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By Rasananda dasa Posted September 22, 2003 Dear devotees, As many of you have heard, Bhakta das, an initiated disciple of Srila Prabhupada, has been held on false charges, framed by corrupt police officers in Orissa for the past three years. In the latest court hearing two days ago, the arresting officer was finally in the witness box. He admitted that there was no evidence of the alleged crime having ever been actually committed by anyone; that Bhakta das's name was added to the charge later; that he (the police person) had not read the charge when the arrest was made but only when ordered to by the court three weeks later, he had it translated; that he did not know the complainants' permanent address and had no way of contacting them; and that he had made no effort to keep them in the country or to have them place any bond guaranteeing their appearance at the trial as required by law. Kartik 2003 in Vrindavan by Deena Bandhu dasa Posted September 19, 2003 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. [Festival starts October 10.] From Deena Bandhu dasa Posted September 19, 2003 Unfortunately, we have to issue a warning to those coming to Vrindavan to disturb the spiritual atmosphere of the holy dham. The Intelligence Bureau has informed us that they are aware of certain people who misuse the Kartik Festival for trafficking in narcotics. They will have plainclothes officers on the lookout. The temple authorities also have a digital camera that will be used to photograph persons suspected of misusing the temple premises in this way, and they will turn the photos over to the concerned authorities and embassies. Please Keep the Kartik Festival Drug-Free. [Article complete on this page] Ganga Ganga, Part 2 By Kavicandra Swami Posted September 12, 2003
[See "Ganga Ganga," dipika.org, May 6, 2003] Another transcendental place is Chatrabhogagrama. This is described in Caitanya Bhagavat, Antya Lila, as follows: 65. Overcome in separation from Goddess Ganga, and always thinking of her, Lord Siva came to that place. 66. Seeing Goddess Ganga at Chatrabhoga, Lord Siva was overwhelmed with love. 67. The moment he saw her, Lord Siva fell into the Ganga. Assuming a form of water, Siva mixed with the waters of the Ganga. Janmastami Mahotsav at ISKCON Baroda by Basu Ghosh Das Posted August 31, 2003 A brief report on the Janmastami festival at ISKCON Baroda Crowds started gathering in a half-kilometer line for darshan of Sri Sri Radha Shyamsundar here at ISKCON Baroda at around 4:30 PM. The line was a continuous crowd of people until midnight. We estimate that two to three hundred thousand people had darshan of the Deities. This comes to between 10 and 15 percent of the population of Baroda, and almost as many people came the next day for darshan. This was the first time in the four years since the inauguration of the new temple that so many people came on both days. From Deenanath dasa Posted August 28, 2003 Pranams. Please visit: http://www.vrindavan.com/darshan/2003 to have darshan of the Sri Sri Krishna Balarama Deities on Janmastami. Please forward the darshan to as many people as possible. Your servant, [Article complete on this page] Janmastami in Vrindavan From Bhakta Krish Posted August 23, 2003 Hari bol! All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga! I'm writing to share with you all the beauty of Sri Sri Krishna Balarama in Sri Vrindavan Dhama on Janmastami day. To see these beautiful photographs go to: www.vrindavan.com. Enclosed is just a small taste of the nectar to be found there. Hare Krsna! Bhakta Krish [Article complete on this page] Posted August 24, 2003 August 5, 2003– This is Bhagavatamrta Das and Ganga Prabhu with the latest exciting developments in the castings of the Panca-Tattva. After a rain scare that postponed the casting of Srivas Thakur by one day, we are presently ready, able, and willing to cast the last of Panca-Tattva's glorious murtis into manifesting His form in this world. The sthapati, unfazed by overcast and clouds over Swamimalai, is determined to carry out his solemn duty. We have covered the area of the fire pits for melting the metal and the area of the cocoon where the Deity is and where the hot metal will be poured into the clay mold. The stapathi has taken all precautions to make sure there will be no interruptions for the casting today in spite of rain or drizzle. Samadhi
Maintenance From Parvati devi dasi Posted July 29, 2003 July 1, 2003 Dear Maharajas and Prabhus, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. This past November we marked 25 years in separation from Srila Prabhupada. Many of you were inspired to come forward this year to help build the Samadhi Maintenance Fund Fixed Deposit as well as the working account, and we were able to start quite a lot of projects. Without your support I could never offer Srila Prabhupada so much service here at his samadhi. This is one of those literal examples of results in following His Divine Grace's order to cooperate in order to show how much we love him. Alone, we can do something, but together we can do something wonderful. I thank you all so much, Srila Prabhupada thanks you, the Vrndavana devotees thank you. It is certainly Krishna's mercy to have so much international participation and sadhu satsang. By Jayapataka Swami Posted July 21, 2003 Thanks to HG Dina Bandhu Prabhu and the management team who have taken the steps for the restoration of Srila Prabhupada's Dear Krishna Balaram Mandir. All glories to your devotional service! Your servant, [See "Restoration of Krishna Balaram Mandir," dipika.org, June 29, 2003] [Article complete on this page] By Kavicandra Swami Posted July 21, 2003 Wonderful news. I feel that in many ways we have also painted over the effulgent basics that Srila Prabhupada gave us. This reviving of the Krsna Balarama temple to its original beauty is a sign of great progress for the whole movement. Thank you. Kavicandra Swami [See
"Restoration
of Krishna Balaram Mandir,"
dipika.org, June 29, 2003] Rathayatra in Baroda By Basu Ghosh Das, ISKCON-Baroda Posted July 16, 2003 Dear Maharajas, Prabhus, Matas, kids, etc., Namonamaha. Jaya Srila Prabhupada! The 22nd annual Sri Jagannath Rathayatra Mahotsav was observed in a grand way here at Baroda on Tuesday, 1 July, 2003: the auspicious day of Aashadh Shukla Dvitiya, when Rathayatra is observed annually at Sri Purushottama Kshetra, Sri Jagannath Puri Dham. Since seeing is believing, as the old adage goes, along with this report are several pictures of the Rathayatra procession. The Rathayatra was attended by H.H.
