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Although the temple was restricted by the amount of guests we could accomodate for the Janmashtami Celebration, it was still a wonderful day. Citrupa Prabhu, temple devotees and lots of helpers spent hours making flower decorations and turning the temple into a majestic palace. The deities looked beautiful in their new outfits surrounded by opulent garlands. Shyamananda Krishna Prabhu gave a class in the temple and there was hours of delightful kirtan led by Amiyarasa Prabhu leading up to the special midnight Arti. 

 

 

His Divine Grace Srila Prabupada's Appearance Day

 

Surabhi Devi Dasi, a Prabupada disciple with nearly 50 years experience in the Bhakti Yoga tradition, has been staying at the farm for a few weeks.   

 

Surabhi is a dynamic devotee with an endless amount of enthusiasm and energy for serving Krishna and the devotees. In her short stay at the farm she has uplifted devotee spirits. In following the training she received from Srila Prabhupada she has imparted knowledge to the devotees on how they can improve their own devotional service. Surabhi has been engaging the devotees in a Maha cleanup of the temple, raising money for a new flower garden near the Tulsai house and she even managed to get all the devotees dancing in the temple through her energetic kirtan and mridanga playing. Thankyou for inspiring us Surabhi Devi Dasi.  

 

 

For more information visit:  www.kirtanministry.com/

 

 

Jayasri Devi Dasi, who is part of the management team at New Gokula Farm, has been busy recently organising an impressive photo collage of the 74 cows and bulls who live at the farm. The collage is being displayed in the main dining hall at the temple and allows guests to have a close up view of all of the cows and bulls.

 

 

Aniruddha met the devotees in Central Park, New York in 1982 at an anti nuclear protest. They gave her some very delicious blueberry halava and this spiked her interest straight away. On talking to the devotees Aniruddha felt an instant connection. The philosophy they presented her with aligned with her values and lifestyle as she realised she was already following the four regulative principles. She had grown up within a family of strict catholics and these principles were very much apart of her life. So Aniruddha went with the devotees to visit the temple and quickly decided that Krishna Consciousness was her path. She starting chanting the Maha mantra straight away and when her job finished up she moved into the temple where she lived for a year. After being married she moved to Pensilvania and was involved in the temple community there. Initially she received first and second initiation by Bhavananda Swami and was given the name Ashoka Devi Dasi. After some time Bhavananda Swami discontinued being an initiating guru so in 1993 she took initiation by Romapada Swami and was given the name Aniruddha Devi Dasi. Aniruddha had two children, Arjuna and Subhadra, and then moved to Australia in 2002 where she lived in a few different places including Bega for a number of years. While she hasn't always lived near a temple or had association with the devotees, Aniruddha has remained strong in her faith in Krishna consciousness through her regular chanting, reading of the scriptures and listening to her gurus lectures online. In 2017 she moved to Cessnock to be closer to the New Gokula farm. It is here that she has received training to become a Pujari at the temple. Aniruddha is a wonderful cook and is well known at the temple for making fantastic cakes and pastries. She is also a talented seamstress and her bags and book covers can be found in the temple shop. She also enjoys making jewellery for the deities. Aniruddhas favourite service is doing the Raj Bhoga Arti and serving the devotees in any way she can. Thank you for your service Aniruddha.