On Padayatra: New Realizations Everyday
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Book distribution outside the temple


The residents of Tirukoilur participating in Gaura-arati


Akhildhara Dasa giving class

By Acarya Dasa

We reached Tirukoilur, also known as Tirukkoyilur or Kovalur on April 26th. The panchayat town is located in the Viluppuram district of Tamil Nadu. The town is famous for its temples and is a place where vaishnavites (worshippers of Lord Vishnu) and shivites (worshippers of Lord Shiva) co-exist in peace and harmony. In addition Tirukoilur is known as one of the ‘ashta veeratnams’ or eight (ashta) places of bravery (veeratanam). It was here that Lord Shiva transformed into various incarnations in order to destroy evil and establish justice. Of the many incarnations of Shiva eight avatars (incarnations) are very famous and Their appearances took place here in Tirukoilur. It doesn’t end there – this place also became popular after Avvaiyar received blessings from Lord Ganesha to write the famous verse ‘Vinayagar Agaval’ which was based on various yoga techniques and even included Meta physics. Avvaiyar was a Tamil poet. Long ago the Tamil kings had many female poets, ministers and warriors.

Whilst here we decided to visit the Ulagalandha Perumal temple –a temple dedicated to the worship of Lord Vishnu. The towers in this temple are the third tallest towers in the state of Tamil Nadu, measuring 192 feet or 59 meters in height. It is said that Lord Vamana Dev, the dwarf incarnation of Lord Vishnu, appeared here to quell the pride of the asura (demonic) king Bali. The Bhagavata Purana describes how Vishnu descended as Lord Vamana to restore Indra’s authority over the heavens when it had been taken over by Bali. Bali was the son of Prahlada Maharaja and grandson of Hiranyakashipu. He had received so much of praise from his courtiers and others that he had begun to regard himself as being the most powerful person in the world. The Lord appeared in the guise of a dwarf brahmana and approached King Bali requesting from him three paces of land. The king agreed to grant his request. Suddenly the dwarf brahmana revealed his true form as the supreme personality of Godhead. He transformed himself to gigantic proportions (in this form the Lord is known as Trivikrama) to claim the land that King Bali had granted him. His first step was from heaven to Earth and the second step was from Earth to the netherworld. The Lord had claimed all of creation available and was left with nowhere else to make his last step. King Bali wanting to fulfill his promise of three paces of land, then offered the Lord his head as the third. The Lord placed his foot upon King Bali’s head and granted him immortality for the humility he had shown. We relished in these pastimes and meditated on the beautiful forms of Lord Vamanadev and Lord Trivikrama whilst we were here. Akhildara Dasa also gave a class on the pastime of Lord Vamana.

Afterwards we all went out on sankirtana distributing 145 Bhagavad-gitas in one day. Once we were done with sankirtana we held gaura-arati –usually we choose a town square where four roads meet and in the centre we have gaura-arati. We start with making announcements and then invite everyone to join the arati. We have noticed that whichever towns we visit many pious people from within the town follow the padayatra from beginning to end, participate in gaura-arati, take prasadam and then return to their homes. On this occasion it was no different with many people attending the gaura–arati.

Every day we travel to new places, hosting various programs here and there. Our advance party of devotees’ head of to our next destination arranging accommodation and whatever else they can before the rest of us arrive. It is not always that whatever we plan happens, after all ‘man proposes, God disposes[1]’. We are never sure of so many things: like where we will have prasadam, how will we get water or where we will have arati –but as my Gurudev, Lokanatha Swami always says, “Nothing happens by chance, it is all the Lord’s arrangement. Whatever happens to a devotee is always auspicious –shoba.” Every day as we travel from town to town we carry Guru and Gauranga in our hearts. We march into the streets eager to discover what the Lord has planned for us. We are all very fortunate to make these new discoveries of the Lord’s causeless mercy. Each day the Lord brings us closer to Him, filling our hearts with realizations.

Jai Nitai Gaurasundar ki!

Jai!

