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Mandakini d.d. speaks about the first books to reach Moscow
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Sri Madhu Pandit Goswami
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Srila Madhu Pandit is the disciple of Sri Gadadhara Pandit. Vrajanabha the great grandson of Krishna established the deity of Gopinatha in Vrindavan. This deity was later worshipped by Madhu Pandit. When the great Acharya Srinivas and Narottam and Ramchandra were to start their distribution of books and preaching work Madhu Pandita gave them a […]
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Godsisters visit to Hungary
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NASN April 2016 -North American Sankirtan Newsletter
→ Dandavats
By Mayapur Sasi dasa
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N O R T H A M E R I C A N S A N K I R T A N N E W S L E T T E R
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April 2016 5/14/2016
For the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada this file contains
the following North American results for the month of April:
North American Totals
Monthly Temples
Monthly Weekend Warriors etc.
Monthly Top 100 Individuals
Monthly Top 5
Cumulative Countries
Cumulative Temples
Cumulative Top 100 Individuals
Cumulative Top 5
This file is best viewed and printed using a fixed pitch font. In WinCOM
select Options, General, and change to Fixed pitch. In a word processor
chose Edit, Select All, and select a fixed pitch font such as Courier.
All glories to your service,
Your servant, Mayapur Sasi dasa
Scores received thru 05/14/2016
North American offering to Srila Prabhupada
MahaBig Big Medium Small BTGs Total Total % Templ/
Books Books Books Books Mags Books Points Change Devote
--------------------------------------------------------------------
January 13132 7201 7126 17240 4382 49081 41798.20 +11% 23/ 88
February 13077 11031 11784 20907 5770 62569 48933.55 +39% 23/ 92
March 14063 6467 7115 20533 4835 53013 43798.05 +13% 19/ 64
April 16777 11350 10620 30967 6695 76409 58651.65 -9% 23/ 89
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals 57049 36049 36645 89647 21682 241072 193181.45 +10% 29/135
(%)Change compared
to last year
North American Sankirtan Newsletter
ALL TEMPLES
April 2016
% M-Big Big Medium Small BTGs
Temples (size) Points Change Books Books Books Books Mags
_______________________________________________________________________
1 Los Angeles (L) US 16493.50* +19% 3680 4495* 4152 10130 300
2 RupanugaVedicColle US 12303.20* +74% 4046 3187* 97 2128* 4437*
3 Baltimore (MS) US 4725.70*+123% 2079 5 20* 2010* 502*
4 Chicago (S) US 4559.70*+192% 1186* 878* 921* 3390* 17
5 TBB TSKP (MS) US 3746.75 -11% 429 1281 2044 2343 0
6 Silicon Valley(ISV US 3213.75*+118% 1567* 12* 0 271 0
7 Gainesville (M) US 2204.75 -37% 549 523 712 911 0
8 Denver (M) US 2139.75 -9% 720 304* 281 837 460
9 Hillsborough, NC ( US 1823.30*+176% 455* 124* 132* 2778* 288
10 Laguna Beach (S) US 1418.75* +49% 666* 16 29 185 100
11 New Orleans (S) US 1251.25*+116% 70* 0 1051* 2339* 10
12 Toronto (S) Can 1075.95* +72% 250 37 123 1789* 38
13 New Talavan (S) US 975.50 -23% 350 14* 512 22 0
14 Dallas (M) US 513.75 +4% 160 73 94 259 90
15 San Diego (M) US 456.25*+205% 87* 148* 169* 199* 0
16 Atlanta (S) US 399.25 na 69 114 0 589 0
17 Hartford (MS) US 377.20 +2% 131 47* 99* 58 42
18 Miami (S) US 350.75 -39% 109 32 1 401 0
19 Sacramento/TYM (S) US 272.30 -29% 104 21 54 60 13
20 Berkeley (S) US 238.10*+117% 41* 28* 84* 186* 396*
21 Vancouver (S) Can 91.50 +8% 21 11 43 68 0
22 Texarkana (S) US 18.95*+441% 8* 0 0 11* 2
23 Arkadelphia (S) US 1.75 -80% 0 0 2 3* 0
(%)Change compared (*)New record
to monthly average for this year
North American Sankirtan Newsletter
WEEKEND WARRIORS ETC
April 2016
% M-Big Big Medium Small BTGs
Individuals or Group Points Change Books Books Books Books Mags
_______________________________________________________________________
1 WW Jiva Daya Mar Bal US 4725.70* +51% 2079 5 20* 2010* 502*
2 WW Team ISV Week Sil US 3213.75*+118% 1567* 12* 0 271 0
3 WW Toronto WW Tor Can 453.00* +48% 165* 23* 75 250* 0
4 WW Dallas Dal US 205.50* +43% 56* 53* 39 84* 0
5 CP LA Sastra Dan LA US 23.00 -91% 1 1 20 40 0
6 WW Chicago MSF Chi US 15.95*+106% 2 5 2 19* 12
(%)Change compared (*)New record
to monthly average for this year
North American Sankirtan Newsletter
TOP 100 INDIVIDUALS
April 2016
% M-Big Big Medium Small BTGs
Individuals Points Change Books Books Books Books Mags
_______________________________________________________________________
1 Bk Jay Khush LA US 3908.45* +25% 1025* 781* 748* 2447 917*
2 Paramesvara d RVC US 3520.75* +32% 1122* 877* 4 543* 2620*
3 Krishna Bhagavan RVC US 2978.40* +9% 975 809* 0 478* 999
4 Ananda Kirtan d LA US 2868.75 +36% 1028 334 107 1701 0
5 Gauranga Prema d LA US 2806.75*+186% 627* 774* 1331* 453* 0
6 Bhrgupati d LA US 1941.20*+163% 356* 772* 480* 864 12
7 Bk Storm LA US 1936.50* +5% 473 523* 354 1162* 0
8 Dharmaraja d RVC US 1918.30* +81% 574* 629* 0 528* 93
9 Brajananda d RVC US 1795.95* +45% 590* 512* 3 371* 97
10 Prema Sankirtan LA US 1666.75 +4% 397 606 175 717 0
11 Nidra dd Den US 1236.75 +34% 459 217* 101 205 0
12 Gaur Sundar d LA US 1111.70 -35% 512 62 35 30 7
13 Dasya Prema d RVC US 1036.15 -13% 372 224 24 133* 229
14 Drumila d NO US 953.75*+216% 17* 0 852* 1975* 0
15 Krsna Kumar d TBB US 894.75*+176% 23* 482* 523* 421* 0
16 Bk Carlos Gai US 863.25 -28% 248 211 124* 377 0
17 Mohanasini dd Tal US 855.50 -29% 350 14* 272 22 0
18 Deva Krsna d RVC US 726.90 -55% 320 44 0 12 399
19 Bk Carlos TBB US 723.50 -27% 103 170 388 614 0
20 Bk Karim TBB US 722.50 +27% 116* 155 370 602 0
21 Ekasma d LA US 690.00*+187% 158* 133* 280 404* 0
22 Kalki d(2 Kimani Gai US 622.75 -25% 150 214 178* 79 0
23 Raya Nitai d TBB US 549.50 -47% 63 195 315 284 0
24 Shastra-krt d LA US 532.50* +19% 170* 0 0 770* 0
25 Madhava Puri d TBB US 452.50 -11% 48 168 194 366* 0
26 Aditya Narayan d Hil US 440.75*+174% 112 13 4 807* 0
27 Radha Krishna d LA US 438.60 +23% 155* 63 58 144 6
28 Bk Joey TBB US 404.00 -24% 76 111 254 56 0
29 Bn Demi Tor Can 400.95*+999% 8* 3 4 1519* 2
30 Madhukari d Atl US 399.25 -52% 69 114* 0 589* 0
31 Bk Akshay Hil US 299.75 na 95 69 0 163 0
32 Bk Adam RVC US 287.25 na 92 64 54 49 0
33 Prana Hari d Den US 264.25 -20% 106 14 15* 123 0
34 Visala d Mia US 248.00* +61% 69* 20* 0 360* 0
35 Bk Chang SD US 237.75*+178% 58* 80* 54* 59* 0
36 Bk Mikey Gai US 218.00 na 54 32 80 152 0
37 Bn Karly Gai US 204.25 -67% 67 29 36 93 0
38 Harish Kumar d Chi US 192.00 na 96 0 0 0 0
39 Sacitanoy d LA US 180.50 -64% 39 86 4 58 0
40 Visva dd Chi US 178.75*+155% 71* 18* 20* 35 0
41 Dinabandhu Guru Ber US 174.50* +91% 25* 22* 52* 154* 380*
42 Ananta Gopal d NO US 161.50*+135% 50* 0 78* 90* 0
43 Cakri d Dallas Dal US 150.25 -29% 58 0 0 101 90*
44 Vinoda Kovida d Den US 132.25 +10% 45 23 15 47* 0
45 Kaivalya dd Tal US 120.00*+104% 0 0 240* 0 0
46 Syama dd LA US 117.50*+171% 0 0 0 270* 500*
47 Caitanya dd Gai US 115.00 -55% 4 29 101* 110* 0
48 Ekatvam d Gur US 107.00 +28% 18 0 104* 76 0
49 Nanda Suno d Den US 103.25 -54% 28 22 31 39 0
50 Lilakara d Mia US 102.25 -8% 40* 12 0 41 0
51 Rohini Nandan d NO US 101.00 -33% 3 0 80* 220 0
52 Karuna Dharini LA US 96.50*+162% 42* 3 5 28* 0
53 Bk Oscar LA US 94.75 -64% 16 27 26 91 0
54 Bn Autumn Gai US 87.75 na 26 8 23 65 0
55 Samyaprasa d Den US 83.25 -6% 26 12 26 25* 0
56 Bn Tessa Gai US 82.50*+725% 0 0 160* 10 0
57 Bk Mitch Rampp Chi US 80.25 +58% 13 31 26* 41* 0
