Websites from the ISKCON Universe
“In April 2020, we will break ground and start construction,” says ISKCON Columbus temple council member Premvilas Das. “By May 2021 we will begin getting the building ready for the Deities. And in July we hope to actually move the Deities into the temple. Finally the grand opening will be on Janmastami 2021.”
Surrounded by a plethora of convenient justifications, we often avoid doing the internal soul-searching required for any sincere spiritualist.
We’re not controllers. When we accept this, we have an opportunity to practice patience and humility which strengthen our ability to control the mind.
Pandaveya Dasa Prabhu, ACBSP from Brazil left His body yesterday. 
Around 150 devotees are expected to travel in from all over the USA as well as from Europe and other locations for the retreat, which will run Mother’s Day Weekend from May 10th to 12th.
Our "Paramahamster" comic strip follows an enthusiastic devotee as he navigates a 9 - 5 work day in the corporate world. Please check back weekly for new episodes!
This week as we head to the start of the #Giving TOVP 10 Day Worldwide Matching Fundraiser from May 7th (Akshaya Tritiya) until May 17th (Nrsimha Caturdasi), His Holiness Bhakti Chaitanya Maharaja speaks about the importance of the TOVP and participating in this 10 day window of opportunity to make a donation to the project.
The #Giving TOVP 10 Day Worldwide Matching Fundraiser will be an incredible, never before done online event to raise funds, large or small, from every devotee, whether they have already given to the TOVP or not. Ambarisa prabhu will match all donations up to $125,000, thus doubling the income to the TOVP during this fundraising event to help complete the TOVP by 2022.
For more information, go to the TOVP #Giving TOVP Fundraiser page. You can also become a TOVP Ambassador by downloading the flyer from the website page and posting it on the internet, emailing it to your devotee friends and relatives, and posting at your local temple. We want the participation of every ISKCON devotee and congregation member worldwide.
MISSION 22 MARATHON KI JAYA! THINK 22 -> TOVP NOW!
Visit us at: www.tovp.org
Follow us at: www.facebook.com/tovp.mayapur
Watch us at: www.youtube.com/user/tovpinfo
Phone App at: http://tovp.org/news/announcements/new-tovp-phone-app-goes-live/
Mailing List at: https://goo.gl/forms/ojJ2WcUUuqWh8bXt1
RSS News Feed at: https://tovp.org/rss2/
Buy from us at: https://tovp.org/tovp-gift-store/
Support us at: www.tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities
The post His Holiness Bhakti Chaitanya Maharaja Speaks About the #Giving TOVP Worldwide Matching Fundraiser appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.
The Sannyasa Initiation Ceremony of HH Radha Govinda Swami Maharaja’s disciple HG Vrindavan Chandra Prabhu who is now HH Vrindavan Chandra Das Goswami Maharaja. (Album of photos)
While travelling to Sydney and Melbourne temples, I was able to go to some nama hatta home programs. Bhakti das and Bhakti devi dasi invited me to their weekly Bhagavad-Gita course, which they study chapter by chapter. Their presiding home dieties are the beautiful Sri Sri Radha Karunasindhu.
In Sydney, I went out west to Macquarie Fields where a very enthusiastic group of devotees have just started a regular weekly program in one of the devotee homes. Bhagavat Asraya, my old friend and god-brother, accompanied me and we had a wonderful evening.
Approximately 160 visitors from China, the Philippines, Hong Kong, and Taiwan recently went to Mayapur with Giridhari Swami on pilgrimage.
Jenni's parents took her on a Mystery road trip. She didn't know where she was going or for what purpose. She eventually realized she was at the International Society for Cow Protection. That was a surprise in itself, but there was more to come. Since Jenni is a cow lover, her parents thought it would be a great gift for Jenni if they adopted a cow for her. Jennie is getting married in November, and this was to be a wedding gift for her.
Bhakti Sharan Shanta Swami departed from this world on March 26th in Lithuania.
A video by the ToVP.
A clever WWF commercial.
Shri L.K. Advani (Former Deputy Prime of India) along with his daughter Smt. Pratibha Advani & Family visited ISKCON Delhi Temple, performed an Aarti to Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi, offered prayers to Srila Prabhupada and took darshan of the ‘Astounding Bhagavad-Gita’ one of the biggest religious books in the World.
Iskcon devotees relishing Rama-katha, bhajan, and prasadam in Pakistan (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: The Lord’s holy name is called sravana-mangala. This means that one receives everything auspicious simply by hearing the holy name. (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 2.7.15 Purport)
Gopal Champu prabhu recalls:
Nehal from India.
