Author Archives: Kevala Bhakti das (Keshav)

A sure sign that the annual Festival of India (Ratha-Yatra) is just around the corner (July 16-17, 2016) is the annual Jagannatha Snana-Yatra festival! Snana-Yatra is a wonderful festival, wherein Deities of Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balarama and Lady Subhadra will be bathed amidst amazing kirtan and chanting!

After the bathing ceremony (Snana-Yatra), Lord Jagannātha becomes “sick”. He is therefore removed to His private quarters, where no one can see Him. 

During the Ratha-Yatra Festival on July 16th, Lord Jagannātha will once again come before the public. Thus for thirteen days after the bathing ceremony, Lord Jagannātha is not visible to any visitors! Don’t miss out this last opportunity to see Lord Jagannatha before his grand Ratha-Yatra festival!

Srila Prabhupada’s mercy continues to bless and nourish our international movement in a myriad of ways, and the global Ratha-Yatras are indeed a prime example of but one such benediction.  Srila Prabhupada’s grace has transformed the once-rare opportunity to pull the ropes of the beautiful chariots of Lord Jagannatha, Lord Baladeva, and Lady Subhadra into an international phenomenon for devotees the world over.

We in Toronto’s Hare Krishna community are exceedingly fortunate to have had the opportunity to present this Ratha-Yatra festival for the past four decades where thousands enjoy the festival amidst the association of great Vaisnavas and ecstatic kirtans.

We would like to humbly invite everyone to join us this year, on July 16th-17th, 2016 for our 44th Annual Ratha-Yatra here in Toronto.

Festivities will kick off on Friday, July 15th as we celebrate a 12-Hour Kirtan, featuring B.B. Govinda Swami, Agnideva das, Amala Kirtan das and more!  We will be blowing the roof off New Remuna Dhama (ISKCON Toronto) with this 12-hour kirtan marathon. Once again, the special event is planned for Friday, July 15th from 10:00am to 10:00pm. This kirtan event is not to be missed!

Of course, this precedes the big weekend!  Toronto’s Ratha-Yatra has the unique distinction of being accredited by Madhuha das, the organizer of the traveling Festival of India tour, as being the largest Ratha-Yatra in North America with close to 40,000 people in attendance and a veritable plethora of Srila Prabhupada’s books sold each year!

Some of the unique features of Toronto’s Ratha-Yatra include:

• A Parade Right Through Downtown Toronto
• A “Bhajan Kutir” with Non-Stop Kirtan
• “Yoga Meltdown” – A Mini Yoga Festival
• Live Cooking Demonstrations
• Internationally-Acclaimed Arts & Entertainment and much more!

Most significantly, Toronto’s Ratha-Yatra presents a unique and wonderful outreach opportunity. Thousands of Torontonians observe the parade as it proceeds down Yonge Street and dance with us when the kirtan reaches its climax in the famous “Toronto Tunnel”.

Immediately following the parade, festival-goers enjoy a kirtan-filled ferry ride over to Centre Island, where celebrations continue for the rest of the weekend. While on Centre Island devotees will be able to enjoy the association of a number of distinguished personalities (see below)! The Centre Island festival-pavilion will also host a children’s area featuring fun and wholesome, Vedic-themed activities and events.  All in all, Toronto’s Ratha-Yatra will offer everyone a chance to experience a unique festival promoting simple-living and high-thinking, with kirtan on the streets, underground, and on the water!

We hope to see you at the big event!  Hare Krishna!!!

With summer in full swing, the excitement surrounding the 44th Annual Festival of India (Ratha-Yatra) is growing as each day passes!

The Festival of India has always relied on the power of volunteer efforts to make it the amazing success that it is today. Volunteering also means meeting incredible, new people while helping to make one of Toronto’s most astonishing summer events a reality. 

Whether doing truck loading/unloading or helping on the days of the festival itself, the heart and soul of the Festival of India are the volunteers who make it happen! 

Join our enthusiastic and energetic team and be part of the Festival of India family!

To sign up and register to be a volunteer, please click here and you will be directed to our online form. Once you have signed up, one of our friendly Volunteer Coordinators will be in touch. 

For all general questions and/or concerns, please feel free to contact: 
Volunteer Coordination Team
Festival of India (Toronto)
volunteers@festivalofindia.ca

Stay tuned for more exciting information about the festivities leading up to Festival of India!

Festival of India (Ratha-Yatra) Launch Party!
Date: Sunday, June 26th, 2016
Time: 12:00pm to 10:00pm
Location: Yonge-Dundas Square (southeast corner of Yonge and Dundas)
TTC Subway: Dundas Station

To kick off the official countdown to the 44th Annual Festival of India, a special day-long launch party will be held at Yonge-Dundas Square. The festival will include a cavalcade of activities, attractions and performances, including live art, vegetarian cooking demonstrations, free yoga classes, a South Asian bazaar, delicious food from Govinda’s, henna tattoos, face-painting, dress-in-a-saree booths, and more.

Also, be sure to stay until the evening to participate in an incredible, interactive mantra concert (kirtan) in which ancient sounds from the east will reverberate and grace Toronto’s busiest corner!

The Vedic Roots Montessori Academy (VRMA) is now open in Toronto!

Can you imagine a school where children are looked after academically, socially, cognitively, and spiritually? A school where the children learn reading, writing, arithmetic, and also wholesome Vedic values?

Opened in September of 2015, the Vedic Roots Montessori Academy aims to achieve this holistic vision. The Montessori method of education ensures that children develop the fullness of their individual human potential through independence, inner discipline, and discovery. The objective is to provide children with the structure, groundwork, knowledge and social skills to successfully move into the future. With the addition of a Vedic education, our students are sure to grow into healthy, happy, spiritually grounded adults. This spiritual soundness, in particular, can arm our children with the strength to resist peer pressure, and to cope with the stresses most students typically encounter.

