bhaktivedanta april 2019 manor · president of iskcon kolkata, dayaram das delivered an informative...

April 2019April 2019BHAKTIVEDANTA MANOR N E W S L E T T E R

International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)

Founder Acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Celebrating the

golden avatar

Bhaktivedanta ManorDharam Marg · Hilfield Lane Aldenham · Herts(for sat-nav only, please use postcode WD25 8HE)01923 851000 www.krishnatemple.com

Srila Prabhupada:The duty of a brahmana is to culture the quality of forgiveness, which is illuminating like the sun. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is pleased with those who are forgivingSrimad Bhagavatam 9.15.40

Please send your news, photos and comments to: Radha Mohan das [email protected]

© 2019, All articles & photographs copyright of Bhaktivedanta Manor

ContentsCelebrating the Golden Avatar .................................4

KSocs University Retreat ............................................6

Strictly RE .................................................................7

The OCHS celebrates its 20th Anniversary .................7

The New York Times .................................................8

Sivarama Swami in OMTimes Magazine ...................8

Film-maker from Iceland ..........................................9

Irish Radio ...............................................................9

Trinity Church Hall Krishna Festival ...........................9

Community food charity wins Hertsmere award .......10

The Lotus Trust at the European Parliament ..............10

One Vision Cafe ...................................................11

The Manor’s Resident Sannyasi ...............................12

The Long Run for Krishna Gains Momentum............12

Kirtan London .......................................................13

Ishvari Mataji passes away .....................................13

50th Anniversary of London’s first Krishna temple ....15

Shree Krishna Haveli project update........................16

Embracing the elements on Indian pilgrimage .........18

Birmingham new premises .....................................19

Jaysam Contractors Ltd ..........................................19

Bhagavatam reaches St James School .....................19

Watford Football Club ...........................................20

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April 2019

It was certainly a befitting way to celebrate the birth of Lord Rama: Building up to Ramanvami (the birth of Lord Rama) on 13th April, for five nights Bhakti Rasamrita Swami enlightened devotees about some of the sub-plots in Valimiki’s Ramayan. On the day itself, President of ISKCON Kolkata, Dayaram das delivered an informative class and that was followed by a brilliant drama by the Ladies Ashram. Their premier performance was artistic and well-scripted, which was appreciated by the audience.

Afterwards was abhiksesa (ceremonial bathing) of the Ram Shila, and a hari nama procession in Watford. The following day was the huge public festival extravaganza, making the entire weekend completely devoted to Lord Rama. Special guests joined thousands of pilgrims on that Sunday, many of which included excited children on their Easter Holidays! Highlights included the procession of the new utsav Sita Rama Laxman Hanuman deities and the traditional drama by the Bhaktivedanta Players.

in honour of lord rama

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Bhaktivedanta Manor Newsletter

March saw grand celebrations of the advent of Krishna’s incarnation as Lord Chaitanya. Known as the ‘Golden Avatar’ due to His golden complexion, Lord Chaitanya advented in Mayapur, West Bengal, in 1486 to inaugurate the worldwide sankirtan movement (congregational chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra). Over 500 years later, His appearance in this world continues to be celebrated as the ‘Gaura Purnima’ festival all around the world.At Bhaktivedanta Manor, a joyous day of celebration was held in the Lord’s honour. The morning programme included a class by Malati devi dasi, an early disciple of Srila Prabhupada. This was followed by a skit in the temple room by the men’s ashram, with kirtan also being performed throughout the day, beginning before dawn!The highlight of the festival though was the Harinama (public chanting) procession down one of the most

famous streets in the world – London’s Oxford Street. Devotees from the Manor and ISKCON London combined with devotees from other parts of the country for a blissful two-hour musical glorification of the Lord’s Holy Names, bringing much delight to the shoppers and tourists.Back at the Manor, for the first time during a Gaura Purnima festival, an Open Day was held for new visitors to the temple. “We hosted 60 guests who had never been to the Manor before, some from as far as Portsmouth ”, explained Devaki dasi. “They enjoyed yoga, meditation sessions, asked our monks questions and some dressed in saris.”The evening programme in the main tent rounded off a day of intense devotion and spirituality. The programme included a fully-costumed and professionally sound tracked drama by the Bhaktivedanta Players called