[1] Srimad Bhagavatam 3.4.11 Srila Prabhupada

Traditional Indian street festival set to return to Bath later…
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Traditional Indian street festival set to return to Bath later this month.
A traditional Indian street festival, which has been celebrated in India for almost 5,000 years, is returning to the City of Bath on Saturday 28th May.
Rathayatra, the festival of the chariots, takes place all over the world and will be observed by millions.
It’s been traditionally celebrated annually in Jagannath Puri in Orissa, India, where Lord Jagannath along with His sister Subhadra and elder brother Balabhadra are paraded through the streets of the city.
To read the entire article click here: http://goo.gl/YEMGUJ

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.

Iskcon Los Angeles – New Dvaraka – Rukmini Festival (Album with…
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Iskcon Los Angeles - New Dvaraka - Rukmini Festival (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: No one in this life can chant the holy name of the Lord unless he has passed all lower stages, such as performing the Vedic ritualistic sacrifices, studying the Vedas and practicing good behavior like that of the Aryans. All this must first have been done. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.33.7 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/5W0fTu

May 17. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations. Satsvarupa…
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May 17. ISKCON 50 – S.Prabhupada Daily Meditations.
Satsvarupa dasa Goswami: Hanging Out at 26 Second Avenue.
We’re in the storefront and there are noises on the street, but we’re sitting and listening to the Swami. We like to chant; we like the ringing of the karatalas. Everybody chants together: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare. (Whoever heard of such a thing? – That you chant with a one, two, three beat and with brass cymbals? You never read about chanting in any book about Vedanta or Bhagavad-gita or yoga. It was far out.) The cymbals ring loudly, and the door is open and he’s singing.
When the chanting was going on and the karatalas were ringing, that would be more likely to attract passers-by to look in. But it was a time when they really couldn’t disturb because the chanting was so dominant. Their shouts and their remarks couldn’t overcome the chanting.
The Swami was more vulnerable when the whole audience was quiet and he was lecturing. But when there was kirtana, it was as if he had the upper hand. And yet more people did gather to look in at that time, and that was part of the adventure of going there. When you chant you are more on the Swamiji’s side, you are not just observing, but you are part of the kirtana – you were what people were looking in at. Yet you did it because you wanted to experience the kirtana, never mind noises from the street.
To read the entire article click here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=20490&page=8

Cleansing the Heart, May 15, Dallas
Giriraj Swami

HHGRS_Dallas_Pic2Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 12.200-222.

“There are two ideas. One is that if you serve Krishna, the guru will be pleased. The other is that if you serve the guru, Krishna will be pleased. But, if you serve the vaisnavas, both Krishna and the guru will be pleased. When I joined, I heard that Srila Prabhupada said that if a devotee ever asked you to do service you should agree. And, if a devotee offers to do service for you, you should decline. So, it is a practice that can become a habit—second nature.”

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 12.200-222

No ordinary name!
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 05 September 2016, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Initiation Lecture)

Initiations_VP_2016 (44)

When we get initiated and we get a new name, at first it is a shock. In my case, it was like that also. My first name was with a ‘P’ and my last name with a ‘K’ but somehow or other, they mixed the names around and thought that my last name was my first name. So then I got a name with a ‘K’ and I did not expect it. Actually, I was thinking I will get something like ‘Prahlad’ and then suddenly, it was pronounced ‘Kadamba Kanana’! Oh, it was a big shock!

But then it grew on me – the meaning of the name grew on me, the meditation grew on me and I could see that this name is something I can try to live up to. I can try to become that. That is the nice thing about these spiritual names – they are giving us meaning which we can try to live up to. In this way, the name will pull us up to a higher level so it is a very good thing.

Christchurch Temple Rebuild
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It’s been a long road to the rebuilding of Christchurch temple. When the earthquake struck five years ago, tens of thousands of properties were damaged, many to the point of no repair – including our temple.

After a long battle with the insurance company for an equitable payout and going through countless red tape for building approval, the temple is starting to rise again with new design and fit out.

