About this time of the year most Indians traditionally let their hair down and indulge in throwing bright colored powders and scented water at one another as they celebrate Holi, the festival heralding the onset of spring.
Until some years ago in the United States, only the Indian-Americans were seen celebrating the festival at their homes, or gathering in small groups in neighborhood parks, flinging ‘gulal’ or colored powders at each other and chanting ‘holi hai’. Amused non-Indian bystanders
The vision of Srila Bhaktivonde Thakura is fulfilled!
In 1885, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura wrote: “Very soon the unparalleled path of hari-nama-sankirtana will be propagated all over the world… . Oh, for that day when the fortunate English, French, Russian, German, and American people will take up banners, mridangas, and karatalas and raise kirtana through their streets and towns. When will that day come? Oh, for the day when the Western fair-skinned men, from one side, while chanting ‘Jaya Saci
By Harinarayana Das
The Boyong Kedhaton carnival and the Adeging Kutha Sala dance celebrated the 272nd anniversary of the city of Surakarta on Saturday. Around 700 carnival group, 135 dancers and 35 musicians participated in the festivities and entertained the crowds along Jalan Jendral Sudirman (General Sudirman Street). Lord Jagannath and His chariot team were also one of the participants who were invited to take part in the carnival. This ratha yatra was the closing one for the three series
By Nila Kamal das
On the 8th of March 2017, on the most auspicious day of Amalaki Ekadasi, HH Subhag Swami Maharaj awarded the sanyas order of life to HG Hari das, now Bhakti Ananda Hari das Goswami in Jagannath Mandir, Rajapur.
Bhakti Ananda Hari das Goswami was born on the 6th of March 1953 in a village named Chandamleikai, Asaam (North East India). Born in a traditional Manipur Vaisnava family, he was a devotee of Lord Krishna from his very childhood and always listened to Krishna katha when
Akincana Das is now Bhaktijivana Vrajananda Swami.On 1st march H.G. Akincana Das took Sannyasa from H.H. Bhakti Gaurava Narayan Swami in ISKCON Vrindavan. His name is now Bhaktijivana Vrajananda Swami.
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
Today, myself and several devotees met with His Majesty King Goodwill Zwelithini, the reigning King of the Zulu Nation in South Africa. Ruling over 11 million people King Goodwill plays an important part in South African politics and culture. We had a long discussion about social cohesion and how to unite the diverse ethnic peoples of the country. We agreed that the ultimate solution is a spiritual one, where the people of South Africa understand their common bond is that they are all children
1. One should never kick cows, for one who does so will have to suffer in hell for a hundred lives. Cows are the abode of all auspiciousness. For this reason, they always deserve worship.
2. Bullocks should never be struck harshly with a goad or whip.
3. One should not proceed through the midst of cows.
4. When cows are grazing or lying down, one should not disturb them in any way.
5. When cows are thirsty and are refused water [ because a person is obstructing their access to a water tank or
We are all in a material situation and I sum it up as, “Sometimes you are on top of the elephant and at other times, the elephant is on top of you!” That is material life, it is not going to always be easy but we must protect our spiritual life and try to do something to stand up for Krsna consciousness.
Nothing is easy; therefore first we have to work on our own conviction. We have to understand why we are doing this. The better you understand this, the more convinced you are.
I like the story
Naperville, IL – ISKCON, Naperville is pleased to announce the construction of new temple starting this May 2017.
