A Network of Friends - Bhaktivedanta Manor

September 2012
Dedicated to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
Srila Prabhupada:
The Lord says that He appears
in His own body. He does
not change His body, as the
common living entity changes
from one body to another.
The conditioned soul may
have one kind of body in
the present birth, but he has
a different body in the next
birth. The Lord, however,
does not do so. Whenever He
appears, He does so in the
same original body, by His
internal potency.
Bhagavad Gita 4,6 purport
As London marked the end of the
2012 Olympics, Bhaktivedanta
Manor held its famous Janmashtami
Festival on Friday 10th and Sunday
12th August.
Janmashtami is the birthday of all
birthdays, that day when we can put
everything from our busy lives to one
side and gather together to celebrate
the birth of the all-attractive,
best friend of everyone, Krishna!
Pilgrims eagerly queued to get a
glimpse of Him in his dazzling Deity
form standing on the temple room
shrine. The charming cowherd boy
A Network of Friends
Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them unto thy soul with hoops of steel.
- William Shakespeare
There’s no hoops of steel at Bhaktivedanta Manor,
but we do agree with Shakespeare. He thought that
friendship was so important in life that you should
always keep your good friends close to you. The same
applies to spiritual life. When the Lord Buddha was
told by a disciple that good friends were half of all
success in life, he replied: “No, that is not true; they are
everything in spiritual life.”
...continued on page 3
was celebrating His birthday with
Radharani, His beautiful consort,
and His devotees were ecstatically
singing and dancing!
Tens of thousands of delicious meals
were prepared for Krishna’s huge
birthday party. These meals are so
famous that the BBC spent the whole
day capturing exclusive footage of
the preparation of those meals in
the kitchens. Those kitchens were in
operation 24 hours a day preparing
free vegetarian meals for everyone.
...continued on page 4
Bhaktivedanta Manor Newsletter
September 2012
Providing Spiritual Support at the Olympics
London 2012 was revolutionary
in many ways, even from a spiritual
dimension. One of the unique features
of the Olympic site was a multi-faith
centre, strategically placed in the heart
of the Athletes' Village, offering easy
and ready access to anyone who felt the
need to seek spiritual guidance.
Sachi Kishore das served as one of the
chaplains at the centre, taking on a range
of responsibilities such as facilitating a
puja ceremony on the day of Janmastami.
He also provided pastoral care to those
who visited, and administered yoga
and meditation sessions, instilling inner
stability and strength in the athletes. He
also met with support coaches, staff and
volunteers.
“The multi-faith centre was in my opinion
one of the vital aspects of London 2012,”
Sachi Kishore das explained. “It offered
a haven where anyone was welcome
to come and meditate or read from
scriptures. For me, this added a much
needed spiritual touch to the Olympics,
making the Games truly complete”.
Sharing Festival Magic
with the Olympics
Ajay Kumar has been a volunteer
at Bhaktivedanta Manor for over 15
years, and the skills and experience he
gained during that time has led him onto
great things. As Chair of the Festival
Committee, he was accepted on the
London Organising Committee of the
Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Caring on our Farm
The Manor's farm has been a resource
for various local groups including
Watford Probation Service, Watford
and Radlett Adult Education Groups,
Harrow Juvenile Probation Service, and
groups from Mill Hill and Harrow West.
In addition devotees and dedicated
volunteers facilitate the running of the
Farm, working under Krishna Chaitanya,
the Head of Horticulture.
The project has received a grant from
Lafarge to enhance surroundings and
accesibility.
Rathayatra Across UK
The Deities of Lord Jagannath, Baladev
and Subhadra have completed their
summer UK tour, with successful Ratha
Yatra festivals in Cardiff, Leicester and
Brighton, being the most recent. BBC
Midlands Today news gave extensive
coverage of the Leicester festival and
Olympic football fans witnessed the
festival in Cardiff.
Page 2
Cllr Jean Heywood opened the facility
“My interest in Event Management
began when I started volunteering my
time and energy for the Manor festivals,”
Ajay explained. “What we do at the
Manor is inspiring, magnificent and
magical and I hope that my experience
working on festivals like Janmashtami
helped make London 2012 the success
that it was.”
Olympic Chanting
During the build up to the London
Olympics, local devotees oranised a
range of inspiring Olympic themed
events. Twice a week throughout the
period a series of presentations geared
towards spiritual health and selfimprovement took place and a marathon
of regular public chanting processions
were staged across central London.
Highlights included days of devotee
singers and musicians sharing the Hare
Krishna mantra from the top of a bus!
