Colorful Krishnas have annual parade in Virginia

The large float winded its way through town and hundreds of people came out to cheer or even join in. They usually pick up people along the way who join the parade.

The Miami Ratha Yatra Parade marched through Coconut Grove Saturday afternoon, starting at the Hare Krishna temple at 3220 Virginia Street and ending at Peacock Park.

The yearly event there's lots of color and lots of colorful people.

Saturday's event at the park had lots of music, food, fashion and more and Sunday, it's all repeated again, minus parade, at the Cultural Center at 3220 Virginia Street where there is live music, food, drama, books and more. It's a 12 hour event -- 9 am to 9 pm. Admission is free.

Drumming in the park. Good times.

Temple In The Streets

Temple In The Streets

We roam the country with a collection of tents, Srila Prabhupada’s books and the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. We set the Festival in the Streets up in parks and on street corners and everywhere we make a difference. In this way we offer the ancient, yet fresh and completely relevant message of Krishna consciousness to all.

The Hare Krishna movement in its present form was established by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in India five hundred years ago. He revived the movement by taking Krishna consciousness on to the streets with his Sankirtana. Sankirtana means many people gathering together and chanting the holy name of God. In this age one mantra has been designated as the “maha-mantra” or great chant for deliverance. That maha-mantra is:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare HareHare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Although Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu desired the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra be spread all over the world He personally distributed it throughout the Indian sub-continent. It was not until His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada arrived in the USA at Boston Harbor in 1965 that the Hare Krishna mantra was transported to Western shores.

Srila Prabhupada moved to New York where he sat underneath a tree in Tompkins Square Park and chanted the Hare Krishna mantra and encouraged whoever took any interest in the chanting. In this way Srila Prabhupada attracted sincere followers and from these humble beginnings he created the worldwide International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).

It is with the desire to reestablish this public street-based movement of Lord Caitanya and Srila Prabhupada that Kuvalesaya das Viswakarma has spearheaded the formation of Temple in the Streets.

Srila Prabhupada so kindly interrupted his pleasant and simple life of seclusion in the holy land of Vrindavana, India, to go west to the USA. He was fulfilling the desire of his spiritual master who had a very strong desire to see this transcendental knowledge penetrate beyond the borders of India and saturate the Western world with the science of love of God.

After much contemplation on how to take up this mission and push it forward Temple in the Streets was born.

In an attempt to be consistent with the example of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, we have taken to the streets.

We roam the country with a collection of tents, Srila Prabhupada’s books and the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. We set the Festival in the Streets up in parks and on street corners and everywhere we make a difference. In this way we offer the ancient, yet fresh and completely relevant message of Krishna consciousness to all.

We have seen many movements and charities loose their direction and purpose when they find their energy has shifted to paying the necessary bills to maintain the institution. Therefore, to remain on the cutting-edge, intentionally we do not have a fixed residence or building to operate the temple from.

As odd as it may sound we are not trying to get followers to join us. We encourage you to take what you learn from the Temple in the Streets to your home, work, institutions, schools, communities and ultimately the world. Of course we like to keep in contact with people who have received value from our work.

We are looking to those people who are already passionate about the issues we face in this world: ecology, spirituality and sustainable living, to name a few, and who want to work cooperatively to create something which works on all levels for all beings. We want to give up our inherently harsh enforcement of false designations which result only in pain, suffering, bloodshed and illusion.

In the present age religion has failed to serve the need of the current civilization which is no longer controlled by a fear of eternal damnation. As such God has been give a bad name by the misdeeds of those who claim to represent him, promising liberation only at the time of death if your are a believer.

We make no such promises, our promise is that liberation is available now–not some day in the distant future. We can become liberated now by living life in relationship with God. We do not need to change our activities. Simply we have to change the purpose of our activities. We simply transfer our energy to serving and loving God, Krishna.

This knowledge is equally relevant to all, in whatever stage of existence one may be: young, middle aged or old; man, woman; black, white, yellow or brown skinned; Jewish, Christian, Muslim or Hindu. All these designations are irrelevant because this education pertains to the spiritual platform, the universal community we are already a part of. Service to the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna and his pure devotees and no other will provide the mature peace, harmony and prosperity the world is crying for.

