New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

“Srila Prabhupada said that devotional service rendered in a Holy Dham like New Vrindaban is 1,000 times more potent than devotional service rendered anywhere else,” said Shanka dasa, New Vrindaban’s Kitchen Manager and Head Cook since 2001.  “So I try to engage as many guests as possible in the kitchen chopping vegetables, making bread, and other services.”

Shanka received initiation from Srila Prabhupada in 1973 and later served Srila Prabhupada personally in Mumbai.  “Every day, I used to make a flower garland and give it to him for Guru Puja,” remembers Shanka.  One day, after being chastised by his spiritual master for a mistake, Shanka felt so disheartened that he did not give Srila Prabhupada a flower garland that day.  Instead, he asked another devotee to give the garland to Srila Prabhupada.  Noticing Shanka’s absence, Srila Prabhupada immediately asked, “Where’s my flower boy?”  The next day, Shanka happily resumed his service.

Thirty years later, even though his service has changed, Shanka is still happy to be serving Srila Prabhupada.  “I get pleasure from seeing that all the guests get Krishna prasad,” he explained.  “Some of the guests tell me that they come back every year because the prasad is so good.”

Shanka invites everyone to render service in the Holy Dham.   During your next visit to New Vrindaban, please take advantage of the opportunity to spend a few minutes or a few hours in the kitchen with Shanka.

• Leave a comment...

Saturday, July 9th at 12 Noon is the NEW VRINDABAN RATHYATRA FESTIVAL

Come Early & help prepare the Rathyatra Cart, for more Blessings on this Auspicious Event.

GO THE BLISSFUL COUNTRY MILE WITH THEIR LORDSHIPS SRI JAGANNATH, SUBHADRA & BALADEV

Dancing Chanting & Feasting until the sun goes down, then followed by Jagannath Swan Boat Festival and Kirtans & Exotic Fireworks!

Honored guest H H Bhakti Sundar Goswami

Dedicated to ISKCON Founder Acharya A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

You can Sponsor the Feast, the Garlands, the Flowers, the Cake, the Dress,the Cart , the Fireworks, or the Entire Festival.

Contact: Malati dd: 304-845-9591 servingkrishna@aol.com

Chaitanya Bhagavata has a priest in ISKCON since the early 1990s and at at Srila Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold since the early 2006. He performs the daily worship services, conducts the Palace tours for visitors, and watches over the Palace at night to make sure nothing is amiss. Recently, he shared this story:

Two years ago, on a freezing winter day, Tripada and I were in the greenhouse redoing the molds for the pillars that decorate the Palace. Because of the frigid temperatures, no visitors had dared to venture out to the Palace for days. I was running from the greenhouse towards the Palace when to my surprise I noticed a white luxury car pull up. An American couple, dressed in black and in there mid 50’s stepped out of the car and walked into the Palace complex.

The gentlemen came over to me and said, “Sir, would you be able to give us a tour.” The gentleman with tears in his eyes proceeded to say that before his friend, a worker at the coal mines, die, he made us promise that we would come and take a tour of the Palace. I agreed, glad to give the man a tour.

They were respectful and attentive to everything I was saying. Then after we walked out of Srila Prabhupada’s bedroom I showed them the impression in clay of Prabhupada’s feet. To my surprise the gentlemen proclaimed, “Do you know why the feet of a prophet are worshiped?” As he said those words, his wife knelt by Srila Prabhupada’s feet. Her hands touching the encasement, she started praying.

He paused for a few seconds, looking at me he said, “The feet of a prophet go from village to village preaching God’s gospel.”

Dear Brijabasis,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

I am very happy to invite you for a Community Dialogue:

Date: Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Time: 6pm – 8pm
Place: ground floor of the Lodge
Prasadam: will be served after the meeting

Agenda/content:
The board members residing in New Vrindaban and the temple management will be present. There will be a short presentations on activities of the board and the management and ample time for questions and answers.

Please come and give us your feedback and input to improve our service to Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban-candra, Srila Prabhupada and all the community members.

Your servant,
Jaya Krsna das
Community President

2 bedroom
1 1/2 floors + full basement
Just under half acre of land

New electric forced air furnace and whole house weatherization.
Whole house uv filter for rain catch water system
1500 gallon underground cistern + 1500 gallon External holding tank for extra water

Tap fee and deposit already paid for city water when it comes down the road

Wood burning stove (Vermont Castings Defiant Encore) lots of wood for burning

High speed internet

House requires some septic system repair

Asking around $40,000.

Contact Rati Manjari Phone: (304) 845-2425 or raticamfield@yahoo.com

The following are three classes on Nectar of Devotion which were given by H.H. Bhakti Charu Swami on 20 – 22 June 2011 in New Vrindavan, USA.