Bhaktivedanta Manor Newsletter
September 2012
Save the River Yamuna
A network of friends
...continued from page 1
The National Anthem of India declares
how the name of India rouses the heart
and resounds in both the sacred rivers of
Yamuna and Ganga. Unfortunately, these
days no joy can be found in the flow
of untreated sewage and factory waste
from the Shahdara drain of Delhi and
other drains. What is clearly resounding
is that such neglect is responsible for
an environmental disaster of massive
proportions with a huge threat to human
health.
Today millions of Krishna devotees
from around the world still bathe in the
Yamuna’s waters as it travels through the
holy towns of Mathura and Vrindavan.
Millions of people also depend on it
for bathing, their economic needs and
religious rituals.
On 8 August 2012, coinciding with a
mass gathering in Mathura, Hindus
around the world delivered letters of
concern to the Indian Embassies in
their respective countries. In London
members of ISKCON, The National
Council of Hindu Temples, the Hindu
Council UK, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad
UK and the Hindu Forum of Britain
and delivered a letter of appeal to the
High Commissioner His Excellency Dr J
Bhagwati insisting he take up the matter
with India’s Prime Minister.
The campaigning sadhu, Shri Brajraj
Sharan, brought his solemn message
to Bhaktivedanta Manor’s Janmasthami
festival, where he collected thousands of
signatures for a petition that will be sent
to the Indian government, and, along
with Radhanath Swami, was interviewed
on BBC Radio 4.
“The river water can be easily returned
and there are solutions available,"
explained Shri Brajraj Sharan. "All we
need to save the sacred heritage of so
many people is the political will to do
so.”
The demand is that the Indian Government
lives up to India’s own Supreme Court
High Powered Committee ruling of 1998
that:
1. Sewage should be diverted away
from the Yamuna river and be
treated.
2. The states through which the river
flows should maintain a constant
and adequate flow of natural fresh
flow in river Yamuna throughout,
to protect and preserve the river’s
ecology.
For
more
information,
www.saveyamuna.org
visit
So the Manor has spent the last year
helping its congregation re-form into
groups of friends with its Mentorship
System. There’s been help and support
from many ISKCON leaders throughout
the world. Three training sessions from
international speakers, and a grand launch
which was done in the presence and with
the blessings of His Holiness Bhakti
Rasamrita Swami and two members
of GBC Devotee Care Committee,
Sridama das and Kisori devi dasi. These
programmes have significantly helped
to give the project shape and direction.
There are currently 50 mentors, 160
mentees and a dedicated section of the
Manor website, already viewed by 800
visitors.
So if you’d like to enhance your spiritual
life with regular support from a devotee
friend, please visit:
www.krishnatemple.com/mentorship
“ISKCON is a very young movement and it
needs systematic organization and support
to grow. This growth is dependent upon
proper preaching to the mass, cultivation of
interested individuals, training them when
they come within the fold and eventually
engage them in devotional service. All these
purposes are perfectly fulfilled through this
Mentorship program”
- His Holiness Bhakti Caru Swami
"I have heard that you are launching
the Mentorship System at Bhaktivedanta
Manor tomorrow. It's about time. We have
been working with it for over two years in
Hungary and it has really done wonders
for the individuals who participate in it as
well as for the devotees community. It is
systematic sadhu sanga for devotees really
committed to becoming Krsna conscious and
I can't recommend it enough."
- His Holiness Sivarama Swami
The delegation of leaders and representatives after they delivered the letter to the Indian High Commissioner in London
Page 3
Bhaktivedanta Manor Newsletter
There is always something
different in the main festival field and this
year was no exception: “2012- the end of the
world?” was a daring play about potential
world disaster and the spiritual solution;
while the Pandava Sena offered “True
Lies”, a dual experience of motion and
theatre. Due to popular demand, everyone
got a chance to swing baby Krishna!
...continued from page 1
Every birthday party requires family and
friends to help with decorations, food,
invites and entertainment and this party
was no different. Numerous volunteers
gathered every evening after work for a
month and put in countless hours of hard
work to set everything up just right.
September 2012
“Olympic Games and the Human Race”.
Later the Bhaktivedanta Players performed
a charming drama called “Sakshi Gopal”,
and the special featured artist was Shivali
Bhammer who sang from her new album.
All this built up to midnight, which marks
the time of Krishna’s birth. This was
celebrated with the bathing (abhishek) of
the Deities of Radha and Krishna in front
of a rapturous crowd.
The main marquee was a spectacle of
music, dance and drama performed by
friends from across England. Devotees
from Coventry performed a drama called
Ambaben Jyoti, who is 101 years old this January, was the
most senior person to have ever attended Janmashtami at
Bhaktivedanta Manor.
