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Hare Krishna! US Congressman and Mayor Among 10,000 Attendees for Detroit ISKCON Rathyatra
Perhaps one of the greatest surprises of the day was when US Congressman David Trott joined the Opening Ceremonies as Honory Chief Guest. He joined already impressive group of Honorary Chief Guests for the Opening Ceremonies, including the Mayor, entire City Council, City Manager and several key city officials. Just before Mayor Gatt and Congressman Trott addressed the large crowds, they both were presented with a copy of Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita As it Is. Mayor Gatt was so touched by the gift that he announced in front of all: “wow, I’m honored. I will begin reading it today!” Congressman Trott pledged his support for the festival and requested us all to reach out to him whenever needed.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18646

kuñjād goṣṭhaṁ niśānte / praviśati kurute / dohanānnāśanādyāṁ

From the groves to the villiage at dawn
making his return.
Then sleeping, having breakfast, and milking the cows.

prātaḥ sāyaṁ ca līlāṁ / viharati sakhibhiḥ / saṅgave cārayan gāḥ

Enjoying play day and night 
enjoying with his girlfriends
enjoying and moving among them

madyāhne cātha naktaṁ / vilasati vipine / rādhayāddhāparāhne

Then, during mid-day and mid-night,
manifesting delightful dalliance with Rādhā
(And in the afternoon and predawn, unmanifestedly)

goṣṭhaṁ yāti pradoṣe / ramayati suhṛdo / yaḥ sa kṛṣṇo ‘vatān naḥ

Going to the villiage in the evenings
To delight his dear ones.
Thus Krishna reveals himself to us

There are 8 divisions of the day, 4 of the daytime, 4 of the nighttime.

The 1st division of daytime is the daybreak. At this time he returns to the village from the groves and catches a few winks of wonderfully deep sleep. In the 2nd division he wakes up, has breakfast, and milks his cows. In the 3rd division, mid-day, he plays with the gopīs headed by Rādhā. In the 4th division, afternoon, he plays with them in an unmanifest way – he stays in their hearts and minds, but goes externally to play with the boys.

In the 1st division of night, evening, he returns to the villiage, and delights his family. [He has dinner and so on] In the 2nd division of night, he moves to meet the gopīs, and plays with them. In the 3rd division, midnight, his play with the gopis is at its manifest height (as it was at mid-day). In the 4th division the play is unmanifest – they all sleep.

The meter for chanting the sanskrit is: – – – – * – – / * * * * * * – / – * – – * – – (“–” is a long syllable, held twice as long as “*”, the short syllable). The pattern is the same for every line.

Vraja Kishor

VrajaKishor.com

Tagged: govinda-lilamrita, govinda-lilamrta, Krishna, krishna lila, nitya-lila

Krsna Lunch preaching, Gainesville, Florida, US (Album with photos)
See them here: https://goo.gl/AzjX5Z

ISKCON-INDONESIA - Beautiful Hymn of ISKCON-INDONESIA by teen devotees (4 min video)
Watch it here: https://goo.gl/Vfa68P

Ratha-Yatra New Govardhan Farm (Album with 97 photos)
ISKCON New Govardhana - Sri Sri Radha Govardhanadhari
See them here: https://goo.gl/ouZW3X

and what they eat, Baladeva asks which side to worship the shila and Rasa-Panrayana about good preachers with bad conduct.

