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Newsletter 0006 Jan-Feb 2020 International for Consciousness (ISKCON) Founder Acarya His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Contents

New Years Harinam ...... 2 2019 Sankirtan results...... 2 Monthly Sankirtan Festival ...... 3 NItyananda Trayodashi...... 4 Sankirtan keep the flame alive through winter...... 4 Srila Prabhupada in New York January - February...... 6 HH Kadamba Kanana Swami initiations ...... 7 "If you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa Rathe Yatra dates annouced!...... 8 mantra, then the time is not Govinda's Lunch reviewed by local vlogger...... 9 lost. Time is not lost. Kitchen ...... 10 Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, read Devotee of the month...... 11 book, Kṛṣṇa book. TOVP opens 10,000 sqft pujari floor...... 12 Any moment, any time you Tallahassee Krishna House rebuilds community...... 12 spend for thinking of Kṛṣṇa, HG Vaisesikha Prabhu at ILS Mayapur...... 12 working for Kṛṣṇa, chanting for Kṛṣṇa, eating for Kṛṣṇa, dancing for Kṛṣṇa, that time is saved. That time is saved. Therefore it is recommended, harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam, kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva..." This is the official community newsletter of ISKCON New York City, Sri Sri Govinda Temple -- Srimad Bhagavatam lecture, January 20th 1974. Become a contributor! email [email protected]

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1 New Years Eve brings a great opportunity for the followers of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, for all around the world people take to the streets to join together to witness the greatest street party of their lives. This year over forty strong Harinam Party, left the temple and headed towards Prospect Park to meet with celebrations going on there. An ecstatic harinam went on for several hours, all of which was live streamed and received over 90K views.

The year of 2019 saw ISKCON New York rocket up the charts from out of nowhere! It is a massive achievement that we have managed to come 13th place overall in the North American sector. Harinam ashram acheived a super impressive 3rd place, lets see if this year we can push New York up the charts together!

2 2 Monthly Sankirtan Festival 44 Maha 16 Big 58 Small (including 6 Arabic and 2 Chinese)

A total of 163 transcendental books!

Haribol!

HG Locanananda Prabhu one of ISKCON's founding fathers of , gave an inspiring class and joined us! 33 As the New Years Eve At midday an incredibly celebrations are echoed delicious feast was served, throughout the world, they which was cooked beautifully carry with them the mercy of by Manjuali dasi, Lord Nityananda, dancing with Premadhana dasi and Vilas those intoxicated on wine and Manjari dasi. liquor we give them a glimpse of a higher taste. Lord Nityanada's appearance The appearance day of Lord day is a day of special mercy Nityananda heralds not just a and even more so for Bhakta particuar day, but serves as a Blake, who received his meditation, to remind us of our Harinam diksa from HG duty to spread the glories of Vaisesika Prabhu in Sri Dham the Lord via Harinam Mayapur, he has been given Sankirtan. the name 'Balaram Prana HH Kadamba Kanana Swami das'. led an lecture and right after class devotees took full advatage of the half day fast and went out to share the love performing harinam on the

Despite freezing temperatures, we are forever eager to distibute Srila Prabhupada's books to the people of New York! Keeping the sankirtan flame burning our wonderful team continue to follow in the line of our Founder Acarya Srila Prabhupada, enthusiastically spreading the Lord's mercy through Harinama and transcendental literature throughout the city through the cold winter. For in this age of Yuga this is the greatest benefit for all mankind, the only way to truly alliviate misery and suffering, warming the heart with the rememberance of Lord Sri Krishna. 4 4 In the month of January ISKCON NYC came 7th in the national book distribution charts!

5 Much of this can be attributed As February began Srila to the fact that Sri Padmapat Prabhupada moved his room Singhania worshipped the from 501 to 307, remaining in Lord in His Dwarka lila past the same building on Seventy- times, which meant he desired second Street. Desiring to Toward the end of January to support such a temple as have his own place, 1966, New York was hit by befitting that mood. There was independent of the Misra several snow blizzards, a second problem, and that Society. Here Srila causing the City to go into a was getting such a large Prabhupada lived very simply, state of emergency, offering amount of funds, as was with no furniture, nor facilities shelter for those who had no required, through the foreign for bathing or cooking, heating as temperatures exchange, this would mean sleeping on blankets on the dropped well below freezing. that the Indian Government floor. Each day walking to Dr Meanwhile, our Founder would have to sanction it. Misra's to bathe and cook. Acarya Srila Prabupada Srila Prabhupada was in However he was now carried on unphased, going contact with the then Prime independent to preach as he out for his daily walks dressed Minister of , Lal Bahadur liked. in his cotton dhoti, hat, scarf Shastri, who was due to visit Using what funds he could and over coat. It was the first the USA, however Mr Shastri raise from meagre book sales time that Srila Prabhupada suddenly had a heart attack. to pay for rent and had seen snow, yet he had Srila Prabhupada continued sustainance, he continued other more pressing matters at ahead and requested Bon with his mission to preach the hand; the purchase and Maharaj, to assist in getting glories of Lord Krishna, every construction of the first the sanction for money to be day on his typewriter Krishna Temple in the West. released, money that he was translating Srimad He desired it so much, yet sure Sri Padmapat Singhania Bhagavatam. faced many a set back, with would donate. “Tell him,” This narrow room housed difficulties in obtaining the Srila Prabhupada wrote Bon Srila Prabhupada and those funds, Srila Prabhupada wrote Maharaj, “that it is not an who came to visit him over the to the owners of the two- ordinary temple of worship but next few months... storied structure at 143 West an international institution for Seventy-second Street, God consciousness based on requesting that they would the Srimad-Bhagavatam.” donate the building for the use of Krishna Temple. However they were not favorable, and Amidst severe blizzards, Srila Prabhupad looked again New York was covered in towards India, writting to Sri seven inches of snow, and Padmapat Singhania, a rich Srila Prabhupada was industrialist, whose family struggling, but remained were traditionally devotees of convinced that the world's Lord Krishna. The reply came suffering could be solved only back positive, yet the two of by Krishna consciousness. If them could not agree on what only he could bring Radha kind of temple should be built, and Krishna to a building in Srila Prabhupada relating that New York, it would be it would be easier to use an possible for the Supreme Lord existing building and Sri to do anything, even in the Padmapat Singhania insisting midst of , a golden it should be a purpose built age could appear and benefit 6 temple of Indian architecture. the people. HH Kadamba Kanana Swami gave Harinam diksha to both Bhakta Jose and Bhaktin Yana, and diksha to both Karuna Avatar das and his wife Prema Manjari devi dasi. The initiations occured right after February 9th's morning Srimad Bhagavatam class. Bhakta Jose was given the name Jay Sacinandana das and Bhaktin Yana is now known as Jagadhatri Priya devi dasi!

