Gita Mela 2017 begins! (Album of photos)
The winter holidays from Christmas till the New Year attracts lakhs of people every year from across India to the ISKCON Chandradaya Temple, Mayapur, the spiritual headquarters of the institution. During this time all the guesthouses, lodges and hotels are stuffed and every road leading to Mayapur is seen bustling with tourists and revellers. To reach out to this huge bunch of people with an aim to inculcate spiritual values among people and thereby promote peace, harmony and well-being, the devotees of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is organising Gita Mela from 23rd December to 2nd January at its Mayapur campus informed Laxmi Govinda Das, in-charge of Gita preaching.
During this Mela, copies of ‘Bhagavad- Gita As It is’ published in more than 50 languages will be showcased. Teachings of the Bhagavad Gita will also be demonstrated by using slide shows, diorama, and videos. An online Gita Quiz is being planned to attract the youth. Further, a dedicated team of devotees will be holding interactive seminars, mock situations to practically exhibit that the teachings laid down in Bhagavad Gita by Sri Krishna more than 5000 years back are very much relevant in modern times and how they could be practiced in daily real life situations. A massive stage has been set up with lighting all around the temple campus so that every evening there will be congregational chanting, dancing and singing of melodious kirtans. This will be followed by cultural programmes presented by the foreign devotees depicting the pastimes (lila) of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Krishna. To give the Mela a carnival feel multiple stalls have been set up which will distribute varieties of mouth watering MahaPrasadam from South Indian dishes, traditional Bengali cuisines to authentic Italian delicacies and large variety of delicious bakery items.
Jivanatha Prabhu, co-ordinator of campus preaching, says that,'Our goal this year is to get as many of our guests who visit Sri Dham Mayapur to understand the importance of Bhagavad Gita As It Is . We want everyone to be convinced they NEED to have Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita along with the rest of his books. Gita Mela features a wide range of entertaining booths with a large stage for lectures and performances.’
Find them here: https://goo.gl/1uBq29

H.H. Dhirasanta Das Goswami - Wednesday Lecture - 12/20/2017 (video)
His Holiness Dhirasanta Das Goswami speaks about his early...

We Wish You a “Merry Krishna” :-)
by The Devotees of the Radha Krishna Temple, Soho, London.
1.We Wish You a Merry Krishna 02:46
2.Deck the Halls with Boughs of Hare 01:39
3.Ding Dong Merrily on Hare 03:17
4.Good King Krishna 02:20
5.Krishna Bells 04:03
A seasonal collaboration between Mr President and the devotees of the Radha Krishna Temple, Soho.
A big thanks go to Dayal Mora and Jai Natai for allowing us to make the idea a reality.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/jV6UFj

Book distribution marathon 2017, Hungary (Album of photos)
Sivarama Swami: An other book distributed, the wisdom of the Vedas i...

Kuresha being given first grain at Sri Jagannatha Mandir, KL	Strawberry Sweet Rice for teething kids. We don’t mind our shares as well.	Milk from protected cows are best.

 Hare Krishna.  Anna Prasana, a very important purificatory rite of the first grains ceremony by the father of the teething child is done on the 6th or 8th month for boys and 5th or 7th month for girls. Devotees like the Spiritual Master/Father to give the first grains feeding while Mantas and Hare Krishna is chanted.

The Supersoul Vaisvanara is invoked to accept the first sweet rice grains prasadam and preside over the digestion for the child for all the solid food intake for the rest of life. The child also becomes independent of mother’s milk but thereon feeds on the Miracle Milk of Mother Cow. Again, we see the importance of the Cow’s milk, ghee, urine and dung not only for Samskaras and Fire sacrifices but that Mother Cow’s milk continues as food and derivatives for the rest of our lives. One of the prayers chanted is “Among food ghee is happiness, beauty, strength and nobility”.

Samskara also mentions that the Parents should give daksina, feed devotees and living entities. Will be fantastic to do the ceremony at the cow farm itself, feed the devotees and cows. Lord Krishna’s name giving was done in his father’s cow shed. After grain feeding, scripture and money may be placed before the child to get an indication of his future tendencies.

