New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

This autumn, leaves will fall from the trees and blessings will fall from the heavens at the New Vrindaban 24 Hour Kirtan Festival in the mountains of West Virginia.

Hundreds gather to chant the Hare Krishna Mahamantra continuously for 24 hours, as is done in Vrindavan India 365 days a year.

In the holy month of Kartika, spiritual practices are magnified thousands of times, drawing pilgrims from across the globe to Vrindavan.
Now in New Vrindaban that seasonable opportunity is being made available to you.

Featuring some of the world’s most respected Bhakti chanters, the festival is open to all.

Who’s Singing?

Currently confirmed artists are Badahari das (Florida), Ajamila das (Toronto), Jagannath Kirtan das (Florida), Sugosh das (New Orleans), Bhakti Lata Bija dasi (Florida) Keshavacarya das (NYC) with many others about to confirm. Due

Dates

October 10th – 11st 2009. Kirtans start at 12 PM Saturday the 10th and ends 12 PM Sunday the 11st.

Resident spiritual teacher Varsana Swami will be speaking on The Appearance of Radha Kunda, the most confidential of pilgrimage places.

Family, friends, and all lovers of singing, dancing and heart-warming kinship are invited to join us for this first ever Kartika 24 Hour Kirtan Festival in New Vrindaban!

Tickets

The Kirtan is free! However, lodging and prasadam have its costs.  We have made a one price fee for the event.

The following is the rate is for the weekend.

Lodging & meals: $75

Cabins: $351

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I pray that I may be of some service
……To You, My Lord, today.
I pray that I may be of some service
…… To You, My Lord, today.
You are always the Potter
I am just but Your clay.
My Lord, You are The Source
…… You are The Force
Of all, so without You
There is nothing I can do.
Oh Krsna, You’re the Supreme Creator/
…… Divine Lover of All
And I’m insignificantly
…… Small and prone to fall…ing.
In Your arms I rest
You e’er do what’s best.
I know not how life will turn
But to practice letting go, I’ll daily learn.
…… I’m Yours, I’m Yours.
My Lord, I’m a tiny grain of sand
Meanwhile, huge worlds are under
…… Your Divine Command.
My empty cup is Yours to fill.
…… I’m Yours to use. . .
Do what You will
And I’ll be grateful still.
I’m Yours to use/ If You so choose.
I’m Yours, I’m Yours.

Sudhanu and his wife Lajjavati are residents of New Vrindaban who have lived here continuously longer than anyone else.  Here is a picture of Sudhanu getting initiated in Boston in July 1971.

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Last week, thirty students from West Virginia Northern Community College visited New Vrindaban. These first-year culinary students visited in two groups. Fifteen came on Tuesday, and another fifteen came on Thursday. The students were most interested in the teaching garden (across from the Palace Lodge) and the Garden of Seven Gates (above the cabins). They also visited the temple, barn, ISCOWP, and Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold.

The culinary students heard that ISKCON is the “kitchen religion,” and they learned the difference between bhoga and prasadam. They also heard that the consciousness of the cook effects the final product, and that the most important ingredient is love. One student took home a Higher Taste. With both groups, the instructor nodded toward Tapahpunja dasa and said, “This is the guy to come to. He’s the one who knows about farming.”

At ISCOWP, the students met the oxen that are used in agricultural work and learned how they are trained. They were completely charmed by the friendliness of the three Brahman oxen at the farm. Their hair coat was so soft and beautiful that the students could not stop petting them. One student told another, “I will never look at a hamburger the same again.”

A few students stayed behind after the program and visited the home of Balabhadra dasa. The students saw how Balabhadra dehydrates and cans ISCOWP’s garden vegetables. They visited ISCOWP’s root cellar, where the vegetables are stored for the winter.

Half a dozen students signed up to receive the ISCOWP newsletter. The instructor told Balabhadra that he would be back the same time next year, with a new group of students. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

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Dear Creative Devotees: The festival of Ram Vijaya, victory over Ravana, is due to be celebrated next Saturday, Sept. 26th.