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Not Friends and Enemies But Servants of Krishna, May 14, Dallas
Giriraj Swami

HHGRS_Dallas_Pic1Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.12.

“As stated in Bhagavad-gita, Krishna is the friend of everyone (suhrdam sarva-bhutunam jnatva mam santim rcchati). The Lord is never an enemy to any of the millions of living entities, but is always a friend to everyone. This is true understanding. If one thinks that the Lord is an enemy, his intelligence is pasu-buddhi, the intelligence of an animal. He falsely thinks, “I am different from my enemy, and my enemy is different from me. The enemy has done this, and therefore my duty is to kill him.” This misconception is described in this verse as bheda-gatasati. The actual fact is that everyone is a servant of the Lord, as confirmed in Caitanya-caritamrta by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (jivera ‘svarupa’ haya — krsnera ‘nitya-dasa’). As servants of the Lord, we are one, and there can be no questions of enmity or friendship. If one actually understands that every one of us is a servant of the Lord, where is the question of enemy or friend?

Everyone should be friendly for the service of the Lord. Everyone should praise another’s service to the Lord and not be proud of his own service. This is the way of Vai??ava thinking, Vaiku??ha thinking. There may be rivalries and apparent competition between servants in performing service, but in the Vaikuntha planets the service of another servant is appreciated, not condemned. This is Vaiku??ha competition. There is no question of enmity between servants. Everyone should be allowed to render service to the Lord to the best of his ability, and everyone should appreciate the service of others. Such are the activities of Vaiku??ha. Since everyone is a servant, everyone is on the same platform and is allowed to serve the Lord according to his ability. (SB 7.5.12 purport)

Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.12, Dallas

Boise’s Krishna Cultural Center grows, welcomes the public
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By Anna Webb

Boise’s Hare Krishna Temple just south of Boise State University began welcoming Hindu worshipers in 1986.

“The temple started out in my parents’ home as a small place of gathering,” said Ravi Gupta, son of Arun and Aruddha Gupta. “People started coming. It grew. It took over our living room, then the kitchen, then the bedrooms.”
A newly installed statue of Krishna illustrates a story from the Vedas, ancient Hindu scriptures. A poisonous, multi-hooded cobra took up residence in the river that people relied on. Krishna banished the cobra, not by killing it, but by dancing on its hoods. It’s a story that conveys a message of environmental activism and also non-violence. Katherine Jones kjones@idahostatesman.com

The Guptas realized an expansion was in order. They bought the lot next to their house and built a gold-domed temple in 1999. On Saturday, the congregation will celebrate an even larger expansion into the former Drake Plumbing yard off Boise Avenue.

The once in-home worship site has grown into a 10,000 square foot temple complex. The Krishna Cultural Center includes a new performance hall, library, meditation garden and greenhouse, said Ravi Gupta, now a professor at Utah State University who heads the university’s Religious Studies Program.

The temple draws between 70 and 80 devotees to services on a regular basis, and hundreds for special events. But the public will get its first look at the temple complex expansion on Saturday at a special ceremony. Idaho Lt. Gov. Brad Little and members of Boise’s Indian community will attend.

Boise Mayor Dave Bieter has proclaimed May 14, 2016 as Krishna Cultural Center Day. The celebration will include Indian dance and music, activities for children and a free vegetarian meal.

“The distribution of food is an essential part of the ceremony,” said Gupta. “Feeding others and sharing food together is such a big part, not just of community, but of our spiritual practice and traditions.”

Welcoming the public into the complex on Saturday and beyond, regardless of visitors’ religious affiliations, is also in keeping with Krishna beliefs.

“This is a very spiritual place,” Temple President Arun Gupta said about the complex, “but it’s spiritually neutral.”

The Hare Krishna movement is a branch of Hinduism, which is a blanket term over various denominations, not unlike Christianity, said Ravi Gupta. Hare Krishna’s leader, Swami Prabhupada, brought the movement to New York City in the mid-1960s. The Bhagavad Gita is the Krishna movement’s main religious text.