This is what Srila Jayapataka Swami said about the importance of Samskaras:

"I want to take this opportunity to fully endorse the providing of SAMSKAR SERVICES for the congregation as a means of helping them advance in Krishna consciousness as well as making them feel a part of the Krishna consciousness family. It makes the temple relevant to their lives when temple authorised brahmanas perform the samskaras. It creates a community spirit as the samskara event also becomes a social event inviting families and friends to come and witness the specific ceremony and accept a feast, etc. Every temple should strive to provide these kind of Krishna conscious samskaras. ……It always impressed me that if one of the 6 Goswamis took the trouble of writing these samskaras then it is obvious that we should utilise them.

Parents should endeavour to do the best for the ceremony especially in the preparation of Sweet Rice.

1. Sweet rice should be offered to the Presiding Deities at the temple where the ceremony is being done. One time Srila Jayapataka Swami Maharaja chastised us since the Sweet Rice that was used for the ceremony was not offered to the Deities at the local temple. Another time he was even more unhappy that instead of sugar the cook had mistakenly added salt.
2. Best is to prepare Sweet Rice for the ceremony from the Ahimsa Milk of our own farm.
3. Use pure cane sugar instead of white sugar.

Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita Chapter 15 Text 14

"I am the fire of digestion in the bodies of all living entities, and I join with the air of life, outgoing and incoming, to digest the four kinds of food." (Bg. 15.14) Lord Vaisvanara presides over digestion and in general bestows the capacity of mobility on animals, humans and demigods.

SWEET RICE RECIPE & PREPARATION – A RECIPE TAUGHT TO ME BY HH JANANANDA GOSWAMI MAHARAJA

• 25 Parts of Milk
• 1 Part Rice
• 1 Part Unrefined cane sugar
• 1 cup strawberry (finely chopped or roughly cut as you like it
• Cardamon or Cinnamon can be used for fragrance and flavour

Wash the rice and leave to drain in a sieve. In a large saucepan bring the milk to a boil and then add the rice. Keep over medium heat, stirring continuously. Simmer till the rice is soft and the milk is reduced to two-thirds its original volume. Add sugar as you stir for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. When cool, add the strawberries. Refrigerate. Serve chilled.

BECOME A COW CARE SUPPORTER NOW

Please click on the link below to submit YOUR COW CARE SUPPORTER FORM.

https://docs.google.com/…/17HvpYqtk7qCnRBxcqeuk2T3TFP2…/edit

Thank you so much,

Your servant,
Simheswara dasa
Regional Secretary, ISKCON MALAYSIA
P.S. I have also appended a link below to our INAUGURAL ONLINE FARM NEWSLETTER

https://www.yumpu.com/…/v…/59210663/ngd-farm-inaugural-issue

https://www.facebook.com/indradyumna/media_set?set=a.10210819428184727.1073742779.1321748113&type=3

Today we went on parikrama to Kamyavan. Kamyavan is fourth among the twelve forests of Vraja-mandala. The word kamya means “extremely beautiful”, “well adorned” or “highly attractive”. Many pleasant lakes, wells, ponds, trees, creepers, flowers, fruits and species of birds contribute to the beauty of this place. Krishna performed many of His childhood pastimes in Kamyavan. According to the Visnu Purana, there are eighty-four sacred ponds, eighty-four temples and eighty-four pillars in Kamyavan. This holy place has countless kundas as well as a parikrama path of fourteen miles. Some of the prominent kundas are Vimala Kunda, Dharma Kunda and Kama Kunda. Dharma kunda is where Maharaja Yudhisthira successfully answered the 100 questions of Yamaraja.

The deity of Kameswar Mahadeva, who resides in Kamyavan, was personally installed by Vajranabh, Krishna’s great-grandson. A most beautiful deity of Vrinda devi resides in Kamyavan as well. Srila Rupa Goswami had installed this deity of Vrinda devi in his Radha Govinda Temple in the forest of Vrindavan 500 years ago. But later on, by Her sweet will, Vrinda devi moved to her temple in Kamyavan.

In the Puranas it is said that the forest of Kamyavan fulfills the innermost desires of the soul.

“In this Kamyavan Krishna performed enchanting pastimes. Here you will be able to take darsana of many Kundas and other holy places. I cannot even describe in writing all the sacred tirthas found at Kamyavan.”

