Author Archives: H.H. Ramai Swami

The Bhakti Tree in Newcastle recently celebrated its third year since opening with a special program for the evening. Prasadam was served first from 6pm and over a hundred guests came. This was followed by a wonderful kirtan led by … Continue reading →

The Canberra Bhakti Vrksa program has been going on for over 10 years. I was a guest at the last one and quite a number of devotees and friends attended. What is a “Bhakti Vrksa program?”. It is when a … Continue reading →

This year, I was fortunate to be at our Sydney Temple for Gaura Purnima. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu was born in Mayapur in the town of Nadia just after sunset on the evening of the 18th of February 1486. The moon … Continue reading →

Mahaprabhu’s seniors, His parents and gurus, are all His servants and eternal associates and they take their birth prior to His appearance in order to serve Him in their own way. Srila Madhavendra Puri appeared in the 14th century. Sri Advaita … Continue reading →

The GBC members again came to Mayapur for the annual general meeting, which lasted around eleven days. Different topics were discussed and ministers gave their reports in the areas of health and welfare, devotee care, deity worship, book distribution, communications, … Continue reading →

As always, the Mayapur Kirtan Mela is immensely popular and devotees come for all over to attend the 5 day festival. There are a variety of leading devotees who inspire everyone to follow their ecstatic kirtans, which are interspersed with … Continue reading →

The 2018 ISKCON Leadership Sanga (ILS) in Mayapur spanned a period of eight days and was attended by more than eight hundred devotees from all over the world. Devotees enthusiastically went to numerous seminars given by leaders involved in various … Continue reading →

Devotees from all over the world travelled to Mayapur to see the Chakras of the ToVP installed on the domes of Their Lordships, Sri Sri Radha Madhava/Panca Tattva and Lord Nrsimhadeva. The ceremony started around 9.00am with a welcome from … Continue reading →

Lord Nityananda appeared in the village of Ekachakra, in West Bengal, India, around 1474. In the Caitanya Caritamrita He is declared to be the avatar of Lord Balarama, the direct expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. His father … Continue reading →

Australia Day is a national holiday and many parades are held in cities and towns across the country. I was invited to participate in the multicultural procession by the Adelaide co TP, Adi Purusa Krsna das. The devotees brought our … Continue reading →

Ambarish Maharaja das and Ananga Manjari devi dasi have been serving at the Wellington temple for ten years since coming from Pune, India. Although both working, they seem to have boundless energy for preaching. In the last few years they … Continue reading →

It’s always nice being invited to Nama Hatta programs when I come to Auckland. The devotees have them regularly every week at different homes around town. One function I went to was with the family of Suryacandra Krishna das and … Continue reading →

Nimananda Prabhu came with his family from Fiji to New Zealand some twenty years ago. He and his wife performed services in our temples like cooking, deity worship and HK Food for Life. After a time he started selling bhuja … Continue reading →

Some of the congregational leaders from the New Varshana Auckland temple organised a Bhakti Shastri retreat for a group of devotees studying for the degree. It was in a beautiful area of Auckland called Huia and the devotees stayed in … Continue reading →

I am very close to my dear godbrother, Venugopal das, since we were young brahmacaris living and travelling together in the early days of ISKCON Australia. Venu was diagnosed with terminal cancer a few months ago and will leave his … Continue reading →

Adi Purusa Das, the TP of Canberra temple, invited me to a kirtan program on a Saturday night. Even though on that day it was nearly 40 degrees, quite a few devotees attended the evening of blissful chanting. Apart from … Continue reading →

I was invited to lunch with Bhakti Caru Maharaja during his recent visit to Sydney. This was arranged at the home of one of his disciples. I must say that it was so nice because his disciples are such good … Continue reading →

It’s been a tradition for me that when I’m in Sydney for New Years Eve I go on Harinama around the Opera House, Circular Quay and Rocks area. We usually go down a little early around 5 or 6pm because … Continue reading →

Christmas is celebrated by millions all over the world. Thousands of the ISKCON congregation, although not Christians, visit our temples on Christmas day. Carparks are full and temple rooms packed out. Srila Prabhupada commented on Jesus Christ many times: “Jesus … Continue reading →