The movement embraces nonviolence and the divinity of the natural world — hence the inclusion in the expansion of a garden and greenhouse. The garden, which has been planted with new trees and hardy plants, will offer public green space in a built-up neighborhood that’s adjacent to the university and urbanizing as the university expands, Gupta said. The greenhouse has a special purpose — growing tulasi, or holy basil (Ocimum sanctum). The medicinal herb is grown in temples throughout India, and Krishna devotees use the herb in ceremonies.

The performance hall will offer space for dance performances, coming-of-age ceremonies and weddings. But like the rest of the complex, it will be available to the general public for yoga, dance or other purposes. The complex expansion includes two small apartments for visiting guests, a kitchen, a seminar room and a library that holds 1,000 volumes of literature from ancient India.

“Again, this is a resource for students and professors. We’re so close to Boise State,” said Gupta, who studied at Boise State before going to England to get his masters and doctorate degrees at Oxford.

Classes from nearby institutions, including College of Idaho and Northwest Nazarene University, already visit the temple complex on a regular basis, he said. Gupta also notes an art gallery inside the new performance hall where the congregation is featuring landscape photographs by Vishwanath Bhat of Boise.

Boise architect Bruce Poe designed the first temple in 1999 and the new expansion. Poe is not a Krishna devotee, but he has become a good friend to the congregation, said Gupta. Poe said that designing the temple and complex has been a journey for him, learning about the religion and how devotees regard the world, then coming up with a design that responded to those beliefs and particular rules about temple siting and orientation while fitting into a mostly residential neighborhood.

That challenge involved creating space that was restful and secluded, but simultaneously welcoming, and designing buildings characterized by warm, natural light — again, a nod to the beauty of the natural world.

“They really are an inclusive religion,” said Poe, “Anyone who gets to know the Hindu culture and people who practice it knows they’re a gentle group of people who embrace non-violence, vegetarianism. They live their religion every day.”

Grand opening

5 to 8 p.m., Saturday, May 14, 2470 W. Boise Ave.

For more information, visit boisetemple.org or call 208-344-4274.

The temple offers services from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday, which include readings, chanting and a full, free vegetarian meal.

Source: http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/article77316102.html

‘THE WALKING MONK’ makes a stop in city
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By: Bruce Walton

Youngstown, OH

Sitting underneath a tree by the main library near the corner of Wick and Rayen avenues, a man known simply as “The Walking Monk” enjoyed a quiet Friday afternoon arriving for the first time in the city in his pilgrimage we across the U.S.

His only supplies: a cell phone he rarely uses, prayer beads, a watch, some business cards and the bright orange robes and sandals he wears while he traverses the land.

Bhaktimarga Swami, 63 is a Hare Krishna monk who started his pilgrimage just three days ago when he began in Butler, PA. HE plans to walk entirely on foot to San Francisco, walking 20 miles a day. He left no timetable for his arrival on the West Coast.

The monk arrived in Youngstown on Thursday night and had the opinion that people are easy to talk to in the city, finding them vocal and approachable.

“I’m here to encourage people more toward introspective walking,” he said. “Just get out of the car, give it a break, and experience more of a car free care free lifestyle. Take a little down time for yourself and make a prayer for it.”

The walk is to celebrate Bhaktimarga Swami’s guru, or teacher, Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, a spiritual teacher and the founder of ISKCON in 1965 New York as well as a new form of yoga known as Bhakti Yoga.

According to religionfacts.com, Hare Krishna is the popular name for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, or the aforementioned ISKCON; a religion based in Hinduism.

The Hare Krishna’s worship the Hindu god Krishna as the one Supreme God. Their goal is “Krishna consciousness,” (sic) and their central practice is chanting the Hare Krishna mantra for which they are named.

