namahatta.org - Congregational Development Ministry

by Vijay Venugopal dasa and Prema Padmini dd

Everyone got their turn to pour different coloured ingredients on their Lordships: milk, ghee, curds, and all sorts of juices. Then, as They were being dried and dressed, my husband narrated the story of the pastimes at Panihati, which everyone heard with great enthusiasm and joy, resolving to think of the lake as the river Ganga, hoping Their Lordships would bless them.

Once dressed, Caitanya Avatari and I in turn led a rousing kirtana, going round and round the deities with the devotees. Offerings were made, and we finally enjoyed the delicious mahaprasadam—chipped rice separately, and all the other items mixed together. The other visitors to the lake, as well as some locals, also got their share.

Mumbai–Friday, 25 May 2007

by Vijaya Venugopala das and Prema Padmini dd

On our way to Russia we stopped at the Juhu temple. We met Braja Hari Prabhu, Mukunda Madhava Prabhu, and other senior devotees. We were happy and excited to learn that they had heard from other Indian temples, during a Regional Governing Body meeting at Ujjain, about the great impact Bhakti-vriksha preaching had on their activities. Among others, the temples in New Delhi, Hyderabad, Tirupati, and Kolkata where mentioned–places where we had conducted seminars earlier and where Bhakti-vriksha groups were developing nicely.

One temple president had described how book distribution tripled within one year after starting Bhakti-vriksha preaching! At Juhu temple it was decided to involve the congregation to a larger extent than had been done in the past. We had explained how to do this by structuring all activities around Bhakti-vriksha. Convinced, they requested us to visit on our return from Russia, so we could meet the most active congregation and Youth Forum members.

On 25 October, the day before Kartika started, we again went to do a preaching program in the Gwalior Central Jail. During his lecture HH Subhaga Maharaja convinced the Jail Superintendent to first offer all food to the Lord and then serve prasadam to the prisoners. In his thank-you speech, the Jail Superintendent announced to the three thousand prisoners that from now on they would be served prasadam.

Every year for Janmastami we have a big program in Agra Central Jail with very enthusiastic participation from the prisoners who make Krishna Lila dioramas. Unfortunately this year there was civil unrest in Agra do to rioting by a certain community and there was curfew. But several days later after things were peaceful, the superintendent of the Jail invited us for doing a wonderful program.

by Bhaktin Mahua, Kolkata

On the evening of 28 June, leaders from Nama-hatta centers in 24 Parganas (South and North), Howrah, Midnapore (East and West), and Kolkata assembled at Sridham Mayapur to participate in the “First Southern Regional Nama-hatta Preacher’s Workshop, 2007,” held from 29 June to 1 July.

On Friday morning at ten o’clock, about two hundred Nama-hatta leaders introduced themselves during the opening welcome ceremony. At four o’clock, the three-day workshop was formally inaugurated by HH Gauranga Prema Maharaja, Director of ISKCON Sri Mayapur’s Nama-hatta Division. After sandhya-arati, Padmanetra Prabhu, one of Mayapur’s leading Nama-hatta preachers, lectured on the purpose and objectives of the Nama-hatta program.

By Giridhari Syam das,
CDM Office, Sri Mayapur

Tamil Nadu, India

Click to see a larger map.

The cult of Krishna consciousness is spreading to every corner of the world by the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the compassion of Srila Prabhupada, and the hard labor of Sri Gaura-bhakta-vrnda.

When I visited my birthplace in South India recently to see my mother, I happened to join in prison preaching with Ananda Govinda Prabhu, a congregational preacher. Ananda Govinda Prabhu is balancing family duties and service to the Hare Krishna movement. As a business man, he knows how to convince people to purchase his product. Similarly, he is able to convince people to “purchase the product” of Caitanya Mahaprabhu: the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, which culminates in Krishna-prema. Indeed he has been very successful in the neighboring villages through the Nama-hatta preaching method.

By Bhaktin Mahua, Kolkata
(Edited by namahatta.org staff)

The day after Nrsimha Caturdasi, 2 May 2007, was an important one for Nama-hatta preaching in Sri Mayapur: The foundation stone for the Nama-hatta prasadam hall was laid by HH Jayapataka Maharaja, assisted by HH Bhakti Purusottama Maharaja, Sri Brajahari Prabhu (president of ISKCON's temple in Juhu, Mumbai), Sri Sankarsana Nitai Prabhu, Sri Bhadracaru Prabhu, and many other Vaisnavas.

by Giridhari Shyam das.

