Author Archives: H.H. Indradyumna Swami

During our trip to Kharkhorin, the old capital of Mongolia, we visited the ancient Buddhist monastery of Erdene Zuu. After discussing spiritual matters with the monks there for sometime, they asked us to have kirtan. I believe it was one of the best ki…

“Maharaja, if you wear the traditonal clothes of Mongolia for your first few days in our country you will gain the sympathy of our government who granted you a special visa,” said the temple president of Ulaanbaatar. “The people will also appreciate,” he continued, “and be inclined to hear the message you have brought.”

Our long awaited dream to visit Mongolia came true today. As our plane circled the airport waiting to land at Ulaanbaatar I was surprised to see that the barren brown landscape, which stretched as far as the eye could see, did not contain a single tree…

“Kirata, Huna, Andhra, Pulinda, Pulkasa, Abhira, Sumbha, Yavana, members of the Khasa [ Mongolian ] races and even others addicted to sinful acts can be purified by taking shelter of the devotees of the Lord, due to His being the supreme power. I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.” [ SB 2.4.18 ]

Ufa is the capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The beautiful city, with many old rustic houses, has a population of just over one million people, 90% of whom are Sunni Muslims. Somehow, by the special grace of Lord Caitanya, ISKCON has a temple n…

“Nityananda Prabhu is more merciful than Mahaprabhu. Unless you get the mercy of Nityananda Prabhu you cannot get the mercy of Mahaprabhu, and unless you get the mercy of Mahaprabhu you cannot approach Radha-Krishna. This is our process. Moreover, guru is the manifestation of Nityananda or Balaram, so guru is more merciful than Krishna. He […]

On September 12, Bada Haridas, myself and 6 other devotees will journey to Mongolia for a two week preaching tour of the country. ISKCON is officially registered in Mongolia with a small center in the capital, Ulaanbaatar. We will travel extensively to…

The Bhakti Sangam Festival in Ukraine concluded as it began; with endess kirtan, Krsna katha and prasadam.The hearts of the Vaisnavas were completed satisfied.

In a country with political instability in the capital, an undeclared war on the eastern front and an economic crisis prevailing everywhere, Ukrainian devotees are taking shelter of Krsna’s holy names at the Bhakti Sangam Festival in the countryside near Shatsk. Their mood of devotion and surrender was especially evident during Srila Prabhupada’s guru-puja and […]

There is lots of good association at the Bhakti Sangam Festival in Ukraine. Many Maharaja’s and senior devotees are giving seminars. Many seminars take place at the same time throughout the day, making it difficult to choose which ones to attend!

Myself and Bada Haridas prabhu arrived in Shatsk, Ukraine just in time to attend the first evening kirtan with several thousand devotees at the Bhakti Sangam Festival. Over 6,000 devotees are eventually expected for the 7-day event. Havi prabhu, a seni…

The final days of our summer festival tour on the Baltic Sea coast in Poland were bittersweet. While tasting the nectar of sharing our good fortune with others, we knew it would only last a few days more. Now the drums, accordians and kartalas have gone silent. The loud chanting of Krsna’s sweet holy names […]

Each day I worship Lord Nrsimhadeva for protection in spreading the glories of the holy names far and wide, as well as for removing all obstacles on the path of pure devotion to the divine couple, Sri Sri Radha and Krsna.

Srila Prabhupada, I discovered my heart’s true aspiration in your glorification of your own spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saravati, in 1959. Please may your words become one with my heart. May I forever be an instrument in carrying out your will. “The jivas have reshackled themselves with the heavy chains of ignorance and delusion, and […]

Volume 14, Chapter 5 Aug 17, 2015   After a month of harinams and festivals and a mammoth three-day Woodstock festival, our tour devotees were exhausted. When I mentioned during a meeting that we had seventeen more festivals to go, I saw many devotees catch their breath and roll their eyes upward. “It’s our duty,” […]

Глава 5 После месяца харинам, фестивалей и масштабного трехдневного Вудстока преданные тура выдохлись. Когда на собрании я напомнил, что впереди у нас еще семнадцать фестивалей, то заметил, что многие, глубоко вздохнув, закатили глаза. – Это наш долг, – сказал я. – Мы не можем все бросить и сдаться. Мы наследники традиции, которой пять сотен лет. […]

Lord Caitanya’s samkirtan movement is so attractive that if presented nicely people cannot help but chant and dance with us. We are experiencing this daily along the Baltic Sea coast in Poland, where just like the spiritual world, every word is a song, every step is a dance and there is a festival every day.

The devotees in these photos have happily logged in over 120 hours of harinam this summer. Our legs are getting a little wobbly now, so please everyone pray we can continue for another two weeks delivering the sweet sound of Krsna’s holy names to all those who cross our path. “As the rising sun immediately […]

Today is our 40th harinam of the summer. With two weeks still to go, we have distributed 280,000 invitations to our 35 festivals. Not including the great Woodstock Festival, more than 150,000 people have attended our events. Throughout the summer sever…

As we stepped onto the beach for harinam yesterday a gentleman approached me and said, “We’re all so happy to see you.” In my mind I offered his words to Srila Prabhupada and prayed that I could continue with this service for many lifetimes to come.