It is my humble request and earnest invitation to you that you enquire with an open mind, “What is this Krishna consciousness movement?” Please look into your own life and the lives of those dear to you and take advantage of the timeless knowledge the Temple in the Streets is distributing. In this way we would like to serve you.

your servant
Kuvalesaya das Viswakarma

The foundation of our activates is the Srimad-Bhagavatam. I have provided the preface to this great literature.

Srimad-Bhagavatam
Preface
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

We must know the present need of human society. And what is that need? Human society is no longer bounded by geographical limits to particular countries or communities. Human society is broader than in the Middle Ages, and the world tendency is toward one state or one human society. The ideals of spiritual communism, according to Srimad-Bhagavatam, are based more or less on the oneness of the entire human society, nay, of the entire energy of living beings. The need is felt by great thinkers to make this a successful ideology. Srimad-Bagavatam will fill this need in human society. It begins, therefore, with an aphorism of Vedanta philosophy, janmady asya yatah, to establish the ideal of a common cause.

Human society, at the present moment, is not in the darkness of oblivion. It has made rapid progress in the fields of material comforts, education and economic development throughout the entire world. But there is a pinprick somewhere in the social body at large, and therefore there are large-scale quarrels, even over less important issues. There is need of a clue as to how humanity can become one in peace, friendship and prosperity with a common cause. Srimad-Bagavatam will fill this need, for it is a cultural presentation for the respiritualization of the entire human society.

Srimad-Bhagavatam should be introduced also in the schools and colleges, for it is recommended by great student-devotee Prahlada Maharaja in order to change the demoniac face of society.

kaumara acaret prajnodharman bhagavatan ihadurlabham manusam janmatad apy adhruvam artha-dam(Bhag. 7.6.1)

Disparity in human society is due to lack of principles in a godless civilization. There is God, or the Almighty One, from whom everything emanates, by whom everything is maintained and in whom everything is merged to rest. Material science has tried to find the ultimate source of creation very insufficiently, but it is a fact that there is one ultimate source of everything that be. This ultimate source is explained rationally and authoritatively in the beautiful Bhagavatam, or Srimad-Bhagavatam.

Srimad-Bhagavatam is the transcendental science not only for knowing the ultimate source of everything but also for knowing our relation with Him and our duty toward perfection of the human society on the basis of this perfect knowledge. It is powerful reading matter in the Sanskrit language, and it is now rendered into English elaborately so that simply by a careful reading one will know God perfectly well, so much so that the reader will be sufficiently educated to defend himself from the onslaught of atheists. Over and above this, the reader will be able to convert others to accepting God as a concrete principle.

Srimad-Bhagavatam begins with the definition of the ultimate source. It is a bona fide commentary on the Vedanta-sutra by the same author, Srila Vyasadeva, and gradually it develops into nine cantos up to the highest state of God realization. The only qualification one needs to study this great book of transcendental knowledge is to proceed step by step cautiously and not jump forward haphazardly as with an ordinary book. it should be gone through chapter by chapter, one after another. The reading matter is so arranged with the original Sanskrit text, its English transliteration, synonyms, translation and purports so that one is sure to become a God-realized soul at the end of finishing the first nine cantos.

The Tenth Canto is distinct from the first nine cantos because it deals directly with the transcendental activities of the personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna. One will be unable to capture the effects of the Tenth Canto without going through the first nine cantos. The book is complete in twelve cantos, each independent, but it is good for all to read them in small installments one after another.

I must admit my frailties in presenting Srimad-Bhagavatam, but still I am hopeful of its good reception by the thinkers and leaders of society on the strength of the following statement of Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.5.11):

tad-vag-visargo janatagha-viplavoyasmin prati-slokam abaddhavaty apinamany anantasya yaso ‘nkitani yacchrnvanti gayanti grnanti sadhavah

“On the other hand, that literature which is full of descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, form and pastimes of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a transcendental creation meant for bringing about a revolution in the impious life of a misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literature, even though irregularly composed, is heard, sung and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest.”

