New Vrindaban Brijabasi Spirit

by festivalofinspiration.org

Sri Web site is “just now coming” with a slightly different address (www.festivalofinspiration.org) but here is a glimpse of what you can expect to happen during North America’s most popular Krishna family get-together during the Appalachian Spring in New Vrindaban, 2008 and you can be sure that more is on the way!

Dates: May 9, 10, 11, 2008 Venue: New Vrindaban, (Moundsville, WV) Current list of invited Presenters include:

1. Radhanath Swami
2. Romapada Swami
3. Bhakti Marg Swami
4. Sachinandana Swami
5. Candramauli Swami
6. Varsana Swami
7. Anuttama das
8. Sri Nandanandana das
9. Garuda das (author)
10. Brahma Tirtha & Bhakti devi
11. Narayani dd
12. Vraja Lila dd
13. Divyambara dd
14. Jaya Govinda das
15. Nrshimananda das
16. Sankirtan das
17. T. Punja das
18. Damodar das
19. Venkatta Bhatta das
20. Gauravani das
21. Yadunath & Beth
22. Mystery Guest TBA
23. All of you

In addition to scholarly realized presentations and practically oriented topics, there will be our normal range of inspired entertainment along with this year’s special offering to Srila Prabhupada:

“An Evening of Devotion” three hours of Kirtan Yagna guided by H H Sachinanda Swami and others in an intimate atmosphere of that will engage your senses in the realm of Krishna Bhakti.

Festival Fee (includes all events and Prasad 3 X’s a day/ does not include accommodation)
$151 for adults 18 & older
$76 for youth 13 to 17
$50 for children 7 to 12
(no fee) ages 1 day to 6 years.

Accommodation: Call 304-843-1600 ext. 111 (Shared discounted accommodation ONLY during Festival!)

Local Hotels & Motels Information

www.wheelingcvb.com/lodging.cfm

 Contact: servingkrishna@aol.com at anytime.

Call 304-845-9591 after March 12th.
Nearest Airport: Pittsburgh, PA (1 ½ hrs drive)
Nearest Bus: Wheeling, WV (25 minutes drive)
Pick-up’s by prior request only/ no pick ups after 10:30 pm $60 round trip per person/ group rates

Another option: Local Car Service 800-326-2907

The current RVC temple was opened in 1983 with a lavish installation ceremony that was well attended and publicized. At that point, it still seemed that New Vrindaban would become the successful place of pilgrimage in the West that Srila Prabhupada had envisioned.

This is a picture from the installation festivities showing Radhanath Swami giving a tour to the then, and current, US Congressman from West Virginia representing our district, Alan Mollahan. This was like a coming out party for New Vrindaban into the national stage.

Everything seemed so hopeful and bright then. Imagine what could have been if foolish mistakes hadn’t been made. Imagine what could still be.

Click on the thumbnail for a larger view.

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by Mandali dasi

Dear devotees!

Please accept our humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

  Once again we are graced with the opportunity to engage in the glorification of our dear most Lord Sri Nityananda Prabhu, the bestower of the Holy Name!

 This year His Appearance Day Celebration is on Monday February 18th.

As part of the great celebration, the pujari department of Sri Sri Radha Vrindavan Chandra Mandir hereby invites all of you to participate in the abiseka and evening bhogha offering to the most merciful Lord of all, the crest jewel of all paramahamsa mendicants!

 All of you will be able to bathe the Lord regardless of initiation and all of you can prepare a small (or large) cooked or raw bhogha offering we will place on tha altar for the Lord to enjoy your heartfelt devotion and exquisite cooking skills!

  PLEASE BRING YOUR BHOGHA OFFERINGS BY 6:15 PM  to the deity room so we can transfer and them in time!

One thing that always makes their Lordships happy is abundance of flowers and we can never get enough of them!

 For any information regarding the deities, the ways you can take part in the abhisheka, drssing etc. please contact Mandali dasi at cell 347 409 3897

 The preliminary tentative celebration program schedule THAT WILL BE UPDATED as soon as possible is as follows:

 5:20 PM Lecture (not confirmed)

 6:00 PM Abhisheka and Bhajans

 7:00 PM Sandhya arati, kirtana and entertainment (entertainment still to be to be confirmed)

 8:00 PM Feast  prepared by (Rukmavati dd, Purnamasi dd, Radha dd and Vidya dd)

 For any information regarding the deities, the ways you can take part in the abhisheka, dressing, deity offerings etc. please contact Mandali dasi at cell 347 409 3897

 For any information about the kitchen, entertainment, festival timings etc. please contact Rukmavati Dasi at cell: 304 238 8520.

Thank you very much! We are eagerly expecting your visit!

 Your servants from the New Vrindavan Nityananda Trayodasi Festival Team

 ————————–

Govindam adi purusam tam aham bhajami…

By Hladini Devi Dasi

O-Dirt—You’ve been plaguing my life since time immemorial!
O-Dirt—I know you’ve become attached-But PLEASE GET OUT OF MY LIFE!!!
I’ve consulted the most ardent authorities as to how to rid myself of you-
But I turn my back, and you are once again embracing my torn and ragged self.