“It was great to meet so many people who had
come to celebrate this important date in the
Hindu calendar. Many congratulations must go
the organisers for their efforts in making the
festival such a success. I am always made to feel
very welcome when I visit the Manor and I really
look forward to attending more events there in
the future.”
Ron Hon Theresa Villiers MP, Minister of
Transport
Bhaktivedanta Manor Newsletter
September
2012 for their
“Thank you to everyone
at the Manor
kind hospitality yesterday. My wife and I received
the warmest of welcomes from everybody we
met and made many more friends. There is such
a wonderful atmosphere at all your events and the
work that is put into them by your huge team of
volunteers is nothing short of amazing”.
Cllr Dave Hewitt, Vice Chairman of Hertfordshire
County Council
“We had a wonderful day and thoroughly enjoyed
joining in with the thousands of devotees who
were friendly and welcoming. The organization
of the event was very impressive- - so well
planned and yet so relaxed. Despite vast crowds
the atmosphere is calm and unhurried and a great
credit to you all”.
Cllr Charles Kelly, Mayor of Elstree and
Borehamwood
"I loved my visit to Janmashtami and was
moved by the warmth of your welcome and the
generosity of your hospitality. There was an
atmosphere of calm and serenity even though you
fed so many people and it was very special to see
so many families enjoying themselves, all made
possible by the huge number of volunteers you
had helping. It will be one of the highlights of
my year as High Sheriff."
The Hon Mrs Stuart-Smith, The High Sheriff of
Hertfordshire
Bhaktivedanta Manor Newsletter
September 2012
Srila Prabhupadas’s Vyasa Puja celebrating Krishna’s pure devotee
On this auspicious day devotees celebrate
the appearance in this world of Krishna’s
pure devotee- - His Divine Grace A.C
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. This
day is known as Vyasa-Puja, meaning
the appearance of the representative
of Srila Vyasadev, or more simply
the appearance day of the spiritual
master. On Vyasa Puja, the disciples,
grand disciples and followers of Srila
Prabhupada are given the opportunity
to recite their heartfelt homage’s, with
senior members sharing fond memories
of his association.
Dhananjaya das, one of the most senior
British disciples of Srila Prabhupada,
presided over the ceremonies. "It was
wonderful to hear such a wide range of
offerings throughout the day from so
many different kinds of devotees,” he
explained, “It will be great when we will
able to build extended facilities, a haveli,
at Bhaktivedanta Manor because during
the event the rooms were bursting at the
seams!"
Srila Prabhupada’s mercy is always
accessible to everyone through his
books, tapes and videos, - but on the
Vyasa Puja day his presence is especially
felt.
Raja Bhoga Recipes new cook book
A new book is now available at the
reception of Bhaktivedanta Manor, "A
Selection of Raj Bhoga Recipes" by
Dhama Sevana das. Raj Bhog means
food fit for a king, and that king is Lord
Krishna Himself who at noon is offered
the largest offering made to the Temple
Deities throughout the day.
cooking skills and knowledge with
Krishna Kishor’s ability to transcribe the
recipes to written word.
For more details visit:
www.rajabhoga.com
The book reveals the unique ingredients
and methods used for preparing the Raja
Bhoga.
Welsh Green Gathering
Many skilled devotees prepare Raja
Bhoga for the Deities, but Dhama Sevana
das has dedicated the last fifteen years
perfecting the dishes. Complier Krishna
Kishor das, a retired research chemist,
joined Dhama Sevana das in the Deity
Kitchen, and together they produced the
marvellous book. It combined Dhama’s
The motto for this year’s Welsh Green
Gathering was 'small is beautiful',
yet there was a sizeable devotee
presence. The torrential rain didn’t
stop Mahavishnu Swami leading
chanting processions around the site
and the liberal distribution of santified
vegetarian food (prasad) followed.
Page 6
Bhaktivedanta Manor Newsletter
September 2012
JANMASHTAMI 2012
ISKCON Pandava Sena proudly
presented an exciting production
that goes by the name, ‘True
Lies’ this year for Janmashtami.
The drama, which consisted of
filmed footage and a live stage
performance, was about a snap
shot of a typical students life, at
a typical party to how different
people have different perspectives
of the same situation due to their
environment, experiences and
association.
The scenes were filmed at a
mansion in Carpenters Park using
the latest in film technology, worth
thousands of pounds, making the
final video worthy of being played
in local cinemas! Sahil Agarwal,
the president of Pandava Sena
said ‘The house was literally
transformed into a film set, with
around fifty youth acting in it.
Although it was intense filming the
scenes it was definitely rewarding
and everyone had an amazing
time. It will be good to see the
bloopers!’
Apart from days of rehearsals of
the live stage performance and
decorating the actual stage area,
the other side of the Pandava
Sena tent consisted of around
thirty volunteers painting and
decorating the membership area.
