"Iskcon Temple "

ISKCON TEMPLE (MEXICO CITY)

2012-11-22T07:11:00.003-08:00

Mexico City

"ISKCON MEXICO"

Name:Templo Hare Krishna

Address:Gobernador Tiburcio Montien, No. 45 Col., San Miguel, Chapultepec

Phone:(5) 5272-5944

Email:maitreya_dasa@krishnamexico.com

Website:www.krishnamexico.com

Presiding Deities:Sri-Sri Radha Madana-Gopala

President:Maitreya Dasa

Opened in:Fall 1971

Temple Style:Formerly the Ethopian Embassy in Mexico, the building incorporates both classical Spanish and Middle Eastern archietecture.

Location:Chapultepec, an affluent neighborhood and home to offices, a university, and some of the best known parks in the city. Los Pinos, the official residence and main workplace of Mexican president Felipe Calderón, lies a few blocks from the temple.

Distinctive food offerings:Mexican favorites such as Nopales, stuffed peppers, tamales, and quesadillas.

Number of residents:22

Number of visitors:150 per week, thirty per cent of whom tend to be newcomers.

Best time of year to visit:During any large festival, but especially May, when Rathayatra, the Festival of the Chariots, is celebrated. Of course, visitors are very welcome all year around.

ISKCON’s Mexico City temple is one of the society’s treasures, as the current building is the same one that ISKCON founder Srila Prabhupada sent his disciple Chitsukhananda to open in 1971. Prabhupada also visited it himself on two occasions, and the room in which he stayed has been kept as a shrine to this day.

“I arrived in Mexico City on June 1st, 1971,” recalls Chitsukhananda, who was the first devotee to go to Latin America, and whose desire to spread Krishna consciousness in Spanish was enthusiastically granted by Srila Prabhupada. “On my first day there, I met Mr. Francisco Balderama, who later became
Prakasananda Dasa. In the first week, I went on Jacobo Zabludovski’s show ‘24 Horas’ on national television. I was greatly assisted by by Alfonso Araiza, a lawyer who helped me translate various small books such as Easy Journey to Other Planets.”

Chitsukhananda rented a small house at first, then acquired the current temple in Fall of 1971. The first followers were an upscale group of doctors, lawyers, and engineers who had left the Swami they had been practicing yoga with because of his loose morals.

Almost immediately, Krishna conciousness in Mexico became a phenomenon, with the the temple rocking to the tune of 500 guests every Sunday. Local people joined, creating a blend of the high class intelligencia, college students, and hippies. Mothers and housewives also joined along with their children.

Soon, many devotees arrived from the U.S. too, making the Mexico City temple a vibrant and attractive cultural center with beautiful kirtans, sumptuous prasadam and festivals that went on late into the night.

Much of this success could be attributed to Srila Prabhupada’s visits to Mexico City in June 1972 and February 1975.

“In 1972 Prabhupada also appeared on Jacobo Zabludovski’s highly popular national television program, and his interview was seen by tens of millions,” Chitsukhananda says. “The ‘Hare Krishnas’ became widely known.”

Of course, Srila Prabhupada also visited the temple, saying that he was very happy to see the simplicity and artistic nature of the devotees. He also expressed his affinity for the temple building, and said that the devotees should keep it.

And so they did. To this very day.

Although the giddy heights of the 1970s have leveled out, the temple is still a hub of activity.

“Our central and convenient location lends to an always increasing number of visitors,” says ISKCON’s Governing Body Comissioner for Mexico, Guru Prasad Swami. “On an average day, we’ll have twenty to forty people attending our evening Bhagavad-gita class. We’ve also emphasized the importance of book distribution over the years, which is a major factor in bringing hundreds of newcomers to the temple.”

ISKCON Mexico has kept book distribution its priority through thick and thin, and the Mexican people, who are pious by nature, are excellent customers.

“We have participated in different major book fares around the country for many years, bringing awareness of our literary contribution,” Guru Prasad Swami says. “We are well known as the society that has made Bhagavad-gita available to the Mexican public.”

In recent years Ratha-Yatra, launched in 2002, has further heightened the awareness of Krishna consciousness in Mexico. At the two-day weekend festival and parade featuring three chariots for Jagannath, Baladeva, and Subhadra, many people get the opportunity to see ISKCON’s rich cultural contribution.

Meanwhile the temple offers an attractive selection of regular classes and workshops in its lounge, including philosophy, yoga, and Bharat-Natyam Dance, while its adjoining restaurant is packed full every day.

