New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

Check out this link to see a kirtan held on Lord Nirshimadev’s Appearance Day, the day before the Festival of Inspiration started.

” His Holiness Bhakti Marg Swami leading an amazing kirtan for Narasimha Caturdasi 2009. HH Radhanath and Devamrita Swamis dancing at Festival of Inspiration (FOI), New Vrindavan.”

From ISKCON News Weekly

Performing at ISKCON’s annual Festival of Inspiration this May for the seventh time in a row, professional comedian Yadunath Dasa is a ball of energy and edgy humor. His distinctive New Jersey accent booms out over the sound system as he simultaneously plays on the audience’s familiarity with internal ISKCON quirks and throws them unexpected curveballs, plunging them into waves of hysterical laughter.

Perhaps misguidedly, I expect to interview the same character—someone loud, gregarious, and delivering an incessant flow of punchlines.

What I get is a Yadunath who looks the same as he does onstage—small and wiry, smiley, and at 47, possessed of eternally youthful features. But this man is also thoughtful, almost quiet, careful in his answers and very genuine, both in his general attitude and in the depth of his feelings for spiritual life. “When I’m on stage, I have no qualms about being ‘big,’” he says. “But it’s a little uncomfortable for me when people want me to perform offstage too. Sometimes devotees will say stuff like, “I’m not letting you past here unless you tell me a joke.” I usually tense up when that happens, because I don’t have any back-pocket stuff. I don’t really tell jokes, like ‘a Hare Krishna and a Buddhist walk into a bar.’”

Born Joe DeGise II in New Jersey, where he still lives, Yadunath started his theater career early, putting on shows for his grandparents…

Read complete article here

Manorama das from New Vraja Dhama in Hungary visited New Vrindaban for the Festival of Inspiration and posted videos to his blog about his visit.  We have already posted a link to the first one here, these are the links to 3 more.

New Vrindaban videó 2.

New Vrindaban videó 3.

New Vrindaban videó 4

Thursday, May 7, Alachua, Florida — I settled down on my narrow bunk, people around me stacked in three tiers like immigrants in a Chinese city and beginning to snore. It wasn’t a five-star hotel, but ISKCON Youth Ministry’s Krishna Culture Festival Tour bus was definitely the way to travel. Soon the hum of the road would send me to sleep, and save for a bit of tossing and turning, I’d stay that way for at least half of our sixteen-hour journey.

Besides, a few nights away from my comfortable, stationary bed at home would be more than worth it. This was my first visit to Festival of Inspiration in New Vrindaban, West Virginia—an ISKCON institution and one of the most popular events of the year…

Read more here

“Like a great mountain, the Lord stands as the abode for all moving and nonmoving living entities. He is the friend of the snakes because Lord Ananta is His friend.”

Srimad Bhagavatam 3.8.30

Recently a snake was found and removed from the basement  of the CD building (originally known as the nursery building) when some things were being removed.  The immediate question was if it was a copperhead, the only poisonous snake in the New Vrindaban area. Here is a picture:

This snake is an immature black snake.  Here is a picture of a copperhead:

Key things about a copperhead is that most descriptions have them only up to 30-36″ (75 to 90 mm) long, which is smaller than the captured snake. Another is the triangular head typical of the pit viper family of snakes, and the coloration of the head is different than the rest of its body.

Beneficial snakes have a more diamond shaped head, as in the picture of the captured snake above. More mistakable for a copperhead is a juvenile black rat snake:

The duller coloration and the head are diagnostic.  Adult black rat snakes are all black, but as is seen in the photo of the captured snake, an immature one can still retain the juvenile patterning which does get it mistaken for a copperhead by those who have never seen a copperhead.

I have been here 35 years and only seen copperheads twice and that was away from buildings so they are a rarity. They are reclusive and live in rock faces away from people normally.

Rat snakes are extremely beneficial and help control the population of rodents.

Another snake that can be mistaken for a copperhead is a milk snake:

The difference is the red coloration and, again, the head.

Visitors to New Vrindaban  never see snakes if they stay in the temple area.  For the more adventorous who wander off the beaten path, only the lucky ones will ever catch a glimpse of a snake and then it is most likely to be a garter or black snake, both of which are beneficial and good to have around.

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from Grandpa Balabhadra & Grandma Chaya

Thursday, May 21, Lakshmi had an emergency cesarean due to a condition called Preeclampsia.

It is hypertension caused by pregnancy and is life threatening to child and mother.

Janaka Mahajan wanted to let everyone know that she is fine and the baby boy named Balaji is a healthy and peaceful baby.

We know that some devotees were praying for them and we wanted them and others to know all is well.

Thank you so much for your prayers which helped to bring about a healthy positive outcome.

Attached is a picture of Balaji about an hour after he was born.

June 20th 2009

The event we’ve all been waiting for. The third annual 24 Hour Kirtan in New Vrindaban. This year promises to be even bigger and better than before.

What is the 24 Hour Kirtan Festival?

The New Vrindaban 24 Hour Kirtan Festival started in 2007. The idea is to chant the Hare Krishna Mahamantra continuously for 24 hours, as is done in Vrindavan India 365 days a year. Featuring some of the world’s most respected Bhakti chanters, the festival is open to all.

Kirtans start at 8 AM Saturday the 20th and end 8 AM Sunday the 21st.

Who’s Singing?

Click here for the Who’s Who and info on registering plus recordings of previous years’ kirtans.

Check it out here.

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Before the Festival of Inspiration, a japa retreat was held in New Vrindaban. This is when devotees get together, stepping back from their day to day lives and focus on japa, including a day when they chanted 64 rounds. I have heard only good things from participants who came out of the retreat reenergized and recommitted to chanting their 16 rounds daily.

To hear Giriraj Swami speaking  during the japa retreat, click through to this web page.

Manorama das of New Vraja Dhama made a video of his recent visit to New Vrindaban. View it here.

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