2007 Calendar on the shelf!!

It cannot get better than this! What an auspicious way to start the new year?! The Sri Krishna Mandir Calendar for the year 2007 is on the shelf. It is more exciting due to the "Prabhupada Quote of The Month". Grab a copy yourself and distribute it to others too.

Boat Festival - A huge preaching success

The advertisement has done it for us again! From the very beginning of the day, people began to call up the temple for further details about the festival. The Strait Times has the largest readership in Singapore. Atleast half a million people would have seen our advertisement. Just by once chanting the maha-mantra which was featured in the advertisement, their lives became successful.



Many tens of newcomers turned up for the festival. The swan boat arrived at the venue at about 6pm. Everyone was awaiting the arrival of Their Lordships. As soon as They arrived on the scene at about 6:15pm, everyone jubilantly accompanied Them to the boat with ecstatic kirtan. Then they were seated on the beautiful swan boat decorated with flowers and ornaments. People were just gazing at the beautiful vehicle of Their Lordships.



This was followed by a 3-hour boat ride. As soon as the boat began to move, many devotees jumped into the water and those who were outside were performing the kirtan. In this way the whole crowd enjoyed the 3 hours to the fullest.



After a tiring kirtan, everyone was rejuvenated by the sumptuous prasadam and the many numbers of guests were thankful to us for providing them the opportunity to attend such a wonderful festival.



Many scores of books were distributedon that day. Srila Prabhupada, our beloved spiritual master, must surely have been pleased at the effort.



The way the Hare Krishna festivals are gaining popularity in Singapore, it looks like the Hare Krishnas are going to conquer the whole of Singapore in the very near future.

Forthcoming Radhastami & Boat Festival--- The Last Of The Majors

The upcoming Radhastami and the Radha-Krishna Boat Festival mark the end of the festive season for the year here at Sri Krishna Mandir.



The Radhastami is to be celebrated on the Friday, 1st of September and the Transcendental Boat Festival follows on the following Sunday, 3rd of September, 2006.



On the Radhastami, there will be a puspanjali (flower-offering ceremony) at 12 noon until when all the devotees are required to fast.



Devotees of Lord Krishna do not try to approach Him directly because this is very difficult. They try to please Srimati Radharani because She is extremely merciful and if She recommends us to Krishna, Krishna has no choice but to accept us.



The Boat Festival is the most awaited of all the festivals of the year for the devotees and well-wishers alike. It is to be held at the Jalan Besar Swimming Complex near the Lavender MRT Station from 6pm to 9pm on the 3rd of September, Sunday.



Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Madanamohana take a ride in the waters of the Swimming Complex in a gorgeous swan boat. The whole procession will be accompanied by non-stop sankirtan (congregational singing of the holy names and dancing). This will be followed by a full meal prasadam.



We request your attendance in this festival, which is the last of the major festivals this year.



Hare Krishna!

Sri Vyasa Puja '06

On the 17th of August this year, we celebrated the 110th anniversary of the appearance day of Srila Prabhupada.

The appearance day of the spiritual master (or acarya) is technically called Vyasa Puja. This is because the spiritual master is the true representative of Srila Vyasadeva, the original compiler of all the Vedic literatures and the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

To be a true representative of Srila Vyasadeva, the acarya should in no way differ from the opinion of Vyasadeva or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the Bhagavad Gita (15.15), Lord Krishna says, vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah. After scrutinizingly studying all the Vedas one comes to the conclusion that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other words, He is the supreme enjoyer, supreme proprietor and the supreme friend of everyone. But elsewhere in the Bhagavad Gita (7.19), Krishna also says:

bahunam janmanam ante

jnanavan mam prapadyate

vasudevah sarvam iti

sa mahatma sudurlabhah.

"After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare. "

This means that one who understands the true message of Vyasadeva is not common. To understand the message as it is, one has to receive it from a bonafide disciplic succession. A bonafide disciplic succeession is nothing but an unbroken chain of spiritual masters who are at the highest realization of the Absolute Truth. Such personalities are extremely rare. They are worshipable by everyone because they have the solution to all the problems of the suffering humanity and they can give the highest perfection of life even to the most fallen.

It is our great fortune to come into contact with such a person. Although we cannot repay the debt to our spiritual master, we can show our gratitude by following his instruction.

On the Vyasa Puja Day, all the people whose lives have been touched by the transcendental messages from the lotus lips of the pure devotee acarya offer their writings glorifying his uncommon qualities and pastimes.

