College Students Visit New Vrindaban and More
→ New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

by Sankirtan das

It’s been a hectic six weeks for Sankirtana Das, New Vrindaban’s resident storyteller and college liaison. During this time, he hosted a half dozen student groups visiting the community. Sankirtana Das explained, “One of the student groups who visited New Vrindaban were from a Christian College here in West Virginia. I thought they would be a little skeptical, but I was delighted when they danced with such enthusiasm during the arati. All the devotees at the kirtana did a great job of engaging them in the service. ” (read student comments below).

 

Sankirtan das

Sankirtan das

Sankirtana also traveled to two colleges to present “Why & How the Hare Krishna Movement Came to America,” his media presentation of 130 pictures commemorating the 50th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in America. “The program was well received,” Sankirtana said, “and more colleges have scheduled the program for the fall.”

 

Another trip took him and his wife Ruci dd to Shepherdstown, WV. There, Sankirtana offered a program of Vedic Stories (katha) for an audience of almost 70. Afterwards, the audience (many affiliated with the college in town) enjoyed cookies made at Govinda’s, our vegetarian restaurant, and received Palace of Gold brochures. Ruci was surprised when about a half dozen people told her that they had already been to the Palace. “That’s almost ten per cent of the audience,” she said, “and others promised to visit.” The town is the oldest in West Virginia and home to Shepherdstown University. From there, Sankirtana and his wife journeyed to the Philadelphia ISKCON Temple where he did an evening program for a group of thirty.

 

Besides all this, Sankirtana Das is working on writing and researching material for a new book, as well recording and editing his soon to be released audio CD on stories of Hanuman. For info about Sankirtana’s award-winning book Mahabharata: The Eternal Quest see www.Mahabharata-Project.com

 

*****

 

College Student Experiences of New Vrindaban

 

Overall I really enjoyed the opportunity to visit the Hare Krishna center and see how Hindus live their lives. It was really neat that they welcomed us so energetically and that they were truly happy to show and tell us about their religion and culture. The people at the Islam and Jewish centers weren’t nearly as welcoming as the Hindus were.

 

I’ve never known much about the Hindu religion until this class and this experience, but the extravagant artwork at the palace was definitely my favorite part. Something we talked about in class was that Hindus claim to live simple, non extravagant lives, yet they have this huge golden palace in their community, and they put so much time and effort into their shrines to the gods. While I understand how this could confuse people, I also kind of understand it. Worshipping their gods is the most important thing to Hindus and they believe the best way to do this is to dedicate shrines and temples that are heavily decorated to show their love and devotion.

 

A really interesting thing I find about this religion is all of the interesting stories and tales they have as their history. The stories remind me of Greek and Roman mythology and it was really interesting to listen to some of them as we were getting a tour of the Palace. I would really like to read some of the accounts in the Bhagavad Gita and learn more about what Hindus think really happened in history. I respect their religion because they are open to all other religions as well. They don’t discriminate or hate like many other religions do and that’s a rare quality for a religion.

 

During their worship service it was intriguing to watch the members and how they participate. There was a lot of dancing and chanting for a solid thirty minutes; it almost looked like a workout. They were really passionate and devoted in their service and I almost felt like I was at some type of party or ceremony. This type of worship, to me, is much more interesting and fun than sitting down and listening to someone talk.

 

I enjoyed this visit to the Hare Krishna center and I would definitely say that it was my favorite experience of the three trips we went on. It’s something that I would like to take my younger brother and sister to as a cultural learning experience and as just something fun to experience on the weekend.

 

This was by far my favorite trip that the class has taken so far. The Hindu community is beautiful and very interesting. From the architecture of the buildings to the homes of those who live in the community every single part was beautiful. The spirituality that was present was very strong and exciting. Each follower was very welcoming and passionate about their religion.