Bhakti Vikas Swami, H.H. Bhakti
Vishrambha Madhava Maharaj, and Sriman
Mahaman Prabhu (co temple president of
ISKCON Vrindavan). Devotees from
Vrindavan, Chandigarh, Jhansi,
Ahmedabad, Rajkot, and Vallabh
Vidyanagar, and even a group of five
devotees from Salem, Tamil Nadu, came,
besides many local congregational
devotees. Several visiting devotees from
abroad also participated in Rathayatra.
By Lokanath Swami Posted July 9, 2003 "...There has been a flurry of activity in Krishna Balaram Mandir. The temple is being restored back to its original state when Srila Prabhupada inaugurated the temple on Rama Navami 1975." Thank you for your innovative renovation services at Sri Sri Krsna Balarama Mandir. We look forward to revisiting Krsna Balarama Mandir and having an original experience. Your servant, [See
"Restoration
of Krishna Balaram Mandir,"
dipika.org, June 29, 2003] By Bhaktarupa Das Posted July 1, 2003 The Government of India has asked us to inform the ISKCON devotees around the world that there will be extensive live coverage of Rathayatra in Puri via the Internet beginning on Tuesday, 1st July from 9 AM Indian Standard Time. This is the first time this service is being offered, and they say that the coverage will be much more extensive than what is available even through the live coverage on Doordarshan (Indian national television). Internet address: Restoration of Krishna Balaram Mandir By Deena Bandhu dasa Posted June 29, 2003 For the last two months it has been the hot season in Vrindavan, with temperatures at 110+ (F). The pilgrims visiting the temple are much fewer than usual. So taking advantage of this slow season, there has been a flurry of activity in Krishna Balaram Mandir. The temple is being restored back to its original state, as it was when Srila Prabhupada inaugurated the temple on Rama Navami 1975. Around Kartik last year, there was
some discussion about repainting the
temple. Daivishakti Mataji, who has been
here from the beginning of the temple,
told us that Surabhi had the temple
finished in marble dust that was meant
to be maintenance free and never
painted. Underneath all those layers of
paint is a beautiful, colored
marble-dust finish that one can see in
the old pictures of the temple.