58 Ananda Murari d Den US 79.75 -15% 29 6 19 25* 0
59 Lalita dd Ber US 63.60*+249% 16* 6* 32* 32* 16*
60 Gopi Gita dd LA US 63.00*+388% 0 0 47* 158* 0
61 Shankar Pandit d Chi US 59.75 -1% 0 0 0 239* 0
62 Bk Himanshu Chi US 57.50 -80% 0 50 0 30 0
63 Bk Matsu Den US 54.50 -32% 15 4 26* 30* 0
64 Banke Bihari dd Van Can 42.00* +76% 12* 1 12* 44* 0
65 Bk Sebastian LA US 40.50 -8% 0 2 6 142 0
66 Dvijamani Gaura RVC US 39.50 -30% 1 28* 12 14* 0
67 Sarvatarak d NO US 34.00 -67% 0 0 41 54 0
68 Sridhar Syama d Dal US 34.00* +23% 9* 5 14* 16* 0
69 Kamalini dd Hil US 28.05 na 5 6 15 17 3
70 Bk Marquis SD US 27.50 -35% 1 14 12 22 0
71 Amala Purana d Den US 27.25 -82% 4 4 21 19 0
72 Balaram d SD US 26.00*+263% 2 7* 17* 26* 0
73 Tulasi Vallabha Den US 20.50* +61% 8* 2 0 10* 0
74 Ramanuja d Van Can 18.00* +64% 1 7* 12* 12 0
75 Apurva d Hil US 16.20 na 3 3 6 8 22
76 Bn Christiana Gai US 11.25 na 0 0 10 25 0
77 Visnu Gada d Van Can 9.75 -56% 1 3 7 5 0
78 Jagatpati d Van Can 5.75 -53% 0 0 9 5 0
79 Balabhadra d Van Can 2.00 na 1 0 0 0 0
80 Visnu Priya dd Van Can 2.00 -50% 1 0 0 0 0
81 Digpala d NO US 1.00 na 0 0 0 0 10
82 Tadiya dd Den US 1.00 0% 0 0 0 4 0
83 Nartaka Gopal dd Mia US 0.50 -88% 0 0 1 0 0
(%)Change compared (*)New record
to monthly average for this year
North American Sankirtan Newsletter
MONTHLY TOP 5 TEMPLES AND INDIVIDUALS
April 2016
-------- Points -------- ----------- Points -----------
1 Los Angeles 16493.50 1 Bk Jay Khush LA 3908.45
2 RupanugaVedicCollege 12303.20 2 Paramesvara d RVC 3520.75
3 Baltimore 4725.70 3 Krishna Bhagavan d RVC 2978.40
4 Chicago 4559.70 4 Ananda Kirtan d LA 2868.75
5 TBB TSKP 3746.75 5 Gauranga Prema dChinLA 2806.75
----- (%)Increase ------ -------- (%)Increase ---------
1 Texarkana +441% 1 Bn Demi Toronto +999%
2 San Diego +205% 2 Bn Tessa Gainesvil +725%
3 Chicago +192% 3 Gopi Gita dd LA +388%
4 Hillsborough, NC +176% 4 Lalita dd Berkeley +249%
5 Baltimore +123% 5 Drumila d New Orlea +216%
---- Maha-Big Books ---- ------- Maha-Big Books -------
1 RupanugaVedicCollege 4046 1 Paramesvara d RVC 1122
2 Los Angeles 3680 2 Ananda Kirtan d LA 1028
3 Baltimore 2079 3 Bk Jay Khush LA 1025
4 Silicon Valley(ISV) 1567 4 Krishna Bhagavan d RVC 975
5 Chicago 1186 5 Gauranga Prema dChinLA 627
------ Big Books ------- ---------- Big Books ---------
1 Los Angeles 4495 1 Paramesvara d RVC 877
2 RupanugaVedicCollege 3187 2 Krishna Bhagavan d RVC 809
3 TBB TSKP 1281 3 Bk Jay Khush LA 781
4 Chicago 878 4 Gauranga Prema dChinLA 774
5 Gainesville 523 5 Bhrgupati d LA 772
----- Medium Books ----- -------- Medium Books --------
1 Los Angeles 4152 1 Gauranga Prema dChinLA 1331
2 TBB TSKP 2044 2 Drumila d New Orlea 852
3 New Orleans 1051 3 Bk Jay Khush LA 748
4 Chicago 921 4 Krsna Kumar d TBB TSKP 523
5 Gainesville 712 5 Bhrgupati d LA 480
----- Small Books ------ -------- Small Books ---------
1 Los Angeles 10130 1 Bk Jay Khush LA 2447
2 Chicago 3390 2 Drumila d New Orlea 1975
3 Hillsborough, NC 2778 3 Ananda Kirtan d LA 1701
4 TBB TSKP 2343 4 Bn Demi Toronto 1519
5 New Orleans 2339 5 Bk Storm LA 1162
------ Magazines ------- --------- Magazines ----------
1 RupanugaVedicCollege 4437 1 Paramesvara d RVC 2620
2 Baltimore 502 2 Krishna Bhagavan d RVC 999
3 Denver 460 3 Bk Jay Khush LA 917
4 Berkeley 396 4 Syama dd LA 500
5 Los Angeles 300 5 Deva Krsna d RVC 399
------ Full Sets ------- --------- Full Sets ----------
1 Baltimore 48 1 Gaur Sundar d LA 14
2 Los Angeles 19 2 Nidra dd Denver 8
3 Silicon Valley(ISV) 10 3 Aditya Narayan d Hillsboro 4
4 Denver 8 4 Shastra-krt d LA 1
5 Hillsborough, NC 6 5 Ekatvam d Gurabo (P 1
----- BBT Payments ----- ------ Matajis - Points ------
1 Los Angeles 30546 1 Nidra dd Denver 1236.75
2 Toronto 14265 2 Mohanasini dd New Talav 855.50
3 Gainesville 9834 3 Visva dd Chicago 178.75
4 TBB TSKP 8897 4 Kaivalya dd New Talav 120.00
5 RupanugaVedicCollege 5432 5 Syama dd LA 117.50
--- Bhaktas - Points --- ----- Bhaktins - Points ------
1 Bk Jay Khush LA 3908.45 1 Bn Demi Toronto 400.95
2 Bk Storm LA 1936.50 2 Bn Karly Gainesvil 204.25
3 Bk Carlos Gainesvil 863.25 3 Bn Autumn Gainesvil 87.75
4 Bk Carlos TBB TSKP 723.50 4 Bn Tessa Gainesvil 82.50
5 Bk Karim TBB TSKP 722.50 5 Bn Christiana Gainesvil 11.25
Veteran Men(20+yrs) Points -Veteran Women(20+yrs) Points-
1 Bhrgupati d LA 1941.20 1 Nidra dd Denver 1236.75
2 Prema Sankirt LA 1666.75 2 Mohanasini dd New Talav 855.50
3 Gaur Sundar d LA 1111.70 3 Karuna Dharini dd LA 96.50
4 Drumila d New Orlea 953.75 4 Lalita dd Berkeley 63.60
5 Visala d Miami 248.00 5 Kamalini dd Hillsboro 28.05
North American Sankirtan Newsletter
COUNTRIES (CUMULATIVE)
January thru April, 2016
Country % Total M-Big Big Medium Small BTGs
(Temples) Points Change Books Books Books Books Books Mags
_________________________________________________________________________
1 USA (26) 189812.95 +12% 236083 56051 35851 35887 86719 21575
2 Canada (3) 3368.50 -54% 4989 998 198 758 2928 107
(%)Change compared to Jan-Apr 2015
North American Sankirtan Newsletter
TEMPLES (CUMULATIVE)
January thru April, 2016
% M-Big Big Medium Small BTGs
Temples (size) Points Change Books Books Books Books Mags
_______________________________________________________________________
1 Los Angeles (L) US 57982.90 +13% 13308 13951 14572 39332 2969
2 RupanugaVedicColle US 33525.50 +34% 11480 8394 450 3504 10705
3 TBB TSKP (MS) US 16324.25 +224% 1978 5708* 9296 8041 20
4 Baltimore (MS) US 11070.30 +225% 5228 11 42 2124 513
5 Chicago (S) US 9238.65 +19% 2483 1749 1696 6045 1644*
6 Denver (M) US 9188.70 +6% 2954 1102 1784 4142 2512
7 Gainesville (M) US 9159.50 +48% 2547 2248 2146 2978 0
8 Seattle (S) US 8803.50* na 4290* 93 118 166 300
9 Silicon Valley(ISV US 7644.75 -55% 3692 14 0 987 0
10 Laguna Beach (S) US 4284.75 +35% 1851 169 149 1095 655
11 Hillsborough, NC ( US 3805.50 +87% 931 345 179 5574 1155
12 New Talavan (S) US 3498.25 -52% 1316 36 1544 233 0
13 New York Harinam ( US 3113.50 +4% 787 802 317 2316 0
14 Toronto (S) Can 2949.50 -23% 929 155 585 2382 89
15 New Orleans (S) US 2409.75 +1% 150 0 1719 4997 10
16 Dallas (M) US 1999.60 -67% 652 316 315 764 311
17 Miami (S) US 1501.60 -22% 322 253 168* 2024 58
18 Hartford (MS) US 1483.80 +234% 548 135 139 364 219*
19 Sacramento/TYM (S) US 1425.40 +19% 584 73 160 406* 29*
20 Farmington Hills, US 1229.00* na 509* 9* 404* 0 0
21 San Diego (M) US 905.25 na 184 244 359* 455 0
22 Berkeley (S) US 457.70 -24% 78 58 192 404 467
23 Atlanta (S) US 399.25 -87% 69 114 0 589 0
24 Vancouver (S) Can 344.50 -45% 69 41 167 268 18
25 Krishna Culture (S US 248.35 na 77 6 113 125 6
26 Montreal (S) Can 74.50 na 0 2 6 278* 0
27 St. Louis (S) US 71.50 na 18 19 18 30 0
28 Texarkana (S) US 22.45 na 9 0 0 17 2
29 Arkadelphia (S) US 19.25 +64% 6 2 7 7 0
30 Boston (S) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
31 New York City (M) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
32 New Vrindavan (L) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
33 Honolulu (S) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
34 Washington D.C. (M US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
35 Detroit (S) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
36 BTG/Krishna.com (S US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
37 Philadelphia (M) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
38 Alachua (S) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
39 Portland (MS) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
40 New Jersey-Edison US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