Om tat sat
A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami

if you are interested in reading the Srimad-Bhagavatam or any of the other literature on the science of Krishna Counsiousness the books are available at: www.krishnastore.com


Posted By: kuvalesaya-das-viswakarma

Radha Madhav Dham Trust For Seva: U.S.A & India

Radha Madhav Dham Trust For Seva: U.S.A & India

JKP Radha Madhav Dham & Seva Projects

Here in the U.S., through participation in interfaith outreach programs and the support of local charities, Radha Madhav Dham extends a helping hand to the Austin community. There are also many ways to get involved with seva right here at the ashram.

Sunday Lunch Prasad

Preapring Sunday Lunch Prasad

In the tradition of deity seva, the deities of Shree Radha Krishna in Radha Madhav Dham are offered freshly prepared bhog five times a day. You and your family can participate in this auspicious Temple seva by sponsoring and preparing Sunday lunch prasad.; Your meal is then offered to Radha Krishna and served to devotees at the Sunday community satsang. In addition, you will also be able to do arti in the main Temple during satsang.

Read more

Hindus celebrate new temple in Salem - VIRGINIA - Roanoke valley-U.S.A

Religious leaders say the new mandir in Salem will be a hub for
 the Roanoke Valley’s Hindu community.

Children danced through the streets of Salem on Sunday morning as the Hindu community celebrated the installation of a new mandir, or Hindu temple.

It will be the second such temple in the Roanoke Valley, but the first of the BAPS denomination, in which devotees follow the teachings of Bhagwan Swaminarayan .

Religious leaders say the new temple on Sheraton Drive won’t just give them a place to worship, it will serve as a hub for the Roanoke Valley’s Hindu community, which is made up of about 400 families.

Dharmendra Patel is an active member of the BAPS denomination and a Salem business owner. He said there aren’t many Indian immigrants in Southwest Virginia, so it can be a challenge for them to maintain their cultural identity.

“It will help people who immigrated from India — first-, second-generation kids — it will help them understand the culture, the religion, what we do,” he said. “Also it will give us a place to network with each other and make sure we maintain our customs.”

Roanoke’s and Salem’s mayors, Virginia lawmakers, national Hindu leaders and about 800 religious followers traveled from as far away as New Jersey to take part in the centuries-old tradition of installing a new temple.

The event began with an early-morning parade through downtown Salem. Floats carried several white marble statues of Hindu deities carved by hand in India. Participants, some dressed in traditional Indian clothes, danced a short loop that started by the court house. A few people came out of shops and houses along the way to watch.

Sadhus, or Hindu priests, said the 4-foot-tall marble figurines were made in the image of God. They were carried through the streets so they can be introduced to the city and bless local residents.

After the parade, they were taken into the temple and placed in their permanent home at an altar.
Hindu followers then filled the room as they prayed and made offerings to God.

Most of the ceremony was in Sanskrit, the primary language of Hinduism, but interpreters explained they were inviting deities to enter the idols. By the time they were finished, almost an hour later, God was said to be alive inside the statues.

Coming from an Irish Catholic background, Roanoke Mayor David Bowers said he didn’t understand everything he saw on Sunday, but he enjoyed the opportunity to learn about a different religion.

YOUNGERS DANCES IN THIS POOJA

“It’s important, and it’s a good thing for us to have this sense of diversity and multiculturalism,” he said. “So I would say to the Christian community and the Jewish community, you ought to come and see and understand each other. It’s been a very interesting experience for me.”

Patel said Hindus believe in one god who has been reincarnated in several forms, which were represented by the statues in the parade Sunday morning.

Sadhu Yaynavallabh Das, who leads the BAPS sect of Hinduism in North America, said the service may seem awkward to strangers, but its purpose is similar to ones with which non-Hindus are more familiar .

“The rituals are different in different religions,” Yaynavallabh said. “But the objectives behind those traditions are to love God and express your love and dedication toward God.”

Source: http://www.roanoke.com/news/2127060-12/hindus-celebrate-new-temple-in-salem.html

Rise of Hinduism in USA. Is a Hindu USA upcoming?

