Department Heads JAI NITAI DASA Temple President Charity Chairman Member of Management Board South Regional Coordinator Mentor
ACUTYA CHARAN DASA Food for Life Coordinator
BHAVA BHAKTI DEVI DASI Temple Administrator Charity Secretary / Trustee Member of Management Board South Regional Secretary Mentorship System Coordinator Mentor
DEVAKI DEVI DASI
Head of Community Development Team Volunteers Coordinator
MURLI MANOHARA DASA Head Pujari Charity Trustee Member of Management Board Chair of New Temple Committee Member of Brahmacari Council Mentor
RAM CHARAN DASA Financial Controller Member of Management Board
THIRU DHAYALAN Member of Management Board Govinda’s Restaurant Manager Kitchen Manager
RADHA RAMAN DASA Charity Trustee Mentor
DHAVAL DATTANI Volunteers Coordinator
GURPAAL DEOL Radha’s Boutique Manager
JAGA MOHINI DEVI DASI ISKCON Educational Services Ladies Ashram Leader
KAPILA MONET Radha Krishna Records Manager
KRISHNA KANTA DEVI DASI Food for Life Coordinator
MAHA NRSINGHA DASA
PRIYA KUNDA DASA Atma Lounge Manager
RAKESH SHAH
Festivals Coordinator Mentor
Head of Communications
MUKUNDA KISHORE DASA
SANJAYA MADHAVA DASA
Closet Krishna Assistant Manager
London College of Vedic Studies Coordinator
NAAM SANKIRTAN DASA
SYAMA GAURI DEVI DASI
Sankirtana Leader
NANDINI RASIKA DEVI DASI
Atma Lounge Manager
SYAMANANDA DASA
Closet Krishna Manager
General Manager Govinda’s Restaurant Manager
OLGA DOROVKO
TITIKSU DASA
Head of Russian Vedic Society
PRITESH PANDYA Child Protection Officer Community Care Officer (Ombudsman)
CLOSET KRISHNA
UK Rathayatra Coordinator
VAYU DASA
Men’s Ashram Leader
Table of CONTENTS
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5
Closet Krishna
7 10
Community Development Team
Festivals
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13 15
Update from the Temple President
Outreach
Radha Krishna Records
Spiritual Mentorship System
For any comments or queries on this publication, please email newsletter@iskcon.london
UPDATE FROM THE TEMPLE PRESIDENT ISKCON-London hosted the monthly UK Management Council Meeting on Tuesday 13th June, which was held from 11.00am to 5.00pm UK GBC, Pragosh dasa, was the chairman of the meeting.
On Friday 30th June, our Temple President performed the Vedic wedding ceremony for Devaki devi dasi and Paramesvara dasa at Bhaktivedanta Manor. Devaki devi dasi and Paramesvara dasa are committed members of our community and both serve in the Community Development Team.
Jai Nitai dasa and Bhava Bhakti devi dasi met Mr. and Mrs. Goyal on Wednesday 14th June in Ilford. In 1969, Mr. Goyal had originally donated Sri Sri Radha-Londonisvara to Srila Prabhupada. Mr Goyal shared his experiences as he recollected his meetings with Srila Prabhupada. Mr and Mrs Goyal were gifted with a maha garland, mangal arati sweets, and a beautiful canvas photo of the Deities. On Sunday 18th June, Jai Nitai dasa helped with the procession of carrying Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra Deities out of the Temple for the annual London Rathayatra festival and conducted an opening ceremony before Lord Balarama’s cart. He hosted the VIP guests at the festival and led them around the stalls in Trafalgar Square. On Wednesday 28th June, Jai Nitai dasa and Bhava Bhakti devi dasi met the Bhaktivedanta Manor Initiation and Mentorship System heads to discuss how both Temples can collaborate and work together within the Mentorship System with retreats and training.
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Closet krishna
A
lthough June had
core group of regular
Bhaktivedanta Manor
and thoroughly enjoyed
been relatively
devotees are continuing
on Sunday 4th June
the festival.
quiet at the shop,
to serve by volunteering
and 10 devotees joined
Some VIP guests have
regular programmes
and cooking for these
in, many of who were
been attending the
were conducted every
programmes. The
first time visitors. A few
programmes as well and
Friday evening and
Closet Krishna team
devotees also attended
the team were delighted
were well-attended. A
organised a trip to
the London Rathayatra
to welcome them.
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Community Development Team ISKCON-London Community Development Team were treated to another special guest during our monthly strategy meeting on Sunday 23rd July. Team-members had some time with HH Bhakti Rasamrta Swami to pose questions related to community development and our services as part of the team. Maharaja discussed four areas to focus on for successful community development:
•
Maintain a very comprehensive database of all community members.
•
Have a spiritual mentorship system for the community to be part of.
•
Have a “human resources” department whereby all community members can be engaged in service.
•
Have an educational facility whereby the community can attend courses.
