Catering Menu

To have the world-famous Hare Krishna vegetarian food at your next function see our menu at http://www.brisbanegovindas.com.au/catering.htm

Here is your virtual darshan of Their Lordships Sri Sri Gaura Nitai dressed by Dhruva Das for the appearance day of Lord Nrsnghadeva.


Ishtagosthi Community Meetings

Thanks to those devotees who attended the Ishtagosthi last Sunday. We have decided to make these community meetings a regular event and have set aside the first Sunday of each month for this purpose.

The next meeting will therefore be on Sunday December 7th, from 7.30 am until 9am. The meeting theme is "Increasing the spiritual content of our lives", and the program will include some fun games to get to know the devotees better, as well as readings from Srila Prabhupada's letters on this subject, and a report from the project development team.

I hope as many devotees as possible can come together and we can make this a regular, fun and worthwhile event.

New Govardhan Festival

Every year we pack up Brisbane Temple and everyone troops down to New Govardhan for the Christmas Festival. The highlights are the midnight Rathayatra with 40,000 people in Byron Bay, the daytime Beach Rathayatra and the kirtanas and association with Jayapataka Swami, Indradyumna Swami, Prabhavisnu Swami, Ramai Swami and many more wonderful devotees. Festival dates are December 27-31 For more details contact Ajita das on ajita@in.com.au

Not to be missed...Byron Rathayatra.

Seva Organisation Chart

This week we have posted the first draft of the ISKCON Brisbane Seva Organisation Chart. This document has been prepared with assistance from a management consultant and is designed to facilitate the seva of all devotees by showing who is responsible for the various aspects of the temple's functions.

To download the organisation chart please go to our management page at http://www.iskcon.org.au/management.asp and see the link there.

This is the first draft and we are working on the second draft now. Any constructive comments would be appreciated.

Visiting Sannyassis

Vedavyasa Priya Swami is here in Brisbane for classes tonight and tomorrow morning at the temple. Tomorrow (Sunday's) class begins at 7.15 am and Maharaja will be speaking live on radio Brisvani from 8.30 am.

Vedavyasa Priya Swami

Prahladananda Swami is visiting from Wednesday 26 - Saturday 29 November

Prahladananda Swami

Devamrita Swami is visiting from December 11 to 14

Devamrita Swami

Prabhavisnu Swami is visiting from January 2 - 5

Prabhavisnu Swami

Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda dressed nicely this week by Dhruva das.

The next ekadasi fasting is on Friday 5 December which is Paksa vardhini Mahadvadasi

Catering Programs

Thanks to those devotees who came and helped out at the Livid Festival catering. A big effort was put in by everyone, and the day turned out to be a big success with more than a thousand people taking prasadam.

The next big catering festival is on Sunday the 23rd of November at the West End Festival. It is sure to be a big day too with serving from 12 midday until 10 pm. If you'd like to come along and help out on the day please send us an e-mail and I'll get back to you with more details.

Here is your virtual darshan of Their Lordships Sri Sri Gaura Nitai from this morning.

GITA JAYANTI - December 4, 2003

On this day the Holiest of books, the Srimad Bhagavad-gita was sung by Lord Krishna Himself, to his dear devotee Arjuna.

By giving sastra-dhana on this day, one attains the Lord's favour, and the chance to render service to His lotus feet, in eternal bliss. We encourage everyone to take part in this day by either taking to the streets to distribute Srila Prabhupada's books, or sponsoring some books for placement in public areas. For more details contact us onbrisbane@pamho.net

New Temple Project

Last week we received the Development Approval Notice from the BCC, which gives the green light for our modified Master Plan of the Hare Krishna Cultural Centre Project. The original DA was modified to allow for a staged construction schedule, as well as to better serve the needs of the community.

The Project Development Committee has approved the first stage of the project to go ahead to Building Approval stage, which consists of the Temple Hall and amenities/administration block. The Temple Hall will be built in such a way that it will have a basic design and be fully functional from the beginning, but will have lots of scope to add decorative features to realise the vision of a fully fledged Vedic style temple as funds allow.

As yet no construction date has been set, but our professionals are working hard to complete all the documentation required to move into the construction stage, and they inform us that we should be beginning construction sometime early in the new year.

Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda in Brisbane Dham today

The next ekadasi is Thursday the 20 November.