I stopped her with “Hare Krishna!, are you from India?” She replied, “yes, originally from Delhi.” I said “amazing! I love your country. I hope to be visiting again at the end of this year.” I gave her some prasadam cookies and showed her the “Saptarishi” set. She said: “ I grew up in this culture, I just never actually read any of the books. Currently, I’m going through some difficult times in my life so I think this is a sign that I should turn back to my roots. I’m actually going to the Himalayas on Monday and will be staying in an Ashram so I think these books will be the perfect companions.” I told her that these books will give her the absolute truth and will not lie to her! They will, in fact, show her the right path.
The core management team from the Akshardham Temple Delhi visit the “Under-construction Sri Krishna Arjuna Temple.” (Album of photos)
Those who are not humble often help us to become humble (Based on Gita 13.08)
Chaitanya Charan Das: Dealing with arrogant people can be annoying and draining. To view such people positively, we can see interactions with them as opportunities to become humble.
The Bhagavad-gita (13.08) lists humility as a laudable virtue that is integral to knowledge. And humility is primarily a relational virtue; it is demonstrated and developed through our relationships with others. When people are polite with us, reciprocating similarly with them is relatively easy. But when someone isn’t polite, we are forced to draw on our humility muscles to stay courteous with them.
The transcendental book distribution of sets and sets of Srila Prabhupada’s books in the subway stations of New York City by the empowered SKP devotees of the Yuga Dharma ashrama is the greatest display of Srila Prabhupada’s mercy on the fallen souls struggling in this capital city of Kali Yuga
Projects Completed in New Raman Reti, Alachua.
Mukhya devi dasi: At long last, we have started our lighting improvement projec...
A few weeks back, while looking through some old files at the Hare Krishna temple in Brooklyn, I came upon a copy of a newsletter I had edited in 1985 while traveling with a party of pilgrims traveling throughout India. The newsletter included an article I had written, but the newsletter, and therefore the article, had long been lost. I was pleased to rediscover it.
Padayātrā Newsletter
Number 13, October 1985
Not Quite Back to Godhead
The second and third articles I wrote for the Padayātrā “On Pilgrimage” series have now appeared in Back to Godhead. I found out some weeks ago that the BTG editors chose not to print the first article, written last April. Much (or, from another viewpoint, not much) has happened since then. But if you’d still like to read the article, here it is.
On Pilgrimage
Why go?
One may go on pilgrimage out of dissatisfaction or disgust. Lord Balarāma, the celebrated divine brother of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, once undertook a pilgrimage for this reason. When we find ourselves amidst falsity, hypocrisy, or injustice and feel too small and powerless to make it stop, this is one alternative: go on pilgrimage and wait for destiny to change its course.
The pilgrimage of the saint Vidura began with an insult. Vidura was brother, friend, and advisor to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, king of the Kuru dynasty. But when Vidura’s thoughtful and righteous advice cut at a nephew’s evil schemes, the nephew, the king’s pet son, bitterly insulted him and called for him to be beaten and thrown from the court. Vidura, the family’s lifelong well-wisher, pierced to the heart by his nephew’s words, simply walked out, turned his back on the palace and its politics, and set out on pilgrimage.
Years later, after fate had proven Vidura right, Vidura visited the palace again; and King Dhṛtarāṣṭra himself, this time accepting Vidura’s advice, turned pilgrim just before his death.
Death also inspired the small child who would later become the great sage Nārada. Orphaned when his mother was bitten by a snake, the child set off as a pilgrim. The teacher Śaṅkara also turned pilgrim as a child, at the age of eight.
Although one may set out on pilgrimage at any time in one’s life, the traditional Vedic culture especially advises that one take to the road after twenty-five years of marriage. Because the Vedic culture has no place for illicit sex, it encourages everyone to marry. Yet in married life illusions cover us like moss. When a man and woman “get physical,” spirit gets lost in the raptures of matter. Soon one finds oneself locked in embrace with children, in-laws, home, prestige, bills, work, taxes, responsibilities. As soul yields to the needs of the body, fresh hope turns to routine anxiety.
But the Vedic culture provides a way out, called the vānaprastha order. After twenty-five years of married life, the Vedic householder entrusts his family affairs to his grown children, leaves his entanglements behind, and sets off for a freer, happier life as a pilgrim.
