Author Archives: H.H. Ramai Swami

On September 2nd, 1838 on a Sunday in the ancient village of Biranagara (Ulagrama) located in the district of Nadia, Thakura Bhaktivinoda took his birth in the family of Raja Krishnananda Datta, who was a great devotee of Lord Nityananda. … Continue reading →

The Singapore devotees took me to a couple of our restaurants that I had never seen before. One was called The Holy Cow and the other Svarg, as in the heavenly abode. The first restaurant, operated by Krishnacandra prabhu was … Continue reading →

I lost count of how many times I have transited through Singapore Airport to other countries. However, it’s been years since I actually went inside to visit devotees and participate in programs. This time I did just that and was … Continue reading →

Seattle is a large city so could have a lot of ISKCON temples in different areas. To accommodate a growing devotee community a property was bought in the Bellevue district, which is an important business area just outside downtown Seattle. … Continue reading →

It was good to be back at Sri Sri Radha Nila Madhava temple, Seattle. Many years ago there were so few devotees here that the leadership was thinking to move the deities to a temple where They could be worshiped … Continue reading →

On the occasion of Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasapuja ceremony, I would like to offer some of my homage to him: It became apparent the movement would spread Because Śrīla Prabhupāda was at the head On and on to every village and … Continue reading →

We celebrated Sri Krsna Janmastami this year very blissfully at Jagannatha Gauranga temple in Bali. There are six major temples in Bali and each one had their own festivities. There were yajnas, abhisekha, kirtana, dancing, lecture, midnight aroti and feast … Continue reading →

Sri Sri Radha Govinda Temple is nestled in the hills about two hours away from Jakarta. I visited here after doing some programs at our temple in the city. It was good to be back after an absence of 3 … 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 →

Radha Krsna Jhulan Yatra (or swing festival) starts on ekadasi of the waxing moon of Sridhara month. Many temples in Vrndavana celebrate Krsna’s swing festival, some for one day, others for more days. Traditionally, many of the Deities of the … Continue reading →

The Radha Gopinatha temple land in Baha, Bali was the original property that was bought many years ago. It is about an hour from central Denpasar in a beautiful village area. For a long time there was not enough money … Continue reading →

Śrīla Vamsi Das Babaji appeared in the village of Majidpur in the Jamalpur district of Bangladesh. He was a paramahamsa Vaiṣṇava who acted in the manner of an avadhuta. Vamsi Das lived in Nabadvīpa under a tree on the banks … Continue reading →

The third member of the chatur-vyuha, Pradyumna, took part in Radha Madhava’s lila in Vraja as Krishna’s intimate friend or priya-narma-sakha. He has now appeared as Raghunandan, whose body is not different from that of Chaitanya. (Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 70) Raghunandan was … Continue reading →

Once upon a time, by the arrangement of providence, an extra month came to this world. Everyone took this month to be most inauspicious, and even saw it as a stool-like month. Being so rejected by all human beings, and … Continue reading →

It was my pleasure to again visit the beautiful Sri Sri Radha Kunjabihari temple in Klungkung, Bali. We have five main temples in Bali and quite a number of smaller preaching centres. Every week the devotees come together for aroti, … Continue reading →

I haven’t been to the Radha Krishna Centre on the Gold Coast for a while and it was great to go again. Rupavilasa, who is a doctor originally from Fiji, bought this building around six years ago and renovated it … Continue reading →

Sydney CBD on a Saturday afternoon is always busy with people coming in to shop, go to restaurants etc. Devotees for years have been going on harinama, book distribution and prasadam distribution. I again had the opportunity to go out … Continue reading →

Recently, the devotees from Govindas in Sydney finished three weeks of every night harinama at the yearly Vivid Festival, where huge crowds turned out. They said people were really appreciative and it was fantastic. I had the opportunity to go … Continue reading →

Srila Prabhupada gives the following information about Lokanatha Goswami: ” Lokanatha Goswami was a personal associate of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and a great devotee of the Lord. He was a resident of a village named Talakhadi in the district of … Continue reading →

Shri Vyenkatta Bhatta was a Vaishnava brahmana and an inhabitant of Shri Rangakshetra. He belonged in the disciplic succession of Shri Ramanujacharya. Shri Rangam is one of the places of pilgrimage in the province of Tamila-desha. The inhabitants of that … Continue reading →

Sri Sanatana Gosvami appeared in 1488, five years before Sri Rupa Gosvami, in a Sarasvata brahmana family in Bengal. Sanatana and his two brothers, Rupa and Anupama, were always absorbed in bhava bhakti from early childhood. Remembering Vrndavana, they named the forests … Continue reading →