Thanks to all the devotees who came and shared with us Srila Prabhupada's Disappearance Day celebration, it was very enlivening to hear everyone's realisations of their relationship with Srila Prabhupada. Events such as this are an essential part of our devotional process, and allow us to become fully immersed in thoughts of the Lord, His devotional service and His pure devotees. Let us all pray that we can carry this mood of appreciation, reverence and dedication to Srila Prabhupada throughout the coming year.

Thanks also to the Festival Committee for organising a nice Divali celebration. The night was marked with many nice cultural events including solo singing and Bharat Natyam dance.

DAMODAR MONTH

We have now begun the Damodar lila celebrations at the temple, and this will go on for the next month.

We will all offer lamps to the Lord in His form as Sri Damodar and sing the beautiful Damodarastakam prayers.

Every morning at 7.20 am and each Saturday evening the ceremony will be held and all are welcome to come to the temple and participate.

GITA JAYANTI - December 4, 2003

This special day is the very day that the Bhagavad Gita was spoken by Lord Krishna 5,000 years ago at Kurukshetra. We will be celebrating the speaking of the Gita by distributing as many copies of this holiest of books as possible.

You can join in this festival by sponsoring copies of the Bhagavad Gita, and you can either distribute them to your workmates or family on this day, or the devotees can distribute the books on your behalf. Stay tuned for details.

DIPAVALI - Festival of Lights

When Lord Rama returned to Aydhya after defeating Ravana, all His devotees put lamps all over the city to welcome Him. To celabrate the devotees still enact this pastime as an oferring of devotion to Lord Sri Ramacandra.

GOVARDHANA PUJA - Sunday 26 October

This year we are fortunate that Govardhana Puja falls on a Sunday so we will all be heading down to New Govardhana farm for the celebrations.

Join us for what will definitely be a great day with Giriraj Maharaja and all the farm devotees.

SRILA PRABHUPADA'S DISAPPEARANCE DAY

The 29th of October 2003 marks the day when His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada left this world 26 years ago. The program begins at 6 pm with the pushpanjali and Guru PUja at 7.30pm, the time of Srila Prabhupada's passing.

SEVA FOR LORD KRISHNA - SATURDAY SEVA DAY!

If you would like to do some seva on Saturdays please contact:

Rama Priya Prabhu on rampriyadas@ozemail.com.au

or Raja Vidya Prabhu on rajeshjaveri@hotmail.com

The next ekadasi is Wednesday, 22 Oct

RADHASTAMI PHOTOS

Radhastami was a wonderful festival as always, and it was very nicely organised by the festival team and congregational members. The temple and altar room decorations were especially nice. Congratulations to all involved.

Here are some pictures of the night when Srimati Radharani is most merciful to her devotees... more photos at the end of this newsletter.

DAMODAR MONTH 11 Oct 2003 Sa

Starting on 11 October, we will be celebrating the month of Damodar, when Mother Yashoda tied up Lord Krishna with the ropes of her love, and the Lord agreed to be tied up by the affection of His devotee, even though He is supremely independant.

This beautiful pastime is celebrated in this special month by the devotees offering lamps to the Lord in His form as Sri Damodar.

Every morning at 7.20 am and each Saturday evening the ceremony will be held and all are welcome to come to the temple and participate.

GITA JAYANTI - December 4, 2003

This special day is the very day that the Bhagavad Gita was spoken by Lord Krishna 5,000 years ago at Kurukshetra. We will be celebrating the speaking of the Gita by distributing as many copies of this holiest of books as possible.

You can join in this festival by sponsoring copies of the Bhagavad Gita, and you can either distribute them to your workmates or family on this day, or the devotees can distribute the books on your behalf.

More details in the next newsletter.

SRILA PRABHUPADA'S VYASA PUJA BOOK ONLINE

The 2003 Vyasa Puja book for ISKCON Brisbane is online and you can read all of the offerings by going to:

http://www.iskcon.org.au/spvyaspuja/vpbook.asp

Evening Vaishnava training and education course

This is an introductory course developed by the ISKCON Vaishnava training and education board which is being held in the Graceville temple.

Classes are held Monday through Thursdays at 4:45pm.

The first module instructs the students about devotional practices, and there will be an emphasis on interaction with ample opportunities to appropriately express doubts, opinions, feelings and difficulties.