41 Tucson (S) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
42 New York 26 2nd Av US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
43 Murari Sevak (S) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
44 Ottawa (MS) Can 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
45 New Jersey-Towaco US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
46 Houston (S) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
47 Columbus (S) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
48 New York Queens (S US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
49 Naperville (MS) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
50 Tampa Bay (S) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
51 Orlando (MS) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
52 San Francisco (MS) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
53 Cintamani Dhama KY US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
54 Halifax (MS) Can 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
55 San Antonio (MS) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
56 Austin (MS) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
57 World Harinama Par US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
58 Calgary (MS) Can 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
59 Boise (MS) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
60 Tallahassee (MS) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
61 Winnipeg (MS) Can 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
62 Bhakti Lounge (Phi US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
63 Bhakti Lounge (Tor Can 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
64 Gita-nagari (S) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
65 Ann Harbor (S) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
66 Saranagati Farm (M Can 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
67 Santa Cruz (MS) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
68 Minneapolis (S) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
69 Hale Krishna Hawai US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
70 Santa Barbara (MS) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
71 Spanish Fork KHQN US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
72 Palm Beach (MS) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
73 Las Vegas (S) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
74 Carpinteria (MS) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
75 Birmingham(USA) (M US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
76 Albuquerque (MS) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
77 Louisville (MS) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
78 Naples (MS) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
79 Harrisburg (MS) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
80 Oklahoma City (MS) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
81 Boulder (MS) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
82 Phoenix(AZ) (MS) US 0.00 na 0 0 0 0 0
(%)Change compared (*)Better than
to Jan-Apr 2015 last year
North American Sankirtan Newsletter
TOP 100 INDIVIDUALS (CUMULATIVE)
January thru April, 2016
% M-Big Big Medium Small BTGs
Individuals Points Change Books Books Books Books Mags
_______________________________________________________________________
1 Bk Jay Khush LA US 10181.65 +10% 2783 1672 1648 8007* 1179*
2 Ananda Kirtan d LA US 9218.85 -2% 2993 1313 637 6349* 141*
3 Paramesvara d RVC US 8874.00 +12% 2853 2335 4 910 6035
4 Krishna Bhagavan RVC US 8421.80 +116% 2885 2089 3 886 3398
5 Bk Storm LA US 7448.35 +130% 2122 1319 1514 4281* 581*
6 Prema Sankirtan LA US 6479.50 +164% 1633 1973 479 3968 90*
7 Gauranga Prema d LA US 5750.50* na 1090* 1702* 3222* 1030 0
8 Gaur Sundar d LA US 4512.80 +585% 2092 222 148 122 23
9 Brajananda d RVC US 4267.20 +57% 1435 1226 88 470 97
10 Bhrgupati d LA US 4155.70 -11% 829 1527 908 2052 37
11 Dharmaraja d RVC US 4036.80 +96% 1263 1315 42 662 93
12 Nidra dd Den US 3995.50 +21% 1441 570 563 1048 0
13 Deva Krsna d RVC US 3984.90 -3% 1646 586 0 268 399
14 Bk Carlos TBB US 3686.75 na 510 982 2180 2379 0
15 Raya Nitai d TBB US 3667.75 +12% 286 1366* 2671 1577 0
16 Dasya Prema d RVC US 3410.80 +15% 1264 690 143 214 678
17 Bk Carlos Gai US 3271.75 +27% 1044 793 222 1119 0
18 Mohanasini dd New US 3260.75 -39% 1316 36 1069 233 0
19 Bk Karim TBB US 2425.75* na 166* 1016 1332* 1647 0
20 Kalki d(2 Kimani Gai US 2287.00 +2% 633 788 360 212 0
21 Bk Joey TBB US 1996.75* na 348* 507 1291* 593 0
22 Krsna Kumar d TBB US 1866.25 na 28 1164* 843 891 20
23 Drumila d New US 1557.75 -12% 27* 0 1300 3415 0
24 Radha Krishna d LA US 1510.90* na 490* 282* 171* 644* 24*
25 Madhava Puri d TBB US 1468.25 +332% 222 492 810* 509 0
26 Bn Karly Gai US 1453.00* na 291* 143* 1024* 864* 0
27 Ekasma d LA US 1412.25 -65% 194 136 1461 631 0
28 Prana Hari d Den US 1254.70 -21% 480 129 32 594 12*
29 Madhukari d Atl US 1236.50 na 466 117* 42* 666* 0
30 Sacitanoy d LA US 1171.75 -4% 269 519 4 451 0
31 Shastra-krt d LA US 981.00 -77% 298 0 180* 1180* 0
32 Aditya Narayan d Hil US 923.00 +108% 317 37 16 976* 0
33 Nanda Suno d Den US 772.00 na 246 125 170 280 0
34 Bk Himanshu Chi US 640.50 -13% 120 193* 240* 350* 0
35 Caitanya dd Gai US 625.50 +41% 159 192 151 160 0
36 Bk Oscar LA US 621.00* na 115* 154* 187* 574* 0
37 Prabhu Hari d Mia US 598.00*+374% 73* 147* 160* 900* 0
38 Cakri d Dallas Dal US 575.15 +1% 228 0 0 401 189
39 Visala d Mia US 557.00 -3% 151 41 6* 842 5
40 Abhimanyu d Gai US 556.25* na 196* 80* 54* 229* 0
41 Parama Karuna d Chi US 536.75 -73% 144 108 124 315 0
42 Adi Karta d Gai US 512.00* na 143* 196* 40* 40* 0
43 Bk Chang SD US 494.00 na 116 133 168* 180 0
44 Vinoda Kovida d Den US 491.50 -24% 173 78 74 122 0
45 Amala Purana d Den US 472.75 na 149 48 146 215 0
46 Bn Demi Tor Can 460.10 +62% 25 13 22 1530* 36
47 Akshay Hil US 425.50* na 145* 77* 15* 204* 0
48 Bk Allen TBB US 375.50* na 21* 178* 127* 368* 0
49 Dinabandhu Guru Ber US 357.35 -12% 56 47 138 341 441*
50 Ekatvam d Gur US 357.00 na 18* 45 344 416 0
51 Samyaprasa d Den US 349.50 -29% 110 51 123 68 0
52 Lilakara d Mia US 324.75 -26% 96 61 1* 245 12
53 Bhismadeva d Dal US 313.75 na 98 111 1 25 0
54 Bk Akshay Hil US 299.75 na 95 69 0 163 0
55 Ananta Gopal d New US 299.00 +338% 100 0 128 140 0
56 Bk Adam RVC US 287.25 na 92 64 54 49 0
57 Ananda Murari d Den US 266.50 -47% 88 28 98 54 0
58 Rohini Nandan d New US 251.00 -4% 3 0 160* 660 0
59 Visva dd Chi US 248.75 -47% 91 28 33 89 0
60 Shankar Pandit d Chi US 241.50 +154% 50 0 0 566* 0
61 Sarvatarak d New US 241.00 -31% 20 0 41 722 0
62 Kaivalya dd New US 237.50 na 0 0 475 0 0
63 Cakri d Chi US 228.00 na 0 188* 80 0 0
64 Bk Mikey Gai US 218.00 -33% 54 32 80 152 0
65 Dvijamani Gaura RVC US 209.25 na 36 81 96 33 0
66 Karuna Dharini LA US 207.00 +50% 83 12 28 60 0
67 Syama dd LA US 204.25* +98% 0 0 0 565* 630*
68 Sacidulal d LA US 200.25 na 82 0 0 145 0
69 Harish Kumar d Chi US 192.00 na 96 0 0 0 0
70 Bk Joe B. Chi US 184.00* na 72* 40* 0 0 0
71 Bk Mitch Rampp Chi US 181.75 na 63 31 28 43 0
72 Bk Sebastian LA US 172.50 -47% 0 6 21 624 0
73 Govinda Datta d LA US 164.25*+481% 44* 0 80* 145* 0
74 Babhru d LA US 145.75 -84% 6 63* 76 131 0
75 Svavasa d LA US 144.00 na 72 0 0 0 0
76 Bk Matsu Den US 134.75* na 44* 10* 46* 55* 0
77 Jaya Gauranga d Den US 121.25* na 30* 48* 0 53* 0
78 Banke Bihari dd Van Can 113.50 -31% 26 12 36 126 0
79 Bn Tessa Gai US 102.50 -8% 0 0 170 70 0
80 Gopi Gita dd LA US 101.75 -21% 0 0 67 273 0
81 Lalita dd Ber US 100.05 +20% 22 11 54 63 23
