Author Archives: H.H. Ramai Swami

Every year, the city of Toowoomba, which is about 100 kilometres west of Brisbane, celebrates the “Flower Festival” at the beginning of Spring. One of the special attractions is the parade that goes through the streets and ends at a … Continue reading →

As Prahlada Maharaja appeared in a family of demons and Hanuman appeared as a monkey, Shri Haridasa Thakura appeared amongst the lower caste. Haridasa had a handsome form with all aristocratic features. Highly intellectual, he won all debates in Sanskrit … Continue reading →

Bhaktivinoda Thakur (2 September 1838 – 23 June 1914), born Kedarnath Datta, was a leading philosopher and spiritual reformer of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, who almost single-handedly effected its resurgence in India in the late 19th and early 20th century and was … Continue reading →

Mahabali, the grandson of Prahlada and son of Virochana, was a renowned leader of the asuras. He had the strength of a hundred lions, but he was also as gentle as a lamb. Like his grandfather, Prahlada, he was devoted … Continue reading →

In the Brihad-Gautamiya Tantra, Srimati Radharani is described as follows: sarva-lakshmi-mayi sarva kantih sammohini para devi krishna-mayi prokta radhika para-devata “The transcendental goddess Srimati Radharani is the direct counterpart of Lord Sri Krishna. She is the central figure for all the … Continue reading →

The Jagannatha Rathayatra parade took place on the second day of the festival and devotees came from as far away as Portland and Vancouver to participate. It was a wonderful procession and Their Lordships rode majestically through the streets of … Continue reading →

Things got off to a great start at the Seattle Rathayatra festival. The celebration was over two days and on the first many people attended. The devotees set up stages and stalls very nicely in a local park and everyone … Continue reading →

It was wonderful to visit the Seattle temple again. As always, Their Lordships, Sri Sri Radha Nila Madhava, Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, Sri Sita, Rama, Laksman, Hanuman were as beautiful as ever. The devotees told me that the Krsna Janmastami … Continue reading →

Dear master, let my prayer prevail, For much I long to tell your tale. Moved by your guru’s words, you began A worldwide movement, O saintly man. Many disciples came, good and true, To help you spread the mission, too. … Continue reading →

Krsna is the embodiment of love and affection. He sees the good qualities of a living entity, overlooking the bad. One time a devotee offered Krsna a banana peel instead of the banana but Krsna accepted it. Even if someone … Continue reading →

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is the reservoir of all beauty. All beautiful things emanate from Him, and His personal form is so attractive that it steals the eyes away from all other objects, which then seem devoid of … Continue reading →

“Sri Baladeva is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. He is equal in supremacy to the Supreme Godhead, yet wherever Krsna appears, Sri Baladeva appears as Krsna’s brother, sometimes elder, sometimes younger” (SB 10.1.24p).  “In His vaibhava-prakasa feature, Lord Krsna … Continue reading →

Rupa Goswami appeared in 1489. Chief among the six Goswamis of Vrndavana who directly followed Lord Caitanya, he was renowned as a great scholar and devotee of Lord Krsna. Together with his elder brother, Sanatana Goswami, he once served as a high-ranking officer … Continue reading →

In Vraja, Gauri Das Pandit was Subala, one of the twelve Gopals. He is one of Nityananda Prabhu’s dearest associates.  (Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika 128) Gauri Das’s first residence was in the village known as Shaligram. Later he moved to Ambika Kalna in Burdwan … Continue reading →

Srila Vamsi Das babaji, previously known as Bhairab Chandra, had appeared in the year 1859, in the village of Majeedpur, which was formerly part of Bangladesh. He was the eldest of seven siblings, and being the son of a poor … Continue reading →

Shri Raghunandana Thakura made his appearance within this world in Shri Khanda.  In his home he became acquainted with the worship of Shri Gopinatha from an early age. One day his father, Mukunda Dasa, who was a doctor, had to … Continue reading →

The Klungkung area of Bali is the smallest regency on the island with only two hundred thousand people. By Krsna’s mercy there are about 120 devotee families who come regularly to the temple. For a long time there was no … Continue reading →

While in Bali I was able to go out and visit the newly completed Visnu Garuda monument in the Nusa Dua area. This is the fourth highest of its kind in the world standing at 120 metres tall. An amazing … Continue reading →

It was great to go over to Lombok, which is the next island over from Bali, to visit the devotees. There are two centres there, one being a nice facility in the city of Mataram and the other our temple … Continue reading →

The leaders from ISKCON Indonesia assembled in Denpasar for the annual general meeting of the society. They came from Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Lombok, and Bali where we have centres. There were about 45 or so who attended and reports … Continue reading →

The Denpasar Jagannatha Rathayatra festival was attended by at least two thousand devotees. It was held over two days in a prominent park of the city where there is a big museum that attracts a lot of tourists. Local people … Continue reading →