United States. One in 10 Asian Americans identify themselves as Hindus, concluded the results of a report on Asian Americans and their religious affiliations, released July 19 by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.

Hindus and Buddhists counted together represent two percent of the overall population, the same share as Jews.

Ninety percent of Hindu Americans believe there is more than one way to interpret the tenets of their faith, and the majority celebrate both Hindu holidays like Diwali as well as Christmas, noted the report, titled: “Asian Americans: A Mosaic of Faiths.” The report lacked much novel information, and re-stated largely-held beliefs about Indian Americans and their religious practices.

Most Asian American Hindus maintain traditional religious beliefs and practices. Two-thirds of Buddhists surveyed believe in ancestral spirits, while three-quarters of Hindus keep a shrine in their home, concluded the report, adding however that 30 percent of the Hindus surveyed and 20 percent of Buddhists report having attended religious services of another faith, outside of special occasions such as weddings or funerals.

A majority of Indian Americans identify as Hindus, concluded a Pew report released last week.
Seen above are deities at a San Francisco Bay area-based Hindu temple.

U.S.  Hindus tend to be inclusive in their understanding of faith. Most Hindus, for instance, reject the notion that their religion is the one true faith and say instead that many religions can lead to eternal life, or in the case of Buddhists, to enlightenment, noted the survey.

The 182-page report focused on the four major religious groups of Asian Americans: Christians, Buddhists, Hindus and the religiously unaffiliated. Muslims compromise an additional four percent of Asian Americans, but their numbers in the survey were too small to include in the analysis, said an introduction to the report.

TRUE FACTS ABOUT Mr. Steve Jobs who EMBRACED HINDUISM

Mr. Steve Jobs had revolutionized the world of computers and e based communications through his Apple computers. Here are some facts about Mr. Steve Jobs. 

• He used to “walk 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna Hindu Temple”.

• He said in his Stanford University lecture “you have to trust in your gut, destiny, life and Karma. He was a staunch believer of karma yoga.

• He visited many Ashrams in Risheekesh particularly Neem Karoli Baba ashram, a devotee of Hanuman. After visiting for the first time he returned from India to US with a shaved head and in traditional Indian robes.

• He used to walk in his company bare footed like a Hindu sanyaasee..

• He used to do Yoga daily and he was a perfect vegetarian till his last breath.

• He visits many ashrams in north India and used to do yoga in the holy places.

• He started touring India from 1970 onwards and he is a great lover of animals.

• He has not requested money from his parents even when he was jobless and generally took food from 
Hindu temples wherever he goes.


• He religiously followed and spread the ‘amazing Hindu dharma’ and Vedic messages.

• He did not complete his studies in the university but remained in university for discussing with his friends.

• He was removed from his own company by the management and latter on those management people were removed from their chair and Mr. Steve was brought back

• It is said that in Himalayas, one of the Hindu swamijies gave him a green apple and told him to bite it. He did and looked into the apple after biting a piece from that.

• That apple has come as the emblem of the Apple computers.

•He did not have a great university degree, still he could do the best for the world. One need not have to have highest degree for become great and good.

•It is said that he was a drop out from university. Remember, one need not think that only those who get good college, good subject, good education, can survive in this world.

•He was a pure vegetarian. One need not eat the dead body of the animals, blood oozing flesh for becoming healthy and do the work. Steve was a pure vegetarian.

•He used to walk bare footed in his office and also used to walk a long distance to Hare Krishna temple even when he had enough money. It is wrong to believe that for a scientist there should be perfect suits, tie, cap, over coat and super specialty moustache and beard etc for showing that ‘ I am a great scientist’.

•One can be ordinary when he does extraordinary work/thing also. That means become simple and humble always

•He used to visit Himalayas and Hindu gurus for the last many years. You should also visit through pilgrimage, the Himalayas and spend few days when you grow up or now with your parents. Whether you are Christian, Muslim or Hindu, it is immaterial.

•Steve Jobs proved that even when cancer conquered his body. He loved India and Indians with all the amazing cultural specialty of Hindu dharma

•Even though Steve Jobs was born as a Christian and an American, He lived a Hindu life and like an Indian, even when he reached the topmost position in his profession and karma.