For any enquiries please contact Bhakta John Alizzi at inubainu@hotmail.com

SEVA AT CATERINGS

There are two bigger catering events coming up, namely the Boundary St Festival on October 12 and Livid Festival on October 18th.

These festivals are a great chance to get potential devotees to partake of Krishna's prasadam and thereby make spiritual advancement so there is lots of mercy flowing. If you would like to help out with the preparations or serving on the day please contact me on brisbane@pamho.net

SEVA FOR LORD KRISHNA - SATURDAY SEVA DAY!

If you would like to do some seva on Saturdays please contact:

Rama Priya Prabhu on rampriyadas@ozemail.com.au

or Raja Vidya Prabhu on rajeshjaveri@hotmail.com

The next ekadasi is Monday 6th October.

Please note the temple e-mail address is now:

brisbane@pamho.net

Hare Krishna.

your servant,

Deva Gaura Hari das

More Radhastami pics as promised...

RADHASTAMI - APPEARANCE OF SRIMATI RADHARANI

The festival of Radhastami will be held on Thursday 4th of August at the temple, and we will also celebrate on the 6th with some cultural programmes.

Please come along and join us for this wonderfully sweet festival.

Programme: Thursday 4th September

5.30 pm Bhajans by Krsnadas Prabhu adn Madhava
6.00 pm Class by Garuda Prabhu
6.45 pm Pushpanjali and Arati followed by gifts opening
7.30 pm Feast

Srimati Radharani at ISKCON Vrindavan.

SRILA PRABHUPADA'S VYASA PUJA BOOK ONILINE

The 2003 Vyasa Puja book for ISKCON Brisbane is now online and you can read all of the offerings by going to:

http://www.iskcon.org.au/spvyaspuja/vpbook.asp

Srila Prabhupada came alone from India with only a pair of karatals, some Srimad Bhagavatams and the Holy Name of Lord Krishna. Now his ISKCON institution has millions of followers and more than 400 temples worldwide. Here Srila Prabhupada leads the chanting in a New York park in 1965.

JANMASTAMI THANKS

Many thanks to all the devotees who put in so much work to make Janmastami a grand success. Between 500 and 600 people came on the night, and joined us for the programme.

Special thanks also to all our sponsors for their support on the night.

Here are some nice pics of the event:

SEVA FOR LORD KRISHNA - SATURDAY SEVA DAY!

If you would like to do some seva on Saturdays please contact:

Rama Priya Prabhu on pradeeptandon@energex.com.au

or Raja Vidya Prabhu on rajeshjaveri@hotmail.com

The next ekadasi is Sunday 7th of September, which is also a half day fast for the appearance day of Lrod Vamanadeva.

JANMASTAMI FINAL COUNTDOWN

This wednesday 20th of August 2003, is the appearance day of Lord Krishna, and we will be having a grand celebration at the temple from 5.30 onwards extending past midnight.

There will be a special section for children's activities this year, so feel free to bring your young ones along to join in the fun.

There are still a few sponsorships left to be taken, including the grounds setup for tents and lighting which is $601. If any devotee is able to sponsor this item please contact myself or Sakhi Rai Prabhu at shreeji@in.com.au

Sri Sri Radha Krishna being bathed by His Holiness Tamal Krishna Goswami Maharaja - the Abhishek (bathing ceremony) is always a favourite at Janmastami.

JANMASTAMI PREPARATIONS WORKING BEE

The day before Janmastami - Tuesday 19th August, there will be lots of preparations gong on at the temple, and we ask anyone who can spare some time on that day to please come along and assist with the preparations.

Volunteers can do any of the following activities - setting up the extension leads and lamps for grounds, cutting of vegetables for the feast, stringing garlands for temple decorations, general tidy up of grounds etc.

Please come along and lend a bit of a hand if you can - as they say, many hands make light work!

ISKCON FOUNDER SRILA PRABHUPADA'S APPEARANCE DAY FESTIVAL

Srila Prabhupada's appearance day celebrations will be held on Thursday 21st August, beginning at 10.30 am, with homages and offerings from disciples, grand-disciples, and well-wishers of Srila Prabhupada, followed by a Pushpanjali (flower offering ceremony) and feast.