India especially, the traditional home of Vedic culture, has hundreds, perhaps thousands, of holy places of pilgrimage, like Badrinath and Rishikesh in the Himalayas, Kanya Kumari on the southernmost tip of the peninsula, Dvaraka on the Arabian Sea, and Puri on the Bay of Bengal. The followers of Vedic culture take advantage of these places even today.
Taking advantage of a holy place doesn’t just mean seeing the sights or splashing into the pious waters of the Ganges. If you go just for that, the Vedic scriptures say, you’re no smarter than a cow or an ass
The real purpose of pilgrimage is self-purification. The pure mind is the mind filled with thoughts of Kṛṣṇa, the pure heart is the heart filled with love for Kṛṣṇa, and the pure life is the life fully dedicated to Kṛṣṇa’s devotional service. When we forget Kṛṣṇa, our minds fill with anxiety and mental noise, our hearts clog with falsities, and our inner life begins to grow dead. By going on pilgrimage we can pacify the mind, cleanse the heart, and revive our vitality in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
This purification calls for more than just guided tours, holy waters, and picture postcards. A holy place becomes holy because of a holy person. Our pilgrimage becomes perfect, therefore, if we can associate with a holy person, a pure devotee of the Supreme Lord.
The Lord himself is the most holy person, and equally holy are the devotees who give themselves fully to the service of the Lord. A place originally becomes holy, therefore, by the presence of the Lord and the Lord’s devotees.
Unfortunately, holy places tend to clutter with unholy people. We live in a world of cheaters and cheated, and a holy place makes a good marketplace for deceit. For example, some low-class women in India think they’ll win pious merit if a sannyāsī, a celibate monk, blesses then with a child. So they go to a holy place to seduce a sannyāsī. To complete the picture, some equally low-class men go to holy places, pose as sannyāsīs, and wait for the pleasures of being seduced. For those who prefer their seduction less literal, holy places have no shortage of svāmīs, ṛṣis, yogīs, avatāras, bābājīs, mystics, and saints ready to prostitute the Vedic teachings.
Pure devotees of the Lord therefore travel to holy places to reclaim them as places of Vedic knowledge and reinfuse them with spiritual life. A pure devotee always keeps the Lord within his heart and serves the Lord with unalloyed devotion. So he makes every place holy wherever he goes.
Nearly five hundred years ago, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore traveled to holy places throughout India as a pilgrim. Lord Caitanya was Kṛṣṇa Himself, descended in the role of a devotee to taste love for Kṛṣṇa and distribute that love freely as the essence of all Vedic teachings, the essence of life itself. He did this through saṅkīrtana, the ecstatic congregational chanting of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s holy names.
There is no difference between Lord Kṛṣṇa’s holy names and Lord Kṛṣṇa himself. While chanting Kṛṣṇa’s name, one comes in touch with Kṛṣṇa in person. So wherever Lord Caitanya went He spread the chanting of Kṛṣṇa’s names, especially as found in the mahā-mantra: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. This chanting of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s holy name is the most sublime benediction in all Vedic literature, and it was Lord Caitanya’s purpose to spread this chanting not only in holy places but to every town and village of the world.
Lord Caitanya inundated India with a wave of love for Kṛṣṇa. And by Lord Caitanya’s desire, in 1965 this wave overflowed from India to the world when His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda began the international Hare Kṛṣṇa movement.
Now, to celebrate the five-hundredth anniversary of Lord Caitanya’s appearance, devotees Śrīla Prabhupāda inspired with Lord Caitanya’s teachings have joined together from around the world to travel in India on pilgrimage.
Their pilgrimage is a padayātrā, a journey by foot. Their route takes them to the same places Lord Caitanya visited nearly five hundred years ago. It covers six thousand kilometres and will take eighteen months to complete.
The padayātrā forms a joyful procession, with 150 people, five bullocks, a camel, and a decorated elephant. The bullocks pull an open trailer with sculptured dancing forms of Lord Caitanya and His eternal companion Lord Nityānanda, and seated at Their feet the form of Their emissary par excellence, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda.
As the pilgrims pass along the road, they follow in Lord Caitanya’s footsteps, not only by visiting the same places He did but by chanting the mahā-mantra: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. And every evening, whether in a big city or small village, they stop and hold a festival. They chant and dance and pass out prasādam, food blessed by Lord Caitanya. They hold discourses and distribute books about Lord Caitanya’s philosophy. And they show films that share with people the worldwide Hare Kṛṣṇa movement.