Growing up Catholic in Ontario, Canada, Bhaktimarga Swami said “He became interested in older civilizations and cultures, he found his teacher Prabupada through meeting monks in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

“When I was Christian, I used to wonder, ‘what does it mean: “Our father which art in heaven hollowed be they name?” So what is the name?” he said. “And when I became a Krishna monk I said, ‘oh, there’s the name, Hare Krishna.”

He’s been a monk for more than 30 years, travelling and spreading the message of inner peace, spirituality and the teachings he learned from his guru.

As he makes his way across the country, Bhaktimarga Swami said he survives on the kindness of strangers for food, shelter and hospitality.

In the 20 years he has performed his pilgrimages, he said he’s rarely met dangerous people, but he does recall some close encounters with bears.

The nomadic monk also is accompanied by his assistant, Gopala Keller, 32, a follower of Hare Krishna from New Vrindaban, WV who travels ahead of Bhaktimarga Swami to ensure he’s appropriately accommodated and protected, while making preparations for his arrival into towns and cities.

After Youngstown, the monk plans to go in the direction of Cleveland, OH and further west afterward.

Walton, Bruce. “‘The Walking Monk’ Makes a Stop in City.” The Vindicator [Youngstown] 14 May 2016

Radhanath Swami Lovingly Listens. (video)
→ TKG Academy

Swamis are most notable for their speech.  They share their wisdom through their speech.  They sit on a raised platform, amongst hundreds of followers, and impart transcendental knowledge through the spiritual sound vibration an into the blaring microphone.  This transcendental sound slices through the ignorance and fogginess of our consciousness, illuminating our hearts with all those qualities that evade us:  mercy, compassion, tolerance, austerity, kindness, the list is very long.  The very process of bhakti begins with this transcendental hearing.  Pin-drop silence is expected when a great personality is speaking.  Proper etiquette mandates this.

His Holiness Srila Radhanath Swami, author of international bestsellers, “The Journey Home” and “The Journey Within”, however, visited TKG Academy and did just the opposite.  He listened.  Yes, I’ll say that again.  He didn’t speak first. He listened!

As the teachers shushed the kids, feeling embarrased that they dare to speak out in front of such a stalwart, world-renowned sage, he smiled and said, “No.  Let them speak!”  He would ask an open ended question, and the room erupted in answers from all the kids, from ages 4 to 14!  “Shhhh,” the teachers nudged..  “No no,” in response, the Swami shushed the teachers.  He relished listening to the young student’s words.  He smiled and laughed.  He truly loved hearing their many thoughts.  And they could feel it.

If only these children knew who they were sitting in front of.  Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims join him on pilgrimages all over India, straining to hear even just a few words of his transcendental words. Every time, he arrives in a temple, it quickly gets filled up with true seekers, wishing to hear from him.

I’ve had the real fortune of knowing him since I was 14 myself.  Every time we visited him, he made us feel as if we were the most important, most valuable people he has ever met.  He made us feel like this was the most important encounter in his life.  Never mind that he meets with and teaches tens of thousands of visitors regularly.  Each person gets the same feeling.  Growing up, every one of my gurukuli friends felt the same way.  We had decided that it must be like this when meeting the Lord in our Hearts, Sri Krishna.

Today, our lucky students also got this opportunity!  A true well-wisher.  A true listener.  After hearing what their hearts needed, he shared the magical pastimes of Sri Nrsimhadeva.   He spent time with themalmost as if he was one of them.  The adult ego, “I’m an adult, you need to listen to me.” was non-existent.   Is there any adult that truly can connect with kids like that?  I’ve never met one.

It was one of the best days of the year.  On May 16, 2016, His Holiness Radhanath Swami visited us at Srila Prabhupada’s very first gurukula, TKG Academy, in Dallas.  Our only prayer is that he can come back again and again and again.

This time, we may need to tell the kids ahead of time to just “listen”.

New Vrindaban Celebrates 30th Anniversary of U.S.A’s Only Full-Size Nrsimha
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

By Madhava Smullen

Soma Das with Lord Nrsimhadeva, Nrsimha Chaturdasi 2015

Soma Das with Lord Nrsimhadeva, Nrsimha Chaturdasi 2015.