Iskcon Founder-Acharya Srila Prabhupada

AYURVEDIC CONSULTANT TO SERVE DEVOTEES

Amardeep Singh Prabhu, a qualified Ayurvedic and Naturopathic doctor, has offered his services to consult on any health issues.

Consultations will be held from 2.00 pm - 5.00 pm on Saturday afternoons at the temple at 95 Bank Rd, Graceville. Bookings are essential, you can phone 0421 424462 or email ayur_science@yahoo.com.au

SEVA FOR LORD KRISHNA - SATURDAY SEVA DAY!

Each week we are seeing more devotees coming to perform seva on saturdays at the temple so this is an encouraging sign. As Lord Krishna says, those who are always engaged in His service receive special blessings to always be in the blissful association of the Lord and His devotees. All glories to all the devotees who are doing so much valuable service to the Lord in this short life we have!

Don't forget the special seva day on Tuesday 19th August for Janmastami preparations. The more the merrier, so we hope to see you there!

The next ekadasi is Saturday 23rd August.

Hope this meets you in the best of health and festive cheer,

your servant,
Deva Gaura Hari das

SRI KRISHNA JANMASTAMI MAHOTSAVA (GRAND CELEBRATION)

Wednesday 20th of August 2003, is the big day when devotees all over the world celebrate the appearance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, in this world, more than 5000 years ago in Mathura.

Your local Hare Krishna temple at 95 Bank Rd, Graceville will he holding a celebration on the night, the programme being as follows:

5.00 - 6.00 Bhajans

6.00 - 6.45 Class

6.45 - 7.00 Dance (Odissi)

7.00 - 7.30 Gaura Arati

7.30 - 8.15 Abhishek

8.15 - 8.30 Dance (Bharat Natyam)

8.30 - 9.00 Youth programme

9.00 - 9.10 Prize announcememnt for the story story writing competition

9.10 - 9.40 Slide show

9.40 - 10.15 Quiz

10.15 - 12.00 Reading and bhajan/kirtan

12.00 - 12.20 Midnight arati

12.20 - 12.30 Opening of the gifts

12.30 Midnight ekadashi feast

Any service to the Lord done on this day has thousands of times the benefit to the performer, therefore many devotees take the opportunity to give in charity to theLord on this day. There are still some major sponsorship opportunities for the festival available, as well as the beautiful abhishekam ceremony where sponsors get to personaly approach the altar of Sri Sri Radha-Syamasundar and make their offering to the Lord. These abhishekam sponsorships are $108 each, and you will receive an arati tray full of sweets and other nectar to also take home from the ceremony. Please direct any inquiries for sponsorship to Sakhi Rai Prabhu on shreeji@in.com.au

There are many preparations to be made for the celebration, so if you would llike to help out in any way please contact me by replying this e-mail, and we can allot some seva for you to do.

ISKCON FOUNDER SRILA PRABHUPADA'S APPEARANCE DAY FESTIVAL

Srila Prabhupada is so very dear to all followers of the Hare Krishna movement, because he is the one that spread the ancient teachings of Bhakti Yoga all over the globe, and founded an international society, (ISKCON) to give shelter to people the world over, and to preserve and carry on his work to the future generations.

His appearance day celebrations will be held on Thursday 21st August, beginning at 10.30 am, with homages and offerings from disciples, grand-disciples, and well-wishers of Srila Prabhupada, followed by a Pushpanjali (flower offering ceremony) and feast.

ISKCON Founder-Acharya: His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

LORD BALARAMA'S APPEARANCE DAY

This celebration will be held on the purnima night of Tuesday 12th August, at our Graceville centre. The programme begins at 5.30pm and includes the breaking of the pot full of sweets by the children, kirtanas and readings from Lord Baladeva's pastimes, and wonderful feast.

A special attraction this year is that everyone is requested to come in fancy dress - adults and children alike. A prize will be given to the best dressed adult and child on the night.

JHULAN YATRA - SWING FESTIVAL

The swing festival is a great favourite of all devotees on the festival calendar. This is the time when Sri Sri Radha-Govinda are swung personally be the devotees, and everyone gets the chance to perform this seva.

Jhulan Yatra will be held this saturday night, August 9th, and also on Lord Balarama's appearance day.

AYURVEDIC CONSULTANT TO SERVE DEVOTEES

Amardeep Singh Prabhu, a qualified Ayurvedic and Naturopathic doctor, has offered his services to consult on any health issues.

