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BY JEYANTHY PILLAI
KLANG, MALAYSIA - For the first time in Klang, the children of “Gopal’s Fun School”, ISKCON KLANG (Hare Krishnas) will be celebrating a mini Ratha Yatra on the 27th July 2008.
It promises a day of colour and fun in Teluk Pulai where a small chariot will be pulled from their centre to Taman Melawis, accompanied by a colourful children singing, chanting and dancing their way along the route. (more…)
Media Release
Yesterday, July 13, 2008 the Child Protection Office released its official decision in a case regarding allegations against Gauri das of the UK yatra, for events occuring during his tenure as a teacher at the ISKCON-affiliated school in Vrindavana, India, during the 1990’s.
Today, the Manor’s managing council adopted an official statement presented below.
Anuttama dasa Minister ISKCON Communications (more…)
BY MADAN MOHAN
Hare Krsna prabhus and matajis.
Sometimes the living entities make plans to the best of their abilities. But as many of us would have realized, only if the Lord sanctions, will the plans materialize. But The Lord being the best friend and well wisher of all gives more than planned when devotees come up with sincere spiritual plans. This is what the devotees from Singapore realized with regards to the Snana Yatra festival for this year. It all began as the devotees started planning and working hard to conduct Jagannath’s Snana Yatra festival. Announcements were made, and a total of 1500 invitations were sent out to the public. Snana Yatra was going to take place on a weekday and, as such the devotees intensified the publicity. In Singapore not many people get the time to do anything else other than work on a weekday. But this stereotyped situation was about to change by the mercy of the Lord of the Universe. (more…)
BY BHAKTA KUMAR
May 23, PORT DICKSON, MALAYSIA -The Congregational Development Ministry of Iskcon KL organised a 3-day convention from 23rd May to May 25 2008 at NUBE, Port Dickson.
The program is an initiative by the Congregational Development Ministry to further equip and train aspiring preachers with the necessary knowledge, and skills to preach to greater heights in the most magnanimous cause of sankirtan yajna of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. (more…)
BY MATHURA LILESVARI
Come 7th June 2008, T. A. S. K ( To Always Serve Krishna) of ISKCON Kuala Lumpur will be organising Battle of Kurukshetra, an annual Bhagavad Gita Quiz and Sloka Festival. This festival was inaugurated and was launched by HG Simheswara Das, the regional Secretary of ISKCON Malaysia last year. Battle of Kurukshetra received overwhelming response from devotees all over Malaysia. Parents looked at it as an opportunity to engage their children in reading the Bhagavad Gita. (more…)
Dear Devotees,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Please find attached a statement from the GBC Executive Committee on respect for women.
While there are different opinions on the best roles for women in society and how the Vedic culture is to be applied today, I think we all agree that we must be careful to be respectful to all Vaishnavas in both our deeds and words.
Your servant,
Ramai Swami GBC Chairman (more…)
BY BIR KRISHNA DAS GOSWAMI
Many years ago Srila Prabhupada instructed his disciples to mass produce small Gaura Nitai Deities (he called them Happy Dolls) and distribute them on Sankirtan along with his books. He told the devotees that they should include instructions on chanting with the Deities, stating that if they chanted (Pancatattva Mahamantra and Hare Krishna Mahamantra) for the Deities and put some fruit in front of the Deities, then partook of the fruit themselves; they would enjoy great fortune!
Since I heard this instruction from His Divine Grace, I have been meditating on how to fulfill his desire. Recently I contacted devotees in China who manufacture small figurines including Gaura Nitai Deities, and arranged for special packaging for street distribution along with good pricing so that temples and individual devotees could afford to distribute these Deities and make some money on them.
BY CARU DAS
Last weekend May 2 Caru Das journeyed to the NA GBC / Temple President Meetings in New Vrndavan, West Virginia. He landed at the Pittsburgh airport Friday midnight, rented a car, dozed at a rest stop en route and arrived Saturday morning in time for a shower and the start of the meetings.
Romapada Swami gave a keynote talk entitled “Spiritual Economics; Relevance to the Bhagavatam”. He and Devamrta Swami are apparently getting keen response to their preaching on Ecology. As one writer said, “Environmentalism is the new religion.” The relevant files can be downloaded from his web site at http://www.romapadaswami.com/SE. (more…)
BY ANANDA TIRTHA DAS
Mar 1, MAYAPUR, WEST BENGAL - On March 1st, the seventh day of the meetings, the morning presentations focused on the Youth Fund and Mayapur Temple of Vedic Planetarium, while the afternoon session consisted of a presentation by Bhaktivedanta Institut
e (Kolkata) and straw voting on proposals.
Ramabhadra Prabhu presented a detailed update of the current status of the Youth Fund effort. So far, four installments, totaling $3,950,000, has been disbursed to about seven hundred youth around the world. Some unsolicited letters of appreciation were shared with the Body, the common theme being gratitude for the help and renewed faith in ISKCON.
A further $5,550,000 is due to be disbursed in several installments up to 2011, making the total amount payable $9,500,000. There was sustained applause for major contributors to the fund such as Bhakti Charu Swami ($1,000,000) and an anonymous contribution of $500,000 arranged by Radhanath Swami. Los Angeles temple, which contributed well above its quota, also drew special mention. (more…)
BY ANANDA TIRTHA DAS
Mar 2, MAYAPUR, WEST BENGAL - A mock debate between GBC members on the topic of “Unity in Diversity Across the Continents” ended in intriguing circumstances during the annual GBC Retreat day on March 2. The debate was one of various activities on a day devoted to kirtana and krsna-katha in novel forms in the tranquil setting of the Jagannath Mandir.
