ISKCON New York City Sri Sri Radha Govinda Community Newsletter 0003 October 2019 International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Founder Acarya His Divine Grace A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada A Harinam Sankirtan Fairground! Contents Monthly Sankirtan Festival...................................................2 Comic con............................................................................4 The Second Installment of MSF...........................................5 Kartik begins........................................................................6 Tompkins Square Park anniversary.....................................8 Meet our Board of Trustees.................................................9 Govindas featured in Timeout NY........................................9 Interfaith Center NY.............................................................9 HH Bhakti Charu Swami initiations.....................................10 Local High Schools visit Radha Govinda............................10 Temple President on Indian TV...........................................11 Daily Srimad Bhagavatam now on MTV.............................11 Devotee of the month.........................................................12 "Yes, from the very beginning Using Science in Krishna's Service....................................12 I went to New York because I thought that Krishna Consciousness is the most important idea in the world, so let me go to that place, New York, which is the most important city in the world, and if I am able to do anything for Krishna and my This is the official community newsletter of Spiritual Master, even if I am ISKCON New York City, Sri Sri Radha Govinda Temple at the end of my life, at least let me try for it there. So my Become a contributor! dreams have all come true, email [email protected] and all of you nice boys and girls are getting the credit." Be sure to follow us on social media -- December 23, 1972 Letter to Sudama das 1 - Books, books. books! New York, New York, a City famous for many things is fast becoming famous for its many wonderous sites and opportunities for Harinam Sankirtan! Visiting devotees from around the world, as well as those from both ISKCON NYC and Harinama Yuga Dharma Ashram regularly fill the streets with the Lord's names and the distribution of Srila Prabhupada's literature. The end of last month saw an The book scores of the ecstatic weekend of book weekend speak for distribution that culminated themselves; with our Monthly Sankirtan 108 maha Festival and in addition taking 42 big part in the street fair 64 medium 'Atlanic Antic'. 178 small A total of 392 books! This month's MSF was beautifully facilitated by His Grace Vaisesika prabhu and Her Grace Nirakula mataji. Their contagious and infinite enthusiasm fueled the spirit of everyone who took part. “I thank you EVERYONE, who shared with us!” Says Divyangi devi dasi, our sankirtan leader. A group of devotees even went out to distribute Russian books on Brighton beach the very same weekend, a wonderful iniative headed up by Kishori Rani dasi. “So very energizing and inspiring to spend time with both of them. I am still buzzing from their association, and thinking about ways to further the mission of Srila Prabhupada and our Spiritual Masters.” Says Brajarani devi dasi. 2 Five book tables were set up HG Vaisesika prabhu went in the Lower Manhattan area; from each area firing up the Astor Place; devotees and the public! The event finally came to an near New York University; end at Washington Square and two tables in Washington Park, with all groups joining to Square Park. Our main focus sing in kirtan and to share being the park, with a kirtan realisations and reflections of gathering upon a large mat in the day. the grass at the place where monthly kirtans are often held. Monthly Sankirtan Festival Coincidentally, Washington Square Park is the very place where Srila Prabhupada held the first intentional public kirtan, when he one day instructed his disciples to join him and make a kirtan there. And of course this park has been the traditional end point for the Annual NYC Ratha Yatra Festival for many years. 