The membership area was where
people who came to see the show
could find out a little bit more
about Pandava Sena; about all
the different, exciting projects we
do from Krishna Consciousness
Societies at universities to retreats
abroad called Senagetaways.
Yaajan Govindia, a student at
Haberdashers Boys school
commented ‘A whole wall in the
membership side showed the
past, present and future of Sena,
from when they used to campaign
to save the manor to the amazing
seminars we have all over the UK.’
er
Kavi Sivy
Age: 19
Studying
esign
D
ic
h
p
a
r
G
dshire
@ Hertfor
University
How did you find out about Psena?
I first of all found out about Psena through
reading one of these articles in the manor
newsletter actually! After that I met a member
of the Pandavasena one Friday at the temple,
and he invited me along to one of their Harrow
jammin’ sessions. After that I just met more
great people, found out about more projects and
decided to get more involved.
What did you like about the events?
They also signed up a record
four-hundred and fifty new
members who showed interest
to our modern drama on how
to add a spiritual dimension to
your life. Hennel Agarawal, the
leader of the tent mentioned ‘Its
so important that we sign up
new people to Pandava Sena
to give them an opportunity to
experience spirituality but, even
more important is that existing
members feel enlivened, enthused
and cared for while serving in the
tent.’
Following up from Janmastimi,
Sena have an interactive
presentation entitled ‘The
After Party’ which explores the
psychology of happiness and
success in a changing world on
the 24th August 2012.
Really I liked everything about the events. I
liked the topic, and the way it was explained in
an easy to understand and easy to apply way.
I liked the friendly people at the events, and of
course who can’t like free food!
But the main thing I would say is the friendships
that I made through the events.
What do you do in Psena?
Currently, as it says at the top of the page I’m
studying at the Univeristy of Hertfordshire. So
I’m also president of the Krishna Consciousness
Society there. We hold weekly events, give talks
on loads of different topics from “what would
you do if you had 24 hours to live” to “the secret
to success”
For more information call Vinay: 07534333884
Page 7
Bhaktivedanta Manor Newsletter
September 2012
Young Achievers' Award
Patrons' Gathering
Jahnavi Harrison was presented with a
Young Achievers' Award by Hertsmere
MP James Clappison at the House of
Lords in June. The ceremony brought
together many young people who had
distinguished themselves by giving up
time to bring hope to others in the
form of altruism or uplifting messages.
Jahnavi spoke on how she had travelled
the world bringing the therapy of sacred
sound in the form of kirtan.
Hertsmere Constabulary
do not underestimate the value of just
getting away from the office for a few
hours into such a peaceful environment.
It was important for key people to get
to you and the site as part of my wider
ambition to be more involved in all the
communities we serve,” said the Chief
Inspector.
Dean Patient, the Chief Inspector of
Hertsmere Constabulary, and other local
Officers spent the day at Bhaktivedanta
Manor for some internal seminars.
“On behalf on my team, thank you so
much for your generous hospitality. I
Left to right: Lord Tarsem King, James
Clappison MP, Jahnavi Harrison,
Councillor Margaret Ali, director of
Universal Peace Federation, UK.
This year’s Patrons' Gathering was
opened in style with the ceremonial
cutting of a ribbon and ceremony
conducted by Atmanivedan Swami,
Sri Radha Raman das and Arjuna
Pandey.
Bhaktivedanta Manor
Dharam Marg · Hilfield Lane
Aldenham · Herts
(for sat-nav only, please use
postcode WD25 8DT)
01923 851000
www.krishnatemple.com
Please send your news, photos
and comments to:
Radha Mohan das
[email protected]
September 2012
Young Visitors
Staff and children from
the St John's Wood
Adventure Playground
came to the Manor as
part of their 'Have Some
Faith in Play' project.
“They were some of
the most sincere and
intelligent children I
have ever met” said host
Caitanya Jivan das.
Page 8
Wed 12th Parama Ekadasi
Thur 20th App of Srimati Sita Thakurai
Sun 23rd Radhastami - (fast till noon)
Tues 25th Parsva Ekadasi (fast till noon for
Vamanadeva)
Wed 26th App of Sri Vamanadeva
App of Srila Jiva Gosvami
Thur 27th App of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura (fast till noon)
Fri 28th Disapp of Srila Haridasa Thakura
Sat 29th Acceptance of sannyasa by Srila Prabhupada
October
Sun 7th Anni of Srila Prabhupada’s
arrival in USA
Thur 11th Indira Ekadasi
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA,
KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE,
HARE RAMA HARE RAMA,
RAMA RAMA HARE HARE
© 2012, All articles & photographs copyright of Bhaktivedanta Manor