ISKCON Mexico City is also active in its local community, with several well-attended Bhakti-vriksha congregational groups around the city.

“We also regularly participate in religious tolerance seminars and workshops with other religious groups,” says Guru Prasad Swami. “And we are often invited by social workers and psychologists to speak on how to counsel families and friends about overcoming sadness related to death.”

In the future, devotees hope to open one or two satellite centers in Mexico City, with the aim of attracting people who may be reluctant to visit a formal temple.
They also plan to expand their traveling festival tour, which operates sporadically at present, to a more regular program, and to acquire land for an agricultural project.

Their immediate attention, however, is focused on renovating the devotees’ ashram accommodation, building a fully-equipped kitchen for festivals, and constructing private guestrooms—three urgent projects that have been delayed due to a lack of funds.

“Since Srila Prabhupada visited this temple twice, it is not only Mexico’s temple, but a place of pilgrimage that must be preserved for the whole society of ISKCON,” Guru Prasad Swami concludes.

Mexico Krishna Culture Festival Tour

Manu and Jaya Radhe of ISKCON Youth Ministry are now accepting applications from youth and young adults for the Krishna Culture Festival Tour through Mexico, December 19, 2008 - January 4, 2009.

Meet up with the tour in Alachua, Florida, or in Houston, Texas, and come on a two and a half week journey to immerse yourself in chanting, dancing, feasting and spreading the Holy Name across towns, cities, jungles and beaches of Mexico. Lots of adventures along the way. See photos and videos of our previous Mexico tours

ISKCON- New York – Long Island Temple

2012-10-10T07:58:00.002-07:00

New York – Long Island Temple

New York – Long Island Temple To understand the significance of the worhip of Sri Krishna, we first have to know who Sri Krishna is and what constitutes His real self. The significance of His worship rests upon His remarkable divine personality. The shastras define the etymological meaning of the word Krishna as follows, 'The word Krishna is composed of the root 'krish' meaning 'bhu', the shelter of all existence, and the word 'na', meaning 'nivriti' or the form of supreme bliss. Combined, they form the word Krishna, which signifies Param Brahma, the Supreme Absolute Truth.' The word Krishna means 'self-existing bliss.' The Vedanta has desined this as anandam brahm, and: Taittiriya Upanishas says 'He is that ras (anand or bliss). One who drinks that ras, become full of bliss.' In another sense, the word Krishna means 'krish' - to attract (karshan) and 'na' - giving bliss. The one who attracts all and give them bliss, and who is blissful Himself, is known as Krishna. In other words, Krishna means 'all attractive' and 'all-bliss-giving'.

ISKCON Long Island Alter

Sri Sri Nimai Nitai

ISKCON Long Island Website

http://family.webshots.com/album/559272074SZzgPj

Iskcon Temple Zurich

2012-10-10T07:11:00.000-07:00

Iskcon Temple Zurich

Religion have no boundary. Divinity is a feelings of unison of many soul.

Words fall short in explaining certain feelings. They can only be felt by our soul. Such was my experience of visit to Iskcon Temple ,Zurich Switzerland . Well it is not that I am a die hard devotee and cant do without visiting temples. However, far away from home if we come across something that resembles our known environment, we feel happy. That was exactly what I felt when I discovered in internet that there is an Iskcon temple in Zurich city. We were planning for a long time and finally went there last Sunday. We choose Sunday because every sunday they have Sonntag fest. The timing was mentioned in the website (from 3 P.M). But we took our sweet time and finally reached there around 4 P.M. We were more then happy to see so many welcoming faces who were mixture of Asians and Europeans. The music of sweet devotional song took us inside the main Puja or Prayer room. The Idols were decorated beautifully and few of those devotees were singing 'Hare Krishna Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare' . Though the pronunciation, accent , environment everything was different, but still the feelings of heart , love for divinity was touching my heart. I could feel the warmth of ocean of love towards the almighty.

Once again I felt religion sees no boundary. Whether in the Prayer inside Church or in music inside a temple what becomes important is to feel your devotion towards the supreme power. The surrender, the love sees no barrier of Language. After the devotional music session, one of them were explaining some verses of Gita in there own language. Though we couldn't make out the whole meaning but still it does not made any difference.

Finally after the whole session we attended a nice dinner buffet ( Indian style, vegetarian buffet 14 CHF per head). The 8 course dinner was very nice. I especially liked the environment in which it was served and the way people from different cultures accumulated and enjoyed the food sitting together. Those who got the food early went and sat in the table and those who were busy with work , got it late and since there were hardly any places left they sat on the green grass happily. Children were chirping around as always.