The day began with the GBCs, Deputies, and Ministers honouring breakfast prasadam at Srila Prabhupada’s Samadhi Mandir, following which they gathered in front of Srila Prabhupada for an invigorating kirtana by Lokanath Swami and re-taking of the Oath of Allegiance to Srila Prabhupada. The GBC then traveled to the Jagannath Mandir, an ancient temple of Lord Jagannath in a quiet village setting, where Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra were gorgeously decorated replete with golden arms. (more…)
BY ANANDA TIRTHA DAS
Feb 27 - 29, MAYAPUR, WEST BENGAL (WED - FRI) - Tension was in the air as GBC member Praghosa Das traded insults and criticisms with ISKCON Resolve Director and meeting facilitator Braja Bihari Das during a presentation by Praghosa. As the debate got uglier and began to resemble a “Daksa-yajna”, worried attendees looked to the Chairman to pacify the situation. Some considered leaving. Some were considering removing the two antagonists before the situation got out of control. The good will that had permeated the meetings thus far was being threatened. . . . (more…)
BY ANANDA TIRTHA DAS
Feb 26, MAYAPUR, WEST BENGAL (TUE) - This morning’s kirtan was led by Bhaktivaibhava Swami following which Bhakti Charu Swami read from Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.2.12:
“Immediately go wherever there is good protection for the cows and brahmanas and wherever the Vedas are studied in terms of the varnasrama principles. Set fire to those places and cut from the roots the trees there, which are the source of life.”
Srila Prabhupada’s strong comments in the purport on the proper and improper use of paper elicited humour among the meeting attendees. (more…)
BY ANANDA TIRTHA DAS
Feb 25, MAYAPUR, WEST BENGAL (MON) - Bhakti Marg Swami began today’s meeting with a vigorous kirtan following which Bhakti Vaibhava Swami read from Srimad - Bhagavatam 4.11.27:
“My dear boy Dhruva, please surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the ultimate goal of the progress of the world. Everyone, including the demigods headed by Lord Brahma, is working under His control, just as a bull, prompted by a rope in its nose, is controlled by its owner.”
Chairman Bhanu Swami welcomed everyone and announced that today being HH Bhakti Tirtha Swami’s Vyasa Puja, his disciples have sponsored feast prasadam for all devotees and GBC members at the Gada Kitchen. Bhanu Swami thanked Radhanath Swami for his moving tribute to Bhakti Tirtha Swami in class this morning, and announced that ISKCON Juhu was voted to host the next GBC meeting in October.
BY ANUTTAM DAS
Feb 24, MAYAPUR, WEST BENGAL (SAT) —Trustees of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT), the publishing arm of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, reported today at ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission Annual General Meeting in Mayapura, West Bengal, that its international sales for the year 2007 had increased by 28% over the previous year.
BY LILA DEVI DASI
Oct 6, MAYAPUR, INDIA (FRI) — After a heavy rain storm in Mayapur on Wednesday, 3 September, devotees were surprised to see what looked like a flimsy inflatable catamaran - barely 12 feet long, open, with no covering against the sun - and five sun-burnt, tired but ecstatic happy devotees float through the main gate, having arrived after a month-long journey on Mother Ganga from Vrindavana.
Most devotees could not believe they had actually made it all the way, and indeed, according to HH Mahavishnu Swami, it was an adventure full of tapasya and dangerous challenges. He said that Srila Prabhupada once told a devotee that Krishna Consciousness is an “Adventure in Surrender” - and that this an apt description for this journey. (more…)
BY VRINDAVAN LILA AND PADMALOCANA  Calf Born during the Flood
Sep 29, MAYAPUR, INDIA (THU) — The devotees woke up for the second day in the middle of the Ganga. The water has not risen in the last three hours and mangala arotic went on in the temple as usual, although there were less devotees present than usual. The main problem is fresh veggies and fruits, although milk is still being delivered from our Goshala. Medical center, supply stores and Govindas have been relocated in the Chakra Building. There is no rain and the power is on, although in some parts of the grihasta area the pumps had to be removed. There is no lack of drinking water. (more…) Natural Calamities and VastuBY NIRANJAN BAB BANGALORE & RAMAN SUPRAJARAMA
Sep 28, INDIA (THU) — Nature’s fury, as considered by the science of Vastu. The recent natural calamities (earthquakes, tsunamis and cyclones) in Pakistan, Indonesia, the coastal belts of Sri Lanka and India and earlier in Gujarat and in Orissa have left hundreds of thousands dead and homeless. Many of these people are yet to put their lives and properties together. Were our ancient masters who laid down the laws of Vastu not aware of the destructive powers of natural calamities? Did they not think of these phenomena when they wrote their texts? They did think of earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones and other natural calamities when they gave us information about ways and means of construction. They spoke of soil evaluation before construction began. They believed that a foundation of a building was much more than a combination of bricks, mortar, concrete, steel etc. They felt that laying a foundation was a symbolic homage to Mother Earth by man and every possible care to strengthen it was necessary. (more…) September 21, 2007Images From MayapurBY VRNDAVAN LILA DASI Glorious Radhastami
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