82 Karuna Nidhi d Chi US 96.25*+817% 40* 0 0 25 100
83 Bn Autumn Gai US 87.75 -12% 26 8 23 65* 0
84 Gaura Candra d Tor Can 83.25 -9% 39 0 5 11 0
85 Radharani dd LA US 82.75* na 3 0 46 215* 0
86 Bk Marquis SD US 69.75 na 11 25 29 33 0
87 Shivani dd Chi US 65.25 +110% 5 20* 12 117* 0
88 Sridhar Syama d Dal US 61.75* na 15* 11* 26 31* 0
89 Uttamananda d Tor Can 58.00* na 24* 10* 0 0 0
90 NityanandaChandr Dal US 56.00* na 28* 0 0 0 0
91 Visnu Gada d Van Can 54.25 -42% 4 17 17 23 18*
92 Advaita Caran d Chi US 48.00*+380% 24* 0 0 0 0
93 Balaram d SD US 47.50* na 3 18 25* 44* 0
94 Tulasi Vallabha Den US 46.00* na 17* 7* 0 20* 0
95 Haridham d Van Can 45.50* na 18* 0 19* 0 0
96 Jagatpati d Van Can 42.50 +44% 0 0 65 40 0
97 Bk Deano New US 40.00 -33% 0 0 80 0 0
98 Ramanuja d Van Can 40.00 +82% 4 9 20* 52* 0
99 Naimisaranya d Dal US 39.00* na 19* 1* 0 0 0
100 Nikunja Bihari d Den US 38.25* na 0 3* 33* 75* 0
(%)Change compared (*)Better than
to Jan-Apr 2015 last year
North American Sankirtan Newsletter
CUMULATIVE TOP 5 TEMPLES AND INDIVIDUALS
January thru April 2016
----- Points(Cum) ------ -------- Points(Cum) ---------
1 Los Angeles 57982.90 1 Bk Jay Khush LA 10181.65
2 RupanugaVedicCollege 33525.50 2 Ananda Kirtan d LA 9218.85
3 TBB TSKP 16324.25 3 Paramesvara d RVC 8874.00
4 Baltimore 11070.30 4 Krishna Bhagavan d RVC 8421.80
5 Chicago 9238.65 5 Bk Storm LA 7448.35
--- (%)Increase(Cum) --- ------ (%)Increase(Cum) ------
1 Hartford +234% 1 Gaur Sundar d LA +585%
2 Baltimore +225% 2 Prabhu Hari d Miami +374%
3 TBB TSKP +224% 3 Ananta Gopal d New Orlea +338%
4 Hillsborough, NC +87% 4 Madhava Puri d TBB TSKP +332%
5 Arkadelphia +64% 5 Prema Sankirtan d LA +164%
-- Maha-Big Books(Cum) -- ----- Maha-Big Books(Cum) -----
1 Los Angeles 13308 1 Ananda Kirtan d LA 2993
2 RupanugaVedicCollege 11480 2 Krishna Bhagavan d RVC 2885
3 Baltimore 5228 3 Paramesvara d RVC 2853
4 Seattle 4290 4 Bk Jay Khush LA 2783
5 Silicon Valley(ISV) 3692 5 Bk Storm LA 2122
---- Big Books(Cum) ---- ------- Big Books(Cum) -------
1 Los Angeles 13951 1 Paramesvara d RVC 2335
2 RupanugaVedicCollege 8394 2 Krishna Bhagavan d RVC 2089
3 TBB TSKP 5708 3 Prema Sankirtan d LA 1973
4 Gainesville 2248 4 Gauranga Prema dChinLA 1702
5 Chicago 1749 5 Bk Jay Khush LA 1672
--- Medium Books(Cum) --- ------ Medium Books(Cum) ------
1 Los Angeles 14572 1 Gauranga Prema dChinLA 3222
2 TBB TSKP 9296 2 Raya Nitai d TBB TSKP 2671
3 Gainesville 2146 3 Bk Carlos TBB TSKP 2180
4 Denver 1784 4 Bk Jay Khush LA 1648
5 New Orleans 1719 5 Bk Storm LA 1514
--- Small Books(Cum) --- ------ Small Books(Cum) ------
1 Los Angeles 39332 1 Bk Jay Khush LA 8007
2 TBB TSKP 8041 2 Ananda Kirtan d LA 6349
3 Chicago 6045 3 Bk Storm LA 4281
4 Hillsborough, NC 5574 4 Prema Sankirtan d LA 3968
5 New Orleans 4997 5 Drumila d New Orlea 3415
---- Magazines(Cum) ---- ------- Magazines(Cum) -------
1 RupanugaVedicCollege 10705 1 Paramesvara d RVC 6035
2 Los Angeles 2969 2 Krishna Bhagavan d RVC 3398
3 Denver 2512 3 Bk Jay Khush LA 1179
4 Chicago 1644 4 Dasya Prema d RVC 678
5 Hillsborough, NC 1155 5 Syama dd LA 630
---- Full Sets(Cum) ---- ------- Full Sets(Cum) -------
1 Baltimore 109 1 Gaur Sundar d LA 46
2 Silicon Valley(ISV) 90 2 Nidra dd Denver 26
3 Los Angeles 62 3 Aditya Narayan d Hillsboro 18
4 Denver 37 4 Bk Jay Khush LA 4
5 Hartford 30 5 Svavasa d LA 4
--- BBT Payments(Cum) --- ---- Matajis - Points(Cum) ----
1 Los Angeles 97098 1 Nidra dd Denver 3995.50
2 Silicon Valley(ISV) 32379 2 Mohanasini dd New Tala 3260.75
3 TBB TSKP 29571 3 Caitanya dd Gainsvil 625.50
4 Chicago 25539 4 Visva dd Chicago 248.75
5 Gainesville 17971 5 Kaivalya dd New Tala 237.50
Bhaktas - Points(Cum) --- Bhaktins - Points(Cum) ---
1 Bk Jay Khush LA 10181.6 1 Bn Karly Gainesvil1453.00
2 Bk Storm LA 7448.35 2 Bn Demi Toronto 460.10
3 Bk Carlos TBB TSKP 3686.75 3 Bn Tessa Gainesvil 102.50
4 Bk Carlos Gainesvil3271.75 4 Bn Autumn Gainesvil 87.75
5 Bk Karim TBB TSKP 2425.75 5 Bn Christiana Gainesvil 11.25
Veteran Men(20+yrs) Points Veteran Women(20+yrs) Points
1 Prema Sankirt LA 6479.50 1 Nidra dd Denver 3995.50
2 Gaur Sundar d LA 4512.80 2 Mohanasini dd New Talav3260.75
3 Bhrgupati d LA 4155.70 3 Karuna Dharini dd LA 207.00
4 Drumila d New Orlea1557.75 4 Lalita dd Berkeley 100.05
5 Sacitanoy d LA 1171.75 5 Radharani dd LA 82.75
HOW TO SEND IN SCORES
Monthly scores can still be sent the usual ways: fax, phone,
snail mail and e-mail. Please send them before the 7th of the
next month.
When sending scores by e-mail, please use the same basic format
as the printed scoresheet:
Temple: (Important!) Month: (Important!)
(Enter BOOKS below--NOT points)
SUB M1 S1 H1 S2 H2 S3 H3 S4 H4 SETS
Temple totals x x xx x x xx x xx x xx x
Top devotees:
Bk Mike x x x x x x x x x x x
Krsna d x x x x x x x x xx xx x
Radha dd xx xx x x x xx xxx x x
etc.
Please...
Try to limit each line to 80 characters maximum.
You can omit the codes you don't use. You can start with H4 if you wish.
Make sure the columns line up properly when viewed with a
fixed pitch font.
Use spaces (not tabs) between columns.
Include your temple's name!
Include the month the scores are for!
Include temple totals for the month.
List each month separately. Don't combine two or more months together.
Don't just report Small, Big, Mahabig, etc.--->Use the codes S1,S2 etc.
or make sure you specify hard or soft cover books
Don't send every devotee's score. Just the top devotees who will
have a chance to appear in the newsletter.
Send scores to Mayapur@aol.com
--- Please observe the Fair Play rules ---
DEADLINE for scores is the 7th of the following month!
South Vrindavan temple inauguration festival – report and pictures
→ Dandavats
By Basu Ghosh Das
Pictures of the festival can be seen by anyone (even if you do NOT use Facebook), here (cut and paste the link into your web browser):
http://tinyurl.com/z6wwx38
http://tinyurl.com/hecfcch
http://tinyurl.com/h8w9w3u
Over this past weekend, from Friday May 6 through Sunday May 8, the South Vrindavan temple, at Puthur village, Thrissur District, Kerala, was inaugurated.
Deities of Sri Sri Radha Vrindavan Krishna, Jagannath, Baladev, Subhadradevi, and Sri Sri Gaur Nitai were installed in the temple.
The temple is promoted by ISKCON Bahrain temple president Udarakirti Chaitanya Das, and devotees from Bahrain, named “Balaramdesh” by HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaj.
Situated on 12 acres of land, and surrounded by the homes of Balaramdesh devotees who are relocating to South Vrindavan, the temple was built in Kerala style, but with modern building materials. There are a number of beautiful paintings and relief artworks that decorate the temple.
Senior ISKCON devotee from Mayapur, Bhadra Charu Das performed the installation with the help of ISKCON Vrindavan head pujari Mukunda Datta Das. Other senior ISKCON devotees who participated in the inauguration festival were Bhakti Vikas Swami, Radha Raman Swami, Bhakti Vinoda Swami,
(ISKCON zonal secretary for Kerala), Basu Ghosh Das (Temple President ISKCON Baroda), Murali Mohan Das (Co-President, ISKCON Vijayawada), Patri Das
(Regional Secretary for ISKCON Nepal), Atul Krishna Das (Director of the Mayapur Institute, Sridham Mayapur), Ekalavya Das (of ISKCON Calcutta), Nityananda Ram Das (Vice President, ISKCON Baroda), and Pundarikaksha Govinda Das (General Manager, ISKCON Juhu, Bombay). Nandaputra Das from Nagarcoil, Jagadsakshi Das (Temple President, ISKCON Trivandrum), and Vikram Govinda Das (Manager, ISKCON Kanyakumari) were also present.