The post Anonymous asks why sannyasis don’t eat with devotees appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

Ratha Yatra in Munich, Germany (Album with photos)
Everyone should be given a chance to take prasada and thus be induced to chant the holy names of Hare Krishna and also dance in ecstasy. By these three processes, although performed without knowledge or education, even even a dog went back to Godhead. Chaitanya Caritamrta Antya Lila 1.32
See them here: https://goo.gl/is0I2B

Hare Krishna! Serving Prabhupada Together
Giriraj Swami and Shyamasundar Prabhu: One of the programs that I remember best was a midday program at the home of Ramchand Chabria. He invited a lot of big people, including Sadajivatlal. Now, Sadajivatlal was, in a nice way, a Hindu chauvinist. And while everyone was mingling, he somehow sat down next to me and began telling me about the glories of India’s heritage. He just went on about the superiority of Indian culture, focusing on Indian sweets. He said, “What do you have in America? Only chocolates and cake–that’s it. And we, just from milk and sugar, have burfi, pera, sandesa, rasagulla, rasamalai, rabri, gulabjamun–more than one hundred varieties.” He just went on and on. “And then with grains there is halava, malpura, jalebi, laddu, khir …” Just on that point he was completely smashing Western culture and establishing the superiority of India’s.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=1899

Hare Krishna! Devotees carry out founder’s wish for temple made 44 years ago
WHEN His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada visited Malaysia in 1971, he had a vision for a Krishna temple to be built in Penang. The founder of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) had then drawn a rough sketch of the temple and left instructions for the devotees here to follow. It was quite a tall order but the devotees will soon see the fruits of their labour when the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple of Devotion and Understanding in Bandar Seberang Jaya officially opens on Aug 29.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18641

Hare Krishna! Whatever Happened to the Revolution?
Padmapani das: For many of us who came of age in the Sixties and Seventies, the counterculture and its promise of an alternative society based on love and peace was an important part of our lives. Art, music, poetry, philosophy, ecology and human rights were just a few of the buzzwords floating around the collective psyche of the Sixties generation. Revolution was in the air. “The establishment” was doomed and soon to be replaced with a kinder, gentler society. Peace would reign supreme and all peoples of the world would unite and be free from the chains of oppression. Or so we thought. At the time, it appeared that massive cultural changes were about to sweep away the capitalist system (or the “military-industrial-complex” as we used to call it). Every day there was a new victory for change.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18638

HG Jagadish Prabhu at ISKCON Mayapur on 2015-07-13, Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 06.11.26-27

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Hare Krishna! 34th annual Baroda Jagannath Rathayatra festival 2015
The Jagannath Rathayatra festival was seen by approximately four lakhs (400,000) local residents. Many devotees commented that the size of the crowds right from the Railway Station were noticably more than in past years! Before the Rathayatra procession began in the afternoon, prominent elected leaders of society visited the Sri Sri Radha Shyamsundar Mandir at ISKCON Baroda in the morning for darshan of the Deities. The dignitaries included the Honorable Mayor of Baroda, Sri Bharatbhai Shah, Deputy Mayor Smt. Sunita Shukla, Baroda City President of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, Sri Bharat Dangar, Leader of the opposition Congress Party in the Baroda Municipal Corporation, Sri Chandrakant (Batu) Shrivastava, Vuda (Vadodara Urban Development Corporation) Chairman Sri Naranbhai Patel, and Municipal Commissioner, Sri H.S. Patel (IAS).
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18635

Written by Bhaktin Klara

Summer Camp

The camp took place from 01-06 July in the heart of the Czech Republic, near the town Kamenice nad Lipou. This was the second time that the Camp was hosted at this venue and the first time that Kadamba Kanana Swami graced the new place. Krsna again showed His mercy and we were blessed with wonderful weather and the devotees were satisfied. The Camp site had a nice pond, with rowing boat facilities and the unlimited current of warm water was a lure to both children and adults alike. If you attended the Camp before then you would know that almost every year there are some pastimes with water, so this new site was greatly appreciated.

Maharaj arrived on Thursday, 02 July and from that moment, he was besieged by devotees. On Friday morning, he gave a lecture where he highlighted the importance of regulated chanting, hearing and reading. He mentioned that we should chant whether we have taste for it or not, and if we are not chanting for the pleasure of Krsna, then we will not get the full benefit. Maharaj gave the afternoon seminar about appreciating vaisnavas and after lunch, he to the town Jindřichův Hradec where he led a wonderful harinama and was followed by many of our spiritual family.