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.

Soma and Abhinanda with the Lord on Nrsimha Chaturdasi 2015

Soma and Abhinanda with the Lord on Nrsimha Chaturdasi 2015

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!”

Soma Das finishes the original clay sculpture of Lord Nrsimhadeva in 1985

Soma Das finishes the original clay sculpture of Lord Nrsimhadeva in 1985.

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.”

Foreground - Nrsimhadeva cast in granite and West Virginia coal_ background - Prahlad cast in white marble, 1985

Foreground – Nrsimhadeva cast in granite and West Virginia coal. Background – Prahlad cast in white marble, 1985.

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.”

Lord Nrsimhadeva on His installation day, January 6th 1986

Lord Nrsimhadeva on His installation day, January 6th 1986.

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.

Kumar Das works on an altar in the mold shop

Kumar Das works on an altar in the mold shop.

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.

Amazing Harinam in the ancient city of Prague, Czech Republic…
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Amazing Harinam in the ancient city of Prague, Czech Republic (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: In the material world, everything is full of anxiety (kuntha), whereas in the spiritual world (Vaikuntha) everything is free from anxiety. Therefore those who are afflicted by a combination of anxieties cannot understand the Hare Krishna mantra, which is free from all anxiety. (Sri-Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila, 7.74 Purport)
Find them here: https://goo.gl/Xrocx0

Setting the Scene for Bhagavad-gita (6 min video) This is a…
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Setting the Scene for Bhagavad-gita (6 min video)
This is a video based on the “setting the scene” intro to Bhagavad-gita as it is. It was created by Jai Nitai dasa & Bhava Bhakti devi dasi for the ISKCON-London Bhakti Sastri Course.
Shaktyavesha Avatara Dasa: The Radha-Krishna Temple in London looks so gorgeous after refurbishment. Thank you for your beautiful service and steadiness Jai Nitai Prabhu and Bhava Bhakti Mataji and all those who put your heart into making Sri-Sri Radha-Londonisvara’s home so welcoming!
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/Xrocx0

Narasimha Caturdasi – 30th Anniversary of His Installation in Mayapur
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By Braja Vilas das

Dear Devotees and TOVP Donors,

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Greetings from Sridham Mayapur and blessings from Sri Sri Radha-Madhava, Sri Panchatattva and Lord Nrsimhadeva.

Next Friday (May 20th) is the most auspicious appearance day of Lord Narasimhadeva, the half-man half-lion avatara who appeared to save Prahlad Maharaja. Lord Narasimhadeva has a very special mood of affectionate protection towards His devotees, and thus He is very dear to them. In fact, we constantly rely on His shelter. As Srila Prabhupada said,

“We should always consider that this material world is a dangerous place and therefore we shall chant Lord Narasimha’s Holy Name in order to be protected by Him in all dangers.”
(Letter to Himavati – 4 July, 1970)

Thirty years ago, after an attack on the temple by dacoits, the Mayapur community decided to install a unique Deity of Lord Narasimhadeva for protection. Both Srila Prabhupada and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati had previously advised other endangered temples to do the same. There are many forms of Lord Narasimhadeva according to His different pastimes and moods, some angry and some peaceful. He is worshiped in Mayapur in His Ugra-Narasimha mood, full of divine wrath.

This specific form emerging from the pillar, Sthanu-Narasimha, is especially fearsome and thus had not been worshipped anywhere for centuries. However, since this Narasimhadeva Deity is in Mayapur, He takes on the forgiving mood of Lord Chaitanya and blesses the sincere devotees with love for Krishna. Begging for this special mercy, Bhaktivinoda Thakur offered this beautiful prayer to Lord Nrsimhadeva:

Weeping, I will beg at the lotus-feet of Lord Narasimhadeva for the benediction of worshipping Radha and Krsna in Navadvipa, perfectly safe and free from all difficulties. When will this Lord Hari, whose terrible form strikes fear into fear itself ever become pleased and show me His mercy?
(Sri Navadvipa-bhava-taranga)
Narasimha Caturdasi is a very auspicious day to help us build Lord Narasimhadeva’s new home in the TOVP. The construction is now focusing on the dome above His altar and its support structure is nearly complete. The next step, one of the most glorious, will be to erect the kalashas on the apex of the domes. We are contracting a Russian company to build and carry out the finishing work for all three kalashas, which will be covered with genuine gold-plating and will truly be the crown-jewels of the TOVP.
It is absolutely essential to cap the domes and complete the kalashas so that the detailed interior work can begin. Once installed, they will increase the auspiciousness of the project, and attract the blessings of the Lord so that the temple can be quickly completed and He can enter and receive worship from His loving devotees.
Please consider making a contribution towards the kalash work. All donations received at this time are going specifically for that purpose. You can make your donation from this page on our website:
https://tovp.org/donate/
Yours in the Service of Sridham Mayapur,
 
Braja Vilas das   
Global Fundraising Director

Nauka Keli – Chandan Yatra Day 8
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Hundreds and thousands of elegant white swans glide along Yamuna Devi’s waters, their shrill cries echoing on her curved shores charging the atmosphere with great festivity as Radha and Madhava enjoy their wonderful boat pastimes. Yamuna Devi is an intimate witness to all of Krsna’s wonderful activities. May that Yamuna Devi, daughter of the sun […]

The post Nauka Keli – Chandan Yatra Day 8 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Lord Jagannath Rath yatra festival in Karnal, Haryana
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IMG-20160516-WA0011

Yet again the Lord Sri Sri Jagannath, Baladev and subhadra devi came out on to the streets in Karnal on 12th May 2016 to shower the people with their profuse blessings. Their Lordships passed through the main market area in full splendour and gave their Darsan to thousands of people. All the devotees and locals from all spheres of life got a chance to come together and serve the Lord to their hearts content.

The program started many days in advance. The local devotees regularly go out for sankirtan in the city and the nearby villages throughout the year. Their efforts were very well complemented by a group of international devotees who did harinam sankirtan, book distribution and flyers distribution informing the people about the Rath Yatra ceremony.

Srila Prabhupad says:

“From my very childhood I was also worshiping Lord Jagannatha. When I was six years old my father gave me a ratha and I was performing the Ratha yatra in my neighbourhood. And now in the western world you are worshiping Lord Jagannatha so gorgeously and it pleases me very, very much.”(SPL to Ravindra Swarupa, June ’74)

There is a large group of local devotees here including students and grhasthas who tirelessly worked to make the Ratha Yatra a very great success.

The Lord arrived at the Ratha which was decorated with profuse amount of flowers in a Mercedez . All the arrangements were complete to receive the Lord on to the Rath. Their Lordship were fed with sumptuous 56 bhoga (chappan Bhoga) offering. The chief guests Sri Amarendra Singh (OSD, CM Haryana), Srimati Renu Bala Gupta (Mayor, Karnal) and Sri Sher Singh (Dist. Jail Supdt.) offered arati to the Lord. They spoke few words of appreciation.

Vedic hymns were chanted, counchshells blown, coconuts bursted and the Ratha was on its way. It crossed over the beautiful Rangoli decorations designed by mataji’s group. Ecstatic kirtan sounded on all sides sung by our International group of devotees creating an atmosphere making everyone present prabhujis and matajis to dance in ecstacy.

Srila Prbhupada very well appreciated such a kirtana as he says:

“And our magic was simply this chanting and dancing; that’s all” (SPL to Batu Gopal, july ’71)

Huge quantity of prasad had been distributed nonstop from four sides on the Ratha. The distributed prasad included various kinds of fruits, fruit juices, dry sweets, lassi, flavoured milk, candies, laddus and sweets of various kinds. Thousands of people took Prasadam from the Ratha. The yatra concluded with Lord Jagannaths arti, and a sumptuous bhandara (full prasadam) was served which was honoured by a thousand people.