Many other devotees came from around India and from Bahrain, as well as from Dubai and Sharjah in the U.A.E. Brahmachari kirtaneers from ISKCON Chowpatty, Bombay, were also in attendance.
The function was blessed by HH Jayapataka Swami in a letter sent to the organizers of the program. Maharaj was unable to attend due to the renewal of his US green card, and had to meet a deadline to enter the USA by May 10.
Kerala is known throughout India as “God’s own country” for profuse coconut trees, jackfruit trees, araca nut trees, black pepper vines, and several exotic varieties of banana trees. The hills, rivers, greenery, and the way old Hindu/vedic culture has been preserved in so many ways makes Kerala a very attractive place for devotees of Lord Krishna!
On behalf of the organizers, you are all invited to visit!
Nearby South Vrindavan, about 15 kilometers West, is the famous temple of Lord Krishna known as Guruvayoor, the most popular place of pilgrimage for Keralites, and one of the most popular places for Tamil Nadu residents as well!
One of the features of the Guruvayoor temple is the daily procession in the evening where the “utsava” (festival) Deity of Lord Krishna is taken on parikrama (circumambulation) around the temple on top of a male elephant!
The temple maintains 65 elephants in an elephant sanctuary, near by the main temple.
More information on Guruvayoor can be seen on the internet, here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guruvayur
Just 10 kilometers East of South Vrindavan is district headquarters Thrissur
(tri-Shiva in Samskritam), where there is an ancient temple of Lord Shiva, Vadakkunnathan, that is also one of the popular pilgrimage places in Kerala. Kerala “Pooram” festival held annually during Pooram nakshatra in the Keralite month of medam – it falls usually during April.
More information on the Pooram festival can been seen on the internet, here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrissur_Pooram
Harinama in Jacksonville Beach, Florida (Album with photos)…
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Harinama in Jacksonville Beach, Florida (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: If the surface of the globe is overflooded with the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra, the people of the world will be very, very happy. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 4.24.10 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/K6mZF7
Chakra Narayana – Chandan Yatra Day 7
→ Mayapur.com
Beneath a solitary tree, Krishna manifested his form as four-armed Lord Narayan, replete with divine symbols in his hand, Kausthuba gem and crown. The boys spotted Krishna’s blackish effulgence from a distance and raced to be the first to touch him. But when they arrived at the tree they stopped short, seeing before them the […]
The post Chakra Narayana – Chandan Yatra Day 7 appeared first on Mayapur.com.
Gomati Vesa – Chandan Yatra Day 6 (Album with photos) While…
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Gomati Vesa – Chandan Yatra Day 6 (Album with photos)
While herding, Krishna runs amongst the cows. While the cows rest, He lies with them. To purify Himself, Krishna enjoys smearing His divine limbs with the dust raised by the cow’s hooves. Krishna considers the cow’s and bulls of Vrindavana His mothers and fathers. He greets them each morning with loving words, “O mother! Have you rested well? O father! Are you happy?” Their horns are plated with gold and set with jewels, and their hooves are decorated with sapphires. I pray that these Surabhi cows may protect us all.
Small or utsava deities of Sri Radha Madhava looked very beautiful in their new outfits surrounded by many cows and calves all jumping with their tails raised high in the air. May Sri Radha-Madhava increase our attraction to serve His dearmost Surabhi cows!
Find them here: https://goo.gl/kC8UQl
May 15. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa…
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May 15. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: The First Time I Bowed Down.
One time, my supervisor, Mr. Rice, shouted over in my direction, “Mr. Guarino, you are gonna have to complete the Garcia case so that she can get a check this afternoon. I want you to stay in the office and do it, so don’t go out to lunch until one. Is that all right?” It was not all right, but what could I say? So I went to the hallway phone booth and dialled the Swami’s number. The thing I was most attached to in the world was going every day at noon to have lunch with the Swami and the boys. So Mr. Rice’s command drove me to the radical move of phoning up the Swami. This was in the early days, before I was initiated.
I heard the phone ring and the Swami answered, “Hello?”
I said, “Swamiji, this is Steve. Do you remember me?”
Swamiji said yes, he remembered me.
I said, “I won’t be able to come today at noon for lunch because I have to stay in the office and work. But I’ll come over at one o’clock. Could you ask the devotees to please save some prasadam for me?”
“Yes,” said Prabhupada. He made it sound like it was not a problem. As I hung up, I was very pleased that I had made the phone call. Nowadays, it doesn’t seem like the proper way to treat Prabhupada, and in the later years of ISKCON with Prabhupada there was no question of doing such a thing. First of all, you wouldn’t be able to reach Prabhupada by phone; you would reach his secretary. But in those days it was right, and it was nice. It was a way to surrender and develop friendship. I very much wanted to go and be with him and eat his prasadam.
It turned out to be a better treat than usual, because by the time I got there all the boys were gone. Swamiji was there and the rug was still rolled back. The office had been demanding – so much bureaucracy and talk and nonsense, and now I had only one hour left before I had to plunge back into it. I came to take shelter with the Swami.
He told me to sit down, and so I waited alone in the room. He made up the plate and then came in and put it before me on the floor. I said, “Thank you,” and I bowed down before him.
He said, “Yes.”
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=8
ISKCON 50 Meditations: May 15, 2016
→ ISKCON News
The First Time I Bowed Down
Practical Samadhi, May 11, Dallas
Giriraj Swami
Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Bhagavad-gita 9.14 in the Darshan Room of Sri Sri Radha Kalachandji Temple.
“Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.” (Bg 9.14)
“From a certain point of view it may seem impossible to always engage in kirtan. Of course there are some liberated souls in Vrindavan who almost literally chant all the time. That is a very advanced stage. But, for most of us to actually chant always is not practical. But, we can do things that in a broader sense are glorification of the Lord if those activities further the glorification of the Lord. Therefore Srila Prabhupada called this process of devotional service ‘practical samadhi‘. One engages in various activities but the purpose of all the activities is to please Krishna. In order to please Krishna we have to know what Krishna wants. Therefore we have to read books like the Bhagavad-gita and take advice from experienced devotees who know from scripture and parampara what Krishna wants. When Krishna is pleased the devotee feels pleasure.”
The cloud of illusion
→ KKSBlog
(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 03 May 2016, Vrndavana, India, Bhagavad-gita 3.34)
We may not be fully Krsna conscious, our love for Krsna may not be so deep and there may be other desires. But this is just restlessness. How much faith do we have in these other desires? Which devotee can claim to have full faith in sex life? We may be attracted to sex life but do we have full faith that it will make us happy? After having heard transcendental knowledge, it is hard to have full faith in material enjoyment. Still, we may have a flirtation with these desires here and there sometimes. For a moment we may be in the pink cloud of illusion, but then we come back to the hard reality of suffering and again, we endeavour more seriously to get out of the material world.
Any Colour You Like
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By Jagabandhu das By His Divine Grace I would learn what true broadmindedness really was from the great heart of someone so transcendentally magnanimous that he could "build a house the whole world could leave in." Without being intimidated by other's beliefs or converting anyone to anything but pure God Consciousness Itself. Unconditional friendliness towards all jivas reaches it’s zenith and is perfectly exemplified by Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and his boundless affection which suffused all his dealings. My favorite story of His Divine Grace is how when a disciple happily remarked, “Srila Prabhupada, everyone likes you!” Srila Prabhupada beamed his great transcendentally beautiful smile before replying, “That’s because I like everyone.” Continue reading "Any Colour You Like
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Cure for The London Blues
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From Back to Godhead
By Vilasini Devi Dasi
AS I WAS RETURNING home from the temple on my usual 38 bus, I stared forlornly through the grimy window at the gray sky. I hadn’t seen the sun for days, and then only briefly, through breaks in the clouds.
“How is it possible to be healthy and happy in a place where the weather is constantly dreary and cold?” I thought.
I remembered Srila Prabhupada’s statement in a purport to the Srimad-Bhagavatam (4.24.36): “When there is sufficient sunshine, the mind remains clear and transparent in other words, the sun-god helps the mind of the living entity to become situated on the platform of paramahamsa [‘topmost swan,’ or transcendentalist].” Does it not follow, then, that with insufficient sunshine the mind becomes hazy and opaque and stays on the platform of a crow? After all, Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita that He is the light of the sun and moon, and Prabhupada affirms in the purport to that verse that “the light of the sun and the moon originally emanate from the brahmajyoti, which is the bodily effulgence of Krsna.” For one’s spiritual life, wouldn’t it be better to live in a place where one could bask in the rays of thebrahmajyoti and be elevated effortlessly to the paramahamsa platform? Isn’t it described in the Gita that unnecessary austerities that torture the body or mind are in the mode of ignorance? If Krsna is all-pervading, isn’t He also in sunny California? Aren’t there thousands of conditioned souls there that I could help find Krsna consciousness?
Just as I was about to get off the bus, step into a travel agency, and buy a ticket to San Diego, my intelligence somehow grabbed hold of my runaway mind and shook it into silence. My intelligence brought up a verse from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta:
krsna surya sama; maya haya andhakara
yahan krsna, tahan nahi mayara adhikara
“Krsna is just like the sun, and maya is just like darkness. Where there is sunshine there can be no darkness.” Krsna, as the source of the sun, must be brighter and more powerful than the sun. So one in direct contact with Krsna must derive all the benefits of the sun and more. The sun provides light and heat, makes water sparkle, adds vibrancy to colors, illuminates the material landscape, and so on. But Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita that He is the shining lamp of knowledge that destroys the darkness born of ignorance. Darker than any gray day in London is ignorance, which cannot be brightened by a thousand material suns. So real illumination is to see everything in relation to Krsna as His creation and property and to be in His service.