Consultations will be held from 2.00 pm - 5.00 pm on Saturday afternoons at the temple at 95 Bank Rd, Graceville. Bookings are essential, you can phone 0421 424462 or email ayur_science@yahoo.com.au

SEVA FOR LORD KRISHNA - SATURDAY SEVA DAY!

Thanks to all the devotees who have begun coming regularly to perform seva for the Lord. As mentioned in our previous newsletter, we are making saturday the seva day for the Hare Krishna temple congregation, and are asking congregational members to give one saturday morning per month to come and do some practical seva for the service of the Lord.

As the saying goes, "Many hands make light work." In the sastra Krishna says that one can receive all intelligence as to how to go back to Him in the spiritual sky, if one is always engaged in some practical devotional service for the Lord. By serving the Lord we can understand and realise what is the mood of service and surrender to God that the great saints of the past are describing. Without such service, our knowledge of spiritual matters can become dry and theoretical.

In the wonderful temple of Sri Nathji, in Gujerat state, there is such a wonderful mood of seva, that any time there is adelviery to the temple, everyone just runs to come and bring the firewook or whatever into the kitchen. Everyone has the feeling that, "Yes, I am a servant of the Lord." Srila Prabhupada explained that the Holy places are special because of the seva that goes on there, not just because of tradition. Therefore, if we can cultivate that mood here in Brisbane, we will see that the temple becomes transformed into a holy place of pilgrimage, and this is certainly what we are trying to create with the new temple project that is being undertaken.

Areas where seva can be performed include:

kitchen and food preparation - cutting vegetables etc
temple maintenance work - if you have plumbing skills or electrical skills
gardening - planting flowers, weeding etc.
catering programmes - serving out and assisting in catering programs
prasadam distribution - serving prasadam ar assisting at Govindas, Food for Life or Krishna's Cafe.
computer skills - web page maintenance etc.

If you have any specific skills, we can take down your details and contact you regarding these at a later date.

Please think about how you can assist the activities of the temple. Its a great way to come closer to the community of devotees.

Any enquiries can be directed to me at deva@in.com.au or just reply to this e-mail.

The next ekadasi is this Friday, 8th August.

Hope this meets you in good health in this festival season,

your servant,
Deva Gaura Hari das

THANKS TO ALL WHO CAME FOR GUNDICA

Gundica Marjana was held last Sunday and lots of devotees came from the congregation to help out cleanse the temple. Thanks to all who came and did a nice job.

25TH ANNIVERSARY OF SRI SRI RADHA GAVARDHANADHARI

This saturday is the 25th anniversary of the installation of Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha-Govardhanadhari at our Hare Krishna farm near Murwillumbah. This is sure to be an ecstatic program with all the devotees from the farm so if you have time to get away from the big smoke for a day then it will certainly be worth the trip. The program is:

Radha Govardhanadhari's 25th anniversary

At New Govardhana, Murwillumbah

Date: Saturday 19th July
Time: 4pm

Programme Details

4.00pm Bajans

4.30pm Reminiscences of installation

5.30pm Abhiseka

6.00pm Candlelit Gaura Arati.

6.30pm Feast

Gifts will be offered to their Lordships and those attending are invited to bring their offerings.

Sri Sri Radha Govardhanadhari

AYURVEDIC CONSULTANT TO SERVE DEVOTEES

Amardeep Singh Prabhu, a qualified Ayurvedic and Naturopathic doctor, has offered his services to consult on any health issues.

Consultations will be held from 2.00 pm - 5.00 pm on Saturday afternoons at the temple at 95 Bank Rd, Graceville. Bookings are essential, you can phone 0421 424462 or email ayur_science@yahoo.com.au

JANMASTAMI CELEBRATION COMING UP

Janmastami is coming our way, with the celebration of Lord Krishna's birth to be held on August 20th. The programme will be advertised soon, but will include midnight arati of Lord Krishna, dramas, bharat natyam dance and cultural events, as well as a delicious feast for all guests.

