Hare Krishna! Govardhana’s Festival of Joy –Insights into the International Vaisnavi Retreat 2015
Held in a spacious açrama, far away “from the madding crowd,” the retreat bestowed upon us many blessings. I was happy to leave behind computer, internet, phone, and the comforts of my daily life, and just be absorbed in bhajana. As Praçäntä Devé had explained in the opening ceremony, “To go on a retreat means to get away from all our pressures and worries to simply become absorbed in cultivating our relationship with Kåñëa and the devotees, so we may return to our life strengthened and enlivened.”
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On 28th March, ISKCON Mayapur celebrated Rama Navami (the appearance day of Lord Rama) with great zeal. The celebration had a very sweet flavor. The deities of Sri Sri Sita Ram Laksman Hanuman were set in front of the altar of Sri Pancha-Tattva and They were beautifully decorated with different ornaments, jewels and fragrant flowers. The […]
Rama Navami Festival and Parade in ISKCON Berkeley! (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Even a faint light from the holy name of the Lord can eradicate all the reactions of sinful life. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila, 3.63)
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Hare Krishna! Service positions at ISKCON Simhachalam
Join the Simhachalam team! ISKCON Jandelsbrunn Simhachalam is a medium temple and farm community of dedicated and experienced devotees in beautiful Bavarian forest, Germany, under the shelter of Sri Sri Prahlad Laksmi Narasimha Deva. Beside the temple, we are also running a guest house (with yoga outreach), an organic farm and a small goshala. We have one of the world’s top sankirtana team and wonderful festivals and events throughout the year.
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Hare Krishna! Mayapur Retirement Village as an International GBC Project
Whereas the desire of the international GBC is that a retirement village be created in Sridham Mayapur that would operate under the direction of the international GBC Resolved: That the Retirement Village/Elders’ Enclave is under the exclusive direction of the international GBC Body. There is no direction or control from any other ISKCON entity. A committee will be formed to oversee the operation of the Retirement Village once the construction phase has been completed. Badrinarayan Swami will work with the Mayapur GBCom to select that committee and to establish the guidelines under which the management committee and the Retirement Village project will operate. Badrinarayan Swami is appointed as the GBC Body’s agent for this project. Badrinarayan Swami will report to the Mayapur GBC committee as needed and will seek their prior approval for major decisions.
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40th Anniversary Festival of Prabhupāda’s Visit (Album with photos)
The assembled devotees in front of the Bergstrasse temple for the 40th Anniversary Celebration of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s visit to Switzerland
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As Srila Prabhupada’s secretary and more than once in any case, I sat before Srila Prabhupada chanting my japa. Sometimes we hear people, and myself, saying, "Hare Ram, Hare Ram, Ram Ram, Hare Hare". Srila Prabhupada would stop me, and more than once, said to me:
"Chant the entire mantra" and he would proceed to do so. "So it is, Ra-ma.”
Pusta Krsna dasa Former secretary to Srila Prabhupada
Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.10.20.
There are two kinds of strength — daiva and purusakara.Daiva refers to the strength achieved from the Transcendence, and purusakara refers to the strength organized by one’s own intelligence and power. Transcendental power is always superior to the power of the materialist. Depending on the mercy of the Supreme Lord, one must fight one’s enemies even though one may not be equipped with modern weapons. Therefore Krsna instructed Arjuna, mam anusmara yudhya ca: “Think of Me and fight.” We should fight our enemy to the best of our ability, but for victory we must depend on the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. — SB 9.10.20 purport
Kadamba Kanana Swami left Amsterdam on Wednesday, 18 March and arrived in Johannesburg on the 19th. Maharaj welcomed the warmth of South Africa after the harsh wintery weather in Europe. On the day of his arrival in the country, he did a program at the Pretoria temple. He got to the temple early where he spoke with a few devotees. The evening started with incredible kirtan and then Maharaj gave a lecture summarizing the Bhagavad-gita by chapter. Many newcomers, from surrounding universities, visited the temple and Maharaj answered questions expertly. Maharaj then took leave for the night, to rest after his long flight.
On Friday, 20 March Maharaj travelled to Newcastle (a small town that is sort of halfway between Johannesburg and Durban) to attend the Ratha Yatra that was being held the next day. It was a blistering hot day in Newcastle and the festivities began with a group of local high school children performing an African dance for the pleasure of Lord Jagannath. After the traditional breaking of coconuts and an opening ceremony, Bhakti Caitanya Swami gave a short welcoming speech. He mentioned that Newcastle now joins some of the biggest cities in the world such as London and Paris in pulling Lord Jagannath’s chariot down the main streets of their cities.
Kadamba Kanana Swami led kirtan from the start of the procession. In previous years, the procession went through the residential area in Newcastle however, this year, for the first time, the procession went through the city centre where there were many more people and this is where the Ratha Yatra became magical. People could not believe their eyes and almost could not hold themselves back. Maharaj danced and sang with such enthusiasm in kirtan that it seemed to turn time (the internal mechanism of his watch came apart!) and he had everyone in ecstasy. Bhakti Narasimha Swami took over kirtan towards the end of the procession. The festival concluded at the festival site with prasadam and a tent where people could take darshan of Lord Jagannath.
Later, Maharaj joined the evening program in Newcastle. The gurukul there is now very active and they performed a wonderful play on the appearance of Lord Jagannath featuring about thirty-five actors. The youth also performed two plays which included some Michael Jackson dance moves and an impersonation of a local politician which was thoroughly enjoyed by Bhakti Narasimha Swami. Kadamba Kanana Swami was quite impressed by the energy put into the entire festival by the Newcastle devotees and called it “very special”.
The next day, 22 March, Maharaj travelled back to Johannesburg for the Sunday feast program in Midrand where he was received by a temple room which was bursting at the seams. Maharaj led a long kirtan while the rain pelted down outside. The kirtan was enjoyed by all and it helped everyone to forget about the weather. Maharaj gave an engaging lecture on the limits of our love for Krsna and the importance of service. After the program, Maharaja spoke to many devotees outside the temple room. The next day, 23 March Maharaj travelled to Durban where he spent the rest of the week.
Sita Swayambara in Sri Jaganatha Mandir, Kuala Lumpur
KUALA LUMPUR - In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Sītā marries Rama, the only one strong enough to lift the Shivа Dhanushа (Lord Shiva’s bow) and string it. In Valmiki Ramayana Janak raja tells that he has promised to marry Sita to the person who can lift Dhanusha and string it. No one could do before Rama. Rama did it. This condition of lifting dhanusha was called by Janak as virya shulka, cost to be paid by suitor for marrying Sita. This scene was enacted by the Youth of Sri Jagannatha Mandir in Kuala Lumpur during the recent Ram Navami festival. You can watch the recorded video in our video archive in this website.
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Harinama in Hong Kong, China (Album with photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The mango fruit is different from the name of the mango. One cannot taste the mango fruit simply by chanting, “Mango, mango, mango.” But the devotee who knows that there is no difference between the name and form of the Lord chants Hare Krishna, and realizes that he is always in Krishna’s company.
(Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.2.36 Purport).
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