One can contact Krsna directly by chanting His holy name. So no matter how miserable the weather may be, a person chanting Hare Krsna with attention will see the world bathed in light and knowledge, and his mind will be clear and transparent. As for heat, when one’s heart is filled with love and happiness, one feels warm and contented in any weather. When chanting Hare Krsna, one is suffused with the steady warmth of love of Krsna.
Dependence on the unpredictable sun for happiness is a precarious position, for even tropical climes have cloudy days and sometimes hurricanes to disturb one’s tranquillity.
With this, the intelligence rested its case.
I conceded that it was certainly worth trying to be absorbed in chanting Hare Krsna before running off to California. I settled down in my dusty seat, closed my eyes, and fixed my mind on chanting the maha-mantra, which I articulated carefully, with as much devotion as I could muster. Within minutes my anxious mind and heart were peaceful, and I resigned myself to staying in London for as long as I have service here for Lord Krsna.
Sita Devi’s Inner Harmony
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By Visakha Devi Dasi Sita Follows Her Conscience: In the Ramayana, Sita Devi first clearly expresses her own will by disobeying Lord Rama, who wants her to stay behind when He leaves for His exile to the forest. She decides that to be with Rama in all circumstances is her sacred duty. The unequivocal voice of her conscience will not allow her to do otherwise. By insisting on going with her husband to the forest, Sita defines for herself what a devoted wife is. To convince Rama to allow her to go with Him, Sita says, “Every day I will serve You and practice self-discipline. I too will live on fruits and nuts and will not interfere with Your austerities. Taking shelter in Your arms, O Rama, I will become fearless.” Rama replies, “O frail lady, in the forest wild beasts will lurk on all sides, waiting to attack, and we will have to sleep on the bare ground with scorpions, worms, mosquitoes, and gnats as constant nuisances. Abandon this idea of coming with Me. If you are truly devoted to Me, you will follow My instructions.” “O Rama,” Sita says, “all these hardships will seem like blessings to me. If You protect me, I can tolerate anything.” Seeing her determination, Rama finally agrees with her decision. On His request, Sita gives all her valuable possessions to the brahmanas and Vaisnavas, and she and Rama go to the forest with Laksmana. Continue reading "Sita Devi’s Inner Harmony
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Sunday Love Feast – May 15th,2016 – Vedic Discourse by His Grace Vidhurpriya Dasa.
→ ISKCON Brampton
Sunday Love Feast for All | ||||||||||||||||||
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Japathon-Congregational Mantra Meditation
Monthly sankirtan Festival(MSF)
Fasting For Mohini Ekadasi
Sunday School
Vaiyasaki Book Bestseller: Stephen Hawking On Trial -…
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Vaiyasaki Book Bestseller: Stephen Hawking On Trial - Confronting the Big Bang. A new book by Vaiyasaki das.
Sunanda das: Vaiyasaki Das, the well-known ISKCON kirtaniya, and author, recently published his newest book, Stephen Hawking On Trial – Confronting the Big Bang. Like his first Blockbuster book Cosmology On Trial – Cracking the Cosmic Code, this book is now also a Bestseller in its category on Amazon.
Vaiyasaki has taken seriously Srila Prabhupada’s instruction to expose the scientific account of the origin of the universe as mostly speculation with very little data to back up the assertions. Hawking is one of the world’s leading cosmologists, and disproving so-called scientific assertions will become one of the foundations for presenting the conclusive and self-effulgent truths of the Vedic scriptures and acharyas.
As the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium rises, and ISKCON reaches greater levels of public attention, it will be necessary for devotees to explain where science is right and where it is wrong. Therefore, I agree with other senior devotees that we would do well to seriously read these books of Vaiyasaki Das (Pierre St Clair). Sadaputa Das (Dr. Richard L. Thompson PhD), the architect of the planetarium design for the TOVP (www.youtube.com/SadaputaChannel) used to stress this point regularly, “It is not enough to just say that the Vedas are right and science is wrong. We must know why.” Srila Prabhupada wanted us to understand the importance and power of seeing through the veil of illusion created by modern materialistic science by which it presents itself as the authority on the universe.
Please click this link: http://amzn.to/1ZEIiim to read the latest five-star review by Top Ten and Hall of Fame reviewer, J. Chambers. Once you read the review, click ‘Yes, this was helpful’ under the review as this simple click will increase the exposure, popularity and sales of the book. Vaiyasaki has made this book available at the ridiculously low price of $0.99 to get it into everyone’s hands. Please purchase this book, or both his books, on the same review page.
Note: If you do not have a Kindle, just download the Free Kindle App to your Computer, Tablet or Smartphone to read the book.
2016 West Coast Vaisnavi Retreat celebrating ISKCON50.
You are…
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2016 West Coast Vaisnavi Retreat celebrating ISKCON50.
You are invited to attend an ISKCON50 Celebration, a one-day Vaishnavi women’s retreat to be held in Camarillo, California - a short drive north of Los Angeles.
The theme of this exciting gathering is an extremely important one, “ Deepening our Relationship with Srila Prabhupada”.
Featuring: kirtan, seminars, Prabhupada memories, special guest speakers, sumptuous prasadam (breakfast, lunch and dinner), new friends, and much more…
Early bird registration is $25. From May 30th to June 24th, fee will be $30; and on the day of the event, $35. (Includes three full meals of delicious prasadam.)
When: June 25, 2016, 8:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Where: 206 Smuggler’s Cove
Camarillo, CA 93012
310 245-4706
Directions: http://goo.gl/nSUoU6
Please contact us if you have questions.
Rambhoru devi dasi, Radha devi dasi, Nandini Radha devi dasi
radha16108@gmail.com (760)449-0469
To register: https://goo.gl/qQ13pL
Museum of Sacred Art.
The Museum for Sacred Art is a feature of…
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Museum of Sacred Art.
The Museum for Sacred Art is a feature of the Radhadesh Iskcon community (Chateau de Petite Somme – Durbuy Belgium). In the Museum there are many beautiful works of art depicting sacred themes from ancient India.
These works of art are mainly in traditional Indian styles, including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthani, Orissan, Keralan, and Tanjore.
Visitors can relax, stroll through the gallery, and enjoy these inspirational art treasures, soaking up the deep devotional sentiments expressed by the artists.
The Museum was conceived by Martin Gurvich (Mahaprabhu Dasa), secretary of the Hindu Forum of Belgium.
Read more: http://goo.gl/eOYgl9
Study at the Bhakti Academy.
How would you like to pursue…
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Study at the Bhakti Academy.
How would you like to pursue spiritual life, even while earning your college degree? If you’re between the ages of 18 and 29, consider enrolling in the Bhakti Academy at Krishna House (214 NW 14th Street, Gainesville, FL 32603). Students live in private or semi-private rooms just three blocks from the UF library. While at Krishna House, students take part in traditional bhakti yoga and meditation practices (kirtan, japa, and Bhagavad-gita study), enjoy fresh daily vegan/vegetarian meals and can even take advantage of simple work/study programs to pay for it all. Applicants may be but are not required to be students at UF or Santa Fe College or even residents of Krishna House. They only need a strong desire to discover inner happiness and a wilingness to test-drive bhakti yoga in a drug-free environment. You’re invited to check out Krishna House by attending any of the bhakti yoga classes, which are held most mornings and evenings. You can print and fill out the application here: http://goo.gl/ErkYoC. If you are not able to visit, please contact us: http://goo.gl/WGyyBp.
Loughborough Festival, UK – 13th May 2016 (Album with photos)…
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Loughborough Festival, UK - 13th May 2016 (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The devotee can constantly think of the object of worship, the Supreme Lord, in any of His features—Narayana, Krishna, Rama, etc. – by chanting Hare Krishna. This practice will purify him, and at the end of his life, due to his constant chanting, he will be transferred to the kingdom of God. Bhagavad-Gita 8.8 Purport
Find them here: https://goo.gl/aZymRz
Almost Instant! On a tight schedule? These delicious dishes for…
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Almost Instant! On a tight schedule? These delicious dishes for Krsna are quick and easy!
Visakha Devi Dasi: Krsna Prasadam. I was looking through a new cookbook on making meals in twenty minutes, and I read, “Never before have so many people wanted so much out of life and had so little time to enjoy it. Between inflation, two-job marriages, and the quest for self-improvement, the momentum of our life style has us all dancing at a furious reel of achieving and coping. Something has to give. And usually the first thing to go is the time spent preparing our daily meals….”
When it comes to food, we want it effortlessly and fast. That’s why forty percent of the American food dollar is spent in restaurants and why an uncalculated amount is spent on fast foods at home precooked, frozen, canned, and instant.
But why, in the “momentum of our life style,” is cooking the first thing to go? Why not TV? Or the movies? Or the baseball game? Well, maybe it’s because cooking takes a lot of effort and the reward is often small and fleeting. We may labor for a few hours to make an elegant luncheon, only to be left with a pile of dirty dishes an hour after it’s served; and then a few hours later, everyone’s ready for another meal. Was it worth the effort? From the statistics, most of us must think not. We’d rather phone for a take-out pizza and sit back for Star Trek reruns. There are just more important things to do than cook.
Krsna’s devotees, however, have a different attitude. Our desire to get an understanding of who we are, who God is, and what our relationship with Him is. In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krsna explains that the process for achieving this goal is devotional service.
Time spent in devotional service is important. Time spent in other ways is wasted and can never be regained even at the cost of millions of dollars. The Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.3.17) confirms, “Both by rising and setting, the sun decreases the duration of life of everyone, except one who utilizes the time in devotional service to the all-good Personality of Godhead.” Similarly, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “With every rising and setting of the sun, a day passes and is lost. Why then do you remain idle and not serve the Lord of the heart?” And a great devotee of the Lord prayed, “O my Lord, I have spent my life uselessly. Having obtained a human birth and having not served Radha and Krsna, I have knowingly drunk poison.”