We need someone who will VOLUNTEER to create Ravana…means building a frame for his body, stuffing it with straw, draping cloth over it, and topping it off with 10 fierce faces (fireworks are already purchased to add to the explosion)……..He needs to be ready to go by early evening on the 26th.

Please contact Malati-304-845-9591 or Sikhi Mahiti: 304-843-1600 ext. 105 with any offers of help.

We want to celebrate in grand style!   Hari bol!

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Dear Mothers, Grand-Mothers and Care Takers:

Vaishnavi Retreat is pleased to announce there will be Guided Children’s Activities concurrent with all sessions on Saturday and Sunday. The children must be minimally self sufficient (no babies) and able to follow instructions.

These sessions will be facilitated by Kirti devi dasi and Cakori Radha devi dasi, who are both very expert and loving. A small donation towards costs and materials in requested.

Retreat dates: Oct. 2, 3, 4th, 2009. New Vrindaban.

For further information: Call 304-845-9591 Write: _Servingkrishna@aol.com_
(mailto:Servingkrishna@aol.com)

Check our simple site: VAISHNAVIRETREAT.ORG

by Navina-Shyama das

Age of Garden: 15 years

Size of Garden: 60 feet by 35 feet

Food-bearing Crops: Beets, Bell peppers, Broccoli, Butternut Squash, Cabbage, Carrots, Chives, Corn, Green beans, Lettuce, Okra, Onions, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Apples

If you’ve ever been out to New Vrindavana’s own industrial complex, with its ghee factory, cookie plant and large goshala, you might think you’ve seen this community from one end to the other. But over the hay fields, just a short ATV ride further, and you’ll find the best corn this side of the Ohio River. Why is it so good? Well knock on Ranaka’s door, and he will explain to you that once corn is picked, the sugar starts turning into starch and the sweetness fades rapidly. “I won’t eat the cardboard they sell at Kroger’s, but this stuff is delicious!”

He grew up in the fields of Iowa, so he should know. But unfortunately he’s not the only one. The local raccoon population is mad over his sweet corn, and they come whether the doors are open or not. That’s why you’ll now find two strips of wire at both the top and bottom of the old fence. Only the bitter chill of electricity has been able to counter the temptation of succulent corn and convince the masked mammalian marauders to go elsewhere for their dinner.

Of course, the coons are only the latest excitement in the more than three decades since Ranaka moved to New Vrindavana. He has seen and been through it all, and just stuck with what he knows best: producing food and protecting cows. Whether he’s cooking down 55-pound blocks of butter, shipping off some fresh-baked organic cookies, or stockpiling several hundred tons of hay, he has no doubts that New Vrindavana is the place for him. “I’m just happy to be here. I feel blessed that Krishna has allowed me to be here for so long. There are the regular ups and downs, same as anywhere, but I guess you could say I’m content. This is the life for me!” Not everyone has the fortune to live in the holy dhama, but gardening and growing at least some of their food should be the life for everyone.

by Bhaktin Rita

Last weekend I met a nice couple from Columbus, Ohio. They had just visited Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold. They were completely awed by the artwork and craftsmanship, and by the rose garden and lotus pond. The Palace tour guide recommended that they visit the temple.

I pointed to the stained glass ceiling and explained that it was hand-made by devotees. I explained that the devotees has trimmed the feathers for the peacocks, and assembled the plumes by hand. They were extremely impressed by the hand-woven tapestries all around the temple room. They came back to the temple room to see the hand-carved teak wood chariot. And of course, they took so many pictures of the beautiful Deities!

I took them to Govinda’s Snack Bar to see the four large hand-made glass pictures. The lady owns a store which features glass art work, so she and her husband appreciated those pictures very much. In fact, her husband even expressed his appreciation for the frames – he found them to be works of art in their own right!