Preparations are well under way, and there are lots of opportunities for sponsorship. You can offer to sponsor the Lord's clothes, flower arrangments, prasadam for pilgrims, and more. For more information regarding sponsorship please contact Sakhi Rai Prabhu at shreeji@in.com.au

SEVA FOR LORD KRISHNA

On Saturday evening we were glorifying the Lord's seva and how we can make spiritual advancement through practical devotional service. Lord Krishna says in the Gita that he gives the intelligence how to come to Him, to those who are constantly engaged in the Lord's seva.

To facilitate this we are offering the chance to all congregational members to perform some little seva, and make a great contribution to the activities of the temple. Presently we have about 5 full time devotees who are fully engaged in many different services trying hard to maintain all the activities of the temple. As with everything there is a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into the programmes such as Saturday feast, Sunday feast, running Govindas restaurant, Hare Krishna Food for Life, Krishna's Cafe, daily Deity seva, morning worship programmes, etc.

Of course many congregtational devotees work or study full-time, so their time is limited. Therefore we are asking if any members feel they could spare 2 hours in every month to come and do some practical seva in the temple.

This amount should be manageable by most, but at the same time it will be a great help to the temple if many families can come forward and offer this time for the Lord's seva. As they say, "Many hands make light work."

Areas where seva can be performed include:

kitchen and food preparation - cutting vegetables etc
temple maintenance work - if you have plumbing skills or electrical skills
gardening - planting flowers, weeding etc.
catering programmes - serving out and assisting in catering programs
prasadam distribution - serving prasadam ar assisting at Govindas, Food for Life or Krishna's Cafe.
Computer skills - web page maintenance

If you have any specific skills, we can take down your details and contact you regarding these at a later date.

Please think about how you can assist the activities of the temple. Its a great way to come closer to the community of devotees.

Any enquiries can be directed to me at deva@in.com.au or just reply to this e-mail.

Hope this meets you well,

your servant,
Deva Gaura Hari das

BHAKTI VRIKSHA PROGRAMMES IN BRISBANE

For those that have not heard of Bhakti-Vriksha, it is a particular kind of small group meeting of devotees, that contains all the essential aspects of devotional service to Lord Krishna. Devotees come together regularly in groups of 7-15 and perform kirtana, japa, discuss philosophy and any questions that arise, and take a little prasadam.

In other countries this programme has been hugely sucessful, in part because it fulfils a need for smaller group sat-sangs where devotees get to know each other in deeper spiritual relationships, and can help each other with the practical aspects of becoming Krishna Conscious in todays very challenging world.

For the last two months we have been holding a training programme for potential group servant-leaders, and now we have begun the first meetings of the groups themselves. So far we have four groups, meeting in Sherwood, Graceville, Westlake and Chapel Hill. If this programme appeals to you please contact me and we can connect you to the group closest to you so you can try it out for yourself. Most groups meet fortnightly.

I can assure you that this programme is a very satisfying way to appreciate the beauty of Krishna Conscious life and I encourage everyone to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

GOVINDAS MOBILE CATERING CARAVAN NOW OPERATING

Over the last two weekends we have trialled our new mobile food catering van and both programmes were hugely successful. The public reacted very well to the setup with more than a thousand people taking prasadam.

These festivals are hard work but a lot of fun, so if you'd like to join us some time drop us a line and we can arrange some seva. Also, if you know of any festivals that might be wanting catering please let us know.

Hope this meets you well. The next ekadasi is Wednesday 25th June.

your servant,
Deva Gaura Hari das

SEVA OPPORTUNITY - GOVINDAS CATERING

This weekend we have 2 catering functions on, one at Beaudesert and one at the Gold Coast. If you would like to serve out prasadam on either Friday, Saturday or Sunday, please drop us a quick e-mail.

Here are some pics of Gaura Nitai as They looked on Saturday night, dressed nicely by Premavati Mataji.

Next ekadasi is tomorrow, Tuesday 27th May.

LORD NRSIMHADEV APPEARANCE DAY

Next Thursday May 15 is the appearance day of the half-man half-lion form of the Supreme Lord - Nrsimhadev. This form of Krishna is very dear to the devotees because He gives special protection from all the inauspicious effects of the material world, for His devotees who are surrendered to Him.

The programme will be as follows:

5.30pm Bhajans
6.00pm Fire yajna
6.30pm Nrsimhadeva pastimes with Devamrita Swami
7.00pm Pushpanjali offering to Lord Nrsimhadev and kirtan
7.30pm Feast

Lord Nrsimhadev with His consort Lakshmi devi

SPECIAL GUESTS PREACHERS CONFIRMED

Bhurijana Prabhu and Jagattarini Mataji - Arrive Wednesday May 7and stay up to Sunday morning May 11.