CElEBRATINg THE gOlDEN AVATAR

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April 2019

“The Golden Avatar” and was followed by a beautiful abhishek ceremony (bathing of the Deities of Gaura-Nitai), accompanied by melodious kirtan.A festival must always include the distribution of Srila Prabhupada’s books, and Divya-Nama dasa, the devotee in charge of the “Go-Matsya” book distribution project, delivered a

presentation on stage to encourage everyone to purchase and distribute sets of His Divine Grace’s books.And finally, a festival is never complete without a feast. A special Ekadasi feast (i.e. without grains) was relished by everyone present – and especially by those who had been fasting till moonrise in honour of Lord Chaitanya.

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Over a weekend in mid-March, the Krishna Consciousness Society (KCSocs) organised the most ecstatic and jubilant retreat days till date.200 marvelling university students from all over the UK arrived at the Manor bright and early without the faintest idea of just how energetic and musically absorbed their spiritual retreat would be! The day began with a wonderfully prepared, heart-warming breakfast to prepare everybody for their jam-packed day ahead.The game of human bingo engaged everybody in warming up to their fellow students and broke the ice for the day. Sandipani Muni das lead the morning meditation which took them all to another plane!

Bhuta Bhavana’s keynote speech, dedicated to the essence of association and a higher purpose, highlighted the importance of using this pivotal point in our lives to pave the path of our destiny by prioritising our spiritual life. He emphasised that by ensuring that their enthusiasm and drive exceeds the challenges we face will mean our lives can be epic adventures.The rest of the day included a range of workshops and one of the highlights was a truly enlivening kirtan lead by Kadamba Kanana Swami, who didn’t let a single pair of feet remain still! “Thank you to everyone who helped organise the retreat and served joyfully during the day itself. What we have achieved as a KC Socs family is truly inspiring!” said Kishan Paun.

KSOCS UNIVERSITy RETREAT

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April 2019

the oxford Centre for hindu studies celebrates its 20th anniversaryThe Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, the world’s leading Centre in its field, celebrated its 20th year at the House of Lords at the River Room, hosted by Lord Dholakia.It was attended by invitees from Hindu and academic organisations from up and down the country. Key guests included Lord Popat, Virendra Sharma MP, Subhash Thakrar and CB Patel, Publisher/Editor of the Asian Voice. Rameshwar das and Sanjya Gadhvi represented Bhaktivedana Manor.Lord Dholakia informed the audience of the value of OCHS which is a seat of academic studies with high quality scholars and research capabilities

The Director of OCHS, Shaunaka Rishi Das, expressed the desire for Temples and the OCHS to be better connected. He added the board of governors is a secular group and that the Centre was respected globally.OCHS enables studying Hindu culture, society, philosophy, religion and language. In that way it helps preserve India’s heritage and welcomes thoughts and ideas from scholars from around the world.The OCHS can be found online at ochsonline.org and ochs.org.uk

strictly reISKCON Educations Services were a vital ingredient at the Strictly RE Conference 2019, organised by the National Association of Teachers of Religious Education (NATRE). There were just over 300 delegates in attendance at the Park Inn Hotel, Heathrow. The conference was specifically for Teachers of RE and RE specialists, who had come from as far afield as the Channel Islands. Keli Chanchala dasi performed an Odissi dance within a pop-up temple and many teachers also sampled some prasad sweets.

“We had a good opportunity to network with teachers, exam boards and other RE-related organisations,” explained IES Manager Tulsi Seva dasi.

