of Maharashtra inaugurated the conference in the presence of Madan Yerawar, Minister of State for Tourism, Government of Maharashtra. On behalf of GEV, Mr. Neeraj Kapoor went and received the award at the hands of Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Tourism

Crimea banned religious processions through the streets
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Hare KrishnaBy mk.ru

In the first case, a local resident Andrey Puchkov took part in the procession of hare Krishnas, where you just played the drum. The second made a speech before the concert in which they sang the ancient mantras in Sanskrit. The court both times found him guilty of violating the Law “On freedom of conscience and on religious associations”. And in a higher court, the lawyers proved that the actions Puchkov was no sign of missionary activity in the illegal exercise of which he was accused.