[ Bhakti-ratnakara, Fifth Wave ]

namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca… His first business is to give all comfort to the cows and the brahmanas. In fact, comfort for the brahmanas is secondary, and comfort for the cows is His first concern.” – Srimad Bhagavatam 10.8.16, purport The ISKCON Mayapur Goshala is located in the south-east corner of the Mayapur campus, and […]

The post The Primary Citizens! appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Touchstone Media has churned the ocean of nectar and come up with a marvellous masterpiece, ‘Sri Ksetra: Vaikuntha on Earth.’ Lord Jagannath is dear to every devotee. His Dham, Sri Ksetra is as glorious as Him.

The post Daily Darshan: December23,2017 appeared first on Mayapur.com.

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Yesterday on our parikrama with Sri Prahlada dasa we met Jaya Rama das, a well-known and respected sadhu residing in Bandiravan, one the 12 forests of Vrindavan. When we offered our respects to him he smiled and kindly said:

“What your Srila Prabhupada has done for the whole world all the saints in India combined together haven’t done. I am just sitting here taking care of this little parcel of land, but you his disciples, are travelling all over the world preaching the glories of the holy names.”

Chant: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare And Be Happy!!

Bhagavad Gita As It Is (18.66)
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah

Translation

Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.

 11.00 - 11.15  Tulsi Puja

 11.15 - 11.30  Guru Puja

 11:30 - 11:55  Aarti & Kirtan           

 11.55 - 12.00  Sri Nrsingadeva Prayers

 12.00 -   1:00  Vedic discourse

   1:00 -   1:30 Closing Kirtan

   1.30 -   2.00  Sanctified Free Vegetarian Feast

COMING UP AHEAD

Putrada Ekadasi
Fasting.....................on Fri Dec 29th,2017
Breakfast................  on  Sat Dec 30th ,2017 b/w 7.42am-8.25am

Every fortnight, we observe Ekadasi, a day of prayer and meditation. On this day we fast (or simplify our meals and abstain from grains and beans), and spend extra time reading the scriptures and chanting the auspicious Hare Krishna mantra.By constantly ‘exercising’ our minds through regular japa we can train our senses to push the threshold of contentment.

English audio glorification of all Ekadasis is available here 

Christmas For Kids
Celebration on Mon Dec 25th at 11am

Please get your chid registered with our Sun School ASAP to receive gift from Bhakta Santa.
To register:
Email:sundayschool108@gmail.com

ONGOING PROGRAMS

Japathon-Congregational Mantra Meditation

Next date is to be announced shortly!

The chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His Energy to give protection to the conditioned soul.japa, when performed with focus and attention, can subdue the agitating effects of one’s mind and senses. The senses, of which the mind is also one, are constantly being stimulated by the external world  - by gross and subtle matter.
If you have not chanted before, and would like to participate in this program, we will be very happy to show how you can do this.
All welcome. We’ll loan you a set of Beads!


Sunday School

To register,contact us
Email:sundayschool108@gmail.com
Call:647.893.9363

The Sunday School provides fun filled strategies through the medium of music, drama, debates, quizzes and games that present Vedic Culture to children. However the syllabus is also designed to simultaneously teach them to always remember Krishna and never forget Him. School
The Sunday School follows the curriculum provided by the Bhaktivedanta College of Education and Culture (BCEC).

Monthly sankirtan Festival(MSF)

“One who has life can preach, and one who preaches gets life.”(Previous Acaryas)

Every member of ISKCON should have the opportunity to make advancement in Krishna consciousness by preaching.We encourage everyone to come out and participate and make Srila Prabhupada happy.

Please contact:
Dharma Dasa- dharandev58@gmail.com-647.892.0739(Mississauga and Brampton regions)

The Mentorship Program

Please note that registration in the Mentorship System is now a mandatory requirement for all initiation requests at ISKCON Brampton.It

1.Facilitates  and nurtures devotees aspiring for first and second Initiation.  
2.One-on-One personal follow up on a regular basis.
3.Systematic training to devotees in matters of Philosophy, Sadhna, Vaishnava behavior, etiquette, Lifestyle and attitudes.

To find details please click here

Gift Shop

Are you looking for some amazing gift items which are less expensive and more beautiful for your loved ones for festivals or many other occasions??
Our boutique is stocked with an excellent range of products, perfect for gifts or as souvenirs of your visit. It offers textiles, jewellery, incense, devotional articles, musical instruments, books, and CDs inspired by Indian culture.We're open on all Sundays and celebrations marked in our annual calendar.