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the new York times

Devotees were featured in February’s edition of The New York Times Style Magazine’s first digital cover story, chanting on the streets of London alongside model Maisie Dunlop. The photograph is part of a series showcasing classic British fashion, paying homage to Savile Row. Holmes Production, a London-based creative production company specialising in stills, film, commercials, shows and events, approached ISKCON-London Communications Secretary Natasha Menon with the concept. They wanted to shoot a model in a British classic outfit along with an iconic London feature: “Hare Krishnas chanting on the streets of London”, a famous daily sight in central London for the past fifty years. “In London, street chanting is more relevant now than it has ever been before,” explained Natasha. “The Hare Krishnas are a daily colourful and lively sight. Devotees have become accepted and loved by the Londoners as well as by many of the millions of tourists that visit the capital every year.

sivarama swami in omtimes magazineSivarama Swami was the main feature of the March 2019 edition of the OMTimes magazine. He appeared on the front cover and was featured within the magazine in an extensive interview entitled “Modern Morality in Ancient Wisdom”. It included his personal spiritual journey, Hindu/Vedic beliefs and culture, ecology and the path to a peaceful life. The OMTimes Magazine was created to raise awareness of individuals and organisations that are making a difference in the world.

It attracts many to come to the Temple and get a taste of bhakti-yoga, as well as gathering interest from the press and media. Opportunities such as The New York Times Style Magazine article give us global exposure and generates curiosity among readers.”

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April 2019

hare Krishna hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna hare harehare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

irish radioIreland’s Newstalk 108 will aired a 45 minute radio documentary programme about Karuna Ryan and her sister Sukhada leaving their Methodist family and joining the Hare Krishna movement. Karuna’s daughter Ekadashi lives in London and also featured in the story as a next generation devotee who attended a Christian secondary school in Ireland.

film-maker from icelandAs advised by Russell Brand, an Icelandic film and television director and producer Gaukur Ulfarsson came with his crew to Bhaktivedanta Manor. As part of a film based on a true-to-life story about an Icelandic politician, the crew filmed the main character take spiritual refuge and accept guidance from ‘Kripa Moya das’ after receiving one of Prabhupada’s books from ’Radha Mohan das’.

trinity Church hall Krishna festivalThe “Hare Krishna Festival” held at Trinity Church Hall in Sutton was full to the brim as the diverse local audience of over 200 experienced a package of culture, music, wisdom, dance and delicious sanctified food.Local ISKCON group members welcomed guests with a view to serving their spiritual inclinations with ongoing contact for those most interested. Some of the Church leaders in attendance also appreciated the presentation as applicable to people of all faiths, and one of which expressed an interest in visiting Bhaktivedanta Manor to learn more.

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Community food charity wins hertsmere awardHertsmere’s unsung heroes have been recognised for their efforts and long-standing service at the council’s annual Civic Awards in March.From community champions and volunteers to youth leaders, the great and the good in the borough were rewarded in this year’s awards ceremony, held at Elstree Studios.Mayor of Hertsmere, Cllr Brenda Batten, said: “I’d like to say thank you and well done to all of this year’s award winners. In their individual ways, each one has made a difference to the lives of others. I hope their example will inspire other volunteers to come forward and help make the borough an even safer, happier place to live and work.” Civic Award Winners included Shantasya dasi and Japa Yajna das for their work with Gratitude, a charity which takes unsold supermarket food and cooks vegetarian meals for the needy in Borehamwood.

the lotus trust at the european ParliamentSanjay Gadhvi, Director of the Lotus Trust, Bhaktivedanta Manor’s sister charity through which we support many initiatives, attended a meeting at the European Parliament building in Brussels. The meeting was related to the Erasmus Project Funding, from which the Lotus Trust has received support for 20 projects over the last 5 years. At the event Sanjay met Igor Soltes MEP from Slovenia, a successful businessman who engages in spiritual practice and pilgrimages to India. “Igor is very keen to develop projects that bring spiritual benefits to society to supplement commerce and social lifestyle,” explained Sanjay, “so he fully appreciates the work of the Lotus Trust.”The Lotus Trust is an educational, relief and development agency seeking to transform lives and improve the environment both in the UK and overseashttp://thelotustrust.org/

hare Krishna hare Krishna Krishna Krishna hare harehare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

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April 2019

one vision Cafe Food for All, a sanctified vegetarian food distribution charity run by Parasurama das, held a grand “re-opening” for a unique café in Watford. The café was previously known as Gokula and was run by the late Bhaja Hari das and his family.Food for All took over the management of the premises two years ago. “I began giving out free meals every Monday, and it became very popular,” said Parasurama. “130 homeless and struggling people came the first time”. With the re-opening, Food for All has changed the name to “One Vision Café” and turned it into a ‘Pay As You Can’ eatery. The re-opening event at the café was attended by community members, Watford Councillors, local charity representatives, and even representatives of Watford Football Club!

