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Instead of beginning on the official start date of World Holy Name's Week (Friday, September 9th) and ending on West Monday, September 19th (Srila Prabhupada's Arrival in the West World Holy Names Day started on this date to commemorate Srila Prabhupada as The Ambassador of the Holy Names), we have decided to start on Sunday, September 11th, and end on Sunday, September 18th.

We want to start this year with a Nam Yajna, a fire sacrifice.  In Srila Prabhupada's books, we read of "sankirtan yajnas", and we want to approach World Holy Names with the cleanliness, sobriety, determination, and brahminical consciousness of a fire yajna.  We will perform a yajna, chant until our Sunday Feast, speak about the glories of the Holy Names to our guests, further encourage guests and devotees to join us in chanting during World Holy Names Weeks, and then take prasad.

Then, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, we plan to go on japa walks to the places where Srila Prabhupada took his japa walks.  We will invite guests, but also as many Srila Prabhupada disciples as possible.  Hopefully we will feel the presence of His Divine Grace on our walks.

Tuesday nights in New Dwaraka, devotees have been chanting in the evenings, and we want to make a push to invite guests this evening.  If we can fill the temple room, that would be great, and we can strengthen the Tuesday Night program in the process.

Los Angeles Harinams are tricky because foot traffic is almost non-existent in Los Angeles.  If we have a very large Harinam Party (50-100), then we have difficulty going to the places where there is foot traffic because there are already street performers and space is limited.  Groups of 100 are not welcome.  So, instead of "blowing out" those places, we thought we could promote the Wednesday and Friday night Harinams internally (amongst the devotees only), and on Saturday, we will have a Harinam Beach Party at Venice Beach.  There are huge crowds at Venice Beach (2nd only to Disneyland), and this allows our congregation to do Harinam and simultaneously take their families to the beach.  We'll serve sankirtan sandwiches, beverages, and watermelon.

Finally, on Sunday the 18th, we'll do another nam yajna, chant until the Sunday Feast, collect Japathon cards, and offer the results to our Deities.

That seems to be the best program for us, and we plan to promote World Holy Names Week from Balaram's Appearance Day (this Saturday) onwards.


We have found that temples who ask their guests to chant japa during the Japathon are usually pleasantly surprised.  Guests, even first time guests, are happy to participate, and some of the guests continue chanting as a regular practice long after the Japathon is over.  These are the kinds of results we hope to see.

If you need help customizing your schedule, brainstorming, customizing promotional material, I will be glad to help you to my capacity.  Anyone is welcome to contact me on woodfield416@yahoo.com to discuss any part of World Holy Names Week.

Thank you,

Your das Ram Prasad das