The foreboding age of Kali approaches. A troubled dynasty hovers on the brink of destruction. An epic story from ancient India, Mahabharata reflects the passions and longings of the human spirit.
This highly acclaimed rendition offers a good literary read that can easily be studied in classrooms. "Fresh, fast-paced and cinematic! Andy Fraenkel's book captures the scope and breath of this great epic." Subhash Kak, PhD, Author & Professor (from his Foreword) "
As the 3rd anniversary of the publ
ST. LOUIS COUNTY • A chorus of upbeat song and dance reverberated through subdivisions here Sunday morning, as those who practice Hinduism celebrated Rath Yatra — a holiday in which figures of deities are brought out to the public.
Hundreds of faithful pulled a chariot carrying figures of three decorated Hindu deities from the Hindu Temple of St. Louis down Weidman Road and on to Queeny Park.
Organizers said one of the purposes of the holiday is to expose people to the religion.
“To gain connec
The Slovenia padayatra was held from June 28th to July 15th. The 18 day itinerary followed a course all around Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. Slovenia is a small country yet it is full of diverse people and has a variety of cultures. During the summer many people from all over Europe and other parts of the world come here for the summer holidays. Our padayatra began on a sunny day in a town near Ljubljana with Sri Sri Nitai Gaura Natharaj being transported on a small cart fashioned from a
Ambarisa Das: The TOVP Kalash is the only one of a kind in the world owing to its sheer size and magnitude. It is 23 meters tall and 19 meters wide, and sits atop a mammoth dome at a height of 84 meters from the ground level. Being the topmost architectural feature of the temple dressed in resplendent gold, it will be visible from far and wide. Hence, considerable efforts have gone into its complex and intricate design as well as execution.
According to sacred architecture, the Kalash is the ax
According the the Mahatmya of this place, it is described that Vedavyas was telling one great muni that this place of Kurmakshetra is very, very sacred and he told the story of this temple. There is a mountain called Shwetacala Parvat. And near that mountain lived a king. His name was Shweta Chakravarti, and his wife’s name was Vishnupriya. Vishnupriya was very chaste, very pure in heart, and had great devotion to Lord Krishna. On an Ekadasi day she was performing pooja in her temple room. At t
Devotees at our Seattle temple have been working for months to organise the Ananda festival at a prominent park in Redmond Shire.
The festival spanned a 2 day weekend and it was estimated that nearly 14,000 people attended.
There were two main stages for performances, many prasadam booths and a big variety of book and other stalls.
Source:http://www.ramaiswami.com/seattle-temple-ananda-festival/
"We brahmanas are worshipable by others only due to our quality of forgiveness. It is through this quality of forgiveness that Lord Brahma has achieved the post of master of the entire universe. The Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Hari, the remover of obstacles, becomes pleased with those who are forgiving. Forgiveness is illuminating like the sun, and cultivation of this quality is the brahmana’s duty.”
- Srimad Bhagavatam 9.15.39 - 41
You think you have forgiven and forgotten and then t
Yes, PULL!
That is the feeling I got after I woke up from this evening's nap. I am about to drive a few ungodly hours to the divine ISV (Iskcon Silicon Valley, or Iskcon Sankirtan Village, as I prefer to call it) and get the association of the great souls who live there. Krsna reminds me through that "pull" from within, that the reason for visiting holy places is not to just see the place, but to hear from the sadhus who live there, associate with them, aspire to BE like them; less one still
The Ratha Yatra festival has become a common sight in most major cities of the world since 1968 through the ISKCON Hare Krishna movement. By the mercy of Lord Jagannath and Caitanya Mahāprabhu, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada successfully transplanted the festival which now happens on an annual basis in places all over the world in over 108 cities
Every year on January 14th comes the Spring Equinox. Known in India as Makara Sankranti, it is a holiday that is often accompanied by gusts of wind. One on occasion, a young prince was on the flat roof of his palace, hoping to take advantage of the strong breeze. In his hands was a brightly-coloured kite made of bamboo and paper. After a few attempts to launch it, the kite lifted into the sky, dipped a few times, then soared and twisted, edging slowly upwards. The young prince smiled with joy,
Hare Krishna monks have finally moved into their new home after an explosion that destroyed their former temple six years ago.
Thirty people escaped just before the Iskcon Temple in Leicester exploded on 3 September 2010.
A Leicester family donated a former bank in Granby Street to Iskcon, and renovation work to the Grade II building has now been completed.
The monks are taking residency on the upper floors.
The space also includes a meditation area, kitchen, classrooms and offices.
Temple pres
Lord Nrisimhadeva’s mercy even on non-devotees
The mercy of Lord Nrisimhadeva at Mayapur is famous and I have an interesting story in brief.
I know a couple Ashok Ghosh and his wife Shila Ghosh from Kolkata, who married twelve years ago. Four years before when I met them, they shared their worries with me. Like other childless couples, who undertake treatments or throw faith in magical amulets, this young couple too were attracted to artificial means to have a baby. Incidentally, I suggested th
Sri Krishna Kathamrita Bindu is always free from politics and institutional bashing or promotion. Just simply nectarean Krishna Katha!
From Back to Godhead
Dear Swami Bhaktivedanta,
I’ve read that your Krishna Consciousness is a non-sectarian science of the soul. How is it, then, that you follow some particular concept of God Krishna rather than a more universal concept, such as the One, or the All-Pervading Light? I like your movement very much, but I do feel this to be a clear contradiction in your philosophy. Yours truly,
Owen Darcy
My dear Mr. Darcy,
Thank you for your interest, and for your question also. I assure you tha
lei·sure: : freedom provided by the cessation of activities; especially: time free from work or duties
I have been missing this little noun for eons now. Finally I've caught a hold of this elusive little thing today - today being a holiday for Eid. This is such an interesting definition of leisure. Are we ever free from activity? The very nature of the soul is to be active so where do you draw the line between activities that count as work and activities that count as pleasure? When we engage i
A devotee once told me,
" We offer so many services to Krishna......we offer him garlands, we make prasad and offer it, we offer our kirtans, our bhajans yet in the process of offering him all these services, we forget to offer him ourselves! "
Krishna accepts anything offered with love but all he is really looking for is YOU. And that is the hardest thing to offer. The false ego of me, mine never lets us actually do this. Every activity we do, each and every step and action we take in our lives
We took a morning walk along Lake Ontario and these were some thoughts running through my head...
I like beaches, fresh ocean, well, lake air, Wine Bottle from a dark nights rendezvous, McDonald's bags, 1, 2 few, many- all over. Cigarette butts, tissues, newspapers, coffee cups, other things monks shouldn't mention by name, etc.
"This is a place of Pilgrimage you know, Srila Prabhupada walked here in the Summer of 75 when he visited Toronto."
How advanced we've become, few years later. If t
Many people I meet express their most difficult problem- too little time to actually relish, or absorb themselves in life. When you wake up the rush starts- class, work, cram!
Here's a small experience that I relish here in India and hope to really inspire people with in the near future. Do few things diligently, consciously and properly.
An example of my schedule in the last few months:
3:00 am wake up (shower, dress, chant japa, mangala arati, class.)
9:00 am wash laundry, eat.
10:30 bhakti