Krishna’s Castle celebrates its first anniversaryKrishna’s Castle in the City of London marked its first anniversary, with representatives from 10 local banks and businesses in attendance. For 14 months since its inception, Krishna’s Castle, situated in the heart of the banking world, has been a hive of devotional service. There are 10 volunteers involved on a daily basis, and half of them are bankers who come to do their Corporate Social Responsibly.“There’s lots of service available,” explained ‘Krishna Castle’s’ Director Parasuram das. “Over 2,000 healthy plates of food needs to be cooked, pots need to be washed (including the biggest pot in the western world!), vegetables chopped, pakoras and popadoms cooked, and food distributed.”“We also have a good relationship with Work Away,” he further explained. “It is a scheme where employers offer accommodation and food to young people in return for work. Young people are queuing up from far and wide for a chance to live in the City of London for a week and engage in meaningful activities!”

hare Krishna hare Krishna Krishna Krishna hare harehare rama hare rama rama

rama hare hare

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the manor’s resident sannyasiBhakti Rasamrta Swami will be the official resident sannyasi at Bhaktivedanta Manor until this summer. This means he will be the spiritual head of the community, to provide guidance and inspiration and to attend devotional events. At the recent Manor Updates session attended by Manor residents and staff, Bhakti Rasamrta Swami unveiled the canvas adorned with this year’s theme “Living with Gratitude, Giving with Compassion.”He preaches all over the world including India, Singapore, UK, USA, Australia and Russia. He is a member of the Vrindavan Executive Board and oversees the management of ISKCON Belgaum, India. To find out about upcoming classes and seminars to be given by Bhakti Rasamrta Swami:www.krishnatemple.com

the long run for Krishna gains momentumSince the previous newsletter, Bhakta Deon Moodley has continued to fundraise for a yoga studio / seminar facility in the Manor’s guesthouse. This year he has been sponsored to run the Worthing and Hampton Court Half-Marathons, the Aldi Ashby Road Race in Leicestershire, Dorney Lake in Berkshire and the Kent Spring Marathon.“The target is £5,000 and we have since raised £2,435; almost 50%. Thank you for your kind and generous support. We need a further £2,565,” explained Deon. If you would like to help Deon in his noble endeavour, visit the link below for more details and to donate:https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/deon-moodley2See ad hoc updates also on facebook:https://www.facebook.com/deon.moodley.54

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April 2019

Kirtan london Kirtan London, a volunteer outreach project supported by Bhaktivedanta Manor and ISKCON-London, hosted their first six hour kirtan of the year. Following the success over New Year’s Eve, the recent event was hosted in collaboration with the yoga studio, Tripspace, in Haggerston and Humble

Warrior’s Charlie, a popular Jivamukti yoga teacher. Charlie led yoga for the first hour of the event, infusing it with devotional wisdom and kirtan. 34 guests attended the yoga and a total of 110 guests attended kirtan. They hope to see guests returning for more kirtan at Mantra Lounge, a regular Friday evening event in Covent Garden. Contact:www.kirtanlondon.com/

mother ishvari passes awayMother Ishvari recently peacefully passed away at the age of 77. Born in Uganda, she and her husband moved to England during the 1972 expulsion of Asians from Uganda. These were difficult times for the Gujarati community because the then Uganda President Idi Amin had adopted a vigorous nationalist policy.Ishvari’s family moved to London and her parents and siblings moved to Leicester. Devotees used to visit her parents’ house, where they were affectionately fed to the brim! It was at that time that she was first attracted to ISKCON.“She had a quality of cooking wonderful

prasadam and feeding everybody,” explained Volunteer Co-ordinator Krishna Purna dasi. “She was always thinking about what new preparations to make for Lord Krishna and would then serve them to the devotees. She used to cook for the deities on Sundays and at festivals as well. “Her invaluable service in the main kitchen will be missed, as she helped them all the time. Everyone loved her friendly attitude.”