The credit for the Rath Yatra goes to Jagdananda Das and his team of devotees who under the guidance of senior guides has been managing the program since many years.

We pray to the Lord that we may be able to spread this Krisna Consciousness movement far and wide. Also we pray for the blessings from all the devotees all over the world in this endeavour.

Jagannath Swami ki Jai
Rath Yatra Mahamahotsava ki Jai
Srila Prabhupada ki Jai

—By Bhakta Aseem

Krishna conscious Mother’s day celebration 14/05/16 in Sri…
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Krishna conscious Mother’s day celebration 14/05/16 in Sri Jagannatha Mandir,ISKCON Malaysia (Album with photos)
HG Madhuri Tulasi Devi Dasi: Mother’s Day was celebrated very grandly recently in Sri Jagannath Mandir KL. This event was conducted on 14th of May 2016, Saturday at 6.30pm.
This isn’t an ordinary event where Mother’s Day is celebrated just with good food and nice gift. This was an event where all senior matajis were honored, glorified and appreciated; who has dedicated their time and energy in various ways in our temple for many years.
This celebration is also dedicated to Srila Prabhupada for his Iskcon’s 50th Anniversary. This also is to encourage and motivate the younger generations to take up more service for the pleasure of Their Lordships.
All the senior matajis were given a maha garland, a basket and a picture of Lord Nitai Sunder Gaurahari as a token of appreciation. Besides that, some matajis were truly happy when they won lucky draw.
The evening ended with a wide variety of sumptuous delicacies and prasadam prepared by all Mothers.
Find them here: https://goo.gl/jx0PKT

Destination Russia – Kirtan In The Motherland (5 min…
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Destination Russia - Kirtan In The Motherland (5 min video)
Indradyumna Swami: Srila Prabhupada once told Govinda dasi that in ancient Vedic times Russia was called the “Land of Rishi’s” because many yogis went to the frozen tundra’s of Russia to perform penance and austerities. These days Russia is being graced with Lord Caitanya’s mercy in the form of the chanting of Sri Krsna’s holy names. We witnessed this as we traveled to several cities in the Motherland where ISKCON temples are flourishing.
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/bC5lum

Chant, Chant, Chant! A great opportunity for devotees worldwide…
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Chant, Chant, Chant!
A great opportunity for devotees worldwide to offer your chanting to Sri Narasimhadeva!
On the day before Narasimha chaturdasi (19.05.16) the Maha Sudarshana Homa will take place at Sri Radha -Madhava temple courtyard at 10 am. The Sudharshana and Narasimha yantra will then be bathed with water infused with the Hare Krishna Maha mantra japa chanted by devotees. This water will be used the next day for the abhisheka of Lord Narasimha deva.
We request devotees worldwide to kindly start chanting their extra rounds of Japa from today or if you are already chanting extra rounds, you can send us the number of extra rounds you have chanted by e-mail to info@mayapur.com or by Whats app to +919593400192. Kindly send us the number of extra Japa before 19.05.16 – 7:00 am Indian time. Please mention your name (if initiated then the initiated name) along with the count. The Japa will be offered in that name to the Yantras. Kindly post this message in your facebook, share it to all your contacts, paste in your temple bulletin boards and reach as many people as you can.
“May there be good fortune throughout the universe, and may all envious persons be pacified. May all living entities become calm by practicing bhakti-yoga, for by accepting devotional service they will think of each other’s welfare. Therefore let us all engage in the service of the supreme transcendence, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and always remain absorbed in thought of Him.”- Srimad Bhagavatam 5.18.9

Chant, Chant, Chant!
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A great opportunity for devotees worldwide to offer your chanting to Sri Narasimhadeva! On the day before Narasimha chaturdasi (19.05.16) the Maha Sudarshana Homa will take place at Sri Radha -Madhava temple courtyard at 10 am. The Sudharshana and Narasimha yantra will then be bathed with water infused with the Hare Krishna Maha mantra japa […]

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