The Sri Krishna Mandir celebrated the appearance day of Srila Prabhupada, who by his pure devotion unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, broadcasted the pure message of the Vedas all over the world awakening all the sleeping souls in this dark material world.

The abhisheka ceremony (bathing ceremony) was performed at noon following which was the puspanjali (flower offering), the kirtan accompanying both the events. About 200 people enthusiastically participated in the ceremony.

The best part was the devotees' expressing their love for Srila Prabhupada in their written offerings. Almost all the people present, including the kids and old alike, read out their offerings. It was a very touching experience. It has to be because the Singapore Yatra is especially blessed by Srila Prabhupada. All the devotees could feel this very intensely. The reading went on until 2:30pm and the prasadam was delayed by an hour but no one complained! They were all blissful in glorifying a pure devotee of the Lord.

Srila Prabhupada must surely have felt satisfied by the sincere, although possibly imperfect, prayers of his beloved disciples and followers.

Jaya Srila Prabhupada!

Janmastami Extravaganza!!

Hare Krishna! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!



Lord Sri Krishna celebrated His birthday in great pomp and style here in Sri Krishna Mandir, Singapore. From 7pm right upto 1 am, the temple was buzzing with transcendental vibrations. The birthday dress of the Lord looked beautiful on Him. He was so charming that it was only with great difficulty that one can take his/her eyes off His divine form.




The festivities started off at 7pm with the aratrika accompanied by heavy kirtan. The temple was so opulent with the more-than-3000 crowd that packed the temple joining the kirtan.



About 100 people from an old folks' home arrived to watch the festivities. Following the kirtan was a series of cultural shows which included 2 dances, a children's drama and a talk and finally, the adult drama. The temple hall, the prasadam section and the cultural show section were full with people at any given time.



The audience were rapt in attention while watching the cultural programs culminating in the final drama "The Killing of Kamsa" played by the Vaikuntha Players of Sri Krishna Mandir. Following the cultural programme was the abhisheka ceremony(bathing of the Lord in different liquids such as water, milk, ghee(clarified butter), honey, yoghurt, rose-scented water and fruit juice).

After the Lord was bathed, everyone was waiting for the mid-night aratrika. All the devotees broke their 24-hour fast after the aratrika. The prasadam was one thing which everyone undoubtedly enjoyed.



The feedback of the guests was most encouraging to the devotees. They all were totally impressed by the whole festival. By seeing all the guests satisfied the devotees could at once know that Srila Prabhupada was satisfied and thus, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.



Many people who attended the festival were through the advertisement published in The Strait Times. The newspaper turned out to be a great preaching field, as observed in this festive season beginning from the Ratha Yatra. Literally, thousands were benefitted by this adventurous move. Due to this bold step taken by His Grace Sundar Gopal Prabhu, the President of the Sri Krishna Mandir, the results are showing. Lord Krishna brought so many thousands to the temple on that one single day. To achieve this feat in Singapore is possible only due to the mercy of Srila Prabhupada. His movement can only grow bigger and bigger.



Jaya Srila Prabhupada!!

A one-of-a-kind Jhulan Yatra '06

This year, the Jhulan Yatra was special in so many ways. This was the first time the Jhulan Yatra being held outside the temple premises. It was open for everyone to see.

The most attractive feature of the festival however, was the beautiful Vrndavana scene in which Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha-Madanmohan had Their swing pastime. The stage was gorgeously decorated by Bhakta Santiraan and other devotees. It looked just like the beautiful Vrndavana forest with trees, creepers, flowers, magnificient parrots of different colors, monkeys, a peacock (all artificial except the trees, some of which were also artificial) with the picture depicting Radha & Krishna in Their swing pastime as the backdrop. The swing was hung from a tree branch and magnificiently decorated with flowers. Their Lordships swung on a beautiful throne adorned with flowers atop the swing.

The view was so enchanting and breath-taking that there was a complete traffic jam every now and then. They were taking photographs from their cars and some became so enthused that they immediately parked their cars wherever they could and participated in the festival. The passers-by just could not take their eyes off the scene. They were spellbound!!

The kirtan, which could be heard from many lanes away, surcharged and purified the whole atmosphere and everyone was engulfed in festive joy.

The last day of the Jhulan Yatra coincided with the Balarama Jayanti. The killing of the demon Pralambasura by the kids was a most enjoyable experience. Crowds in the hundreds gathered to watch the show. It was very enlivening.
When the demon was finally "killed" by our heroic kids, everyone ran to grab the prasadam that fell out of the body of Pralambasura.