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appointments Process reception at Windsor Castle A large delegation from Bhaktivedanta Manor attended the Faith and Public Appointments Process Reception, at Vicar’s Hall in Windsor Castle. It was organised by Krish Raval of the Faith in Leadership Team, and Oliver Dowden MP, the Cabinet Office minister with responsibility for public appointment policy. The purpose of the event was to encourage leading faith members to put themselves forward to become Public Appointees.

Public Appointees sit on the boards that steer and govern vital public bodies including the NHS, OFSTED, Kew Gardens and key museums. “The government want to make policies with consultation from leading faith group Members,” explained Krish. “The Prime Minister made it clear that she wants to ensure these bodies accurately reflect 21st Century Britain. She felt that faith groups are presently underrepresented in these roles but can bring an important perspective on ethical issues”.

saavaroVee Kapoor (Vamsi Vihari das), a former member of ISKCON Pandava Sena, has released his first single called “Saavaro” with Times music and is available on all major streaming platforms..Talking about the track, he explained “Saavaro means hue of black. It is an ancient poem about Krishna, revisited with a new composition in Raag Bhimpilasi. I have tried to create a new and unique genre of spiritual music which is highly emotive and powerful.”

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April 2019

50th anniversary of london’s first Krishna temple

The Hare Krishna movement was built on a pioneering spirit. Srila Prabhupada was the original pioneer who then empowered three couples - Mukunda and Janaki, Shyamasundara and Malati (with their baby Sarasvati), and Gurudasa and Yamuna - with a dream to start a centre in London and meet the biggest band in the world, the Beatles, to help spread Krishna Consciousness. The couples arrived in London in September 1968, and by Christmas they were chanting Hare Krishna with the Beatles themsevles! On 14th December the following year, the Radha-Krishna Temple was officially opened in the heart of London and Srila Prabhupada personally installed the presiding deities, Sri Sri Radha-Londonisvara, the first large marble deities of Radha and Krishna in ISKCON. As Srila Prabhupada decreed, there followed six days of feasting, during which the curtains were kept open all day and people crowded in to see the new Radha-Krishna Temple.It was a historic occasion for the bhakti-yoga tradition; a long-standing order of the previous spiritual teachers had been fulfilled.2019 marks the momentous 50th Anniversary year of this tremendous achievement, which will be celebrated through ‘Love and Happiness Events’. • This summer, there will be outreach

events bringing bhakti-yoga culture, lifestyle and philosophy

through kirtan, yoga, karma-free food, wisdom talks and arts for the general public.

• On Sunday 24th November, there will be a Golden Signature Event at Hammersmith Apollo for both the ISKCON community and the general public. This will be followed by a week of Temple festivities, including the actual Anniversary day: Monday 2nd December.

Throughout the year there will also be various events at the temple, including a series of talks entitled ‘The London Story’. www.iskcon-london.org

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Construction of the Shree Krishna Haveli is progressing steadily, and though the project is slightly behind schedule, the construction company, Vascroft, have re-assured us that the handover of the building will take place in August this year, just in time for the Janmashtami festival.To complete the Shree Krishna Haveli, we have secured a £5 million loan to

cover the cost of construction. We have collected £4.2 million in donations with a further £3.7 million pledged, leaving a shortfall of £1.6 million. This will be the largest project in the history of Bhaktivedanta Manor. We need every-ones support to repay this loan for establishing the Shree Krishna Haveli at Bhaktivedanta Manor.