PATRON’S GALA DINNER
O
n Sunday 9th July, the CDT Events Team, led by Bhakta Dhaval, hosted the annual Patron’s Gala Dinner, this year held at a new venue - St. John’s Church in Marble Arch, which is well known for its beauty, sociallyliberal, and modern Church. The Gala Dinner was wellattended by ISKCON-London Patrons as well as their family members. The hall was beautifully decorated with a round seating arrangement and
decorative vases on each table added to the grandeur of the room. The event started with an opening kirtan in a very beautiful melody by a special singer from Radhadesh, while the guests were served appetizers followed by a main-course meal that included cheese rolls, royal koftas, special rice, and smoothies. As Jai Nitai dasa conveyed the appreciation speech, delicious desserts were served to all attendees. This was followed
by a spontaneous drama by Syamananda dasa and an ecstatic final kirtan which became the highlight of the evening. Many volunteers were involved in cooking and transferring the prasadam, decorating the venue, greeting guests, serving prasadam at each table, and helping clean up afterwards. This was a unique event where everyone took back pleasant and joyful memories from the event.
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Community Development Team
VOLUNTEERS
O
n Wednesday 14th June, ISKCON-London volunteers performed Gundica Marjanam - full cleansing of the ISKCON-London Temple Room to welcome Lord Jagannath back to the Temple after the London Rathayatra festival. Volunteers from Zopa, a London-based finance organisation, also joined in the Gundica Marjanam service. The volunteers not only engaged in deep cleaning but also managed to varnish different parts of the Temple Room. This was truly a blissful experience for everyone serving on the day.
A
t ISKCON-London, there are various community members who cook the Sunday Feast every week. With all the hard work that the teams put in to prepare a delicious feast for approximately 300 guests, Sunday Feasts attract many newcomers who experience the bliss of Krishna Consciousness through chanting, dancing and feasting. One of the Sunday Feast teams is led by Lilavati devi dasi, who is inspired to cook the prasadam every month. Lilavati devi dasi has been cooking
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the Sunday Feast at ISKCON-London for over 15 years. She shares the secret of her experience about cooking the Sunday Feast to Srila Prabhupada: ‘’I really enjoy cooking for the devotees. It gives me real joy and happiness from within. I feel a sense of satisfaction when I cook and serve prasadam as well as when I see devotees happily honouring prasadam. I always look forward for the opportunity to cook new varieties for the Sunday Feasts.‘’
FESTIVALS london rathayatra Sunday 18th June 2017
Rathayatra is the celebration of love of God. The festival dates back to the Satya Yuga which pre-dates ancient history. It originates from Jagannatha Puri in Orissa on India’s eastern coast. There the festival lasts a whole week with two processions and lots of smaller events in between. London Rathayatra took place on Sunday 18th June. The procession started at noon from Hyde Park and ended at 2.00pm at Trafalgar Square. Thousands of devotees, volunteers, and onlookers experienced the festival’s grandeur presence as they took darshan of Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra Deities. At Trafalgar Square, there was kirtan, dance, chanting of the Maha Mantra, and a free vegetarian feast. Read an independent article on London Rathayatra - ‘’A Room with a View‘’ - by writer, Louise Guthrie: http://bit.ly/2n796jf
OUTREACH LADIES SANGA The first Ladies Sanga in June was held on Thursday 1st with Nartaka Gopal devi dasi, Srila Prabhupada disciple, as the guest speaker who shared her experiences when she started as a book distributor. She then narrated various pastimes of Lord Jagannath as a build-up to the Snanayatra and Rathayatra festivals. Attendees were treated to pizza, salad, cake and ice cream, all of which were cooked by Bhaktin Ksenia. On Tuesday 16th June, the Ladies Sanga welcomed Keli Vrindavan devi dasi who used to be part of the sanga group before moving to Mayapur two years ago. To celebrate the reunion, the team conducted a joyful impromptu kirtan outside the Temple for about an hour. They also continued reading and discussing the Bhagavad-Gita under the guidance of Bhaktin Myriam. Here is a clip from their ecstatic ‘after-hours’ kirtan: https://www.facebook.com/234981413656295/videos/243371809483922/
In July, the Ladies Sanga sessions were held at Soho Square in order to provide a nicer environment for the ladies whilst the scaffolding and renovation works were on. The good weather added to the enjoyment of the group. On Thursday 13th July, the ladies had their Bhagavad Gita reading and discussion sessions led by Jaga Mohini devi dasi and all the ladies were treated with fresh coconut water. On Thursday 27th July, the team conducted a kirtan mela which was well-attended including two newcomers. https://youtu.be/CvLlN5St6Ps
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radha krishna records Radha Krishna Records is proud to release the latest version of the Mantra Lounge album series, Mantra Lounge Volume 2. Expertly recorded and produced by Jag (aka Jagannatha Suta), Radha Krishna Records’s founder and in-house producer, the album features some of the UK’s greatest devotional musical talents. The artists were brought together to collaborate on this beautifully instrumented, classic album of sacred prayers and mantras. All the artists regularly attend and lead mantra music at the Mantra Lounge live events. The album embodies many of the greatest mantras in a fresh and sincere way, including: The Maha Mantra, Jaya Radha Madhava, Om Tat Sat, Om Namo Bhagavate, Jagannatha Swami, the Tulasi Prayers, and a little known but very eloquent verse called Ei Nam (the holy name is so sweet) by Bhaktivinoda Thakur where Brahma, Shiva and Narada describe the holy name as so sweet.
