Now that the Janmastami and Radhastami Festivals have been joyfully celebrated, thoughts naturally start turning to the Kartik Festival, just as rivers run to the sea.

Everyone is still talking about the wonderful festival we had last year in Vrindavan. There was an ecstatic churning of the nectar of Srila Prabhupada's pastimes for three days, with many of Prabhupada's disciples giving us glimpses of that pure devotee who walked amongst us, glimpses that are becoming more precious as time moves on. People were astounded at how nicely the prasadam was served by the devotees of ISKCON Chowpatty. Wonderful parikramas, ecstatic kirtans...

And now the time is coming again for us to gather in Srila Prabhupada's home and again churn and relish the nectar of his association. And this year, it's earlier than ever, starting on Oct. 10th. And now it's already mid-September, and it is still raining just like in July. Everything is clean, green, and fresh. Vrindavan is so beautiful this year it almost looks like the glimpses that Srila Prabhupada has given us in his Krishna Book.

Talking about clean and fresh, the restoration of Krishna Balaram temple is going on full swing. We had to suspend the work during the festival season, but it has started again now. If for no other reason, you should come to Vrindavan just to see Krishna Balaram Temple the way Srila Prabhupada inaugurated it. Just yesterday, we saw some incredible designs revealed from underneath the paint.

The devotees from ISKCON Chowpatty will again come to organize and serve prasadam. Last year, we did it in Fogla Ashram, but this year we are fixing up our own Krishna Balaram Land and making a pandal big enough for all the Vaisnavas to take prasadam on our own property.

The main Srila Prabhupada Disappearance Festival will run from the 25th to 28th. There is no festival fee, and on feast days, prasadam will be served free to all the Vaisnavas. We request you, however, to register and get your prasad coupons in advance so we can serve you better.

Of course, throughout Kartik, Deena Bandhu Prabhu will be taking out parikramas to the holy places in Braja. Plus, now we have inaugurated our own Braja Darshan Bus Service with a comfortable bus that holds 25 passengers and in one day goes to Nandagram, Vrinda Kunda, Varsana, Govardhana, and Radha Kunda. The next day, it goes to Raval, Dauji, Brahmanda Ghat, and Gokula.

When you arrive, you can get information on accommodations, parikramas, festivities, taxis, rail travel, and so on from our information center on the west side of the temple entrance. We are here to serve you so that your Kartik festival will be a pleasant one.

10th October, Sharad Purnima.

This is the night of the famous Sharadiya Rasayatra of Lord Krishna. All the temples in Vrindavan put sweet rice on the roof to be mixed with the nectarean moon rays and enjoyed by Radha Shyamsundar and the gopis. Last year someone donated nearly 150 kilograms of sweet rice and this mahaprasada was blissfully distributed after mangal artik with plenty for all.

Lokanatha Swami's Braja Mandal Parikrama will also start off this morning, walking through all the forests of Braja. You may join for a day, a week or two, or the whole month. Shuttle service will also be available. For more information contact HH Radharaman Swami at <radharaman.das@indiantimes.com>.

Vrindavan Food for Life will open its brand new Sandipani Muni School on this day also. Festivities will start from 6th Oct. with dramas by the students and rasa lila performances. It will culminate on the 10th with the inauguration of a school for 300 children, eventually expanding to 500. The inauguration will begin at 9 am. For more information see the Food for Life website <www.ffl.vrindavan.com>.

Since we will be having a nice program in the temple the next day for Govardhana Puja, we will do Govardhana Parikrama on this day. In his last days, Srila Prabhupada was asking to go on Govardhana Parikrama, so in commemoration of his request, we will be taking him on parikrama with hundreds of Vaisnavas from all over the world.

In the evening the temple will be decorated with dipas (lamps).

In the morning there will be go-puja and breakfast in the goshala. Then we will return to the temple for Giriraja abhishek, circumambulation of the mahaprasad Giriraja, and a feast.

In the evening, we will start churning the ocean of Prabhupada nectar, as senior devotees relate their experiences with His Divine Grace.

In the morning, we will continue relishing Srila Prabhupada's pastimes. In the evening, we will take the murti of His Divine Grace on maha sankirtan parikrama to the seven Goswami temples on the very same palanquin that was used 26 years ago.

All morning the disciples of Srila Prabhupada will be glorifying His Divine Grace with their wonderful sraddhanjalis. This will be followed by maha-abhishek and a wonderful feast for an expected 5,000 devotees.

Annual Rathayatra in the capital city of Delhi, with transportation from Vrindavan and return.

All-night kirtan at Vrinda Kunda. Free transportation and ekadasi prasadam.

Annual Vrinda Devi Festival at Vrinda Kunda, with free transportation and feast.

Kartik Vrata and Braja Mandala Parikrama end.

You may wish to offer service to the Vaisnavas in Vrindavan during the auspicious month of Kartika. Many opportunities are available such as the Govardhan Puja feast, Govardhan Puja Prasad Hill, Srila Prabhupada's feast, flower decorations for the Deities and Srila Prabhupada, and more. Please contact:

<deena.bandhu.acbsp@pamho.net>

<devakinandan.juhu@pamho.net>

<brhat.mrdanga.grs@pamho.net>

In the service of Sri Sri Krishna Balaram,

Deena Bandhu dasa

© dipika.org September 19, 2003