On all the five days, sumptuous prasadam was served to many hundreds. Everyone were really turned on after having their prasadam. Then there was a very impressive score of book sales.

This festival really boosted our image and preaching. So many new faces turned up and each and everyone were so impressed and moved that many of the newcomers enthusiastically came on all the five days.

All in all, it was a unique festival and Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha-Madanmohan were very merciful upon the conditioned souls by displaying the glory of Their ever-triumphant pastimes in the mundane world as stated in the Brahma-samhita (5.42):

ananda-cinmaya-rasatmataya manahsu

yah praninam pratiphalan smaratam upetya

lilayitena bhuvanani jayaty ajasram

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

Translation

I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, whose glory ever triumphantly dominates the mundane world by the activity of His own pastimes, being reflected in the minds of recollecting souls as the transcendental entity of ever-blissful cognitive rasa.

We, at Sri Krishna Mandir, thank everyone for participating in all aspects of the festival and there are many more to come in the next one month. So, stay tuned! For a brochure on the upcoming festivals, please make a visit to our temple. Hare Krishna!!

Tremendous response from the Chinese community

Jai Srila Prabhupada!



The Singapore Hare Krishna Yatra has entered a different phase resulting from the tremendous response given by the Chinese in Singapore.



For many years, the Chinese in Singapore did not have anything to do with Krishna Consciousness. Surprisingly though, there was a sudden growth in the number of Chinese devotees in a matter of last few weeks. The Chinese (of course, the others also) seem to love the ecstatic kirtans, the Bhagavad Gita classes (both Chinese and English), the dramas, the sumptuous Love Feast, it is just a great weekend for all of them. More Chinese books are being sold. They started chanting on the beads. They performed valuable service in making the Ratha Yatra a grand success.

Starting with only 3 to 4 people, the attendance of Chinese devotees for the weekend program increased to nearly 30 in six weeks' time.



The children are also learning dance from our dance teacher Bhakta Xavier for performing in the festivals.





Srila Prabhupada is showering downpours of mercy on the Singapore Yatra. Long live Srila Prabhupada's great movement! Hare Krishna!

Jhulan Yatra '06 -- 5th to 9th August

Owing to the stupendous response, the Jhulan Yatra this year is going to be the biggest festival of all. An ever increasing number of interested devotees are coming forward to serve Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Madan Mohan on the auspicious Jhulan Yatra Day.

This year's festival will be held at the temple premises for five days from the 5th to the 9th of August. The program is scheduled from 7pm to 9pm.

All devotees will get the once-a-year chance of serving Their Lordships directly by swinging Them.

Sumptuous prasadam will be served to one and all. Please come with your family, friends and relatives.

Hare Krishna!!

Special Chinese Bhagavad Gita classes inaugurated

The last Saturday, there was a group of about 20 to 25 Chinese and we had to inaugurate a special Chinese Bhagavad Gita class. There was an English class, a Chinese one and a Tamil one. This is a great step forward in our mission.

Especially after the Ratha Yatra, the Hare Krishnas of Singapore caught the eye of the upper class of society and also, the Chinese.

The festivals in the pipeline, namely, Janmashtami, Radhashtami, Jhulan Yatra, The Transcendental Boat Festival, Prabhupada Appearance Day, etc. promise to draw more of the international crowd. Eagerly looking forward to these festivals.

Ratha Yatra '06 --- A Major Breakthrough

The Ratha Yatra held on the 2nd of July 2006 here in Singapore, was a grand success. Around 3000 people visited the event and thus received the special mercy of Lord Jagannath.

The success of the festival is the result of the bold step taken by Sri Krishna Mandir to publish a half page advertisement in The Strait Times on the Ratha Yatra day.

ye yatha mam prapadyante

tams tathaiva bhajamy aham

As we surrender unto Krishna, so He rewards. We decided to spend money for the advertisement and the Lord rewarded us with sending so many educated class of men to the festival. This is just the beginning.

Srila Prabhupada, our dear spiritual master, always wanted us to make it BIG. We must depend on Krishna. After all, it is all Krishna's property. Isavasyam idam sarvam. If we just desire to glorify Him, He will provide us every facility; and as we glorify Him, He becomes pleased and that pleasure extends to us as we are His parts and parcels, and we also feel blissful in our hearts.

This is the formula for peace, prosperity and happiness. The United Nations Organisation (UNO) is missing this formula and therefore it is a failure as there are so many hot and cold wars taking place.