WHAT MUST I DO??? To become free from you???

O-Dirt—We’ve been together so long that my name has become one with yours
When one thinks of me, He automatically thinks of you..
And when one thinks of you, It is most likely brought back to me.
Are we eternal associates?????

Or—Can I break through, and simply not cater to your onslaughts and aggression-
I simply pray for the knowledge and the strength
For someday—Someday—I shall destroy you.

(Written at Madhuvana in 1974. Sometimes referred to as the Ode to Dirt. Hladini had no other title line for it but just “Dirt”. (mrupa))

by mrupa

In the earlier days, Mud was a personality in its own right in the universal form of the dhama.

Mud was almost all pervasive; it didn’t only live behind the cow barn, but one step out of any doorway. A throughway of it ran down the middle of Bahulavan and poured down two driveways along the embankment that led to the main road—which in the very early days was also mud when wet. Mud added earth tone color to everything from clothes to boots to socks to animals, man and machine.

A couple successive rainy days would usher in the 18inch brown stand out hemline on every sari. (In the cold months the frozen wet hems would act something like a dulled saw blade scraping bleeding scratches on calves and ankles). There was an old floor length formal black prom dress that in conjunction with a beat up army jacket served as the stool clothes for the women for what seemed like ages. It had the record Mud hem of any piece of clothing on the farm, Depending on how tall you were, it came up to mid-thigh or so. It was pretty much impossible to be discreet about what you were doing or where you were going with that get up on.

New Vrindavana Mud had a life and sense of determination of its own. It was simultaneously one of the most cloying of natural glues; as attested to by the myriad numbers of boots sucked off feet and hopelessly embedded in the muck. And the leg muscle training devotees could get by carrying 10lb. mud overshoes on each foot while trying to walk from one place to another.

Yet the Mud was so slippery it was the most nearly impossible substance to walk uphill against even slightly, without being unceremoniously dumped on your face. Or, if you possessed a truly transcendental sense of balance, you might just simply slide helplessly back down any incline you were trying to scale time after time.

Mud was the great leveler, nature’s crash course in how we are not the controller. Living and working with it was an exercise in true grit.

Mud was one of the first scouring ‘powders’ in New Vrindavana. The best way to clean the pots being used to cook for the mammoth 1972 Bhagavat Dharma festival was to use mud mixed with ashes (and the circular center of a Mason jar lid) for the really baked and burned on stuff.

And of course, mud was also unlimitedly and readily available tilak.

There was one other embankment incline at Bahulavan; a short 10ft. shot that left you rather abruptly at the doors to the duplex style outhouse behind RVC’s temple.

When that little slide was in form it could, if you aimed yourself right through art or accident, shoot you straight through the doorway and into the seating arrangement of the business closet in one fluid motion. On occasion it could cause rather embarrassing albeit amusing close encounters between someone sliding pell-mell down the bank into the surprised arms of anyone just exiting one of the doors.

There is, of course, no plumbing in an outhouse. The refuse was managed by lying down on your stomach, extending your torso as far over the edge of the pit beneath the seats of the house as you could without overtiping yourself and scooping out the deposits by hand from the big containers beneath with a cut off milk jug. Then you put each scoopful of the material into a 55gal. barrel waiting to be hauled out by the horse cart to the fields.

It was quite and extraordinary experience: serving the devotees in a very fundamental way, being in such prolonged and close contact with the ‘dust’ of the Vaishnavas, and the witness of one of Srila Prabhupada’s examples…the worm in stool.

If the receiving barrel stood long enough while it was full enough, you could actually see the little critters swimming around in there, diving and wiggling. I tried two experiments with them. Took one out and sure enough the little guy was just in a major sweat to get back into the soup. One Sunday after the feast I brought out a little halavah. And, yup, just like Prabhupada said, you can offer them halavah, but they’re not interested one little bit. The poor little blighters; how like them we can be.

Saturday, February 2nd, the ladies of New Vrindaban gathered together at Mother Gopa’s house for kirtan, prasadam, catching up with each’s other news, and a little game.

Based on an idea from a book called, “Eat, Pray, and Love”, we played a word game to communicate our thoughts, hopes and dreams. I wrote up a sheet asking each lady to do the following:

1. In one word, please describe your life in 2007

2. In one word, please express your personal goal for 2008

3. As a devotee, and and as a woman, try and think of a word to help inspire and make our community a better place in which to live.

Here’s some of the answers we received last night.

Life in 2007: Miraculous, hectic, blessed, nourishing, a gift, transformation, great, busy, disappointing, painful, unpredictable, hopeful, wonderful, interesting, improving, and past…..

Goals for the future, 2008: To be alive, perseverence, service, sadhana, better rounds, to improve realtionships with other devotees, develop faith, devotion, self-establishing, Bhakti yoga, spiritual advancement, connectedness, focus, more loving….

