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In Auckland, in the months of November and December, many of the surrounding suburbs arrange to have parades go through the streets. Generally, local businesses put their floats in to advertise the products they sell.

Fortunately, we are able to participate with our Jagannatha Rathayatra “float” and go in the parade as well. On the same day as the Orewa parade, we went to one in the suburb of Manurewa and everyone appreciated the devotees dancing and chanting in front of Lord Jagannatha.

Source

The devotees took Their Lordships, Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Devi on Their Ratha Chariot in a parade at Orewa, which is a suburb to the north of Auckland.

There were thousands of people lining the street clapping and waving as the devotees had ecstatic kirtan. The route was on the road adjacent to the beach so it was a beautiful setting. A sumptuous picnic prasadam dinner was served in the park afterward.

Source: https://ramaiswami.com/orewa-auckland-rathayatra/

Every year the New Varshana devotees organize a Rathayatra parade that goes down Queen Street in Auckland. This has been going on for decades and a beautiful big Jagannatha chariot is pulled through the city.

In the last year, a smaller chariot has been built that allows us to go in parades in the suburbs and smaller regional towns. I was fortunate to attend the first one in the Auckland suburb of Onehunga.

The event was joyful and the crowd waved to the devotees performing kirtan and pulling Lo

On Sunday, February 2nd, ISKCON Auckland hosted its annual Krishna Holi celebration at its lively 88-acre farm, New Varsana, drawing a record-breaking crowd of 15,000 visitors.  With clear skies and warm sunshine marking the final month of summer, visitors were eager to sing, dance, relish Krishna prasadam, and, of course, partake in the traditional throwing of coloured dyes.

The main stage hosted various musical performances of different styles, each incorporating the chanting of the maha-mantr

By Madhava Smullen 

After being virtually free of Covid-19 for most of the pandemic, New Zealand instituted a lockdown in August after discovering its first case in six months. Auckland, the epicenter of the outbreak, has remained in lockdown for over 90 days now, while most of the rest of the country has been living with minimal restrictions. Domestic borders around Auckland are set to reopen from December 15th for fully vaccinated people and those with negative test results. Meanwhile, ISKCON

This year, ISKCON is celebrating the 125th anniversary of the appearance of its Founder-Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada – born in 1896 in Calcutta – with various efforts to honor him throughout the year.

On Saturday August 21st, ten days before Srila Prabhupada’s August 31st appearance day, devotees from the ISKCON Auckland congregation in New Zealand will hold Harinama Sankirtana in multiple suburbs around Auckland, as well as on the city’s main thoroughfare Queen

By Madhava Smullen

Lives of Service is an ISKCON News interview series that recreates the feel of sitting down for a chat at the Sunday Feast with an old friend or a devotee you’d like to get to know. Told in their own words, it’s an insightful, inspiring, lighthearted, and at times humorous look at their stories and lives of service. Kalasamvara Das is one of the most joyful, ecstatic and dedicated devotees we’ve had the fortune to speak to. We hope you enjoy this chat with him!

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