Srila Jiva Goswami made his appearance in 1533 and disappeared from view at the age of 85 in 1540. As a child, Sri Jiva took up the worship of Rama-Krsna Deities. Carefully decorating Them, and offering bhoga and arati, he … Continue reading →

Srila Locana Dasa Thakura appeared in this world in 1520 A.D., thirty-four years after the appearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Locana Dasa wrote a biography on Lord Caitanya entitled Sri Caitanya Mangala, based on the diary of Murari Gupta. He … Continue reading →

There are many devotional programs going on in the greater Sydney area. Sometimes they are held in halls and other times at devotee homes. Generally, there is kirtan, lecture, arati and prasadam feast. Recently, I was invited to attend a … Continue reading →

Occasionally, when I travel to our ISKCON centres, I like to visit the restaurants to see how they are going. Generally, all of them do very well and some exceptional well. On a recent visit to Perth I headed into … Continue reading →

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, appeared in Sri Ksetra Dhama, (Jagannatha Puri) on February 6th 1874 as the son of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. In his childhood he quickly mastered the Vedas, memorised the Bhagavad-Gita, and relished his father’s philosophical works. He … Continue reading →

I was recently in Perth and attended the Sunday program where I led kirtana and gave class. As always, it’s always a pleasure visiting the devotees as well greeting new guests. There were many nice questions and comments and afterwards … Continue reading →

On this day, 5000 years ago, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, the Supreme Lord Krsna delivered the most confidential and topmost knowledge of devotional service in the form of Bhagavad-Gita to His dear devotee Arjuna. The Bhagavad-Gita is also meant … Continue reading →

Prahladananda Das and Vraja Kumari Devi Dasi decided to have their wedding at New Gokula, Millfield. Jayasri devi dasi and Pratapana das, the parents of the bride, organised it very nicely. A special guest was Indradyumna Maharaja, Vraja’s guru, who … Continue reading →

After visiting Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne temples, the ToVP team went to Sydney. The function was held at the North Ryde School of Arts hall, which the temple management use to fund raise for their new temple out west. The … Continue reading →

The famous kirtan leader, Sri Prahlada, was scheduled to head up the chanting at the Bhakti Tree in Newcastle on Friday evening, but everyone was pleasantly surprised when Indradyumna Maharaja accompanied him and gave a talk as well. Maharaja was … Continue reading →

Most devotees around the world have heard of the Temple of Vedic Planetarium (ToVP) in Mayapur. The super structure is finished, tiles  are being laid, but there’s a long way to go. To this end, a devotee team headed by … Continue reading →

A lot of people visit New Govardhana and stay in either the asramas, (for the serious ones) the cabins, retreat facility, or perhaps down at Krsna Village for Wwoofers and yoga aspirants. The devotees have regular programs of lecture/seminar, kirtan … Continue reading →

The marriage of Tulsi with Vishnu/Krishna resembles a traditional wedding. The marriage ceremony is conducted at homes and temples where a fast is observed on the Tulsi Vivaha day until evening when the ceremony begins. The bride, Tulsi, is clothed with … Continue reading →

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada departed from this world on November 14, 1977, in Vrindavan, India, in his rooms at the Krishna-Balarama temple, surrounded by hundreds of his disciples chanting Hare Krsna. Up until moments before his passing, … Continue reading →

Govardhana Puja is celebrated in the month of Kartika (October – November) to commemorate the pastime of Lord Sri Krishna lifting the Govardhana Hill to protect the residents of Vrindavana from the wrath of Indra. When the Supreme Lord Sri … Continue reading →

Kartik (Damodar) is the best, the purest of purifiers, and most glorious of all months. Kartik month is particularly dear to Lord Sri Krishna. This month is full of bhakta vatsalya. Any vrata, even the smallest, will yield huge results. … Continue reading →

The GBC Body met at ISKCON Ujjain on the invitation of HH Bhakti Caru Maharaja, this year’s GBC Chairman. The mid-term meeting is held at a different location every year and next year it will be at ISKCON Kanpur. The … Continue reading →

Our temple in Ujjain was officially opened in 2006. It is a magnificent structure with beautiful deities of Sri Sri Radha Madanamohana, Krsna Balarama, Jagannatha, Balarama, Subhadra, Gaura Nitai and Lord Nrsimhadeva. The compound also has a large brahmacari asrama, … Continue reading →