Author Archives: H.H. Ramai Swami

bhattacaryah sarvabhaumah purasid gishpatir divi Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya was formerly Brihaspati, the guru of the gods.(Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 119) Sarvabhauma’s Scholarship When Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami lists the branches of Sri Chaitanya, after listing those devotees like Paramananda Puri and Svarupa Damodar who came to join … Continue reading →

The 2026 New Govardhana Kirtana Mela was a grand success with over a thousand registered guests and thousands more participating on the individual days. As usual, there were many kirtana leaders and each one was given a 30 minute slot … Continue reading →

Srila Prabhupada arrived in the United States on September 17th, 1965, reaching Boston’s Commonwealth Pier aboard the cargo ship Jaladuta. He left Calcutta (Kolkata), India, on August 13, 1965, at 69 years old. The 35-day sea voyage was difficult. He suffered severe sea-sickness and … Continue reading →

Parramatta is a city and major commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney. It is located approximately 24 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. It is commonly regarded as the second CBD … Continue reading →

Sri Sacidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakura appeared in 1838 in a wealthy family in the Nadia district, West Bengal. He revealed that he is an eternal associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu by his extraordinary preaching activities and prolific writing. Living as a … Continue reading →

Lord Vāmanadeva appeared in this world from the womb of Aditi completely equipped with conchshell, disc, club and lotus. His bodily hue was blackish, and He was dressed in yellow garments. Lord Viṣṇu appeared at an auspicious moment on Śravaṇa-dvādaśī … Continue reading →

In CC Adi 1.5 it is said: “The loving affairs of Sri Radha and Krishna are transcendental manifestations of the Lord’s internal pleasure-giving potency. Although Radha and Krishna are one in Their identity, They separated Themselves eternally”. Srimati Radharani, as … Continue reading →

Shri Sita Thakurani is to be worshiped just as much as Sachi Devi herself, as the mother of the universe. She is the eternal wife of Shri Advaita Acharya. She was the daughter of Shri Nrishinga Baduri. She was married … Continue reading →

It was a great pleasure and privilege to visit our Sri Sri Radha Rasesvara temple in Denpasar. The deities of Their Lordships were more beautiful than ever and the devotees always enthusiastic to serve Them nicely. The new temple construction … Continue reading →

Devotees from around the Denpasar area gathered to honour His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on the occasion of the anniversary of his appearance. Srila Prabhupada appeared in Calcutta on September 1st 1896 as Abhay Charan De and was … Continue reading →

Sri Krishna Janmastami, observed with great enthusiasm and devotion, marks the advent of Lord Krishna on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the waning phase of the month of Shravana, which occurred about 5,000 years ago. His descent into this world … Continue reading →

The Radha Krishna Kanhaiya temple in Penang, Malaysia, is a major complex. There are also deities of Jagannatha, Baladeva, Subhadra and Gaura Nitai here. The temple itself is big but there is also a large conference hall with guest accommodation … Continue reading →

In Auckland, in the months of November and December, many of the surrounding suburbs arrange to have parades go through the streets. Generally, local businesses put their floats in to advertise the products they sell. Fortunately, we are able to … Continue reading →

The devotees took Their Lordships, Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Devi on Their Ratha Chariot in a parade at Orewa, which is a suburb to the north of Auckland. There were thousands of people lining the street clapping and waving as … Continue reading →

Every year the New Varshana devotees organize a Rathayatra parade that goes down Queen Street in Auckland. This has been going on for decades and a beautiful big Jagannatha chariot is pulled through the city. In the last year, a … Continue reading →

Sri Saranga Murari Thakura used to reside at Modadrumadwipa Mamgachi, where his Deities of Sri Sri Radha-Gopinath are still present. There is also a Bakul tree there which is perhaps existing since the time of Saranga Thakura. There is a … Continue reading →

Kaliya Krishna Das was known throughout the three worlds. One can attain Gaurachandra through remembrance of him. (Chaitanya Bhagavat 3.5.740) In Vraja, Kala Krishna Das was Krishna’s cowherd friend named Lavanga. (Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 132).   Lavanga Sakha is one of the twelve … Continue reading →

Shri Narahari Sarkar Thakura was born at Shri Khanda. Shri Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami describes that the residents of Shri Khanda formed a branch of the desire tree of love of God. “Shri Khan davasi (the residents of Shri Khanda) Mukunda … Continue reading →

I was invited to visit the Sri Sri Radha Madhava temple in Manila. It is still in the old temple building I visited years ago but the temple will move to a new property in about 3 months. I was … Continue reading →

I had the opportunity to visit the Vraja Eco Village about one and a half hours outside of Manila. This project had been developed under the inspiration of his Holiness Giridhari Maharaja and his team of dedicated and talented devotees. … Continue reading →