They told me over and over that they will return to New Vrindaban, so that they can take their time and really look around. Because they were so excited, I told them there is an ISKCON center in Columbus, and asked whether they would like to be put in contact with that center. I told them that although I do not know what kind of art work they have there, I am sure that they organize beautiful festivals. They agreed and gave me their contact information.

A devotee in Columbus e-mailed them and informed them that the center does in fact have some beautiful artwork, and they are welcome to stop by anytime.

Because this couple had expressed interest only in the handiwork and artwork in New Vrindaban, I was very pleasantly surprised to receive the following message today: “I was most impressed with a painting in the palace that depicted the full cycle of life..embryo to skeleton. It was a black and white, sepia tones perhaps. Our guide explained that it was striving to convey the shedding of our physical self and the realization of our spiritual self . . or something along those lines. Do you know which painting I’m referring to? I’ve googled every last thing I can think of and can’t find it anywhere. Help?”

I e-mailed her back and explained that the painting is showing that the body is merely a temporary covering for the soul, just as our clothes are a covering for the body. This is consistent with the Christian saying that “the body is a vessel.” Although the body changes, the soul never changes. Most importantly, we are the soul, not the body.

Furthermore, I invited her to visit the Detroit temple, which is practically an art gallery, later this month when she visits that city. And last but not least, the devotee in Columbus is giving her a copy of “Beyond Birth & Death,” which has this painting on the cover.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

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Saturday September 12th, 2009

Sri Krishna Janmashtami is one of the most popular and significant festivals in our Vedic tradition. In India, there are big celebrations followed by the Nandotsav, where devotees come together to express their love and devotion for Lord Krishna.

Our groups of devotees celebrate this festival in a sweet way each year by holding an event involving drama, music, lecture, Aarti, Abhishek, Kirtans and Janmashtami prasadam.

This year, we thought of celebrating the Appearance of the Lord in a relatively BIG way, i.e. instead of having a closed program, have a bigger celebration like a “mela”. We plan to have events on the stage from 2.00pm until 8.00pm, which will include, dramas, dances, bhajans, kirtans, Presentations, Music, recitations and more. Along with the stage event, we will set up tents around the main event area, which will host various activities such as exhibits of Krishna lila, gifts, Mehandi-gopi dots, prasadam, books, kids activities, Mantra Yoga, and more..

This way not only the larger Indian community in Pittsburgh can take the opportunity to worship the Lord, but also the local American community can get a glimpse into the ages old culture and heritage of India.

Krishna says in the Bhagavad-Gita that “One who gives this knowledge others is most dear to me”.

We are very sure that we can put up such a “Mela” for the pleasure of the lord, with all of your help and support. By the mercy of the Lord, miracles become a reality.

So, please mark your calendars for Saturday September 12th, 2009 for our First Annual – “INDIA CULTURAL FEST” an offering of Love to Lord Krishna @ Schenley Plaza, Oakland.

Here is how you can help:

· Join for the festivals
· You or your group can perform on the stage
· Help with ideas to make the festival more attractive.
· Volunteer your time and energy before and during the festival.

Please come forward and join us in this fun filled event. You can contact us for more details.

Thank you very much
Festival coordinators
Vanamali Gopal das – 412 725 3442 vbgummadi@yahoo.com
Sarita – srkveera@gmail.com

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Dear Devotees,

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

By the grace of Sri Sri Radha-Vrindaban Chandra and Srila Prabhupada, we will be celebrating Vrajmohan’s first birthday on Sunday, September 13th at the temple.

The program will begin at 11:45 am in front of Lord Jagannath’s altar and conclude with a special Sunday Feast.

The schedule is as follows:

11:45 am Yajna
12:15 pm Class by HH Varsana Swami & HG Malati Devi
1:00 Arati & Kirtan
1:45 Prasadam

Please add auspiciousness to the celebration by your blessed presence.

We humbly request that no gifts are brought.

Vrajmohan requires only your blessings and prayers.

Thank you!

Hare Krsna,

Your servants,

Ananda Tirtha Das
Radha Sundari Devi Dasi
Vrajmohan Das