There were some mini exhibition also in the reception with devotional books, Indian clothes, skirts, bags, bakery items and etc. We also got to know that they celebrate almost all important festivals of India in there temple.

http://donabhatt.hubpages.com/hub/Iskcon-Temple-Zurich

Followers of Iskcon temple in London

2012-09-29T22:20:00.005-07:00

Marion williams sings a Hare krishna mantra

About

Krishna House: a university meditation center inspiring sustainable joy and insight through philosophy, music and food.

you just cant keep it to yourself´you have to share it with others.

People from all over the world come to London looking for happiness in different ways: shopping, going to nightclubs, sightseeing, etc. When they meet the devotees, engaged in distributing Srila Prabhupadas books, they are amazed at the devotees enthusiasm and blissful nature and become inspired to take some books. By taking and reading these books they are able to rediscover the actual way to achieve happiness.

These are not ordinary books!

These books are encyclopedias of religion and spirituality. They are also books of psychology and lifestyle management: they give spiritual solutions to the material problems of life and are relevant to all of todays social, political and cultural issues. These books present the ultimate goal of life and give the reader practical and direct methods for achieving spiritual enlightenment.

Marion williams sings a Hare krishna mantra

Because they deal with the basic philosophy that we are the soul and not the body, people from all backgrounds, from all countries, speaking any language and of all ages are considered equally.

This is equal vision and these books will help the reader to attain this vision.
It is this equal vision that makes this philosophy ideal for everyone.

We, at Soho Street, are presenting Srila Prabhupadas books for the ultimate happiness of humankind. As distributors we are experiencing the bliss of Krishna consciousness whilst practicing a lifestyle of health and meditation. This bliss is perceived by the people we meet and distribute books to; they also want to feel this bliss and, although they cant quite understand why, they are curious and enlivened to know more about the values and practicalities of spiritual life.

They often see that these books are the key to relieving their suffering, anxiety and stress. Along with the enthusiasm of the distributor they become enthused and feel confident that they are acquiring something very special.

This transcendental literature is distributed world wide in over 50 languages and the distribution team, here at the Soho Street temple, is giving these books to the cosmopolitan crowds on the streets of London every day.

"The fruit of love of god is so tasteful that wherever a devotee distributes it, those who relish the fruit, anywhere in the world, immediatly become intoxicated."
CC. Adi. Ch9 Text 48

If you´d like to taste this nectar by sponsoring books or distributing them please contact Taruna Krsna dasa:

Harinama Sankirtan

Harinama-sankirtana (t

he congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord) may be most familiar from seeing the devotees out in the streets, dancing and chanting the maha-mantra Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare accompanied by mridangas (two headed drums) and karatalas (hand cymbals). Krishnas holy names are endowed with all of His potencies and this sound vibration can reawaken a person to his spiritual identity and existence. We have forgotten our real identity as spiritual beings, part and parcel of Krishna, and this forgetfulness is the root cause of all our suffering. When a person is asleep he forgets who he really is and in his dreaming he assumes one illusory identity after another, in each existence suffering unnecessarily.

500 years ago Lord Krishna came as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu (or Lord Gauranga). He appeared as a devotee of Krishna (Himself) to reawaken all the conditioned souls by the method of harinama-sankirtana. He would go with His followers into the streets and chant the names of Krishna so that peoples suffering could be ended, and they could take to the real activity, the spiritual activity, of worshiping and serving the Supreme Lord.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura writes in one song:

Jiv jago jiv jago gauracandra bole

Kota nidra jao maya pisacira kole Lord Gauranga calls: "Wake up sleeping souls, wake up sleeping souls! You have slept so long in the lap of the witch Maya" (the superintendent of the material world who facilitates one forgetting his spiritual nature).

He continues, "You came into this world saying O my Lord, I will certainly worship you but having forgotten this promise, you have remained in great ignorance."

"I have descended just to save you. Other then Myself, who else is your friend?"

"I have brought the medicine for destroying the illusion of Maya. Now pray for this hari-nama maha-mantra and take it."

harinama-sankirtana throughout India, He desired harinama to be performed in every town and village around the world for the benefit of everyone, without discrimination.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanata Swami Prabhupada brought harinama to the rest of the world, fulfilling the desire of Lord Caitanya. Srila Prabhupada created ISKCON (The International Society for Krishna Consciousness) to take harinama-sankirtan to every town and village. The members of ISKCON are working to achieve that goal and we need your help.