On Srila Jiva Gosvami’s disappearance day recently, I thought of Mother Arca-vigraha’s special service to him, as recounted by Kuntidevi dasi in my book Many Moons: Reflections on Departed Vaishnavas:

“Over time, Arca-vigraha was able to use her artistic talent in the service of some very special projects. Once, a Gaudiya Vaishnava at Radha-kunda wanted to renovate Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami’s bhajana-kutira and was looking for an artist to paint a new portrait. It would be served and worshiped like a deity, nondifferent from the transcendental personality it represented, and since Radha-kunda was one of the most important holy sites, visited by millions of pilgrims every year, the painting had to look exactly like the one it was replacing, and the artist had to be carefully chosen. So, this young Vaishnava, who was friendly with Bhurijana Prabhu and his wife, Mother Jagattarini, asked them to help him find the right person—’but not a foreigner and not a woman.’ So Bhurijana and Jagattarini asked Arca-vigraha to do the service secretly—she couldn’t even sign the painting or reveal herself as the artist.

“On the day of the bhajana-kutira’s reopening, the painting was unveiled for all to see, and everyone thought it was wonderful. Then someone pointed to Arca-vigraha, who was sitting at the back of the assembly, and exclaimed, ‘And here is the artist!’ We froze on the spot. But the local babajis were so enchanted with the painting that they no longer cared who had painted it. In fact, they requested Arca to also paint Jiva Gosvami, and Ananta dasa Babaji, Radha-kunda’s chief mahanta, requested a meeting with Arca to thank her personally. Both paintings are still there at Radha-kunda, installed and worshiped.”

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

SB 07.09.48 Krishna’s Immortality 2013-05-15

Lecture – Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.48 Krishna’s Immortality 2013-05-15 Los Angeles AKA No One Wants To Die

BG 04.23 This Civilization Is An Illusion 2013-04-28

Lecture – BG 04.23 This Civilization Is An Illusion 2013-04-28 Kraków

This short film was made in Russia in October 2015, by a small team of filmmakers who are passionate about sharing the culture of bhakti yoga with the world. It was shot on location in Moscow and Sochi, and profiles Jahnavi Harrison, who grew up with bhakti yoga and serves in the capacity of a kirtan (devotional call and response chanting) leader.

BMI-Bhaktivriksha in Bloomington, Illinois, USA conducted its first 10-week course of Bhagavad Gita As It Is for children from ages 9-16. The initiative was met with great enthusiasm, and all the twenty-eight children who participated in the program graduated and received their certificates during a ceremony on Saturday December 16^th.

On December 15, Mukunda Maharaja was discharged from Tweed hospital and is back at his residence on New Govardhan farm.

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Yesterday I took Sri Prahlada, who is visiting Vrindavan, to the Mystical Forest. Not far from Varsana is a forest of 5,000 year-old trees. Local Vrajavasi tradition says that the trees were planted by Srimati Radharani and Her girlfriends as a place of pastimes for Herself and Krsna. They are described as kalpa-vriksa trees – wish-fulfilling trees – able to fulfill all of one’s spiritual desires. As we hugged them I prayed for more service to my spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, in fulfilling his wishes that the holy names of the Lord be spread to every town and village in the world. I also whispered in my prayer that one day, when he feels it proper, I might join him in his pastimes in the spiritual world, where all walking is dancing, all talking is singing and there’s a festival every day. From the Mystic Forest we proceeded to nearby Varsana to continue our parikrama. All glories to Sri Vrindavan dhama!

 The Mayapur Goshala is a very peaceful and serene place, allowing anyone who comes to have a wonderful experience of offering service and worship.

As the Hare Krishna Society builds a lavish new temple in India, it is struggling to control a faction in the city where the religion was born.

This traditional fruitcake is ideal for weddings, birthdays, or any special occasion requiring a luscious, rich cake. It can be kept for several weeks after baking.

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One hundred Bhagavad-gita and other books were distributed during the event. Even though more than ninety percent of the audience were from other faiths they appreciated the clarity of the message in Bhagavad-gita as it is; one student later wrote in his blog that he started reading Bhagavad-gita and everyday he is getting new enlightenment; another senior gentleman who is the head of an organization and even though he is not a Hindu, he expressed that although he could not understand the Sanskrit invocation (Sri Brahma Samhita) he felt very happy within his heart when he heard it. Continue reading "International Bhagavad-gita Seminar, Gorontalo, Indonesia
→ Dandavats"