All the unmarried gopīs in Vṛndāvana used to daily worship goddess Kātyāyanī early in the morning after taking a bath in the river Yamunā. Kātyāyanī is another name for goddess Durgā.  The goddess is worshiped by preparing a doll made … Continue reading →

pura vrindavane cetau sthitau bhringara-bhangurau shri-kashishvara-govindau tau jatau prabhu-sevakau    Shrila Kashishvara Pandit (also Brahmachari or Goswami) was Krishna’s servant Bhringara and Govinda was Bhangura. They became Mahaprabhu’s servants in Gaura-lila. Some Kashishvara was the sakhi Sasirekha. (Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 137) Kashishvara … Continue reading →

The last 5 days of the month of Karttika are traditionally known as the Bhishma Panchaka or the Vishnu Panchaka. Grandfather Bhisma fasted for these five days, preparing to give up his life. In the Hari Bhakti Vilasa, it is … Continue reading →

The last 5 days of the month of Karttika are traditionally known as the Bhishma Panchaka or the Vishnu Panchaka. Grandfather Bhisma fasted for these five days, preparing to give up his life. In the Hari Bhakti Vilasa, it is … Continue reading →

Sri Gadadhara Goswami is a united form of Chandrakanti gopi (an expansion of Radharani’s effulgence) and Purnanada (an expansion of Lord Balarama’s dear girlfriend). Thus, Gadadhara Dasa was an associate of both Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Nityananda Prabhu. Krishna … Continue reading →

It is stated in the Kārttika-māhātmya section of the Padma Purāṇa: śuklāṣṭamī kārttike tu smṛtā gopāṣṭamī budhaiḥ tad-dinād vāsudevo ‘bhūd gopaḥ pūrvaṁ tu vatsapaḥ “The eighth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kārttika is known by … Continue reading →

The disappearance day of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (the founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness) allows us to meditate on his pastimes and his teachings. Srila Prabhupada had this to say about the disappearance of … Continue reading →

The three brothers, Sri Vasudeva Ghosa, Sri Madhava Ghosa and Sri Govinda Ghosa were very expert singers. Sri Nityananda Prabhu Himself would dance as they sang. [C.B. Antya 5.259] According to some, their maternal uncle’s house was in the village … Continue reading →

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, advised the cowherd men to stop the Indra-yajna and begin the Govardhana-puja in order to chastise Indra, who was very much puffed up at being the supreme controller of the heavenly planets. The honest … Continue reading →

The word Diwali (or Deepavali) literally means “row of lights”. At dusk rows of deepas, small earthenware lamps filled with oil, decorate houses inside and out and are dotted along the parapets of temples. Devotees also set them adrift on … Continue reading →

Sri Viracandra or Virabhadra Prabhu appeared on the ninth day of the dark fortnight of the month of Kartik. Krsna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami has given this description of Him in the C.c. Adi 11.8-12: “After Nityananda Prabhu, the greatest branch … Continue reading →

On the eighth day of the waning phase of the Damodara month, the appearance of Radha Kunda is celebrated by the residents. Bathing in Radha Kunda is especially beneficial on this day. By this, one gains the favour of Radha, … Continue reading →

Srila Narottama Thakura was constantly absorbed in singing the glories of Shri Gauranga and Nityananda. Day after day many atheists, agnostics, offenders, Shiva worshippers, followers of Durga, dry logicians, mental speculators and karmis were purified by the touch of his holy … Continue reading →

The first full moon of the autumn season marks the celebration of Krishna’s dancing with the gopis. On this day the Deities of Vrindavan are nicely decorated in white and Krishna-lila dramas are enacted. Because the moon is very auspicious, the … Continue reading →

Sri Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami was born in a Nadiya family of physicians at the village of Jhamatpur, within the district of Barddhaman, near Naihati. His father was Sri Bhagiratha, and his mother was Sri Sunanda. He had a younger brother … Continue reading →

Shri Madhvacharya appeared in 1238 A.D. near Udupi, Karnataka in South India. He was considered an incarnation of Vayu (wind god). He had an unusually strong physique and extraordinary intellectual power. Once a fierce Bengali tiger attacked Madhvacharya’s sannyasa disciple, … Continue reading →

Also known as Dussehra, Vijaya Dashami is the celebration of Rama’s victory over the demon Ravana. The story of Rama’s killing of Ravana is found in the Ramayana. Vijaya means victory and dashami means tenth and so Vijaya Dashami is the victory on the 10th … Continue reading →

King Yudhiṣṭhira was known as ajāta-śatru, or a person who had no enemy. Therefore, when all the men, demigods, kings, sages and saints saw the successful termination of the Rājasūya-yajña performed by King Yudhiṣṭhira, they were very happy. Śukadeva Gosvāmī … Continue reading →

Lord Kapila was very much satisfied by His mother’s questions because the answers stimulate one’s desire for liberation from the conditional life of material existence. Such questions are called apavarga-vardhanam. Those who have actual spiritual interest are called sat, or … Continue reading →

Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in America marked the beginning of a transformative journey that would lead to the establishment of ISKCON and the spread of Krishna consciousness worldwide. His journey aboard the Jaladuta was marked by significant challenges, including sea sickness … Continue reading →