Who else but we, have this formula? So there is a great need to preach this message and for this purpose, the Hare Krishna festivals are great opportunities. People get to see the Lord (darshan), buy books (which are the basis of our movement), learn our philosophy and thus everyone will be at peace. All our festivals are actually the highest welfare work for mankind. If the intelligent class of the society understands our message, peace shall reign all over the world.

Hare Krishna!!

Ancient Chariot Festival comes to Singapore!!

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Programme:

• Date: 2nd July 2006 (Sunday)
• Venue: Toa Payoh Stadium
• Time: 5pm to 10pm

For enquiries contact:

Sri Krishna Mandir, 9 Norris Road, Singapore-208252

Tel: Raghupati Das or Lawrence @ 62502280

Email: raghupati@krsnamandir.org.sg

Website: www.krsnamandir.org.sg

Free entry and prasadam! All are invited!

Lord Jagannath Chariot Festival, one of the most widely attended festivals in the world, is coming to Singapore. "Jagannath", meaning the Lord of the universe is the source of the English word "Juggernaut".

This colorful melodious extravaganza would be organized at the Toa Payoh Stadium, offering a rare view of the age old wisdom of the Vedic tradition.

Come and experience the splendor of a timeless tradition with your family on the coming Sunday!

Jagannatha Ratha Yatra

The biggest festival of the year is coming up!! The Jagannatha Ratha Yatra is just two weeks away!! On the 2nd of July (Sunday), we are going to celebrate the Ratha Yatra at Toa Payoh stadium from 5pm to 10pm.

We need a lot of service from all the devotees especially on the Ratha Yatra day, the previous day and the day after Ratha Yatra. Let us all enthusiastically take part in the service of Srila Prabhupada and Lord Jagannatha

Since it is going to be a big event this year, we request all the devotees to contribute whatever amount they can to make the event a grand success.

yajnarthat karmano nyatra

loko yam karma bandhanah

tad artham karma kaunteya

mukta-sangah samacara

"Work done as a sacrifice for Visnu has to be performed, otherwise work causes bondage in this material world. Therefore, O son of Kunti, perform your prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain free from bondage."

Therefore all devotees are requested to contribute some of their earnings for the sake of the sankirtana yajna following the precepts of the Bhagavad Gita and following in the footsteps of great Acaryas like Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami.

Bring all the people you can to the Jagannatha Ratha Yatra festival. Hare Krishna!!

Jagannath Snana Yatra

A series of major annual festivals will kick off with the Jagannath Snana Yatra on the 11th of June, 2006.
The Snana Yatra festival is held every year just 2 weeks before the annual Ratha Yatra festival. This festival is interesting because after the Lord takes His snana (bath), He “gets sick” for 2 weeks and then after “getting well” He ventures out into the streets on the Ratha Yatra Day to bestow His all-merciful glance on all the fallen souls.
Of course, the Lord’s sickness is far different from our sickness. His sickness is His pastime whereas ours is a punishment!!
So, on June the 11th, we have an Abhishek ceremony for Jagannath at 7pm. Jagannath is unconditionally merciful. Take and let others also take the fullest advantage of this opportunity! Bring along all your friends and relatives. All are welcome! Thank you! Hare Krishna!!

It was a great week-end festival

The last weekend was filled with festive colours and joy at Sri Krishna Mandir. The public holiday on Friday was a blessing of Lord Nrsimhadev. This facilitated us to make it a grand three-day celebration. The celebrations kicked off with a grand abhishek for Lord Nrsimha, which was accompanied by heavy kirtan. Following this was a cultural programme which included children's Dasavatara costume parade, a couple of dances which were performed by devotees and well-wishers, a very entertaining children's quiz and a spectacular drama which was enacted by Sri Krishna Mandir's Vaikuntha Players. The second day was dedicated to children's programmes of which the drama was the highlight. The Sunday was the Bengali night. The usual Sunday crowd at Norris Road was much benefitted by the tumultuous kirtan which lasted for about one-and-a-half hours. The Drama which followed the kirtan was very much appreciated by the audience.
On all the three days, a variety of sumptuous prasadam was served to our guests, devotees, well-wishers and outsiders.

Coming Up.......Nrsimha Caturdasi

This year, the Nrsimha Caturdasi falls on the 12th of May, Friday. It is Lord Nrsimha's mercy that it is a public holiday. That prompted us to plan a grand three-day festival from Friday to Sunday. So we will be having stage shows on all the three days. On Friday, we will have an English program, on
Saturday, we have a special children program and on Sunday, we have a Bengali program.