Harinam Every year 250 million people from all parts of the world pass through Oxford Street alone. Just by hearing the harinama they can be reawakened to their spiritual existence and will surely, sooner or later, take to harinama themselves, returning to their towns.

Indian Temples

2012-09-23T19:59:00.003-07:00

India is a land of traditions, customs, festivals, celebrations and rich history. Each and every corner of India is soaked in charm and elegance. It is a land of diversity and paradoxes. Home to one of the most ancient civilisations of the world and numerous religions, races, caste groups and more than billion population belonging to different ethnicity and caste group, India is a truly magical country. One thing that separates India from the rest of the world and makes it unique and distinct is its culture. The culture of India clearly reflects in the lifestyle of its people, its historical monuments and buildings and its festivals.

em, festivals for them and special days where they worship them and offer various offerings and sacrifices. Every Hindu household will usually have small prayer room where the entire family do puja every day. Besides this they also visit temples, located far and wide in the country to experience peace and spirituality.

The Indian temples are a marvel in themselves. Some of them, built in ancient days by the kings are very grand and marvellous.

Religion is one of the very important aspects of the life of Indians. It places significant influence on their social life. And since they are very religious and spiritual, they have equally majestic and marvellous temples where they offer prayers and devotion to their gods. The Indian temples are a reflection of its rich history and people’s deep devotion to god. It reflects the nature and characteristics of the Indians. Hinduism, which is considered the oldest religion of the world originated in India, thousands of years ago. It is a religion which has elaborate rituals, customs and traditions. And since majority of the Indians are Hindus, who worship their gods in temples there are hundreds of temples in India. The Hindus have about 33 crore gods, and they worship each and every one of them with great devotion. They have temples for thThey are built using extensive architectural design and excellent craftsmanship. Some of them even have beautiful paintings on their walls and ceilings. Hence these temples are not only holy places, but also of great interests for architects and art enthusiasts. These kinds of temples are usually found in the southern part of India like the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, the Tirupati Balaji temple in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh etc. Another important feature of the temples in India is its locations and mythological importance. They are always built at places which have historical and spiritual importance. The cave temples are also quite popular and considered highly religious like the Amarnath Temple in Jammu dedicated to Lord Shiva. There are also various temples dedicated to goddesses which are located all over the country. The temples in Indian are visited by thousands of devotees every year who go on a pilgrimage. They go with their families, friends or sometimes even alone. What matters to them is their devotion and faith. All this is due to the spiritual values deeply embedded in the life and mind of the Indians.

ISKCON Temple

2012-09-22T21:48:00.002-07:00

ISKCON Temple, Delhi

It is such a coincidence that our first stop of the trip was a place I had started my wonderful blogging journey with… almost exactly a year and a half ago…

ISKCON Temple, Delhi

After unpacking our luggage in the pre-booked ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) guest house room in South Delhi, we freshened up and went to the temple.

The ISKCON Temple, Delhi

ISKCON Temple as viewed from the terrace of the guest house

Circular in shape, the temple is very beautiful, decked up with Krishna leelas at the ceiling. The aarti was about to begin. The circumambulation path shows the various ISKCON templessituated all around the world. It was fascinating to look at how ISKCON temples are builtabroad.

Beautiful Krishna Leelas at the temple ceiling…

captured just moments before the prayers began

Divine image of Mother Yasoda with Lord Krishna inside the temple

Idols of Sita, Ram, Laxman and Hanuman at the ISKCON temple

Idols of Shri Radha Parthasarthi at the ISKCON temple

Idols of Sri Gaura Nitai at the ISKCON temple

After the prayers, we headed straight towards the snacks counter where I had some Sandwiches and Samosas washed down with a cool glass of Lassi. In addition, the temple premises also houses the Govinda’s restaurant serving buffet meals priced at Rs. 330/person.

Govinda snacks counter in the temple premises

From our balcony we had a good view of the very famous Lotus Temple of Delhi and decided to visit the same in the evening. But unfortunately, as we came to know later on, the temple was closed that day (Monday).

A view of the Lotus Temple (in white)
from my balcony at the ISKCON guest house Delhi

With nothing much to do that day, I decided to spend the rest of the day at the temple itself. The temple premises are huge; of all the ISKCON temples I have written about till now, this one is definitely the biggest.

Divine image of Lord Krishna along with His

beloved Radha with the ISKCON Temple in the background

Kaliya Nag Uddhar at the ISKCON temple Delhi

Before retiring for the day, I attended their Vedic sound and light show titled ‘Gita Saar’which was a 25 minute show aimed at Self realization through Lord Krishna’s teachings.