A big haribol for these aspirants who have now formally joined the ISKCON family!

7 87 Recently a local YouTube Vlogger, 'Vegan Bodega Cat' happened to chance upon At Govinda's you never know Govinda's Lunch Club. who will pop in for a bite to In 2019 Govinda's Lunch Club eat, but what can be was included in TimeOut New Govinda's guaranteed is that they will York's 'The eat list' and also Vegetarian Lunch leave with a stuffed belly and received Yelp's 'People love a smile on their face. us" award.

Govinda's Vegetarian Lunch

99 The Chaitanya-charitamrita offers detailed lists of preparations cooked for Krishna and then relished as Krishna- prasadam by Lord Chaitanya and His devotees. Lord Chaitanya was concerned that prasadam should be served as nicely as possible, and He often served the devotees Himself. Of course, no one would eat until the Lord had begun, and so after serving everyone for a while He had to sit down and begin eating, as some of His senior followers continued serving. With this background the members of the Krishna consciousness movement have been busy for the last thirty years cooking and distributing large amounts of prasadam, and therefore the movement has sometimes been referred to as “the kitchen religion.” Pictured are residents, community members and visiting devotees carrying on this tradition, preparing offerings and most importantly cleaning the kitchen.

10 Radha Govinda Gifts

His hard work over the past year, and his readiness to be on call for service at any hour has won us all over. Each week helping Bhaktin Elena with maha clean-up of the temple room.

He will sadly be missed as he soon returns to education.

We wish him the very best!

Dhenukari das! Dhenukari prabhu Always there to help with a Ki... myriad of different tasks, Jai! Dhenukari das, with such a pleasant demeanor, and a warm smile that matches his kind heart. Serving at Govinda's Lunch as well as being a handy man, not to mention he recently saved the roof above the deities 111 from severe water leaks. ISKCON’s flagship center – the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium in Mayapur, West Bengal – has just reached a major milestone with the grand opening on February 13th of its massive Krishna House – and a new 100,000 square-foot pujari young president, Brajananda facility to serve Das. Sri Sri Radha Madhava. Originally from West Palm As it was held during the First established by Beach in South Florida, annual Gaura Purnima Brahmananda Das in the Brajananda, 31, joined festival, three to four 1970s, ISKCON of ISKCON in Gainesville in thousand devotees from Tallahassee, Florida closed 2012 and served as a full-time around the world, along with down before restarting in a book distributor with ISKCON India leaders, new building in the 1990s. Rupanuga Vedic College’s sannyasis, and all the After struggling with financial Traveling Sankirtan Party, members of ISKCON’s and organizational challenges touring the U.S. for seven Governing Body in more recent times, the years. When he became Commission were in center is once again getting a engaged to Kumari Sakhi attendance. new lease of life with a new Dasi last July and began name – the Tallahassee looking to settle down, however, he needed a more anchored service, and ISKCON Tallahassee was seeking help at just the right time.

Our Chairman HG Vaisesika THE COMMUNITY Prabhu led several seminars NEWSLETTER OF ISKCON entitled the 'you gottas for a NEW YORK CITY great future in ISKCON'. Each seminar was different DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATION: Hansarupa das and took a journey through the ettiquette, values and CONTRIBUTORS: lifestyle choices which will Vaisesika Prabhu then spoke Antaryami Krsna das, ensure each of us can serve about how to maintain Divyangi Devi dasi, Jaghadhatri Devi dasi Krishna, one another and balance and focus and ourselves towards a more ultimately how to maintain Do you have a story you would focused, positive, dynamic with enthusiasm like to see in our next and harmonized future. whilst helping everyone newsletter? Or would you like to sponsor Starting with our around us to grow printing ? communication skills towards simultaneously. Keep the others, and how to create and transcendental vibration email: [email protected] keep nice connections, flowing! 12