Jhulana Yatra
→ Ramai Swami

Srila Prabhupada:

“Regarding Jhulanayatra Ceremony, during these five days the Deities’ clothings should be changed everyday, and there should be nice Prasadam distribution and Sankirtana as far as possible. If you are able to do it, a nice throne may be constructed on which the Deities can be placed. This throne may be swung gently during Kirtana. That will be very good, and surely the Deities will enjoy the function.”

Jhulan Yatra is among the most auspicious festivals celebrated in the Vrindavana. It is also known as the swing festival. This beautiful festival lasts up to thirteen days in the sacred town Vrndavana. It is a festival to celebrate Radha Krishna’s pastime of swinging on a golden swing everyday until Balarama-purnima.

Like every festival, it is a meaningful festival to offer a practical festive service to the Lord. During this time in Vrindavan, the monsoon season is so sticky, and the temperature is still hot despite the cooling rains. There is water pouring down from black clouds but still everyone is thirsty for more water to cool off. A luxury at this time is to find a cool breeze, as the air is heavy with the humidity of the rains. Thus, devotees for the pleasure and satisfaction of Radha and Krishna, place Them on a swing (Jhulan), which creates a breeze from its own motion.

Update on Anadi Prabhu’s Health Condition in Ukraine
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On July 16, 2022, we reported on Anadi Das is Ukraine, a senior devotee of the Kherson Yatra in Ukraine, and his desperate need to support due to his health. On August 6th, 2002 Share Your Care reported: We express our special gratitude to the compassion you show to the Vaishnavas, who under such extremely […]

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Sri Krishna Janmashtami 2022
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Hare Kṛishna! Please Accept Our Humble Obeisances, All Glories to Srila Prabhupada! ISKCON Mayapur welcomes all you for a Festive Month! An all-auspicious Month and one you wouldn’t want to miss out! Festivals are the Summum Bonum of ISKCON. exude with colourful decorations, palatable feasts, elaborate rituals, kirtans, dance and dramas, the festivals make spiritual […]

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Fulfilling Srila Prabhupada’s Vision
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The Legacy of the Bhaktivedanta Institute: Toward Fulfilling Srila Prabhupada’s Vision In 1974, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada expressed his desire to “establish a Vaisnava Research Institute” to present the science of Krishna Consciousness for an intellectual audience. The following year, Prabhupada requested his disciple, Dr. Thoudam D. Singh (Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja), […]

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Krishna Bhava Das, the Devotee Who Distributed 50,000 BG and More
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Meet the devotee who distributed 50,000 Bhagavad-gitas and 108 Chaitanya Charitamrita sets.   The beginning of book distribution Krishna Bhava Das, from ISKCON Punjabi Bagh community in Delhi, is 68 years old, strongly built, having a sharp gaze of determination yet having an air of humility around him. He is the eldest in his family […]

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False Identity
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(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 29 July 2012, Radhadesh, Belgium, Summer Festival Q&A)

We have a family, we have a language, we have a culture and so on, and it seems like all this is a part of ourselves due to some sense of belonging. This is described, however, in the Vedic literatures as our false identity. It is explained that our true identity is totally different – we have actually no connection whatsoever with the place of our birth or culture. If one considers the land of their birth to be a part of themselves, is thinking that their body is themselves. It is then very difficult to come to a position of spiritual understanding. In the Srimad Bhagavatam, sages describe their vision or their real identity of not being their bodies, but the eternal souls. So, they were not concerned about the destiny of their bodies as they were not considering their bodies to be their true identities.

We have the story of Sage Dadhichi. It is said that Dadhichi was a great, powerful, ascetic personality. At one point, the demigods wanted to make a particular weapon from the bones of Dadhichi, because, due to all the austerities that Dadhichi had gone through, his bones would make for very powerful weapons. So, for saving the community of demigods, Dadhichi had to sacrifice himself. So the demigods came and humbly asked Dadhichi for his bones. Generally speaking, if someone asks for your bones, you would respond with, “Oh yeah, you can have my bones!” (laughter as Maharaj clenches his fist indicating that this would mean a fight) So, in this way, most people would get defensive if someone asked for their bones. But somehow, Dadhichi was agreeable to this request. He simply asked the demigods to wait for a moment until he first gave up his body. So therefore, Dadhichi had an incredible attitude and he was completely undisturbed by such a request due to detachment to his body.

We are not Dadhichi, but at the same time, we can take some inspiration and remember that this world and everything in it comes and goes. So, this is not the main thing in life. We are not looking for suffering – we are not going to give up our bones to someone who wants them. But at the same time, if we can put the eternal spiritual reality n the foreground, if we could give it more importance, our lives would drastically improve. So, this is what we need to do.

The article " False Identity " was published on KKSBlog.

We Live in Vrindavan and Nowhere Else
→ Dandavats

Although anyone living in Vṛndāvana somehow or other is benefited, the real Vṛndāvana is appreciated only by a pure devotee. As stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena (BS 5.38). When one has purified eyes, he can see that Śrī Vṛndāvana and the original Goloka Vṛndāvana planet in the spiritual sky are identical. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya 16.281, Purport)
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