Work begins on construction of a new temple at ISKCON Temple of Greater Chicago in Naperville (www.iskconnaperville.org)
Bhumi Puja – Ground-breaking ceremony
The auspicious Bhumi Puja (ground-breaking ceremony) is scheduled to be held this year on Sunday, May 21st beginning at 9am CST. New construction commences thereafter with the goal of achieving completion of Phase I by January
Vani Devi Dasi remembers…
“At six years old it can be hard to appreciate what goes on around you, yet I remember quite clearly. I was asked to ‘assist’ Auntie Yamuna in the kitchen for a raw feast she was preparing—stuffed red peppers with a mock cream cheese filling, various types of raw soaked rice salads, a raw pie topped with beautiful light and fluffy whipped macadamia cream, and various other preparations, each unique in flavor, color and ingredients. It was my first experience being utte
In kali yuga, we do not curse. This is not our business. In the Vedic times, cursing and counter cursing were happening. We see that Narada Muni would sometimes curse. There is the example of the sons of Kuvera – Manigriva and Nalakuvara – who were drunk and enjoying in the Alakananda River with some ladies and they did not pay respect to Narada so they were cursed. But Narada’s curse was a disguised blessing because he cursed them to become trees in the garden of Krsna so they got a curse and
Devotees travelled from all over New Zealand and some from Australia for the reopening of the Christchurch temple, which previously had to be pulled down because of the earthquake six years ago.
The morning was celebrated with the installation of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai with abhiseka, kirtan, fire yajna and aroti. The devotees were then served a grand feast and in the evening there was discourse, aroti and more prasadam.
Source:http://www.ramaiswami.com/christchurch-temple-reopening/
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura wondered, “when will that day come when the fair-skinned foreigners will come to Sri Mayapur dham and join with the Bengali Vaishnavas to chant, Jay Sachinandana, Jay Sachinandana. When will that day be?” He wondered did not really mean he did not know that it was coming soon. A person who could visualize the astoundingly beautiful Temple, the adbhuta mandir, predicted by Lord Nityananda, more than a hundred years before its actual construction began cannot be not kno
(This is Part One of a historical record written by Jyotirmayi Dasi in 1998.)
From about 1965 up to 1974, when Srila Prabhupada had to get less and less involved in temple management because of translating work and the tremendous increase of disciples and temples, the women devotees’ situation changed very little from what Srila Prabhupada had originally established. From 1974 their situation started to significantly deteriorate and got worse very fast until it reached its paroxysm before Srila
It was Valentine’s Day and I was driving home from the late evening meditation class that I teach every week. To close the class I’d led a guided visualisation – seeing the heart as a beautiful rose which opens and closes. Singing the sacred maha-mantra in call and response, we envisioned the heart gently, automatically opening, as a rose does in the warming rays of the sun. The session was sweet and peaceful, but as I drove home I was feeling some mixed emotions. I have a had a difficult heart
On December 28th, 2016, a balmy day in the bustling tourist city of San Juan, Puerto Rico, traffic came to almost a standstill as “Harmony of the Seas”, the largest cruise ship in the world, pulled into the harbor. Locals and visitors alike flocked to the port district to observe the impressive dimensions of the ship. Hundreds of cruisers stepped off the ship to explore the Boricua shore. Unbeknownst to the gathering crowds, they were about to witness a joyous procession of singing and dancing
Recently I heard in the news about an ISKCON devotee named Govinda Dev Prabhu who was accused of trying to force his way into the temple of Jagannath here in Puri, and while doing so is said to have assaulted a panda (priest). Govinda Dev recently posted a video on youtube and on his Facebook page about this topic:
https://www.facebook.com/govinda.d....
Govinda Dev Prabhu clarified what happened and how some of the various news agencies offered reports that containe
On February 26th, under the direct inspiration and guidance of His Holiness Bhakti Caru Maharaja, the TOVP Fundraising Team consisting of Jananivas prabhu, Ambarisa prabhu, Mother Svaha and Vraja Vilas prabhu held a fundraiser at the Kolkata temple and raised an incredible $400,000 in pledges to everyone’s amazement.
Led by the Lord in the form of His Padukas and Sitari, the TOVP Team inspired the devotees with the vision of this great world-changing project, bringing not only a sense of unity
In an exuberant mood, Syamsundara Prabhu, the temple president in Houston, wrote me, “Thank you, Maharaja, for your divine presence in our lives. How fortunate we are to have you among us. Please live forever.”
Reflecting on Syamsundara’s words, I thought of Srila Prabhupada’s statement “I will never die. I will live forever in my books, and you will utilize.” And I took what Syamsundara Prabhu wrote as a confirmation that I should continue focusing on writing the history of Srila Prabhupada an