Devamrita Swami - Arrives Wednesday May 14 stays up to Monday May 19.

Prabhavisnu Swami - Arrives May 23 staying up to 26 morning.

AUTUMN RETREAT

This Sunday May 4 will be the Hare Krishna Autumn Retreat where devotees get together for some fun activities in a more informal setting. The retreat will be held in the Sherwood Arboretum nearby the Graceville temple.

We will meet at 10.30 AM at the temple and proceed to the park from there. Activities include community games, talent quest, games, kirtan, prasad and at the end SLIDE SHOW (on The Holy Dhams)!

Any inquiries can be directed to Sakhi Rai das - 3878 6730, Taraka devi dasi - 3278 2999, or Sukhesvari Rani devi dasi - 3878 4118.

Pujari's eye view of Their Lordships

CATERING FOR BUDDHAS BIRTHDAY

This weekend the Hare Krishna temple will be catering for Buddha's Birthday at Southbank. The programme runs from 9 am up to 9pm both Saturday and Sunday, so if you would like to come down and serve out some prasadam you can contact Matsya at the temple.

This is Sri Sri Gaura Nitai receiving abhishek on Gaura Purnima this year.

The next ekadasi fast is Tuesday 13 May, 2003.

SPECIAL GUESTS VISIT BRISBANE TEMPLE

Over the next few weeks we are having a swag of VIPs visiting Brisbane temple. All of these devotees are wonderful preachers and give great classes. The schedule is as follows:

Ramai Swami - arrives Brisbane Thursday 17 April, staying for Easter weekend. Saturday evening class and Bhagvatam classes while he is here.

Bhurijana Prabhu and Jagattarini Mataji - Arrive Wednesday May 7and staying up to Sunday morning May 11. Morning Bhagavatam classes and evening classes while they are here.

Devamrita Swami - Arrives Wednesday May 14 stays up to Sunday morning May 18. (to be confirmed)

Prabhavisnu Swami - Arrives Sunday May 18 for Sunday feast then goes to New Govardhan, and then comes back to Brisbane from 21 up to 25 May. (to be confirmed)

NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR HEARING

We have just installed a new PA system throughout the temple so that parents with young children can now hear the lectures from another room in the temple. It also allows those devotees who can't fit in the temple room on Saturday nights to hear the class from the prasad hall.

Please advantage of this facility to come and hear the classes of the Maharaja's!

The next ekadasi fast is Sunday 27th April.

RAMA NAVAMI - APPEARANCE DAY OF LORD RAMACANDRA

Saturday 12 April will be the celebration for Rama Navami at the Hare Krishna temple at 95 Bank Rd, Graceville. The programme is as follows:

5.30 pm Rama Bhajans
6.00 pm Rama Katha lecture
7.00 pm Arati and kirtana
7.20 pm Rama lila play
7.40 pm Prasadam feast

Please tell all your friends and family about this event and we can share this night in remembrance of this wonderful incarnation of the Supreme Lord, Sri Ramacandra.

SEMINAR BY JANANANDA PRABHU

This Sunday 6 April, there will be a seminar given by His Grace Janananda Prabhu, a long serving disciple of Srila Prabhupada and dynamic preacher who is one of the pioneers of ISKCON, especially in South East Asia.

His seminar will be held from 7.30 am - 9.30 am in the temple room. The subject is overcoming anarthas, or unwanted habits in service to the Lord. He will explain the various demons in Krishna lila and how they represent different anarthas in the heart of the devotee and how Krishna can destroy these unwanted things.

This will be a very informative seminar for those wanting to go deeper into the science of bhakti yoga.

ISTAGOSTHI - VAISNAVA COMMUNITY SANGA

Next Sunday April 13 is our next Istagosthi meeting. This has been put forward another week with the seminar of Janananda Prabhu happening this week. This is a chance for all devotees to get to know each other better and build a stronger community centred around service to Lord Krishna. Everyone is welcome for the sanga which begins at 7.30 am.

This is a picture of Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai as They look today.

