namahatta.org - Congregational Development Ministry

If the preachers in our Krsna consciousness movement are sincere devotees of Krsna, Krsna will always be with them because He is very kind and favorable to all His devotees.

Krishangi-lila Dasi and Kalindi Dasi, two exceptional singers from Estonia, composed melodies for some of the most sacred Sanskrit verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam, and they are the main performers.

For the first time, ISKCON Mayapur participated in 'Tourism Fair 2008' held at Swabhumi, Kolkata from 20th to 22nd June 2008.The big displays of scenic delights of Mayapur along with a video show attracted the visitors into the pavilion to know more about Mayapur.

The highlight of my visit to Mayapur this year was Anuttama Prabhu's seminar on leadership and management—an extremely valuable course, which teaches so many important skills and principles of effective leadership and management.

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The ISKCON Governing Body Commission has recommended to the BBT trustees that we insert endnotes or appendices into Srila Prabhupada’s books to explain statements Srila Prabhupada makes in Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.25.41, 4.25.42, and 4.26.26 concerning a woman’s attitude towards the aggressive advances of a man and towards a man who is “expert at rape.” The GBC has also recommended that the endnotes or appendices explain “other such statements.”

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Our July 2008 Care for Cows Newsletter has been posted. Please review it at your earliest convenience.

The annual Ratha Yatra (Chariot Festival) of ISKCON Chicago Hare Krishna Temple was celebrated on Sunday, June 29, 2008.

The streets of London are used to seeing juggernaughts rumbling through their streets, but this was a very different kind of heavy traffic.

It was a riot of colour in the heart of the capital - three 40-foot-high wooden chariots pulled from Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square, accompanied by a colourful crowd singing, chanting and dancing their way along the route.

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When a large group of deaf tourists took a guided tour through Trafalgar Square this June 22nd, they never expected to not only chance upon an ancient Vedic festival, but be explained its meaning in detail.

Intrigued by the colorful chariots and tents of London’s annual Rathayatra festival, they had come over only to take a look. Naturally, they didn’t expect anyone to be able to explain it to them.

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The New Vraja Dhama Farm Community in Hungary hosted the first ever annual ISKCON Farm Conference this May.

Devotees from America, England, Belgium, Germany, Czech, Slovakia, Poland, Sweden, and Hungary attended, many of them cowherds and farmers.

European CPA (Cow Protection and Agriculture) Minister Syamasundara Dasa organized the event, aiming to reverse the decline in ISKCON Farm development within the last ten years.

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The verdict was unanimous. You could hear it all around: "This is the best festival I've ever been to!" "These kirtans are so ecstatic that I can't believe they're happening!" "I've never felt so enlivened in my whole life!" "I've been dancing for hours and hours, and I don't want to stop!"

It was a mass revelation that harinama sankirtan is the safest and most exciting place to be in the world for the hundreds of devotees who descended on New Vrindaban Dham in West Virginia for the 2008 24-Hour Kirtan Festival, recently held on June 21-22, 2008.

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This week the ISKCON New Govardhana farming project in Australia received organic certification from the national Organic Growers Association. After several rigorous inspections, the farm was granted a certificate of compliance which allows all fruit and vegetables grown to carry the official OGA logo.

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On June 22, 2008, the Hakim of Zhetisu district, Almaty Province, Orynbay Zhanedil, intimidated the worshippers at the Sunday service of the Society for Krishna Consciousness.

As the Krishna congregation arrived by bus, on the territory of the commune in Zhetisu district, the Hakim arrived accompanied by a car of local policemen.

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This month sees the BBT release a unique publication — Bhagavad-gita As It Is in Braille. A complete Spanish edition has been printed by devotees in Argentina, while Croatian devotee Dvaraka-gamana Dasi has produced a two volume edition in her native language. Initial copies number only one hundred for each volume, but a larger print run can be expected according to demand.

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As a young man in Lille, France, Anandamaya Dasa probably never expected to live most of his adult life in India. But in 1971, he took an epic journey that would change his life, driving thousands of miles from his home to the mystical Eastern country, where he planned to spend a year traveling.

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Rath yatra is a few days away and the entire city of Jagannatha Puri, Orissa, India is gearing up for the festival billed for July 4. But Jagannath Temple authorities are worried about ‘incongruous celebrations’ organized by ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) on different days across the country. In 2007, the institution organized rath yatras in October and December instead of the official dates in June.

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Vaisnava culture emphasises renunciation therefore ISKCON has many people who have accepted a role as a sanyasa, or traveling monk. However, in the past many aspirants have had difficulty maintaining their vows which created controversy and scandal. ISKCON responded to the issue by developing a system by which we can better ensure the maturity and qualification of candidates.

ISKCON News approached Prahladananda Swami, GBC minister of sannyasa, to help clarify the system by which an ISKCON member can take sannyasa.

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