The padayātrā, in its course, will pass through 120 cities and 2300 villages and towns. It will reach its final destination—Śrīdhām Māyāpur, West Bengal, Lord Caitanya’s birthplace—by 26 March, the anniversary of His birth. There the pilgrims will join literally hundred and thousands of Lord Caitanya’s devotees who will gather to celebrate Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the incarnation of Kṛṣṇa who taught love of Kṛṣṇa to the world.
I have decided to go on piligrimage with Lord Caitanya’s padayātrā.
The post On pilgrimage, 1985: The lost article appeared first on Jayadvaita Swami.
Please, take a look at the first 5 meter base relief panel that will decorate one of the 4 corner walls of the temple room.
This is a wall of ventilation channel, that provides air circulation and conducts the drainage system of the temple and various types of communication lines. Two base relief panels will show the pastimes of Sri Krishna, and another two will show the lilas of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Visit us at: www.tovp.org
Follow us at: www.facebook.com/tovp.mayapur
Watch us at: www.youtube.com/user/tovpinfo
Phone App at: http://tovp.org/news/announcements/new-tovp-phone-app-goes-live/
Mailing List at: https://goo.gl/forms/ojJ2WcUUuqWh8bXt1
RSS News Feed at: https://tovp.org/rss2/
Buy from us at: https://tovp.org/tovp-gift-store/
Support us at: www.tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities
The post Wall Relief Panels appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.
Giving to TOVP Worldwide Matching Fundraiser 
A beautiful photoreportage about Sri Hampi Dhama Yatra ~ Kishkinda Ksetra.
Hampi is a village in northern Karnataka state, and is identified with the historical Kishkinda, the Vanara (monkey) kingdom mentioned in the Ramayana. At Hampi there are many important sites related to Ramayana, namely Shabari’s cave and sacred Pampa Sarovar, where Shabari, a great devotee of Lord Ramacandra lived; Anjaneya Hill which is the Birthplace of Hanuman Ji; Yantrodharak Anjaneya Temple where Hanuman first saw Lord Rama and His brother Laxmana; Rsyamuka hill were Sugriva took shelter and lived for several years when banished by his elder brother Vali from his kingdom Kishkhinda; Maalyavant Raghunatha Swamy Temple where Lord Rama and Laxmana stayed for 4 months during the rainy season after Sugriva had been coronated on the throne; Kodanda Rama Temple where Sugriva was crowned as the King of Kishkhinda; Sugriva’s cave where Sugriva hid the jewels of mother Sita while she was been taken away by Ravana, and other places. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited Hampi during His South India tour as mentioned in Sri Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya-lila 9.316. Lord Nityananda also visited here during His travels.
2019 International Vaisnavi Retreat – VIHE (Album with photos)
This year’s International Vaisnavi Retreat, held between Mar 28 and April 2, was wonderful. Over 110 vaishnavis attended this extraordinary sadhvi sanga in the land of Vrindavana, under the shelter of Govardhana.
Please, take a look at the first 5 meter base relief panel that will decorate one of the 4 corner walls of the temple room.
This is a wall of ventilation channel, that provides air circulation and conducts the drainage system of the temple and various types of communication lines. Two base relief panels will show the pastimes of Sri Krishna, and another two will show the lilas of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Visit us at: www.tovp.org
Follow us at: www.facebook.com/tovp.mayapur
Watch us at: www.youtube.com/user/tovpinfo
Phone App at: http://tovp.org/news/announcements/new-tovp-phone-app-goes-live/
Mailing List at: https://goo.gl/forms/ojJ2WcUUuqWh8bXt1
RSS News Feed at: https://tovp.org/rss2/
Buy from us at: https://tovp.org/tovp-gift-store/
Support us at: www.tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities
The post Wall Relief Panels appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.
The TOVP will be filled with many beautiful, hand-crafted murtis of important devas made by local artisans. These will add to the astounding nature of the temple itself and also enhance the richness of the culture it represents.
Pictured is a colorful murti of Goddess Lakshmi. This sculpture, along with many other demigods in poses of worship of the Supreme Lord, will decorate the Nrsimha wing hall on the first floor. They are made of high quality fiberglass and will be intricately and stunningly painted.
Visit us at: www.tovp.org
Follow us at: www.facebook.com/tovp.mayapur
Watch us at: www.youtube.com/user/tovpinfo
Phone App at: http://tovp.org/news/announcements/new-tovp-phone-app-goes-live/
Mailing List at: https://goo.gl/forms/ojJ2WcUUuqWh8bXt1
RSS News Feed at: https://tovp.org/rss2/
Buy from us at: https://tovp.org/tovp-gift-store/
Support us at: www.tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities
The post Temple Murtis Report appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.