Last, but not least, here’s what the women of New Vrindaban think about improving and inspiring our community: To be THANKFUL, FORGIVING, INSPIRE BY EXAMPLE, CARING, LOVING, COMMITMENT, MORE COMMUNICATION(This one was noted four different times), MORE GET-TOGETHERS, COOPERATION in personal dealings with other devotees, MORE DANCING, HONESTY!!!, HELPING EACH OTHER, BEING GRATEFUL, ATTENTIVENESS and the three most interesting were: MORE DEVOTION TO LORD JAGANNATH, SERVING SRILA PRABHUPADA, and the funniest one was RELOCATE!!!!!

So men of New Vrindaban what do you think?? We think that behind every good idea, and good community – there are GOOD WOMEN dedicated to serving the Lord. I hope that everyone will be inspired and take all these good ideas to heart. Hare Krishna.

The First Annual Lord Jagannath Cooking Contest and Food Festival took place this past Friday, February 1st to the delight of numerous devotee taste buds here in New Vrindaban Dham.

The program began in front of Lord Jagannath’s altar, with a few wondrous devotional tunes sung by our local maestro, HG Devananda Pandit Prabhu, followed by a spirited telling of Lord Jagannath’s original pastimes in America with Srila Prabhupada and the devotees in San Francisco, told by HG Malati Prabhu. We were even treated to the “fruit punch” pastime, making all the devotees assembled vow to never take any bhogi drinks from hippies ever again.

The fun then headed to the Guest Prasad Hall, where the Cooking Contest was fired up. The esteemed judges (HG Balabadra Prabhu, Dr. Nick, and HG Tejomaya Prabhu) were all experienced masters of the fine intricacies of texture, taste, and soulful impact that make up the prasad experience.

Our contestants produced a wide variety of dishes, from pastas such as lasagna and ravioli, a bean burger made from organically grown-beans from our own local gardens, and many sumptuous sweets as burfi, apple crisp, and even a genuine chocolate eclair.

For these poor judges, the arduous task of tasting such delights was almost too much to handle, but they trudged through the austerities of transcendental flavor, and after much careful deliberation and re-tasting, it was decided that Mother Dhara’s Homemade Burfi was the winner!

The Lasagna made by Mother Saci came in a close second, and all the assembled devotees proceeded to feast upon said lasagna and all the wondrous Jagannath-maha.

Future Dham contests may include a strongman contest, or a devotee decathlon. I vote for a cricket tournament. Stay tuned here to Brijabasi Spirit for more details.

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Dear Friends of Lord Krishna,

Many of you who have visited the temple room of Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Candra have seen several changes taking place. I will not go into a lengthy description of details but rather try to give you the general idea we have in mind.

The conception is to give our temple room a nice, fresh and lighter look. It has been noted on several occasions how our temple room is quite gloomy and worn out. Many guests of NV are very much inspired to help the temple have a facelift and to move forward towards complete rejuvenation.

So far in the RVC temple room changes were made as such:

” Guru Asana of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada was moved to face Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Candra as it commonly done in most ISKCON temples. That also provided a space for book display and a life size murti of Srila Prabhupada . That area will be further developed into a more comprehensive display with interactive presentation.

“Front doors of the temple were re-hung to meet the standards of fire safety. With the kind donation of Bhakta Joe proper door stoppers were installed.

“All the chairs and furniture were padded with cloth pads to prevent scratches on the floor.

“Door to prasadam hall was fixed and handle installed.

“Major restoration work was done by Soma Prabhu on the pillars and walls of the temple, which previously were damaged with holes. Although Sudhanu Prabhu had prepared molds many years ago, it is only a few weeks ago that job was completed. Now, if you did not know the holes were there, you have no chance of finding any trace of them.

“There is a painting experiment for the painting of the interior in the area next to Narasimha altar which was selected as a trial area and for you to see. The objective is to achieve a warm light neutral color combination and to complete the work by the Festival of Inspiration. The work is being done by professional painters with years of work experience and the best materials available on the market. If you have a very strong opinion about how you want your temple room to look, please pick up a paint sample in the Sherwin Williams store and give it to Jaya Murari Prabhu. Also if you want to express your opinion please do so to Jaya Murari Prabhu, who will work on a community poll for the issue of paint selection.

More to come ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,stay tuned .

Your servant, Janaka Mahajana Das

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New Vrindaban’s First Annual Lord Jagannatha Food Fest and Cooking Competition

February 1^st Friday

7: 45 PM!!!!

ALL WELCOME

Judged by a panel of experienced Prasadam Lovers, winner will take home:

First Prize of $100 and title of NV’s Best Cook of 2008

To qualify for participation you must :

Be a resident of greater NV community.

Bring one (1) cooked food preparation for registration in contest before

7:00 PM on Friday Feb 1st in Pujari Room.

Please do not offer your prep, it will be offered to Lord Jagannatha.

These pictures show the renovations in progress, from the old original dark brown color to what you see with these contrasting lighter colors.

  

 

The Temple Room is starting to be repainted, and the initial color scheme looks like it will brighten the whole room up considerably, undoubtly saving considerable on electric consumption.  I can remember that from time to time, there had been talk of doing this for well over a decade, and it’s finally really happening. Just recently Soma Prabhu has finished repairing and replacing large sections of the fancy columns, baseboards and overhead beams, which had been cut for remodeling or broken in over a dozen large places over the last ten years or more.

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