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The Festival of the Holy Name Global Pandemic Kirtan ran April 18th to May 3rd 2020

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, ISKCON devotees have adjusted to staying at home by organizing a whole host of creative online events in place of in-person festivals and seminars. One of the most popular virtual events, drawing at least 1.2 million viewers, engaging multiple generations of devotees and inspiring many others to hold their own major online kirtan events to this day, was the Global Pandemic Kirtan, organized by team members of Alachua, Florida’s Festival of the Holy Name from April 18th to May 3rd 2020.

Here we look back on the event, its success, the other events it inspired, what it means to all the generations who participated, and its impact in a world where virtual outreach may be the norm in ISKCON for some time to come.

“We Had No Idea How It Would Catch On”

The annual Festival of the Holy Name, launched in 2010, was created by second generation devotees who wanted to provide an immersive experience for Alachua community members who couldn’t make it to kirtan events around the country. When the pandemic hit and people had to stay at home, a subgroup from the team behind the festival -- Gaura Shakti and Krishna Dhama Allin, Saradiya and Govinda Syer, Govinda Cordua and Nila Khurana – decided to create a virtual version, with chanters streaming live Maha Mantra Kirtan from their homes around the world.

“Our intention is to have the Holy Name reverberate continuously throughout the world to bring relief for the current global pandemic and all other ailments of Kali Yuga,” the group wrote at the time. “We are performing this sacrifice for the well-being of all.”

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/looking-back-on-the-pandemic-kirtan-that-reached-12-million-and-inspired-a-flood-of-virtual-kirtan-events,7460/

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