3 The following day devotees keenly went out to a local street festival 'Atlantic Antic'. Still brimming with raw enthusiasm from the day before, they set to work by creating an attractively decorated gazebo and book tables. A wide selection of devottees attended, and due to the nearby proximity of the festival, many went out who do not usually get the opportunity. The very same weekend devotees again went out in their local neighbourhoods! Lets hear it once more for Karuna Avatar and his team Why not take the opportunity Book distribution at out on Liberty Avenue in to do something similar in your Comic Con weekend! Jackson Heights, and for area or to join one of the Bhakta Jose in his local area! groups already set up? Do not The weekend of October 5-6th forget we regularly hold saw our team attend an Sankirtan Sundays that invite annual comic convention, and anyone within the community what better place to distribute to join in the fun! Srila Prabhupada's books After all, as Dasya Prem das, which tell the pastimes of the our Temple Commander, one true hero, Lord Krishna! famously said, “New York City The team had a lot of fun over is a dream come true, its like a the weekend, meeting many Harinam Sankirtan nice people who were both amusement park!” open minded and seeking an alternative vision from mundane reality. 4 October 19th saw another MSF book festival, brought forward a week by the enthusiastic HH Kadamba Kanana Swami. A total of 99 books were distributed. 5 The beginning of Kartik has arrived... 56 The most auspicious and beautiful month is finally here, and we can relish the opportunity to get a step closer to Krishna and deepen our sadhana and meditation. Again we have been blessed with so much wonderful association at ISKCON NYC, with HH Trivikrama Swami, HH Krsna Kshetra Swami and HH Kadamba Kanana Swami all choosing to spend some quailty time with us. Devotees have been filling the temple room each evening to offer lamps to their Lordships and singing the delightful Damadorastakam after the daily evening class. 7 Tompkins Square Park, News of the Swami soon the birth place of Lord spread as Srila Prabhupada Caitanya's Sankirtan drew a crowd of interested movement in the hippies and bystanders, and Western hemisphere. the kirtans in Tompkins Square Park became a October 9th marked the spontaneous 'happening', anniversary of the Tompkins drawing in curious new Square Park Kirtan that aspirants who later became changed the world as we prominent characters within know it today. After arriving in our ISKCON family. New York in September the Tompkins Square Park is just year before, in 1966 Srila a few minutes walk from Prabhupada set up ISKCON Matchless Gifts, and today INC soon after opening one can easily visit the same Matchless Gifts on 26th 2nd spot where Srila Prabhupada Avenue. This very same year, sang under what is known as as the summer drew to a Festival we held the first of its the 'Hare Krishna Tree'. Just close, and Mukunda das went kind 'Kirtan Pilgrimage', a around the corner from where to San Francisco to start a tribute to our heritage and the Adi Purusa distributes free new temple, Srila Prabhupada legacy that Srila Prabhupada prasadam daily. went by himself to Tompkins has given us. To watch the full Earlier this year as part of a Square Park to sing kirtan. event click here... three day long Ratha Yatra 8 Meet our board of trustees On September 29th, 2019 the Board of Trustees of Sri Sri Radha Govinda Temple (a/k/a Bharati Center Inc.) held their annual meeting to review the activities, financial statements and other matters relevant to the management and organization of the Temple. The Trustees are as follows: • Vaisesika Das (Chairman, Bharati Center Inc.) • Caitanyananda Das (Vice Chairman, Bharati Center Inc.) • Mañjulali Manjari Dasi (Secretary) • Talban Syamsundar Das The temple officers are: (Executive Committee • Hansarupa Das, President Govinda's featured in Member) • Harivilasa Das, Vice 'Timeout New York' • Dhanañjaya Krishna Das President • Pyari Mohan Das • Mithuna Das, Secretary Recently our lunch club, • Mahagopi Radhika Dasi • Talban Syamsundar Das, Govinda's Vegetarian Lunch, • Gokulesvari Radha Dasi Treasurer was featured in a list of vegetarian eateries around New York City. It was wonderful to present the delicious preparations on offer that day, and to give 'Timeout' a brief introduction as to who Interfaith Center New York Govinda really is! As a part of New York Cities faith groups ISKCON New York City is now a member of ICNY, New York's Interfaith collective. The Interfaith Center of New York is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that catalyzes collaboration among grassroots religious leaders and secular civic officials to addresss the cities most pressing social problems, and also a non-governmental organization (affiliated with the United Nations Department of Public Information) helping to make New York an internationally recognized model of mutual understanding and cooperation among faith traditions. Recently an event was held in Brooklyn Borough Hall, and over 30 different civic faith leaders came together to discuss how to Click here for the full article progressively move forward with a message of love and acceptance. It was an interesting event with many social issues covered, and an exciting prosepect to be a part of the 9 landscape