A devotee understands that if we’re slapping a meal together so we can get out of the kitchen and watch TV, we’re wasting our time both in the kitchen and out of it. Cooking, or anything else done for our sense pleasure, is useless as far as spiritual realization goes; ultimately it won’t help us enjoy life or get much out of it. But if we’re cooking for Krsna (or doing any other activity for His satisfaction), our time is perfectly spent.
The care we take in finding the proper ingredients for cooking, as well as the love and devotion we give to preparing and offering dishes to the Lord, are all part of our quest for self-realization; they’re all devotional service. Those who purchase the food for Krsna, those who cook it, those who offer it, those who serve it, those who taste it, and those who clean up afterward all get a reward that’s neither small nor fleeting. They get eternal, spiritual benefit. In one way or another, they are engaging in devotional service, and that will lead them to the highest enjoyment in life.
The care we take in finding the proper ingredients for cooking, as well as the love and devotion we give to preparing and offering dishes to the Lord, are all part of our quest for self-realization; they’re all devotional service. Those who purchase the food for Krsna, those who cook it, those who offer it, those who serve it, those who taste it, and those who clean up afterward all get a reward that’s neither small nor fleeting. They get eternal, spiritual benefit. In one way or another, they are engaging in devotional service, and that will lead them to the highest enjoyment in life. It’s all a matter of knowing the process.
Sometimes it seems that the dishes Lord Krsna favors most take the longest time to make like milk sweets that must be boiled down for forty-five minutes, or kachauris (stuffed savories) that are deep-fried for twenty-five minutes. Yet, even in the momentum of our devotional lifestyle, we’re often fully engaged doing other services and don’t have as much time as we’d like to cook for Krsna. So this month, we’re featuring dishes that are quick and easy and that are also pleasing to the Lord. Puffed rice, for example, is a light meal, great for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon or evening snack. Not exactly “instant,” but almost. And every second that we give to making, offering, serving, and tasting these foods brings us closer to our goal: an eternal life full of bliss and knowledge with Krsna.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/HRMbbn
Gomati Vesa – Chandan Yatra Day 6
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While herding, Krishna runs amongst the cows. While the cows rest, He lies with them. To purify Himself, Krishna enjoys smearing His divine limbs with the dust raised by the cow’s hooves. Krishna considers the cow’s and bulls of Vrindavana His mothers and fathers. He greets them each morning with loving words, “O mother! Have […]
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Manjuvali d.d. and Mandakini d.d. remember Srila Prabhupada
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Daily Darshan: May 14th, 2016
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The post Daily Darshan: May 14th, 2016 appeared first on Mayapur.com.
Teachers’ Appreciation Day at TKG Academy, Dallas.
At the heart…
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Teachers’ Appreciation Day at TKG Academy, Dallas.
At the heart of the school are the students, of course. Directly nurturing them are our wonderful teachers. Ultimately, it is thanks to them that our students are happy and successful. It’s their hard work and dedication that drive everything. It’s their daily, personal interactions, their care and attention, their patience and love which directly affect the children’s learning experience.
While we deeply appreciate their hard work year-around, on Friday, May 6th, we observed “Teachers’ Appreciation Day” at TKG Academy, to express our immense gratitude. Under Krishna Mangala Mataji’s coordination, parents brought elaborate lunch preparations. Many students wrote cards to their teachers and some brought gifts.
This year we included our volunteer teachers as well. Each teacher received a personalized gift, related to their subject of instruction. It was a lovely celebration of appreciation, marking an outstanding year of steadfast service.
Read more: http://goo.gl/1rlfsR
Delhi Stadium Event to Honor Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
“Although…
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Delhi Stadium Event to Honor Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
“Although the Bhakti movement has spread far and wide, not many people know its founder Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu – even in India,” says ISKCON’s communications director in North India, Yudhistira Govinda Das.
With the Festival of Inspiration in New Delhi this May 28th, he hopes to begin changing that. Supported by the Government of India’s Ministry of Culture, the event will take place at the Talkatora Indoor Stadium near Parliament. It’s expected to draw a full house.
The festival will commemorate the 500th anniversary of Sri Chaitanya visiting Lord Krishna’s home village, Vrindavana. But more than that, it will celebrate the timeless teachings of India – service, compassion and devotion to God – that the 15th-century saint and Avatar exemplified and broadcast.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/53r8Rn
Harinama in Magic Rocks, Germany (Album with photos)
Srila…
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Harinama in Magic Rocks, Germany (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Our relationship with Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is eternal. Nitya-siddha Krishna-prema. The pure souls are eternally in love with Krishna. Simply by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra one revives his original relationship with God and thus becomes so happy that he does not want anything material. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 7.7.39 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/WlM3XF
May 14. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa…
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May 14. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Worship the Moments Spent with Swamiji.
I worship the moments spent with Swamiji in his apartment. On one particularly quiet night, I was the only one with him. The front doorbell rang and I went down to see who it was. It was Donald, a pudgy, bespectacled young man from uptown. He was probably the only non-hippie coming to the storefront at that time. He was a junior executive with the Pepsi-Cola company and he usually dressed in shirt and tie. When I met him at the door, he asked if he could come up to see the Swami. I replied, “He’s alone tonight, so let me see if it is all right.” I went back upstairs and said, “It is someone who wants to see you.”
Prabhupada asked, “What is he like?” I told Prabhupada that Donald appeared very respectable; he was not a crazy person. When Prabhupada heard that, he gladly gave his permission and I went down to let Donald in. He came upstairs, took off his stylish raincoat, and went in to sit down with Swamiji in his room. I stayed in the other room where I had some typing to do. But I overheard Donald asking academic questions about the position of Lord Siva in relationship with Krishna. Donald later got initiated and was given the name Dvarakadhisa, but within a few years he had stopped coming to the temple.
Remembering and worshiping the minutes may be done by offerings of flowers, just as we do in arati. But I also have the feeling of shooting into the past like a sportsman hitting targets with a bow and arrow. The targets are waiting, all the minutes and hours of the past.
Inevitably, we turn toward memories that we’ve enjoyed many times. But that doesn’t make them less important or less worshipable. If we remember a favorite moment once again, it may bring out new lights.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=8
ISKCON 50 Meditations: May 14, 2016
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Worship the Moments Spent with Swamiji
Trainwrecks & Transcendence Now Available (Paperback)
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https://www.createspace.com/6251033 <– you can get the paperback here, now. If you are going to see me in May, it’ll be cheaper to buy it directly from me. If you want a kindle or pdf, please hang on till June. Rādhe Rādhe Śyāma !
Tagged: 108hc, hardcore, Hare Krishna, ISKCON, krishnacore, straightedge
New Vrindaban Celebrates 30th Anniversary of U.S.A’s Only Full-Size Nrsimha
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By Madhava Smullen
For thirty years, a very special Lord Nrsimhadeva Deity has protected the devotees of New Vrindaban and all of North America, and received their love and service.
Now, residents of the West Virginia village want to invite people from all over North America to come celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of His installation, and to behold the only full-size Nrsimha Deity on the continent, on His sacred appearance day.
Sculpted by artist Soma Das in New Vrindaban and installed in 1986, the ferocious half-man, half-lion Lord with his deep black skin and golden mane stands at a towering seven feet tall next to his boy devotee Prahlad – so the celebration is sure to be an awe-inspiring spectacle.
Although the original installation was on January 6th, this year’s epic three-day anniversary festival will run from Friday May 20th – Nrsimha Chaturdasi – to Sunday May 22nd.
On the first day, all the devotees will bathe the full-size Deities with a variety of liquids including milk, yoghurt and ghee from New Vindaban’s own protected cows. During this maha-abhisekha, one thousand Nrsimha Kavachas will also be knotted together into one huge garland, and offered to the Lord.
On Saturday, the Nrsimha Kavacha mantra will be chanted 108 times during a fire sacrifice to invoke the feral Lord’s protection, and the thousand Kavachas will be distributed to the guests.
And on both days, there will be dramatic retellings of the story of Nrsimhadeva and Prahlad by award-winning storyteller Sankirtan Das; roaring kirtans, special Nrsimha aratis; and delectable feasts – with many of the community devotees bringing offerings from their homes. Sunday, meanwhile, will wrap things up with a Govardhana parikrama and Sunday Feast.
But perhaps one of the biggest treats of the festival will be the Nrsimha Katha on both Friday and Saturday. Senior Prabhupada disciples Urmila Dasi and Srutakirti Das will speak about Lord Nrsimhadeva’s loving pastimes; Soma Das and other early New Vrindaban devotees will share their memories of sculpting and installing the Lord thirty years ago.
Back then, Soma recalls, New Vrindaban devotees had longed to install Nrsimhadeva for protection for many years.
“Then one day, I was walking from Prabhupada’s Palace down to the old temple at Bahulaban,” he says. “I had already finished my japa, and I remembered reading in the Nectar of Devotion that performing service in your mind is as good as performing it in real life. I started to meditate on making a beautiful Nrsimhadeva Deity, and installing Him in a wonderful temple. So when I was asked later if I wanted to sculpt Him, I was over the moon!”
Like most of the pioneering devotees building up New Vrindaban at the time, Soma, then 32, had no professional experience or education in sculpting. Instead, he had learned on the job; his many sculptures, including a giant Gaura-Nitai and bas relief forms of Jaya and Vijaya, already adorned the community.
Beginning work on Lord Nrsimhadeva and Prahlad Maharaj in October 1985, he first formed the Lord from clay. While doing so, he consulted the Shilpa Shastra and other Vedic texts, particularly the descriptions of Nrsimha in Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam.
