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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Krishna Club
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Krishna Club started its second year in January. An addition to the classes, which take place on Sunday afternoons, was a monthly yoga session facilitated by qualified yoga practitioner Amanda Teeha and assisted by Jigna Chauhan. The fun and interactive sessions were intertwined with Krishna conscious story-telling. Following temple closure after the Government announced its lockdown measures, Krishna Club sessions were cancelled for the rest of the year. To keep the Krishna Club children engaged, the teachers gave them regular activities to do at home including craft activities such as making their own Rath cart for Lord Jagannatha, Lord Baladeva and Subhadra Devi, learning slokas from Bhagavad-Gita, and personal writing exercises. They also received daily activities to engage in during the month of Kartik.
Lockdown Activities
As an offering to the members of the community to keep them enlivened whilst the temple was closed, two online programmes were set up by members of the Community Development Team:
Nectar of Instruction Online Reading Group
Siddarth Vachhani facilitated an active reading group on Sunday mornings based on The Nectar of Instruction. The participants share their understanding, realisations and questions whilst going through each verse of the book. By slowly and steadily reading Srila Prabhupada’s commentaries, the group has been able to unpack the book and see it from new angles of vision.
Sri Sri Radha-Londonisvara Japa Sanga
Since the end of March, Devaki devi dasi facilitated an online japa sanga on Zoom which took place from 6.00pm to 6.40pm every evening. At the start of each session, there are prayers for those who have been affected by COVID-19 or another illness, or who have sadly passed away. This is followed by a short reading about the Holy Names and then 30 minutes of group japa. Afterwards, devotees share realisations on the sanga’s WhatsApp group. In November, the japa sanga introduced daily morning japa sessions from 5.00am to 7.00am. Devotees find the japa sessions a nourishing part of their daily schedule and many have said how it has helped them improve the quality of their japa.
“I couldn’t join the chanting group since two days and felt that something inside me was really missing this beautiful association. Feel that my battery recharged today. Thank you for this amazing group that helps keeps us inspired and charged up.” Japa Sanga participant
“Thank you for all your association. I feel this sanga is my backbone for this lockdown time. Thank you.” Japa Sanga participant
Every year, the Mentorship Retreat Team organises a summer retreat. Due to the pandemic, this was not possible in 2020 but that did not hold back the spirit of offering something to the community. Over the summer Bank Holiday weekend, on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th August, devotees were transported to the holy land of Vrindavana with the temple’s very first virtual retreat. Sessions were led by Sacinandana Swami, Bhakti Rasamrita Swami, Urmila devi dasi, Amarendra dasa and Bhuta Bhavana dasa on Lord Krishna’s pastimes. The nectar-filled weekend event was attended by over 300 participants. Both days ended with kirtan and live darshan of Their Lordships.
Watch the classes: https://bit.ly/krishnainvrindavan-playlist
After the success of the first virtual retreat, during the weekend of 21st and 22nd November in the auspicious month of Kartik, the Retreat Team hosted another weekend of nectar with online talks centred around the childhood pastimes of Lord Krishna. Speakers included Candramauli Swami, Janananda Goswami, Deena Bandhu dasa, Mahatma dasa, Amarendra dasa and Sutapa dasa. Over 300 attendees relished the different encounters of the Lord as the Darling of Vrindavana. Each day ended with a live darshan of Sri Sri Radha-Londonisvara and the singing of the Damodarastakam prayers.
Watch the classes: https://bit.ly/krishnadarlingofvrindavan-playlist Both retreats were a joint team collaboration organised by Radha Govinda dasa, Hema Shah, Mahaprabhu dasa, Natasha Menon, Siddarth Vachhani and the London College of Vedic Studies team.
London Mellows 2020: A Global Offering of Love for Sri Sri Radha-Londonisvara
On Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th June, the London Mellows annual kirtan weekend took place online. It was an amazing and uplifting weekend of kirtans by kirtaneers from across the globe for the pleasure of Their Lordships and the global Vaishnava audience. World-renowned kirtaneers performed throughout the event, including Sacinandana Swami and Kadamba Kanana Swami from Europe, and Acyuta Gopi devi dasi, Amala Harinam dasa, Gaura Vani dasa and Nadiya Mani devi dasi from North America. International kirtan groups Kirtan Dubai and Vrindavana 24 Hour Kirtan Mandali also joined in, as well as regular contributors to local mantra music projects and festivals including Abishek Singh, Ananda Monet, Caitanya Cintamani devi dasi, Kishori Jani, Radhika Ranjana dasa and Sri Prahlada dasa. Many other seasoned kirtan artists and talented performers also came together via the online streaming.
Listen to the playlist: https://bit.ly/ldnmellows2020-playlist
“On behalf of our London Mellows 2020 team, I am ever so grateful to all the wonderful kirtaneers from across the globe for making this year’s offering possible to Sri Sri Radha-Londonisvara. Although it was our first online event, everyone was extremely excited knowing that the kirtans were being played live in the temple to the Deities directly! It was truly a global offering and we cannot wait to see everyone next year!” Gopibhava devi dasi, Event organiser
Team Update
Devaki devi dasi stepped down as CDT Coordinator in early 2020 after seven years in the role. She still continues to be actively involved with the team. Darryl Biggs has been appointed as the new CDT Coordinator.