from Nitai Prasad Dasa Posted June 18, 2003 Please note that the flat rice is 1300 kg., not 300 kg., as you have published on 15th June on the website. By the way, the place is the original Panihati (near Kolkata) itself, where Lord Nityananda ordered Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami to celebrate the festival. [See "The
Panihati Festival at Kolkata,"
dipika.org, June 15, 2003. The
article has been amended.] The
Panihati Festival at Kolkata Posted June 15, 2003 By the mercy of Nitai Gaurasundar and Srila Prabhupada, this year's Panihati Festival was very nice. Many devotees from Mayapur, Calcutta, and Madhyamgram came for the festival. H.H.Subhag Swami Maharaj, H.H.Tatpar Maharaj, H.H.Bhakivrajendranandana Maharaj,and H.H.Bhaktipurusottam Maharaj gave very nice lectures and association. There was nice kirtan by other devotees. There were two special singers, one of them from Doorshan. We distributed prasadam up to 4.30
pm. This year, the items were much more
than in previous years. The items were
as follows:
by Kavicandra Swami Posted June 12, 2003 I just visited Tirupati and Lord Venkateswara, and I found this interesting list of do's and don’ts that the temple management publishes widely. It was a busy time and the standard wait for darshan (30 seconds) was 48 hours. I will write more with photos soon. Do's Worship your ishta or kula daivan before you start for Tirumala. Bathe in the Puskarini and worship Varaha Swami before you go to worship Lord Venkateshvara Bathe and wear clean clothes before
you enter the temple
Nrishimha Caturdasi in Sri Mayapur By Tusti Mohan Krsna das Posted May 16, 2003 Dear devotees, Dandavat pranams. We had an extraordinary festival for Nrishimha Caturdasi at Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir on May 15, 2003. We are sending a few photos from this transcendental event to share this nectar with you. Ugra Nrishimhadeva is a very active Deity in Mayapur and protects the preaching of Krishna Consciousness and the devotees around the world. Thousands of devotees come to Mayapur for this celebration. Posted May 13, 2003 For more information about the list of jewelry donors for the casting of the Mayapur Deities or for information about missing names, please contact Pankajanghri Prabhu: or Bhadra Balarama Prabhu: [See "Jewelry for Casting: Missing Names," dipika org, May 7, 2003] [Article complete on this page] Mayapur Dear devotees, Dandavats, I am sending a poster made with few photos of the Boat Festival and Candan Yatra. Today, May 6, Lord Madhava was covered with blue candan [sandalwood], and so were the small Deities. Jewelry for Casting: Missing Names From Pankajanghri Das Posted May 7, 2003 Dear devotees, Please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! If anyone has deposited jewelry to be included in the casting of Pancha-tattva with Jananivasa Prabhu or me but has not found his or her name on the list published a few days ago, the jewelry will be placed in the forms of the other members of the Pancha-tattva.
Mayapur:
Candan Yatra Begins Dear Devotees, Hare Krishna. Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Today, 04 May 2003, one of the most auspicious events begins, the Chandan Yatra festival at Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir. Hundreds of devotees will be present every day to see the transcendental form of Lord Madhava and Lord Nrishimhadeva totally covered by chandan [sandalwood]. This morning the class was given early, at 6:45 am. HH Bhaktividyapurna Swami delivered a Bhagavatam lecture about devotional service. The lecture was ecstatic and comprehensive, and many doubts were cleared during the session of questions and answers. Ganga Ganga By Kavicandra Swami Posted May 6, 2003 We have just returned from a three-week Ganga Safari. Every year after Gaura Purnima, Jayapataka Swami takes an international group of devotees on a preaching-pilgrimage tour. Each year, he goes to different parts of India. This year the plan was Bangladesh, since the Bangladesh government had invited us, but with all the wars, they backed out. So with last minute planning, a Ganga Safari was organized. Marichi Prabhu, the manager, secured the boats just three days before departure. From Bhadra Govinda Dasa Posted May 6, 2003 Four devotees from Singapore have given some of their personal gold jewelry to the deities, during this year's Gaura Purnima festival. We are not sure if they are in the list for the remaining deities (Nityananda, Advaita, Gadadhara and Srivasa Prabhus). If not they may be added to the list. 1. Bhadra Govinda Dasa (JPS). Your humble servant, [See "Mayapur Deities: List of Donors," dipika.org, May 1, 2003] [Article complete on this page]
Mayapur:
Appearance Day Dear Devotees, Dandavat pranams. Today we celebrated the appearance day of Sri Gadadhara Pandit in Sri Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir. In the morning Bhagavatam class, HG Jananivas Prabhu delivered a lecture about the glories, qualities, and tolerance of Sri Gadadhara Pandit, who is the incarnation of Srimati Radharani and how attached He was to Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu. Mayapur Deities: List of Donors From Jananivasa Das Posted May 1, 2003 Dear devotees, Hare Krishna! All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to Mayapur Dhama! On April 21 casting of Lord Chaitanya's form was completed successfully. The following is the list of the devotees who donated their golden and silver jewelry to be part of the form of the Lord Chaitanya. Your jewelry was melted into the mixture of eight metals, from which the form of Gauranga was cast. List of names: Mayapur Deities Lord Gauranga Appears By Padmalochan das Posted April 28, 2003 Dear devotees. Please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! On the 21st of April, The Deity of Gauranga was removed from the mold. The Deity is beautiful. The casting was successful. There are no flaws or cracks in the Deity. Haribol! Jananivasa Prabhu with the team of devotees will return to Mayapur on April 27, and Bharat Maharaj Prabhu with his wife, Bhakta Gana Mataji will stay to work on the fine details of the Deity's body. On the 5th of May, Jananivasa Prabhu will go to South India again because on the 7th of May, Lord Nityananda's form will be cast. Hare Krishna! [Article complete on this page] Casting of Mayapur Deities Begins by Kalakantha das (ACBSP) Posted April 23, 2003 Dear Devotees, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. The casting of the permanent Deity of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu for ISKCON Mayapur has begun in South India. Jananivas and Pankajanghri Prabhus are overseeing the process. The seven-foot form of Lord Caitanya, comprised of eight auspicious metals, is the first of the Panca Tattva Deities to be cast. These Deities will be installed in Mayapur on March 3, 2004, to be worshipped in the present Panca Tattva temple until the permanent Temple of the Vedic Planetarium is completed. Many devotees from around the world are contributing to this auspicious event with their prayers and various gifts, including gold jewelry and coins that have been included with the casting metals.