SHREE KRISHNA HAVElI PROjECT UPDATE

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April 2019

Donations receiveD£4,219,408

shortfall £1,629,876

Pledges Outstanding£3,750,716

Donate online at: www.krishnatemple.com/haveli | [email protected] |07907 809 006

your INVESTMENT needed

We are nearly there

Projected cost £9.6 Million

only 108 faMilies neededinVest £4 a day - helP build shree Krishna haVeli

leaVe a legacy today - MaKe history

for 10 years

We haVe secured a loan of £5 Million froM the banK, against the teMPle and it’s assets, ensuring construction does not stoP

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isKCon educational services staff enhance teaching skills in india ISKCON Educational Services (IES) offers a wonderful day out to schools at Bhaktivedanta Manor. Devotees share their experiences in the faith they follow, along with the wider traditions of Hinduism and India. During a half-term the IES staff went on a pilgrimage to the holy places of India. The purpose of the trip was to enhance their teaching skills and gain new ideas through direct experience, especially for those who have never been before. “These are all very important so that we can give our visiting schools the ultimate experience of’ lived religion’”, explained IES Manager Tulsi Seva dasi. “Teaching RE is not an easy task, especially when there is barely any budget in schools for the subject. Good teachers will go above and beyond to enhance their subject knowledge”.

embracing the elements on indian pilgrimageKrishna Wisdom and the College of Vedic Studies joined forces to organise a fantastic Indian pilgrimage for twenty-five intrepid travellers. It included a 4-day residence in Mayapur, Vrindavan and Rishikesh. The wanderers got to embrace all four elements as part and parcel of a packed activity agenda, with plenty of: fire - in the form of aarti (not least by the Ganga); earth - how about a rickshaw ride around the peripheries of Govardhan Hill, or a ramble up the foothills of the Himalayas; air - however polluted some inner cities, it’s extremely fresh around those foothills; water - fancy a bath in Mother Ganga, or a quick dip in Radha Kund, ‘the holiest place in the universe’. The wanderers also took part in structured yoga and Ayurvedic cookery classes.Learn more about how to get involved:krishnacollege.co.ukwww.krishnawisdom.com

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April 2019

birmingham celebrates 50 years of isKCon uK with new premisesBirmingham is the second largest city in the UK, with over 2 million people, centrally located and the most multicultural city in the western world. Therefore it is undoubtedly an important strategic location for ISKCON. After losing their former property, Birmingham devotees celebrated their new premises in the City Centre, adjacent to Birmingham University.It is organised by a local Action Committee working together with Food for All and help from Sutapa Prabhu.ISKCON Birmingham’s Sunday Sanga programmes are now held at:Bhakti Yoga Centre, 12 Harborne RoadEdgbaston, B15 3AATime: 10.30am till 2pm

Jaysam Contractors ltdJaysam Contractors Ltd voluntarily fitted in new oak doors all around the main building of Bhaktivedanta Manor. It was a particularly welcome seva (service) to the community because it enables the Manor to be fully compliant with new fire regulations.

bhagavatam reaches st James schoolSt James School near Olympia, Kensington, is one of the most highly-rated independent schools in London. In April 2008 the school made headlines when it made the study of Sanskrit compulsory in its Junior school. Recently Divya Nama das and Nirmal Gosalia from the GoMatsya project felt it would be a great idea if the school could purchase a set of Srimad Bhagavatam for their library. They met the head of the school’s Sanskrit department Mr Warwick Jessup and presented Srila Prabhupada’s English translation of Srimad Bhagavatam. Mr Jessup, being deeply impressed, immediately agreed to take a set for the school. Anyone interested in becoming involved: [email protected]

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Watford football Club Anand Jatania and Radha Mohan das attended an Equality Advisory Group meeting at Watford Football Club, which included an extensive tour of the grounds. The Club, which is currently within the

top 10 of the English Premier League, are seeking to build closer relations with locals, and especially faith group members and ethnic minorities. They even wished Bhaktivedanta Manor a ‘Happy Gaura Purnima’ on their social media pages, which has hundreds of thousands of followers!

In February, the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi unveiled the Largest Bhagavad Gita As It Is at the ISKCON Centre, in New Delhi. The Bhagavad

Gita, produced by Bhaktivedanta Book Trust is the largest sacred text that has ever been printed. It weighs 800 kg and is 2.8 m by 2 m in size!

modi unveils largest bhagavad gita in the world

bhaktivedanta april 2019 manor · president of iskcon kolkata, dayaram das delivered an informative...

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