The saintly king Yudhishthira Maharaj said, “Oh Keshava, what is the name of that Ekadasi that occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Ashadha (June – July)? Who is the worshipable Deity for the auspicious day, and what … Continue reading →

Hera denotes seeing, while Panchami denotes the fifth day. The great festival of Hera Panchami is held on the fifth day after Rathayatra. Lord Jagannatha departed the temple in Jagannatha Puri (representing Dwarka) on the day of the Rathayatra and … Continue reading →

The devotees at Sri Sri Radha Rasesvara temple organised a beautiful Rathayatra parade around the temple and hundreds attended. Their Lordships, Jagannatha, Balarama and Subadra were pulled with devotees chanting and dancing in ecstasy. The Lord stopped half way and … Continue reading →

I was invited to a program at New Puri Dhama, which is a farming project on the way to Singaraja, Bali. Sanat Kumara and his brother bought this property a few years back and have been growing organic rice, spinach, … Continue reading →

Srivasa Thakura is understood as tatastha-shakti, a marginal energy of Bhagavan, Krishna, in person. Devotees who are headed by Srivasa Thakura are described as ‘parts’ of transcendental body of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (his eyes, ears, hands, disc/cakra, etc.). They all participated in … Continue reading →

After an absence of three or four years because of CoVid, I once again visited our temple and asrama in Lombok, Indonesia. There is a nama hatta group in the city of Mataram and the temple itself about 30 minutes … Continue reading →

In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika, verse 71, it is stated that Vakresvara Pandita was an incarnation of Aniruddha, one of the quadruple expansions of Visnu (Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Aniruddha and Pradyumna). He could dance wonderfully for seventy-two continuous hours. When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu … Continue reading →

The Snana yatra bathing ceremony of Lord Jagannath has become one of the most popular festivals on the Iskcon calendar over the years since His Divine Grace Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada introduced it to the world outside of India. … Continue reading →

When Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared to propagate the Sankirtana Movement, Panihati became a major centre of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas. The residential quarters of Sri Raghava Pandita (one of the associates of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu) still exists in Panihati. Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was a devotee … Continue reading →

Baladeva Vidyabhusana was born in Orissa, near Puri, in a place called Chilka Lake. He was very brilliant, and in his boyhood he learned all vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar) as well as the Vedas, Upanisads and all other scriptures. He wanted … Continue reading →

Within the present state of Bengal, lies what was once the kingdom of Shri Naresh Narayana. King Naresh Narayana had a daughter named Sachi. From early childhood, Sachi was a topmost devotee of the Lord. Within a short time, Sachi … Continue reading →

Adi Kesava das and Syamarupa dd have been living in Cairns for over 20 years and hold weekly preaching programs in a city hall. They are from Fiji, both doctors and disciples of HH Tamal Krsna Goswami. Big festivals like … Continue reading →

The mother of Srila Vrindavana dasa Thakura’s was Sri Narayani devi, the niece of Srivasa pandita. In his Sri Caitanya Bhagavata, Vrndavana dasa has described how his mother attained the affectionate fervour of Sri Gaurasundara. Vrindavana dasa was born four … Continue reading →

There are two Arjunas in Krishna lila: one is a priya-narma-sakha in Vraja, the other is one of the Pandavas. These two combined to become Ramananda Raya, the dear companion of Mahaprabhu. He was very knowledgeable in the teachings of … Continue reading →

Some of the disciples of HH Kadamba Kanana Maharaja invited me for his Vyasapuja ceremony on a Tweed River boat they had hired. Maharaja passed away from this world a month or two ago and this was the first observance … Continue reading →

Before Lord Caitanya appeared He sent His eternal associates like Sri Advaita Acarya, Sri Jagannatha Misra, Saci Mata, Madhavendra Puri, Isvari Puri to earth. Sri Madhavendra Puri took initiation from Sri Laksmipati Tirtha in the Madhvacarya sampradaya. He had many but … Continue reading →

Lord Nrsimha is the incarnation of Lord Krsna that appeared to protect his young devotee Prahlada. He appeared as half-man half-lion and killed the envious, atheistic demon, Hiranyakashipu who was materialism personified (hiran-gold, kasipu-soft bed). Devotees pray to Lord Nrsimhadeva … Continue reading →

I recently attended the Brisbane Rathayatra, which started and finished at the Town Hall square. This event was held a little earlier than the normal Rathayatra date because it was the only time of the year the devotees could book … Continue reading →

One of the Saptadevalyas (seven ancient temples) of Vrindavan, Shri Gopinath Mandir was founded by Madhu Pandit whose glories are sung in the Bhakti Ratnakar. His Samadhi is found near the temple courtyard. Madhu Pandit was the disciple of Shri Gadadhar Goswami … Continue reading →