On Friday, we have an abhishek for Lord Nrsimha at 6:30p.m. followed by Sandhya Arati at 7p.m. and at 8p.m., we have the cultural program.

Lord Nrsimha is especially fierce against the demons, as you can see in the picture above. So, by participating in this festival, all inauspicious things which are just like demons, will be vanquished and the path to spiritual advancement becomes easy and clear. All devotees are required to fast till sunset. Thank you! Hare Krishna!!

Upcoming Fest --- Rama Navami

We, at Sri Krishna Mandir, are pleased to announce the upcoming festival -- Rama Navami, the appearance day of Lord Ramacandra, which falls on the 7th of April, this month.

We have a talk on the glorious pastimes of Lord Ramacandra in the morning. On this auspicious occasion, devotees can chant more rounds, read more about the pastimes of the Supreme Lord and offer some devotional service at the temple and thus advance in their spiritual life. Moreover, all devotees are required to fast till sunset.

The programs start from 7pm with the Sandhya Arati. Following that is a class on the pastimes of Lord Ramacandra, Sayana Arati, drama and Prasadam distribution.

Gaura Purnima fest and the 2nd ritvik initiation

On Tuesday, the 14th of March, devotees celebrated the Gaura Purnima at Sri Krishna Mandir with great pomp and show. Despite it being a weekday, the evening was filled with hundreds of devotees. Devotees performed many types of devotional service at the temple the whole day. All of them received the special mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu.



The evening programs started off with the initiation ceremony. Four aspiring devotees got initiated by Srila Prabhupada at around 7pm. This was the 2nd ritvik initiation held at Sri Krishna Mandir. His Grace Raghupati Das was the chief priest. The initiates were (from left) Tattva Vit dasa, Mahaprabhu dasa, Prema Vikasa dasa and Ujjvala Siromani dasa.

Following the initiation ceremony was the grand abhisheka ceremony for the Gaur-Nitai Deities. A power-packed kirtana resounding in all directions, accompanied the abhisheka. Each devotee contributed some milk for the abhisheka.


The Temple President, His Grace Sundar Gopal Das, delivered an inspiring talk on the special significance of the Gaura Purnima and the infinite causeless mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

On the 19th of March (Sunday) a cultural programme will be held commemorating the Gaura Purnima. The programme commences from 7pm. Those who could not attend on Tuesday can make it on Sunday. Thank you! Hare Krishna!!

Gaura Purnima Celebrations

It is the appearance day celebration of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the most munificent incarnation of the Lord, on the 14th of March, 2006. Everyone is invited to come and receive the mercy of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. At 5pm, there will be an initiation ceremony for aspiring devotees. There will be a grand milk abhisekha for the Lord at 7pm. Everyone will get the chance to bathe the Lord in milk and thus obtain His mercy. All devotees are encouraged to receive the mercy of the Lord by performing more chanting, reading or engaging in some devotional service in the temple. All devotees are required to fast till moonrise.

On the following Sunday, the 19th of March 2006, we have a grand cultural program from 7pm to 9.45pm.

We would require many hands in various services for both the above mentioned days. Everyone is welcome to perform some devotional service at the temple.

Please come along with all your family members, friends, etc. Everyone is invited!

First Ritvik Initiation Ceremony

The above ceremony was conducted for the first time at the Sri Krishna Mandir.The new initiates took their spiritual vows of following the four principles and chanting a minimum of 16 rounds daily infront of Srila Prabhupad ,the Deities and Agni.
The ceremony was conducted by His Grace Raghupati prabhu, the chief Priest.The new initiates were very please to be connected to the Parampara through Srila Prabhupad, the Maha Bhagavad pure devotee of the Lord.Their connection with Srila Prabhupad was already there once they started accepting him by reading his books,however with this Ritvik initiation ceremony their formal connection with Srila Prabhupad becomes firmly establish as a commitment.We are humbly requesting all Vaisnavas to bless them with their mercy and prayers so that they will remain firmly fixed up in their service and vows to Srila Prabhupad.Hare Krsna.

Lord Nityananda Trayodasi

Sri Krishna Mandir is celebrating the Appearance day of Lord Nityananda Prabhu on the 10th of February 2006 with a Puspanji at 12.00pm, followed by a Maha Arati and prasadam.There will be an evening program beginning at 7.00pm followed by a talk on the pastimes of Lord Nityananda Prabhu.
Kindly make time for this very auspicious event as Lord Nityananda is very merciful to the fallen souls of this kali yuga.To earn His mercy devotees observe a half day fast.