 

The thing that caught my eye was the Palace. It is amazing to think that it was built by people who did not have any knowledge about construction. The detail that was put into the building was phenomenal. I knew that the Palace was designed to be a home for Prabhupada, but I did not realize how practical the structure was. It is so big and extravagant on the outside but so practical on the inside, which is what amazed me the most. The rooms were rather small inside I almost felt as if I was in an apartment instead of a palace. I really enjoyed the tour of the Palace it was as beautiful as I had imagined it to be.

 

I enjoyed the worship service. I was not sure what to expect when I walked into the temple. I kept thinking about how we had to take off our shoes at the Mosque and how this custom made Hinduism similar to Islam. The temple was absolutely beautiful, the altars were amazing and very interesting. The amount of detail that went into all of the altars was mind blowing and I do not believe I have ever seen anything like it. I found it very interesting that the altars were actually changed for seasons and events. It is similar to how my home church changes the decorations on the altar for the season or holidays, so it was cool to have that comparison.

 

The service was very interesting and exciting, I had never experienced anything quite like it. The atmosphere of the ceremony was very intense and inviting at the same time, and it seemed to keep me engaged and interested. When I think of worship I think of sitting and hearing a lesson or prayer, I most definitely do not think about dancing. When everyone started dancing, jumping, and yelling I was caught off guard. I knew that the ceremony was definitely different and there would be a lot of dancing and chanting but I was not ready for how intense it was. Once I relaxed and started participating in the service I understood why it was so fulfilling to Hindus. It was exciting and fun to be dancing with everyone while worshiping. Of course I was not worshiping Hare Krishna, but as others were I could see how passionate they were. The ways that they were dancing or jumping showed how much they love their religion and how thankful they are for Hare Krishna.

 

After experiencing Hinduism first hand I have a deeper understanding for the religion. I always thought it was the typical worshipping of idols and cows, but it is most definitely more than that. It is a true religion just like Christianity. Each Hindu strongly believes in Hare Krishna just like every Christian believes in Jesus Christ. Hinduism is a very welcoming, loving, and fun religion that I believe is misunderstood.

 

Of all the places we have visited so far, I think that the Hare Krishna Center in New Vrindaban was the most entertaining. Their buildings were exquisite and their service was energetic. The people were all incredibly friendly, especially the gentleman giving us the tour. I liked hearing Hinduism explained by someone who actively practices the religion. I think it helped make it a little less confusing. There were several wax figures of the great Hindu teacher. This particular branch of Hindus follows Prabhupada as their guide and example, and they specifically worship Krishna as their personal god.

 

I would like to visit the Hare Krishna Center again sometime, and hopefully gain even more insight about Hinduism. After our tour guide’s explanation of various concepts, it was starting to make a little more sense, but there is still a lot about Hinduism that is different than Christianity and even American culture. It was a lovely and interesting experience, although a bit strange.

 

Our Major World Religions class went to visit the Palace of Gold, a Hindu center in Moundsville, WV. Seeing as the last visit to the mosque and the previous visit to the synagogue had gone really well, I looked forward to our visit to the Hindu center. At the temple, we were invited to participate with the Hindu believers as they worshipped their gods. Some people found this uncomfortable, while others viewed it as more of a cultural experience. Sacrifices of food were offered to the idols. That day was very chilly, and I noticed that while there were no heaters to keep the people warm, there were heaters in each of the idols’ rooms. The people at the Hindu temple were extremely friendly. As they worshipped, the Hindu believers recited the Maha Mantra: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Throughout the service they chanted this in a sing-songy manner, while dancing. There were also people playing the drums and other instruments to accompany the singing.

 

I enjoyed the dancing during the service. They pull individuals, who were standing on the side, into the center of the floor. Though some did not participate, I decided to join in. It was actually really fun! I also wafted the incense over my head. After a group of girl students had formed a large enough circle, the older Hindu women brought some of their little girls into the center of our circle, the younger girls creating a dance circle of their own within ours. Even though I do not believe in Hinduism, I still admire their spirit as they praised their gods. I could really tell that they were enthusiastic about being there and excited to have us joining them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Conversation in the Womb – A Parable of Life After Delivery In a…
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Conversation in the Womb – A Parable of Life After Delivery
In a mother’s womb were two babies.One asked the other: “Do you believe in life after delivery?”The other replied, “Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later.”