He also consulted Sri Vaishnava priest Sampat Kumar Bhattacharya, head of the Tirupati temple authority TTD, who had been personally praised for his expertise by Srila Prabhupada.
It “just so happened” that as Soma was sculpting Lord Nrsimhadeva, the Bhattacharya was visiting nearby Pittsburgh to open a South Indian temple there – the first time a Sri Vaishnava priest had ever done so outside of India.
“He came by, approved my work, and answered all my questions,” Soma says. “Like the whole process, it seemed like divine arrangement. It really felt like Lord Nrsimhadeva wanted to appear in New Vrindaban, and I was just working for Him. It didn’t even feel like I made Him.”
The Deity was completed quickly, in only three months. Kumar, Sudhanu and their mold shop crew made plaster molds from Soma’s clay original and poured in epoxy resin mixed with granite dust and ground-up West Virginia coal for the jet black color. Prahlad, meanwhile, was cast out of cultured white marble.
Although the devotees were pensive because there was only one chance for the cast to work, they breathed a sigh of relief and awe when on the fateful day, Kumar opened the molds to reveal the beautiful Deities of the Lord and His devotee.
“I remember we all ran over to see Him come out of the mold,” recalls Madhurya-lila Dasi. “It was amazing.”
Meanwhile, all the different Deity worship departments at New Vrindaban were in marathon mode as the installation date loomed.
Ishani headed up the jewelry workshop with a small core group, including Madhurya-lila, Gopi, and Janaki, and got help from anyone else she could. Her team created pieces by soldering brass or copper jewelry findings together, electroplating, cutting crystals to create jewels, and hammering relief designs by hand – all of it learned through books and on the job.
“We were working from 7 in the morning until probably 10 or 11 at night,” says Madhurya-lila. “And I’m pretty sure all of us pulled at least one all-nighter.”
Despite this, Madhurya-lila – who will also create the Lord’s jewelry for the 30th anniversary -- says she loved it. “There was a team spirit that I’ve rarely experienced anywhere else in my life. I would go back to that jewelry shop in a heartbeat. There’s no place I’d rather be.”
The result of all this dedicated teamwork was a gorgeous full set of golden jewelry set with red and green jewels for Prahlad and Nrsimhadeva: a large tubular crown, sudarshan chakra, conchshell, earrings, necklaces, arm and ankle bracelets, and tilak and belt. Ishani created the Lord’s eyes as well, along with Kuladri Das.
The Deity Sewing Department, headed by Adhara Dasi and her dedicated crew of women, also worked around the clock in the months leading up to the installation day, creating new outfits for the Lord and His boy devotee. These included a beautiful yellow dhoti and crimson chaddar lined with gold for the Lord, a purple dhoti with violet chaddar for Prahlad, and a velvet backdrop adorned with winding flowered vines.
For the installation on January 6th, 1986 and surrounding three-day festival, hundreds of devotees from all over North America gathered for ecstatic chanting, dancing, feasting, dramas and more – just as they will on the 30th anniversary celebration.
Gaura Keshava Das, a brahamana priest who had been trained in South India by Sampat Kumar amongst others, performed the elaborate installation rituals, including fire sacrifices in the yajnashala outside the temple, and Prana Pratistha.
“This involved touching the heart of the Deity, and inviting the Lord to please expand His heart and reside within the Deity, and accept the worship of the devotees,” Gaura Keshava recalls.
During this process, four strong devotees carried the 400-pound Lord into the temple room. A blindfold was removed and His eyes were ceremonially opened. He was then installed with much pomp upon a beautiful golden altar and throne cast by Kumar in New Vrindaban.
From then on, Lord Nrsimhadeva was very merciful to all the New Vrindaban devotees, and especially the Prahlad-like children – in the 1980s, the older gurukula boys would perform all His morning aratis, while once a week the women and younger boys and girls would worship Him.
Today, His early servants such as Srimati, Jayasri and Lokadristi continue to worship Him alongside new pujaris like Abhinandana Das.
And now, at this May’s unmissable 30th anniversary celebration, we’ll all get to feel His love and protection, as we hear from those who were there how He appeared all those years ago in New Vrindaban.
The More We Become the Servant of the Servant, The More We Relish Devotional Service, April 11, Dallas
Giriraj Swami
Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.3.54
“The basic principle of Deity worship is that one must understand oneself to be an eternal servant of the Supreme Lord. One who is addicted to sexual gratification, foolishly identifying himself with the external material body, cannot change his conception of himself from that of an enjoyer to that of the enjoyed. Such a person interprets the word tan-mayam to mean that the worshiper is himself also the worshipable object. Sri Jiva Gosvami Prabhupada has written in his Durga-sangamani, his commentary on Sri Rupa Gosvami Prabhu’s Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, that ahangrahopasana, or the process of worshiping oneself as the Supreme, is a gross misidentification of one’s own self with the Supreme, who is actually one’s eternal shelter. The Six Gosvamis have repeatedly clarified this point. But unintelligent persons within the prakrta-sahajiya community become influenced by the bogus ideas of the Mayavadi philosophers and thus display the deluded misconception that the worshiper becomes the supreme shelter. Such a hallucination is an aparadha, an offense against the Lord. Therefore the word tan-maya in this verse should not be offensively understood to mean that the worshiper becomes equal to his eternal worshipable object.” (SB 11.3.54 purport)
The Mercy of the Archa-Avatara, April 10, Dallas
Giriraj Swami
Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.3.52-53.
“Srila Prabhupada says that if you dress the deity in beautiful garments you will lose the desire to dress yourself in beautiful garments. In other words by engaging in the service of the senses of the Lord, our senses will become so satisfied transcendentally that we will not want to indulge our senses materially. So, the process of deity worship is very important. Srila Visvanatha Cakravati Thakura in his book Madhurya Kadambani explains that the different stages of devotional service are diferent degrees of changing the emphasis or focus from one’s own self to Krishna.”
ISKCON Mayapur Boat Festival (Album with photos) Srila…
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ISKCON Mayapur Boat Festival (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Krishna, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. (Sri-Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila, 20.12)
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“Simplicity Diet”
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By Bharat Chandra das Unless we simplify our dietary habits, it is not possible to achieve self-sufficiency in our village community projects and it is not possible to become simple. Our conditioning with opulent food that comes from three thousand different destinations is what we look to replicate in our agricultural practices. Even if by some intelligent arrangement if this is possible, we loose the purpose - the simplicity. How much true is Srila Prabhupada's statement - "Use ONLY what you produce, produce ONLY what you need"! Our conditioning, thanks to "Green revolution" and other ongoing efforts by corporates and corrupt governments combined, is due to brainwashing about nutrition, diet and supplements. But when we go back to nature, everything makes sense. The first thing to do is willing to simplify our diet. Continue reading "“Simplicity Diet”
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Merciful Nrsimhadev
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By Amogha das A few years ago I presented a photo table at a Sunday feast at one of our temples. One devotee came up to the table and held a photo of Lord Nrsimhadev in his hands. I encouraged him to take Lord Nrsimhadev home, but he said, "If I was qualified to worship Him!" and quickly walked away. He seemed to be afraid of Lord Nrsimhadev. More recently my daughter and her husband removed the photo of Lord Nrsimhadev from their altar because they heard that some couples had been devastated by worshiping an Ugra Nrsimha Deity in their home. Ugra Nrsimha is the terrifying form of the Lord standing ready to attack the demons and totally destroy them, in order to save His devotee Prahlad. To worship Him in His Deity form one must be strictly celibate, and there are many strict rules and methods of worship. One point is that having a photo of a Deity on an altar is not the same as having a Deity, but more importantly, Lord Nrsimhadev in Mayapur is extremely merciful. Continue reading "Merciful Nrsimhadev
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ISKCON to Open First Ever Temple in Guyanese Capital.
Devotees…
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ISKCON to Open First Ever Temple in Guyanese Capital.
Devotees are set to open their first ever temple in Georgetown, the capital of Guyana, this July as an offering to Srila Prabhupada for the 50th anniversary of his ISKCON.
The temple, located in an extremely sought-after area, will receive its grand opening during a five-day festival beginning on July 13th, the day Prabhupada incorporated his society.
It’s set to be a pinnacle for ISKCON Guyana, which is already one of the most active ISKCON congregations in the world per capita.
“The country has a population of only 750,000 people, but we now have five temples and six annual Rathayatras,” says temple board chairman Prabhupada Deva Das.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/wbsUqQ
Help Us to Build a Shelter for Cows
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namo brahmanya-devaya
go-brahmana-hitaya ca
jagad-dhitaya krsnaya
govindaya namo namah
My Lord, you are the well-wisher of the cows and the brahmanas, and You are the well-wisher of the entire human society and the of the entire world.
Srimad Bhagavatam 10.8.16 Purport: For the cowherd men and the cows, Kṛṣṇa is the supreme friend. Therefore He is worshiped by the prayer namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. His pastimes in Gokula, His dhāma, are always favorable to the brāhmaṇas and the cows. His first business is to give all comfort to the cows and the brāhmaṇas. In fact, comfort for the brāhmaṇas is secondary, and comfort for the cows is His first concern. Because of His presence, all people would overcome all difficulties and always be situated in transcendental bliss.
Mahaprabhu’s cows at Yoga-Pith need a bigger gosala. The old shelter they have is too small for the amount of cows there. They need a comfortable shelter.
I have put together this fundraising to help the devotees at Mahaprahu’s birth place to finish building a bigger gosala. The rainy season in Mayapur is coming so the cows need a shelter.
I’m approaching the vaishnava community to please help us in this mission of keeping mother cow protected.
https://www.youcaring.com/hindu-temple-yoga-pitha-566356
Thank you for your service to mother cow and the holy dham.
Your servant,
Isvari Priya DD