The devotees from Radha Rasesvara temple made a replica Gundica temple for Their Lordships, Jagannatha, Balarama and Subhadra Devi, while They were away from the main altar. Then they celebrated the return Rathayatra with beautiful Jagannatha lila stories, kirtan, dance … Continue reading →

Radha Gopinatha temple in Baha was another centre that organised its individual Rathayatra before the main one in Denpasar. The devotees brought Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Devi onto a regular Ratha chariot and started out from the temple. I … Continue reading →

Every year, before the main Rathayatra festival in downtown Denpasar, each temple in Bali has their own celebration. The devotees from Jagannatha Gauranga temple organised a procession for Their Lordships, Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Devi to the nearby beach. … Continue reading →

On another recent visit to Sydney, I led a couple of kirtan nights at Govinda’s Ashrama. As usual, there was a great crowd and everyone was enthusiastic in the chanting. At the end everyone mingled and relaxed and, of course, … Continue reading →

“Intelligent Srivasa Pandita had previously been Narada Muni, the best of the sages. Srivasa’s younger brother, Sriman Rama Pandita, had previously been Narada’s close friend Parvata Muni” (Gaura Ganodesh Dipika 90.)  “It was in Srivasa Pandita’s house that Sri Chaitanya … Continue reading →

His Holiness, Tamal Krishna Goswami, was one of the foremost disciples of his Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada once said; “I have many intelligent disciples but two are most intelligent, Ramesvara das and Tamal Krishna Goswami. Goswami … Continue reading →

In the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā it is stated that Vakreśvara Paṇḍita was an incarnation of Aniruddha, one of the quadruple expansions of Viṣṇu (Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Aniruddha and Pradyumna).  He could dance wonderfully for seventy-two continuous hours. When Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu played in … Continue reading →

Syamananda Prabhu, a disciple of Hrdaya Caitanya, established the temple of Sri Radha-Syamasundara in Vrndavana. Sri Syamananda, Srinivasa and Narottama Dasa Thakura are eternal associates of Sri Gaurasundara. For the purpose of preaching the holy message of Sri Caitanya all over … Continue reading →

Once Bhimasena, asked the Srila Vyasadeva, the grandfather of the Pandavas, whether it was possible to return to the spiritual world without having observed fasting for Ekadasis. Bhimasena said to Vyasadeva, “O learned grandfather, my brothers Yudhisthira, Arjuna, Nakula and … Continue reading →

Ganga Puja is usually celebrated a day before Pandava Nirjala Ekadasi.  It is dedicated to Gangadevi, who descended to Earth on this day. Ganga descended to purge the cursed souls of King Bhagiratha’s ancestors.  Devotees gather at the banks of … Continue reading →

Coolangatta, on the Gold Coast, is a tourist resort town that gets hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. In the middle of the year, the township puts on a parade of vintage cars that go back to the 40s … Continue reading →

Devamrta Maharaja and I flew from the AGM in Australia to attend the AGM in New Zealand, which was held at New Varshana in Auckland. It’s always a pleasure visiting New Varshana because of the beautiful deities and temple and … Continue reading →

vedavyaso ya evasid daso vrindavano’dhunasakha yah kusumapidah karyatas tam samavishat  Vedavyasa became Vrindavan Das Thakur. Krishna’s friend Kusumapida also entered into him for special purposes. (Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 109)  Vrindavan Das was born on the Krishna-dvadashi of the month of Vaishakh in … Continue reading →

The leaders of the Australian Yatra came to New Govardhana for the annual general meeting. This year it was held in the special seminar room above the new goshala so we had the benefit of having mother cow and bull … Continue reading →

I’ve been visiting Govindas Asrama in Darlinghurst for years and the kirtan, lecture, prasadam program is still going strong. The crowd is mixed, but mainly westerners with half regulars and half new guests. Everyone is enthusiastic to chant the Hare … Continue reading →

ugro ’py anugra evayam sva-bhaktanam nr-kesari kesariva sva-potanam anyesam ugra-vikramah Although very ferocious, the lioness is very kind to her cubs. Similarly, although very ferocious to non-devotees like Hiranyakasipu, Lord  Nrsimha-deva is very, very soft and kind to devotees like … Continue reading →

Even though our New Gokula farm is about two hours drive from Sydney and about an hour from Newcastle, many people visit, even through the week. I was there for a Sunday program and around one hundred guests came through … Continue reading →

This year’s Rathayatra in Brisbane was held down town again with the beginning and end point being King George Square.  The parade went through the city streets for about an hour and Their Lordships, Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Devi rode … Continue reading →

Gadadhara Pandit was a childhood friend of Nimai and both were students in the same school. Gadadhara’s parents Madhav Mishra and Ratnawati were natives of Chattagram district but later moved to Navadwip. Gadadhara Pandit was born in Navadwip. In the … Continue reading →