With songs from Jahnavi Harrison and Ananda Monet who are well-known globally for their music, as well as some of our favourite UK singers who are sure to be noticed, this album is not-to- be-missed and will be a strong follow-up to the very successful Mantra Lounge Volume 1. MANTRA LOUNGE VOLUME 2 COVERS THE FOLLOWING TRACKS: • • • • • • • •
Dunja Kani and Kishore Murti: Ei Nam, The Mantra is So Sweet Ananda Monet: Om Namo Bhagavate, Dawn of Freedom Jahnavi Harrison: Hari Om, May All be Blessed Madhvi Mulji: Jaya Radha Madhava, Expression of Love Govinda Priya: Tulasi Prayers, Bestowing Mercy Sandipani Muni: Jagganatha Swami, Divine Vision Madhva Mark Anderson: Hare Krishna, the Great Mantra Gandharvika Dasi: Om Ajnana, Torchlight of Knowledge.
MANTRA LOUNGE VOLUME 2 IS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE FOLLOWING SITES: • • • • •
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/id1270942106 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1Iot6UIYiFz1luMsE8o1e0 Cdbaby: https://store.cdbaby.com/m/cd/mantraloungevol2 Radha Krishna Records website: http://www.radhakrishnarecords.com/page8.htm Radha’s Boutique, ISKCON-London
- Watch YouTube video of Om Namo Bhagavate: https://youtu.be/oGGuJgVn5PI - Listen to the complete Maha Mantra on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/radha-krishna- records/mantra-lounge- vol-2- hare-krishna- the-great-mantra
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SPIRITUAL MENTORSHIP SYSTEM INTERVIEW WITH BHAKTA JAY
Q A Q A
Q A
Why did you join the Spiritual Mentorship System? To grow as a devotee, develop a desire for bhakti, and learn to serve Vaishnavas. To be associated with devotees from varied backgrounds and spiritual practices. Foster personal association, cooperation, and share Krishna Consciousness. What do you like about your mentee group? Studying Srila Prabhupada’s books and discussing the philosophy behind the teachings. We have reading materials or topics that everyone in the group studies and we present our realisations back to the group. The mentors provide personal guidance on sadhana and spiritual habits and also supports the grhastha group to understand what a Krishna Conscious family should be like and how they can manage their daily activities. I definitely recommend the Mentorship System to others! What happens in mentee meetings? The format for mentee meetings is standard across the Mentorship System, however the way the format is delivered varies from group to group. Each meeting has kirtan, Krishna katha (followed by some discussion) and usually ends with prasadam. Mentee meetings are meant to create an environment of sanga or fellowship where attendees feel spiritually nourished and sheltered. No personal issues are discussed in the meetings (these are reserved for one-to- one meetings with the mentor and mentee) but rather general learning is applied across the group followed by a Q&A and group discussions. All groups meet twice a month either at the Temple (in the Seminar Room) or at one of the devotee’s homes.
Bhakta Jay Suthar is in Maha Nrsingha dasa’s and Param Sundari devi dasi’s mentee group.
On Friday 16th June, in Maha Nrsingha dasa’s and Param Sundari devi dasi’s mentee group meeting, a special presentation was held for Karuna Caitanya dasa and his wife Geeta who are relocating from London to Leicester. The team gifted a large print of the ISKCON-London Deities to the couple and wished them well on their onward journey. Bhava Bhakti devi dasi’s mentee meeting on Friday 9th June was dedicated to creating a ‘Get Well Soon’ card for Lord Jagannath, Lord Balarama and Lady Subhadra. The Deities are believed to fall sick after Their public bathing during Snanayatra day. The meeting was ended by a toast for Devaki devi dasi wishing her well for her wedding later that month and a special cake was made for her.
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DAILY SCHEDULE ARATI TIMES 04:30 05:00 07:00 08:00 12:30 16:15 19:00 21:00
Mangal arati Tulasi arati Deity greeting Dhoopa arati Raj Bhoga arati Dhoopa arati Sundara arati Sayana arati
These are times when items are offered for the pleasure of the Deities.
DARSHAN TIMES
CLASS TIMES
04:30 to 05:00 07:00 to 07:30 08:00 to 11:45 12:30 to 13:00 16:15 to 18:30 19:00 to 19:30 21:00 to 21:30
07:30 Srimad Bhagavatam / Caitanya Caritamrta 13:00 Introductory talk * 18:00 Bhagavad Gita *
These are times when the curtains are open and the Deities can be seen.
* Excluding Sundays
LUNCH PROGRAMM E - MONDAY TO SATURDAY 13:00 to 14:00 Introductory talk and lunch. SUNDAY FEAST PROGRAMME 15:30 to 19:30 Includes arati, introductory talk and feast.
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE
newsletter@iskcon.london
International Society for Krishna Consciousness Founder-Acharya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada ISKCON-LONDON Radha-Krishna Temple 10 Soho Street London W1D 3DL
CONTACT: T: +44 (0)20 7437 3662 E : info@iskcon-london.org W: www.iskcon.london
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