Saturday, was the day of remembrance of Srila Prabhupada, so all lectures, thoughts and services were especially dedicated to Him. Maharaj mentioned that we should deepen our relationship with Srila Prabhupada and that we should find out what was important to Him. What was important to Srila Prabhupada is also important to Krsna and therefore it should be important for us also. Maharaj went on further to say that Srila Prabhupada manifests Himself to the extent how we; as His disciples, grand disciples and great-grand disciples; try to follow His instructions. And that we have to develop the mood of compassion and humility like Srila Prabhupada had. After this seminar, Maharaj led a roaring and very spontaneous kirtan so there was not enough time for another seminar that day!

During an initiation ceremony on Sunday, Maharaj mentioned that our chanting should be performed with great determination and that when we take up devotional service, all aspects of our lives will lead to devotional progress and all our activities will give benefit to all living beings. Bhaktin Veronika is now Vani devi dasi. Later in the afternoon, there was a Vedic wedding ceremony held and Maharaj led a very nice kirtan and his presence made this important event even more auspicious. His last and an unscheduled program at the Camp, was evening interview for a new documentary on the Czech Yatra.

Ratha Yatra

Lord Jagannatha with His siblings came to the streets of the Czech capital, Prague for the eighth time on 19 July. It was a really big party with so many devotees and visitors in attendance. Everyone was ecstatic in service to the Lord of the Universe.

This year, we were blessed by the association of many precious guests apart from Kadamba Kanana Swami, namely Janananda Swami, Danavir Goswami, Bhakti Vaibhava Swami, Parividha Prabhu and Jay Gurudev Prabhu.

The program after the procession was very busy. We had kirtans and bhajans, a speech by the Indian ambassador, Bharata Natyam dances, a musical show by Parividha Prabhu and Odissi dances. People could buy Indian and devotional goods in the Govinda shop, books, prasadam ice-cream, bakery products from the Czech farm and other kinds of delicious prasadam. Of course, there was also free prasadam for everyone who attended. Kadamba Kanana Swami led wonderful kirtan during the procession and then at the end of the day and in between, he talked to devotees.

The whole city was flooded by Krsna´s mercy and the mercy of all those vaisnavas. Now, we are looking forward to many future years of the festival.

Photos are courtesy of Martin Schubert, Višnujan das, Antardvip das, Lakšmí dd, Madhva Muni das, Indranudja das and Dayapara das.

Visit flickr to see all the photos

Hare Krishna! Sumati Morarjee and Prabhupada’s Journey West
Satyaraja Dasa: Sumati Morarjee first saw Srila Prabhupada in the 1950s at Kurukshetra, where Lord Krishna spoke the Bhagavad-gita. She later told an audience of his followers that he was sitting under a tree, chanting on beads. Sensing that he was a distinguished sadhu, she approached him, hoping to receive his blessings. At the time he hadn’t yet taken sannyasa, the renounced order of life, and was thus still a married man. Nonetheless, she was impressed with his humility and devotion, and she mentioned this to him when they met again in Bombay. By that time Prabhupada was a swami asking her for help in getting to America. He had met a gentleman named Mr. Agarwal, a Mathura businessman, and had mentioned that he wanted to go to the West to fulfill the order of his spiritual master to preach the message of Lord Chaitanya in English.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18632

Hare Krishna! Rameswaram Yatra
Rameswaram is situated at the extreme south end of India on the Gulf of Mannar. The island is in the shape of a conch shell, 55 km by 12 km. It is one of the most prominent holiest pilgrimage places in India. Srimad-Bhagavatam (canto 10 chapter 79 verses 16-17) states that Lord Balarama visited “Setubandha [Rameswaram]” in the course of His pilgrimage. Lord Caitanya also visited Rameswaram during His South India tour as mentioned in Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya Lila Chapter 9 verses 199-209. Rameswaram is tropical island surrounded by coral reefs and sandy beaches with coconut palms and tamarind trees. It is a major centre of pilgrimage. The Sri Ramanathaswamy temple is one of the most important in India. It is a massive complex with a number of shrines, holy wells, gopurams, and several long hallways, one reaching 4000 feet in length, the longest in the world.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18620