The current program caters to toddlers aged 18 months to three years old.  Next year (September 2016), we will expand our programs to also include children who are 3-6 years of age.  Our hope is to continue to grow into a full functioning, multi-level Montessori school. If you are interested in learning more, don’t hesitate to contact us at:

Shyama Mohini Devi Dasi (Dr. Sonam Agarwal)
Director Vedic Roots Montessori Academy
admin@vedicroots.net
www.vedicroots.net

On Friday May 20, 2016, ISKCON Toronto will celebrate Narasimha Caturdasi. Lord Narasimhadeva is one of Lord Krishna’s incarnations in the form of half-man and half-lion. Lord Narasimhadeva descended to protect his young devotee Sri Prahlada Maharaja from his torturous father, King Hiranyakashipu.

There many prayers to Lord Narasimha that invoke powerful mantras for protection, appealing to the Lord’s half-lion incarnation and His weapons. These are for protection from such things as malevolent spirits and material desires, as well as increased devotion and a peaceful world.

We humbly invite you to join us to celebrate Nrsimha Caturdasi on Friday, May 20, 2016 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at the Hare Krishna Temple!

Stay tuned for more information!

The Toronto Hare Krishna Temple is participating in the first official “Toronto Interfaith Sustainability Bus Tour” on Sunday, May 15, 2016.  The event is being organized by TakingITGlobal, Toronto Hub, Explore150, and Faith & the Common Good.  The tour kicks off with a visit to the Hare Krishna Temple.  There is still space on the tour.  For more information, click here.  Details from the official event page are as follows:

WHEN 
Sunday, May 15th, 11:00am – 6:00pm

WHERE 
A chartered, private bus will visit the following sites:

• Hare Krishna Temple
• Ismaili Centre and Aga Khan Museum
• St. Gabriel’s Parish and Eco-Sabbath Program
• Jaffari Islamic Community Centre
• Shoresh Jewish Centre and Kavanah Garden

This innovative bus tour will explore how different faith groups in Toronto are working towards more sustainable and healthier communities — from eco-spiritual practices and local food systems to green architecture and waste management.  Together, we will increase our understanding and appreciation of different faiths and invigorate our capacity to work across traditional divides. Registered participants will receive optional pre-reading materials closer to the event — this is a wonderful event for the whole family, and anyone who is curious to learn more about Toronto’s different religions and spaces.
We hope people will continue to take an interest, and we’re confident you’ll find the experience to be meaningful.

ATTENDEES MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE AS SPACES ARE LIMITED.

The $20 registration fee covers the bus rental and insurance, and the cost of lunch and refreshments throughout the day.

This event is presented by the following partners: TakingITGlobal, the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community – Toronto Hub, Explore150, and Faith & the Common Good.

Srimad Bhagavatam is described as the ripened fruit of all Vedic knowledge. Reading and discussing Srimad Bhagavatam is a core practice amongst Hare Krishnas (bhakti-yogis). By the regular reading and discussing of the Srimad Bhagavatam, one not only acquires deep spiritual realizations but also overcomes several disturbances to ones  inner happiness and overall success in life.

We invite you to special interactive classes on the Srimad Bhagavatam every weekend (Saturday and Sunday). While Bhagavtam classes actually take place every day of the week, we specially invite you to join us on the weekends.  Classes take place on Saturday and Sunday mornings and start at around 7:30am and go until about 8:45am.  You are most welcome to join us for these special morning classes!

“The meaning of the Vedānta-sūtra is present in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The full purport of the Mahābhārata is also there. The commentary of the Brahma-gāyatrī is also there and fully expanded with all Vedic knowledge. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the supreme Purāṇa, and it was compiled by the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His incarnation as Vyāsadeva. There are twelve cantos, 335 chapters and eighteen thousand verses.”

Upcoming Speakers for Bhagavatam Classes:

• Saturday, April 30th – Kevala Bhakti das
• Saturday, May 7 – To Be Determined
• Saturday, May 14 – Vidurpriya Prabhu
• Saturday, May 22 – Vaisesika Prabhu
• Saturday, May 28 – Katamrta devi dasi
• Saturday, June 4 – Mother Devaki
• Saturday, June 11 – Akrura Prabhu
• Saturday, June 18 – Akrura Prabhu
• Saturday, June 25 – Mother Laxmimoni 

* Sunday Classes each week are usually delivered by Rupanuga das

On Friday, April 15, 2016, Toronto’s Hare Krishna Temple will celebrate the Appearance of Lord Ramachandra – Rama Navami.

Lord Ramachandra is Krishna’s avatar who ruled the earth as the ideal king. He appeared more than two million years ago. Under the order of His father, Lord Ramachandra lived in the forest for fourteen years, along with His wife, Sita Devi, and His younger brother, Lakshmana.

After the powerful demon Ravana kidnapped His wife, Lord Ramachandra rescued her, with the help of His faithful servant Hanuman, and killed Ravana along with Ravana’s armies. The history of Lord Ramachandra’s pastimes is recounted by the sage Valmiki in his Ramayana.  Everyone is welcome to attend this special festival!

Festivities will take place on Friday, April 15, 2016 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at the Hare Krishna Temple! Below is the schedule for the festival (subject to change):

6:00pm to 6:30pm – Kirtan (Arati)
6:30pm to 6:40pm  – Welcome & Announcements
6:40pm to 7:15pm – Class by Mahabhagavat das
7:15pm to 7:30pm – Rama Navami Quiz!
7:30pm to 8:00pm – Vegetarian Feast (Prasadam)
8:00pm to 8:30pm – Kirtan (Arati)