“In the early hours of the morning, we have come to worship You and praise Your golden, lotus-like feet. Born are we in the cowherd caste. You should not decline our service and homage. O Govinda! Not only today do we seek the drum, but for ever more, seven times seven births, that we would […]

“Gauranga is decorated with infinite qualities. He is the protector and deliverer of even the denizens of heaven. Having destroyed the guilt of the fourteen worlds, He exhibits a bodily luster similar to Sri Radhika. He is the ācārya of the special type of musical rāga named Gandhara. He defeats the gait of a huge […]

After a two-day break upon returning from the Woodstock Festival we’re back on the Baltic Sea coast for one more month of harinam and festival programs. It seems like it never ends … and I pray it never will.

Woodstock is over. But we can’t stop thinking about all the nectar. Oh Lord Caitanya!

All throughout the Woodstock festival Krsna’s Village of Peace was teeming with tens of thousands of people exploring all we had to offer: kirtan, dramas, books, yoga, shops, exhibits and a tent where they could inquire from senior devotees. Our Ratha Yatra Cart traversed the entire Woodstock site numerous times each day. Colourfully dressed, devotees […]

The great Polish Woodstock Festival is still days away but the entire area is quickly filling up with young people and tents. Our good friend, Chaturatma das, also arrived today. As we walked around the festival grounds we were greeted everywhere with “Hare Krishna!” and a number of warm hugs. Woodstock!

For 4 days in a row we take Lord Jagannatha on His Rath Cart through the massive crowds at Woodstock. Not only are people eager to pull the ropes, but they spontaneously jump into the kirtan and chant and dance with us in great ecstasy. Often they outn…

Close-ups of Lord Jagannath’s people – those who hold Him dear to their hearts – and those who are meeting Him for the 1st time at Woodstock in Poland.

Preparing prasadam for close to 150,000 people at Woodstock is no small endeavour. But it’s all worth it! The kids love our food. And today they loved our stage show too. Woodstock is in full swing!

With Woodstock starting tomorrow the festival grounds were alive with activity today. Ananta Vrindavan das took a walk around the field to shoot photographs of the people and the mood of Woodstock 2015.

Two hundred thousand young people have already arrived for the Woodstock Festival, which begins in two days. Taking advantage of the big crowd we went on harinama with 250 devotees. A number of them distributed invitations to our Krsna’s Village of Peace. Many people danced with us in ecstasy, relishing the sweet nectar of Krsna’s […]

Today our ranks swelled to 730 devotees as buses arrived from all over Europe. We held an istagosti where the many services connected to our preaching work at Woodstock were divided up. It’s an exciting time as we begin one of ISKCON’s biggest and most influential festival programs. But as great as it all is, […]

Four days until Woodstock. One million people, 700 devotees, Krsna’s Village of Peace, 200,000 plates of prasadam, 5 massive Ratha Yatras, Mantra Yoga Tent, book distribution, Questions and Answers tent, Gopi Dots and on and on. We are ready. Looking to the sky above for mercy to do it all ….

The sleepy town of Kostrzyn is waking up with Woodstock just around the corner. So far only workers and artisans have arrived to set up the massive festival – still one week away – but colorful posters announcing the event decorate the town on every street corner. Krsna’s Village of Peace is also slowly taking […]

If public opinion were to gage the popularity of our festivals I’d like to think we’d get, “ten out ten.” Both on the streets when we do harinama and at the festivals, people show their appreciation with great enthusiasm. What more could a devotee ask for? “Incessantly they discuss the narrations of Sri Krsna ‘s […]

“O Lord of the demigods, please quickly remove this useless material existence I am undergoing. O Lord of the Yadus, please destroy this vast, shoreless ocean of sins. Ah, this is certain: Lord Jagannatha bestows His lotus feet upon those who feel themselves fallen and have no shelter in this world but Him. May that […]

“In this dark age of Kali-yuga, sincere devotees of the Supreme Lord should leave aside all other means for liberation and take full shelter of the Holy Names. This is their real responsibility and duty. There is unlimited bliss in chanting the different names of Krishna: Hari, Kesava, Govinda, Vasudeva and Jaganmaya. For one who […]

Yesterday we held a wedding at our festival in the port town of Mrzezyno. With the Baltic Sea as a backdrop, Stanislav and Zlata from Moldova took their vows in a colorful ceremony attended by over 3,000 people. Srila Prabhupada writes in the Caitanya Caritamrta: “A devotee is always thinking of how to better serve […]

“O friend of the world! O Ocean of love! The populace has become full of deceit and bereft of knowledge. O my master! Kindly give them shelter at Your lotus feet, for the holy name, uplifter of the fallen, has become manifest from You.” [ Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya, Susloka Satakam, verse 21 ]

“Why did I, the most unfortunate fallen soul, not take birth at the time when Sri Gaurachandra inundated the entire world, including the highest mountains, with the flood of love of God? Therefore I was unable to relish those waves of love of God! “Why did I not take birth at that time to serve […]