Hare Krishna! Time and Again
Creation, maintenance, and destruction in the course of time are not features of the spiritual nature. The Upanishads say that before the creation there was no Brahma and no Siva, no sun, stars, or sky. There was only Vishnu, His expansions, and the pure souls who have no desire for a life separate from Him. With only Vishnu, and no Siva or Brahma, there is only maintenance, with no creation or destruction. Time exists in the spiritual nature without its destructive side, and without the type of creative side that is merely destruction’s necessary counterpart. And yet the spiritual nature is said to be full of activity, more so than its material reflection. Lord Vishnu and His devotee servants expand spiritually there to enrich, vary, and perpetually increase the pastimes of blissful loving devotion.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18617

Conversation with Manjari dd.

The post On some current thoughts questioning ISKCON’s cultural norms and dress appeared first on SivaramaSwami.com.

TOVP - Sadbhuja Das: The inside of the inner domes, main dome and Lord Nrsimhadeva’s, will have a coffered ceiling. Here we can see a full size prototype of the ceiling segment.
See the photos here: https://goo.gl/dc65Nm

TOVP: New Materials – Burmese Teak Wood for Windows and Doors
(Album with photos)
Teak wood is a naturally grown wood from Myanmar (previously Burma). This wood is known for its superb stability, good strength, easy workability, bug proof- and most of all, its outstanding resistance to decay. It basically last for ever.
Burmese teak wood is exported all over the world for its quality.
Sadbhuja Prabhu personally travelled to Myanmar to negotiate the best price and pick the best quality of wood.
This wood will be used for all windows and doors in the Temple.
This is the 2,600 years old Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon (Myanmar capital) where it is believed to hold eight hairs of Bhudda.
See them here: https://goo.gl/GlZ0aT

Berkeley’s 49th Ratha Yatra Festival 2015
The “Festival of the Chariots,” known throughout India as the “Ratha Yatra” festival, has been performed for thousands of years in Puri, India, and today it is celebrated in all major cities through out the world. More than 3,000 people attend each year in San Francisco alone.
Typically at this annual interactive parade, people pull three large chariots by ropes throughout Golden Gate Park, ending at Sharon Meadow on the corner of JFK Dr. and Stanyan Street around 1 pm for the Festival of India.
Look forward to a free vegetarian meal, live music, ancient Indian dances, exhibits, books, and more.
49th Annual Festival of the Chariots
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
– Parade Begins: 11 am (JFK & Transverse, GG Park)
– Festival: 1 pm (Sharon Meadow)
Read the entire article here: https://goo.gl/APzsA9

Hare Krishna! Iskcon 50th year anniversary – kindly help!
The Hon”ble Chief Minister of West Bengal (Ms. Mamata Banerjee) & UP (Mr. Akhilesh yadav), Governor of West Bengal, Ms. Kiran Bedi , the Secretary General of the United Nations Mr. Ban Ki Moon and host of other VVIP’s will be present for the occasion. We have ordered to make a sculptor of Srila Prabhupada boarding Jaladuta and alighting from Jaladuta for Kolkata and Boston by famous sculptor from Kiev, Ukrain. We are expecting that the Mayor of Boston to be present, and Mayor of Kolkata has confirmed his presence at the program. So the plan is that Mayor of Kiev will hand over the sculpture to Mayor of Boston (Hopefully he will confirm his participation) and Kolkata respectively. We are also working on to ship the Boston sculpture to be shipped to boston taking same route Srila Prabhupada took 50 years ago.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18612

The post Daily Darshan – July 24th, 2015 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

6 Hours Kirtan by HG Agnidev Das on 12th July 2015 on Param Ekadasi at ISKCON Durban

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