On 22 June 2011 there was also a Srimad Bhagavatam class.

Click here to hear them.

Kindly provided by H.G. Aditya Narayan Prabhu

Presenters wanted for

10th Annual Vaishnavi Retreat: 2011

Sept. 30th, Oct. 1st & 2cd

New Vrindaban: Land of Lord Krishna

As the Retreat enters it’s tenth year, we cordially invite interested Vaishnavi’s to consider sharing their talent and expertise, their wisdom and spiritual knowledge during this special occasion.

Topics can be diverse with the underlying criteria being to connect with the teachings of Srila Prabhupada in practice. Broad areas include shastra, sadhana, japa, bhajans, kirtans, Krishna Prasad, Deity Worship, yoga, health and well-being, to name a few…..as Krishna is unlimited, so are the topics related to serving and glorifying Him.

We welcome and encourage Vaishnavi youth and “first timers” to participate. Suggestions also welcomed!

Please contact Malati dasi

malatidevi@aol.com
304-845-9591

for further information and details about presenting at the Retreat.

• Leave a comment...

His Holiness Bhakti Raghava Swami will be visiting New Vrindaban from Wednesday, June 29 through Friday, July 1.  Maharaja is the National Minister for the Daiva Varnasrama Ministry which is dedicated to rural development.

During his visit, Bhakti Raghava Swami would like to meet with as many New Vrindaban devotees as possible.  Therefore, please attend as many of the following programs as possible!

DATE:  Wednesday, June 29
TIME:  6:00pm
EVENT:  Home program
LOCATION:  Nityodita & Radha’s

NOTES:  Dogs will be locked down

DATE:  Thursday, June 30
TIME:  8:00am
EVENT:  Srimad-Bhagavatam class
LOCATION:  Temple room

DATE:  Thursday, June 30
TIME:  6:00pm
EVENT:  Home program
LOCATION:  Damodara & Gopa’s

DATE:  Friday, July 1
TIME:  8:00am
EVENT:  Srimad-Bhagavatam class
LOCATION:  Temple room

On June 17, Gopal’s Garden Homeschool Co-op held its end-of-the-year celebration.  “This year we had five full-time students in grades 1, 2 and 3,” said Ruci devi dasi, tutor at Gopal’s Garden.  “Next year, we will be expanding.  We will have at least nine students, and possibly more.”

Gopal’s Garden will also be expanding its teaching staff for the 2011 – 2012 school year.  New Vrindaban will welcome back Lila Suka devi dasi as an additional full-time tutor.

“Lila Suka and I were teachers at New Vrindaban’s former Nandagram School, which had a K standing (a religious school) from the state of West Virginia. And during the last ten years of the school’s existence, we ran it together as co-principals. Nandagram School ceased to function in 1999,” said Ruci.  “Although Lila Suka moved to the Pittsburgh area shortly after the school closed, she has always visited New Vrindaban frequently.  The parents and children at Gopal’s Garden all know Lila Suka and everyone is excited to have her back.”

Gopal’s Garden is a safe place for children to receive a Krishna conscious education.  This year, the students memorized 25 Bhagavad-Gita verses in Sanskrit as well as their English translations.

At the same time, the students receive a well-rounded education in secular subjects including math and geography.  Moreover, this past year, the students spent at least one hour each day on reading and another hour on writing.  At the end-of-the-year celebration, each student received a spiral-bound book with his or her writing inside.  “The students are all now self-published authors,” said Ruci.  “They went through all the steps of publication including revising, editing, and formatting their books.  It was a vey productive year, and next year is set to be even better.”

An organizational meeting and registration for the 2011 — 2012 school year will take place at the end of July.  For more information regarding Gopal’s Garden Homeschool Co-op, please contact story108@juno.com or call 304-845-6840.

Dear Community Members and Well Wishers of New Vrindaban,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

New Vrindaban will organize for the first time a Puspha Abhisheka Festival on July 30, 2011.

Devotees from near and far are invited to participate in this special festival for Their Lordships. We plan to shower 100s of pounds of flower petals onto the Deities and afterwards onto the devotees present.

We will need a lot of flowers and would be very happy for any contribution from your side. Please let me know if you see any way to provide flowers from your garden for this exquisite service to Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra or if you can make a donation for purchasing flowers.

Thank you very much for your consideration. Hare Krishna.

Your servant,
Jaya Krsna das
Community President
ISKCON New Mathura Vrindaban
RR 1 Box NBU 29
Moundsville, WV, 26041
phone: 304 843 1600, extension 149
mobile: 304 312 0644
Skype: Jaya Krsna das

• Leave a comment...