Board
Members Sought for Sattva Alliance The newly formed Sattva Alliance for Sustainable Development (SASD) is looking for a few committed individuals to serve on its Board of Directors. Last January, a group of devotees in India who have established NGOs (Non Government Organizations), working for sustainable development in villages, formally launched the Sattva Alliance for Sustainable Development. This new organization is based in the U.S.A. and will foster mutual support, professional development, exchange of ideas, funding, and joint programs amongst partner NGOs that share a dedication to sustainable development with spiritual growth. Initially SASD will focus on supporting Food for Life Vrindavan, Sri Mayapur Vikas Sangha in Mayapur, and Venu Madhuri in Maharashtra. Our emphasis will be on developing projects that help alleviate poverty and other forms of ill-being while addressing the spiritual needs of the poor as well. Devotee-Led NGO Alliance Launched Submitted by Pancharatna dasa Posted April 2, 2003 This January a group of devotee-led NGOs (Non Government Organizations), working for sustainable development in village India, formally launched the Sattva Alliance for Sustainable Development. The Sattva Alliance has been established to foster mutual support, professional development, exchange of ideas, funding, and joint programs amongst these and other partner NGOs that share a dedication to sustainable development with spiritual growth. A special feature of these NGOs is that while working through people-centered modes of development such as micro-finance, village participation, village health, and sustainable agriculture, these organizations are also finding ways to integrate spirituality in their development projects. In Mayapur, development field workers from both Hindu and Muslim religious traditions meet to discuss their common values and how these are important to sustaining development. By Gurudas Posted February 5, 2003 Devotees came from near and far, from all ten directions. Hospitality and care was there from the start. As I entered the compound, a whole new array of buildings unfolded. When I left Bombay in 1977, just the skeleton of the new guesthouse had begun. Now two grand hotel-like guest apartments greeted me. The signboard at the entrance was prominent in front with all the names of the speakers. The names were many old prabhus, friends getting together again. The names before me were all formidable servants of Srila Prabhupad, in their own rights, who would do and did most anything for Prabhupad. The personalities on the signboard went to foreign lands and tolerated austerities in good spirits just to please our spiritual master. A
Reunion of Hearts From the 14th to the 19th of January 2003, a reunion took place at Hare Krishna Land, Juhu. HH Sridhar Swami had called all over the world to invite those disciples of Srila Prabhupada who had helped him found the Hare Krishna Juhu Temple, which is now one of the most well-known temples in Mumbai, India. Many visitors come here every day to have the wonderful darshan of Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari in this, the most attractively built temple you can imagine. The development of this temple from a tin shed in a mosquito-and-snake-infested jungle to one of the most attractive spiritual places in the world is amazing. It is a tale of the determination of Srila Prabhupada and the surrender of his early disciples to his will. I will not talk about this tale because it has been told by many devotees who are more knowledgeable than I, but I want to talk about the enlivening experience of having all the older devotees together. Mumbai
Silver Jubilee Dear Maharajas and Prabhus, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. The Festival of Reunion and many other programs hosted by Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari Mandir, Juhu, on the occasion of its Silver Jubilee on 14 Jan 2003 were a grand success. The festival was attended by several of Srila Prabhupada's sannyasis and other disciples. Those devotees who helped in early days of the Hare Krishna Land struggle narrated special pastimes about Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari and Srila Prabhupada's battle to acquire and establish Hare Krishna Land. Many devotees were moved to tears to hear about Srila Prabhupada's extraordinary endeavors to obtain Hare Krishna Land and his intimate relationships with his disciples. Gita Jayanti at Gandhinagar By Visvarupa das Posted January 21, 2003 Dear Maharajas/Prabhus, Please accept my humble obeisances at your feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to the Lord of the Universe! We are very happy to let you know about the wonderful celebration of Gita Jayanti Rathayatra Mahotsava arranged at Gandhinagar by ISKCON Ahmedabad. There were three days of pandal and the first Rathayatra in Gandhinagar, the capital of Gujarat. This was the offering to Gita Jayanti, which was on 15 December. Festival dates were 20, 21, and 22 December. We had a pandal program on all three days from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. On the first day, around 1000 people came to the program from Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, and different nearby villages. HG Jasomatinandan Prabhu inaugurated this three-day festival by garlanding a special Bhagavad-gita (6 feet x 4 feet). Then he gave a wonderful lecture on Bhagavad-gita, followed by a video show, and then everybody was served prasadam. |
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