“Nonsense” said the first. “There is no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be?”

The second said, “I don’t know, but there will be more light than here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths. Maybe we will have other senses that we can’t understand now.”

The first replied, “That is absurd. Walking is impossible. And eating with our mouths? Ridiculous! The umbilical cord supplies nutrition and everything we need. But the umbilical cord is so short. Life after delivery is to be logically excluded.”

The second insisted, “Well I think there is something and maybe it’s different than it is here. Maybe we won’t need this physical cord anymore.”

The first replied, “Nonsense. And moreover if there is life, then why has no one has ever come back from there? Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery there is nothing but darkness and silence and oblivion. It takes us nowhere.”

“Well, I don’t know,” said the second, “but certainly we will meet Mother and she will take care of us.”

The first replied “Mother? You actually believe in Mother? That’s laughable. If Mother exists then where is She now?”

The second said, “She is all around us. We are surrounded by her. We are of Her. It is in Her that we live. Without Her this world would not and could not exist.”

Said the first: “Well I don’t see Her, so it is only logical that She doesn’t exist.”

To which the second replied, “Sometimes, when you’re in silence and you focus and you really listen, you can perceive Her presence, and you can hear Her loving voice, calling down from above.”

Government Accredited Mayapur School Continues Expansion
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After being officially affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in Delhi in July 2014, the Bhaktivedanta National School at ISKCON’s headquarters in Mayapur, West Bengal continues to expand its operations. The school has ensured that teachers’ qualifications and salaries meet with CBSE requirements, and is now undergoing a series of physical improvements and additions.

When Art Becomes a Dialogue Between Faiths
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The Sacred Arts Festival in New Delhi brings together different styles of spiritual art and explores the confluence of art forms and spirituality. Forbes India interviews Martin Gurvich (Mahaprabhu Das) the founder of the Museum of Sacred Art in Radhadesh, Belgium, who says, "this is what the project is about: a dialogue between different faiths, styles of art, taking out judgements that we have about different art forms." 

Russia’s Rasikanam Leaves as he Lived — in Kirtan
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Rasikanam Das, a young Russian kirtaniya who was well known for his dedication to chanting Krishna’s Holy Names, passed away at the age of 32 due to heart trouble after he felt weak while leading a Harinam in the town of Sarapul, Russia. The details of his extraordinary life and passing have just come into ISKCON News through an interview with his widow Narasimhi Dasi.

Hare Krishna! ISKCON Nepal Update By Jayapataka Swami I, along…
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Hare Krishna! ISKCON Nepal Update
By Jayapataka Swami I, along with other TOVP Exhibit members were in the Lotus Building attending TOVP exhibits conference on April 25th at 1.00 pm in Sridham Mayapur when the ?building began to shake. We quickly left our conference room and moved to Prabhupada’s park. While we were there, I was informed that a massive earth quake had struck Nepal. My heart immediately went out to the devotees in Nepal. I was anxious to know about their well being. I know you all must be feeling the same. Later I was informed that although our temple was saved and although the devotees were mostly safe, some of them suffered loss of property, some lost their near and dear ones, some suffered other damages.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17132

Kanai Thakur Departs Bhakti Raghava Swami: Many will remember…
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Kanai Thakur Departs
Bhakti Raghava Swami: Many will remember Kanai Thakura prabhu from his many years of service at ISKCON Juhu in Mumbai. He was involved in Fund Raising both in India and in America in those earlier days. I only came to know him when he relocated in the district of Udupi and decided to get some piece of land in Hanja not far from our ashram at Sahyadri Sri Krishna Balarama Ksetra (SSKBK) near the small town of Hebri. There he build himself a small kutir and began serving Mother Surabhi by keeping cows in a small Goshala next to his kutir. He passed away this morning at 9:30 am at his residence in Hanja. Some of his family members are on their way to help complete the final rights for him.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17129