Photo by Vrndavan-lila dd

An Interview with Ananda Vardhana Prabhu

Ananda Vardhana Prabhu is a dedicated brahmacari in ISKCON Sri Mayapur. For the past 14 years he has been preaching dynamically. Under the guidance of  HH Bhakti Purusottama Maharaja, he has done campus preaching, boat preaching, and village preaching. Now he is preaching mainly to students.

Q. What is this Gita-course? 

It is a part of Mayapur's preaching programs. This idea was given by HH Bhakti Purusottama Maharaja especially for students. Then later this brought interest among all the common people, such as teachers, housewives, workers etc. This  preaching field is very interesting. If we try systematically, with the intention of pleasing guru and Krishna, we can see how the miracle springs in all directions.

Mortal Remains put to Rest

Members of ISKCON carrying the mortal remains of the blast victims. (E-Pao)

E-Pao, August 17:

Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, Aug 17: Out of the four persons killed in the bomb blast at ISKCON complex yesterday, three were cremated at the ISKCON crematorium near BIM Higher Secondary School.

The three victims cremated at ISKCON crematorium were Bir Kumar from Khagempalli Huidrom Leikai, Wangkhem Anil of Sangaiprou Mamang Leikai and Angom Blondin of Lalambung Takhellambam Leikai.

MEDIA RELEASE - ISKCON COMMUNICATIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: August 16, 2006

Foto from Vaishnava Blog Feeds

Manipur, India – A Krishna temple operated by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) was thevictim of a bomb blast at approximately 7:00 pm India time on Wednesday,August 16th. Over a thousand worshippers were celebrating Janmastami, the most sacred observance of the year for devotees of Krishna, at a temple in the state of Manipur, in the northeast region of India. Unknown assailants threw a hand grenade into a crowd of people sitting under a large tent outside of the temple, watching a religious dance performance depicting Lord Krishna’s pastimes.

A second grenade, which did not go off, was found an hour later in the most crowded area of the temple, near an altar bearing sacred images of Krishna.

Congregational Preaching in Tirupati

By Revati Raman das

"grehe thako vane thako sada hari bole dako"

Congregation, a meeting place for unifying the common people by singing the holy names of God, which was inaugurated by Sri Nityananda Prabhu.

As Srila Prabhupada says: "Any householder regardless of his position can perform this sankirtana-without expenditure.  All the family members can sit down together and simply clap their hands and chant the Hare Krishna Maha mantra".

Sahadeva Prabhu, disciple of HH Bhakti Raghava Swami Maharaja and Temple President in Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India, wrote the following words on the Bhakti-vriksha system. With his permission I share them here.

I have been watching the Bhakti-vriksha program's success in various places. This time during the ICC (ISKCON’s Indian Continental Committee) meetings the topic surfaced. In the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, there is a considerable increase in our congregation with this program.

This is undoubtedly a revolution in ISKCON preaching. Kindly keep up your good work. In fact in my personal opinion, since the founding of ISKCON, this is one of the most important developments, in the sense that it is the stage of applied book distribution. Last decade has seen a phenomenal increase in congregational devotees with this program, and this has brought about stability in and expansion of ISKCON preaching around the globe. Sometimes it takes a while to figure things out, and it took us a while to come to the Bhakti-vriksha program. It will pave the way for that 10,000 years legacy, so mercifully left by Srila Prabhupada.

Your servant, Sahadeva dasa.

From Kaunteya das.

Dear Maharajas and Prabhus, Please accept my humble obeisance. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

ISKCON New Delhi celebrated Gita Jayanti in Dasna Jail, Ghaziabad (U. P.), on 10 December, 2005. The Superintendent of the District Jail Ghaziabad, Mr. Kesharwani, and senior staff members were invited to join the program, which began with bhajan sandhya, followed by a discourse on Bhagavad-gita by His Grace Vrajendra Nandan Das, Vice President of ISKCON New Delhi. He highlighted the importance of Bhagavad-gita and requested all to follow the instructions of Lord Krishna contained therein, which can change the lives even of sinful prisoners. He also pointed out that by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra one can purify one's heart and become happy.