This week as we head to the start of the #Giving TOVP 10 Day Worldwide Matching Fundraiser from May 7th (Akshaya Tritiya) until May 17th (Nrsimha Caturdasi), His Holiness B.B. Govinda Maharaja speaks about the importance of the TOVP and participating in this 10 day window of opportunity to make a donation to the project.
The #Giving TOVP 10 Day Worldwide Matching Fundraiser will be an incredible, never before done online event to raise funds, large or small, from every devotee, whether they have already given to the TOVP or not. Ambarisa prabhu will match all donations up to $125,000, thus doubling the income to the TOVP during this fundraising event to help complete the TOVP by 2022.
For more information, go to the TOVP #Giving TOVP Fundraiser page. You can also become a TOVP Ambassador by downloading the flyer from the website page and posting it on the internet, emailing it to your devotee friends and relatives, and posting at your local temple. We want the participation of every ISKCON devotee and congregation member worldwide.
MISSION 22 MARATHON KI JAYA! THINK 22 -> TOVP NOW!
Visit us at: www.tovp.org
Follow us at: www.facebook.com/tovp.mayapur
Watch us at: www.youtube.com/user/tovpinfo
Phone App at: http://tovp.org/news/announcements/new-tovp-phone-app-goes-live/
Mailing List at: https://goo.gl/forms/ojJ2WcUUuqWh8bXt1
RSS News Feed at: https://tovp.org/rss2/
Buy from us at: https://tovp.org/tovp-gift-store/
Support us at: www.tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities
The post His Holiness Gopal Krishna Maharaja Speaks About the #Giving TOVP Worldwide Matching Fundraiser appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.
Please, take a look at the first 5 meter base relief panel that will decorate one of the 4 corner walls of the temple room.
This is a wall of ventilation channel, that provides air circulation and conducts the drainage system of the temple and various types of communication lines. Two base relief panels will show the pastimes of Sri Krishna, and another two will show the lilas of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Visit us at: www.tovp.org
Follow us at: www.facebook.com/tovp.mayapur
Watch us at: www.youtube.com/user/tovpinfo
Phone App at: http://tovp.org/news/announcements/new-tovp-phone-app-goes-live/
Mailing List at: https://goo.gl/forms/ojJ2WcUUuqWh8bXt1
RSS News Feed at: https://tovp.org/rss2/
Buy from us at: https://tovp.org/tovp-gift-store/
Support us at: www.tovp.org/donate/seva-opportunities
The post Wall Relief Panels appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.
Book Distribution week ending April 7, 2019 (Album of photos)
Mohanasini Devi Dasi: Super sweet people I met this weekend! I a...
Daily readings of Srila Prabhupada’s Books.
Bhagavat Ashraya Das: Congratulations on this significant milestone. As Maharaja says, he has dedicated himself to this project every day for the rest of his life. Let us all pray that there are many, many, many more days, weeks, months and years to the rest of this life.
Harinaam Monday - ISKCON Chowpatty (4 min. video)
Srila Prabhupada: Pure devotees chant the Hare Krishna mantra, and simply by...
Giriraj Swami read and spoke from Bhagavad-gita 3.10.
“After reading and examining and discussing, the conclusion is that we should engage in sankirtan yajna. That will enable us to live happily in this life and to go back home back to Godhead at the end of this life. We should all chant as much as possible — Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Srila Prabhupada Said that anyone can chant. Even a child can take part. Even a dog can take part.”
Sunday Feast Talk (Right click to download)
Jagannath Rath Yatra 2019, Kurukshetra (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: When there is large-scale congregational chanting o...
West Sydney Temple Project.
Ramai Swami: I attended another fundraising dinner for the new temple project in Vineyard, West Sy...
ENTHUSIASM POINTS TO GROWTH OF JALGAON WALKS
April 9, 2019
By Caitanya Jivan dasa, President ISKCON Jalgaon
Jenni Adopts A Cow (3 min. video)
Cow protection often appeals to people who ordinarily would not become interested in Krsna Consciousness. Due to their attraction to the cow, they learn about the philosophy behind cow protection, Krishna Consciousness.
This is the story of a surprise wedding gift to a cow lover. Jenni’s parents wanted to give her a surprise wedding gift of a cow adoption. They took her on a mystery road trip and she did not know where she was going or for what purpose. Watch the video to find out what happened.