Hare Krishna! The Life of Jayananda Prabhu After the…
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Hare Krishna! The Life of Jayananda Prabhu
After the disappearance of Jayananda Das on May 1, 1977, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada instructed devotees all over the world to commemorate the event every year as they would any great Vaishnava’s disappearance day. Therefore we respectfully submit these pages to all devotees and friends of ISKCON as a means to remember and understand more about Jayananda’s devotional service. Of course, we will see how he joined ISKCON and how he left this mortal world. More importantly, we shall see the astounding qualities possessed by a true devotee, a sincere disciple and genuine servant of Srila Prabhupada.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17125

2015 VIHE Bhakti Vaibhav (cantos 1&2) With great pleasure…
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2015 VIHE Bhakti Vaibhav (cantos 1&2)
With great pleasure the VIHE wishes to invite you to the in-depth, step-by-step, systematic Bhakti-vaibhava course, cantos 1&2, in Vrindavan, running from July 24, 2015 to November 4, 2015.
Srimad-Bhagavatam is “Sri Krsna who has returned among us” and is the “life-breath of the Vaisnava devotees”. Srila Prabhupada wanted that the “family transcendental diploma will continue through the generations” and that all his “spiritual sons and daughters will inherit this title of Bhaktivedanta”. For hundreds of years Vrindavan has been a dedicated place of study, worship and transformation, especially for the Gaudiya Vaisnavas.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17116

Hare Krishna! A glimpse of life at the temple of Nepal and…
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Hare Krishna! A glimpse of life at the temple of Nepal and updates with photos
His Holiness Mahavishnu Swami is also with us in Medical Camp and FOOD FOR LIFE doing Harinaam. By Srila Prabhupada and HH Mahavishnu Swami’s blessings we are able to still conduct this Project for Earthquake victims. Many Places we receive Thanks and Blessings. People Really Appreciate and are happy with ISKCON FOOD FOR LIFE NEPAL. Overl all we fed about 5,000 Hungry Stomach for days From Bhaktapur.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17113

Hare Krishna! Iskcon Nepal increases its efforts and extends…
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Hare Krishna! Iskcon Nepal increases its efforts and extends more Krishna conscious help
FOOD FOR LIFE NEPAL is a Project conducted by ISKCON NEPAL and Volunters on Day 5, 30th April 2015 for the earthquake victims who didnt get food to eat for servals days. We are Conducting Heath Services and check ups with abt 20 Doctors and health assistants. We had health camp and Free medicine Distribution at -Shree Padhma Higher Secondary School (Surbar Square) -Bhaktapur Bus Park (Dudh Paati) -Changu Narayan Temple area. -Mobile Health Services.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17110

Hare Krishna! Thoughts From Jayananda Thakur’s Family From…
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Hare Krishna! Thoughts From Jayananda Thakur’s Family
From Jayananda’s mother, taken from Radha-Damodara Vilasa by Vaiyasaki Dasa – Mrs. Kohr: At the age of four he was taken to a service in what we call the big church in Dayton, Ohio. He was very restless, standing up in the sanctuary and looking around. His grandmother inquired, “Jimmy, what’s wrong? What are you doing? What are you looking for?” “Where is God?” he replied. Gaynelle Kohr Pietrangelo (Jayananda’s sister) Jim was kind to animals, too. I know he was on a beach in California and he sat there for like three hours and picked these ticks off this poor dog, this old mutt, I mean that’s the kind of person he was.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17105

Hare Krishna! Thoughts From Jayananda Thakur’s Family From…
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Hare Krishna! Thoughts From Jayananda Thakur’s Family
From Jayananda’s mother, taken from Radha-Damodara Vilasa by Vaiyasaki Dasa – Mrs. Kohr: At the age of four he was taken to a service in what we call the big church in Dayton, Ohio. He was very restless, standing up in the sanctuary and looking around. His grandmother inquired, “Jimmy, what’s wrong? What are you doing? What are you looking for?” “Where is God?” he replied. Gaynelle Kohr Pietrangelo (Jayananda’s sister) Jim was kind to animals, too. I know he was on a beach in California and he sat there for like three hours and picked these ticks off this poor dog, this old mutt, I mean that’s the kind of person he was.
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17105

Hare Krishna! ISKCON Tribal Care Initiative latest news On…
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Hare Krishna! ISKCON Tribal Care Initiative latest news
On December 2014 the branch of Bhaktivedanta National School was inaugurated in Ananda Bazar, a very remote village in Assam. In the 40’s Missionaries introduced Christianity to the villages and converted most of the people in the area. Along with churches and chapels they opened Christian schools, so the children of devotees have been attending them due to lack of any other alternative. Later it was discovered that there was a need for a Vedic school not only by the devotees, but also by the general Hindu families.
Not to mention the complete lack of philosophy, different method of worship and culture, the children were educated in a tamasic environment which included a complete lack of purity and cleanliness, a non-adherence to the regulative principals by the teachers and families of the other children, and non-vegetarian meals being served at the school. Such an environment made it extremely difficult for them to practice Krsna consciousness, especially being young children.
So far, the school has 63 enrolled students from surrounding villages and other areas. The children are being taught academic subjects, Krsna conscious philosophy, Vedic culture and lifestyle and other aspects of worship such as mantras. One parent said, “I like this school because they teach the children how to be disciplined. My son is learning English and he is happy here.”
Read the entire article here: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=17099

Mahavishnu Swami’s Facebook Wall 2015-05-01 08:16:30
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Day 5 ISKCON FOOD FOR LIFE 30th April 2015 BKT Album 2
With Roshan Awal in Bhaktapur, Nepal.
More Photos From Day 5 of Earthquake.FOOD FOR LIFE NEPAL is a Project conducted by ISKCON NEPAL and Volunters on Day 5, 30th April 2015 for the earthquake victims who didnt get food to eat for servals days.We are Conducting Heath Services and check ups with abt 20 Doctors and health assistants. We had health camp and Free medicine Distribution at-Shree Padhma Higher Secondary School (Surbar Square)-Bhaktapur Bus Park (Dudh Paati)-Changu Narayan Temple area.-Mobile Health Services.This Day we distributed Khichadi Prasad at -Nicoseraa (Old Road Sallaghari),-Changu Narayan temple area,-Tamang Basti near Changu Narayan-Bhaktapur Bus Park, Dhudhpati-Yaachenn TolThis Day His Holiness Mahavishnu Swami Guru Maharaj was also with us in Medical Camp and FOOD FOR LIFE Doing Harinaam. By Srila Prabhupada and HH Mahavishnu Swami's blessings we are able to still conduct this Project for Earthquake victims.Many Places we receive Thanks and Blessings. People Really Appreciate and are happy with ISKCON FOOD FOR LIFE NEPAL.Overl all we fed about 5,000 Hungry Stomach for days From Bhaktapur.We Wished to continue our services to Remote areas and Villages but due to lack of proper resources, Transportation, security and not proper help from Government we are lagging behind the services over the remote villages where there are numbers of people who loss their Home, No WATER, NO FOOD.So If there are any places in Bhaktapur, Kathmandu, Kirtipur, Lalitpur where we can easily reach then Plz Contact us. We will try to be there.Thankyou everyone who ever prayed/ supported/ Helped us.We would like to Thank our volunters friends for their selfless service.We would like to thank everyone who helped us selflessly, financially. Thankyou for your support, Prayings.Food For Life NepalTogether we can make a difference.#helpnepal #foodforlife #fflnepalDonationwww.gofundme.com/sy7frjshttp://tinyurl.com/foodforlifenepal Continue reading →

Mahavishnu Swami’s Facebook Wall 2015-05-01 08:16:18
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Day 5 ISKCON FOOD FOR LIFE 30th April 2015 BKT Album 2
In Bhaktapur, Nepal.
More Photos From Day 5 of Earthquake.FOOD FOR LIFE NEPAL is a Project conducted by ISKCON NEPAL and Volunters on Day 5, 30th April 2015 for the earthquake victims who didnt get food to eat for servals days.We are Conducting Heath Services and check ups with abt 20 Doctors and health assistants. We had health camp and Free medicine Distribution at-Shree Padhma Higher Secondary School (Surbar Square)-Bhaktapur Bus Park (Dudh Paati)-Changu Narayan Temple area.-Mobile Health Services.This Day we distributed Khichadi Prasad at -Nicoseraa (Old Road Sallaghari),-Changu Narayan temple area,-Tamang Basti near Changu Narayan-Bhaktapur Bus Park, Dhudhpati-Yaachenn TolThis Day His Holiness Mahavishnu Swami Guru Maharaj was also with us in Medical Camp and FOOD FOR LIFE Doing Harinaam. By Srila Prabhupada and HH Mahavishnu Swami's blessings we are able to still conduct this Project for Earthquake victims.Many Places we receive Thanks and Blessings. People Really Appreciate and are happy with ISKCON FOOD FOR LIFE NEPAL.Overl all we fed about 5,000 Hungry Stomach for days From Bhaktapur.We Wished to continue our services to Remote areas and Villages but due to lack of proper resources, Transportation, security and not proper help from Government we are lagging behind the services over the remote villages where there are numbers of people who loss their Home, No WATER, NO FOOD.So If there are any places in Bhaktapur, Kathmandu, Kirtipur, Lalitpur where we can easily reach then Plz Contact us. We will try to be there.Thankyou everyone who ever prayed/ supported/ Helped us.We would like to Thank our volunters friends for their selfless service.We would like to thank everyone who helped us selflessly, financially. Thankyou for your support, Prayings.Food For Life NepalTogether we can make a difference.#helpnepal #foodforlife #fflnepalDonationwww.gofundme.com/sy7frjshttp://tinyurl.com/foodforlifenepal Continue reading →

Mahavishnu Swami’s Facebook Wall 2015-05-01 08:04:42
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Day 5 ISKCON FOOD FOR LIFE 30th April 2015 BKT Album 2

More Photos From Day 5 of Earthquake.FOOD FOR LIFE NEPAL is a Project conducted by ISKCON NEPAL and Volunters on Day 5, 30th April 2015 for the earthquake victims who didnt get food to eat for servals days.We are Conducting Heath Services and check ups with abt 20 Doctors and health assistants. We had health camp and Free medicine Distribution at-Shree Padhma Higher Secondary School (Surbar Square)-Bhaktapur Bus Park (Dudh Paati)-Changu Narayan Temple area.-Mobile Health Services.This Day we distributed Khichadi Prasad at -Nicoseraa (Old Road Sallaghari),-Changu Narayan temple area,-Tamang Basti near Changu Narayan-Bhaktapur Bus Park, Dhudhpati-Yaachenn TolThis Day His Holiness Mahavishnu Swami Guru Maharaj was also with us in Medical Camp and FOOD FOR LIFE Doing Harinaam. By Srila Prabhupada and HH Mahavishnu Swami's blessings we are able to still conduct this Project for Earthquake victims.Many Places we receive Thanks and Blessings. People Really Appreciate and are happy with ISKCON FOOD FOR LIFE NEPAL.Overl all we fed about 5,000 Hungry Stomach for days From Bhaktapur.We Wished to continue our services to Remote areas and Villages but due to lack of proper resources, Transportation, security and not proper help from Government we are lagging behind the services over the remote villages where there are numbers of people who loss their Home, No WATER, NO FOOD.So If there are any places in Bhaktapur, Kathmandu, Kirtipur, Lalitpur where we can easily reach then Plz Contact us. We will try to be there.Thankyou everyone who ever prayed/ supported/ Helped us.We would like to Thank our volunters friends for their selfless service.We would like to thank everyone who helped us selflessly, financially. Thankyou for your support, Prayings.Food For Life NepalTogether we can make a difference.#helpnepal #foodforlife #fflnepalDonationwww.gofundme.com/sy7frjshttp://tinyurl.com/foodforlifenepal Continue reading →