HARE KRISHNA NEWS UPDATE for 20 February 2003

NITYANANDA'S APPEARANCE DAY

Saturday night was the appearance anniversary of Sri Nityananda Prabhu and many devotees came for the sweet programme of Nitai Katha, kirtana, and a nice play by the children showing the story of Citraketu Maharaja. Attached are a couple of pictures from the night, one of the play and one of the star of the night Nityananda Prabhu.

PEACE RALLY

On Sunday the devotees went to the peace rally which saw more than 50,000 people turn out to protest against the impending war in Iraq. Devotees distributed gallons of prasadam drink, many of Srila Prabhupada's books and performed bhajans all afternoon in the Botanical Gardens.

The message of the Krishna Conscious movement to the world is that there can only be peace when people understand and act on the understanidng that God is the ultimate proprietor of everything, He is the ultimate enjoyer of our struggles in this world, and He is the greatest friend to all living beings. On the material platform there are always so many differences. One group of people considers themselves American, another Arab. One group calls themselves Christian, Jewish or Muslim. In all these different traditions there are so many differences of culture and understandings, therefore there are always struggles between members of different groups, who are all searching for the self-interest of their particular national or religious group. There is little or no common ground.

However, when a group of people live according to true Sanatan Dharma or the true eternal religion of the soul, which is to serve the one God, then this common factor is found in every living being. Every living being wants to serve God and therefore true unity can only be found on this spiritual platform. In the Krishna Consciousness movement we respect all bona fide teachers or prophets as representatives of God. Therefore we equally respect Muhammed, Jesus, and Buddha. Many devotees in our movement have come from a previous background in these faiths, and rather than being "converted" they feel that the principles of Krishna consciousness include their previous understandings and go further in the search for true spiritual love and brotherhood.

Whatever is the outcome of the present hostilities, it is certain that unless the population of the world comes to a higher level of true spiritual understanding, then there will continue to be wars and conflicts based on the temporary considerations of various national and religious designations. It is our duty to try and enlighten people to the pure religion of love of Godhead which is given in such sacred scriptures as Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, which has the purity and potency to solve all of the ills of the world, when properly applied under the expert guidance of the previous masters.

PRASADAM RESTAURANTS

Just a reminder that we have three restaurants currently operating throughout inner Brisbane. Please take the opportunity to taste wonderful Krishna prasadam at one of these restaurants soon, and take a peaceful break from your day over lunch.

Govindas Restaurant
99 Elizabeth St,
City
Hours 11.30 am - 2.30 pm 7 days a week
Friday night 5.30 pm - 8.30 pm

Krishna's Cafe
82 Vulture St (above Perfect Potion)
West End
Hours 12.00 pm - 2.30 pm Mon - Fri

Hare Krishna Food for Life
188 Brunswick St
Fortitude Valley
Hours 12.00pm - 2.00 pm Mon - Fri

HARE KRISHNA NEWS UPDATE for 12 February 2003

BHAKTI TIRTHA SWAMI VISITS BRISBANE

Maharaja gave an ecstatic programme in Brisbane on Saturday night. Attached are some photos of the event.
He is coming back from New Govardhan on Friday 14 Feb to participate in our Harinam day and also to give Bhagavatam class on Saturday 15 Feb on Nityananda Trayodasi, at 7.00 am. Maharaja's classes are filled with many practical realisations on how to fit in a Krishna conscious lifestyle with the day-to-day demands of everyday life. This is one darshan you won't want to miss - this Saturday, 7.00 am at 95 Bank Rd, Graceville.

THANKS TO SPONSORS OF THE DIGITAL CAMERA

Thanks go out to Vinay and Anita, Jiten and Anju Patel, Dhiraj and Damayanti Raniga, and Sakhi Rai and Vraj Lakshmi for sponsoring the temple's new digital camera which makes it possible to send out all the beautiful pictures to you.

HARE KRISHNA NEWS UPDATE for February 2003

BHAKTI TIRTHA SWAMI VISITING BRISBANE

His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami will visit Brisbane temple soon. He is the author of many books on self realisation and travels the world preaching to many diginitaries and academics about the importance of God Consciousness and how one can implement Krishna Conscious principles in today's world.

His Brisbane itinerary is as follows.

HARE KRISHNA NEWS UPDATE 8 January 2003

This is the first update for the new year so we'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy new year and hope that all is well with your health and family coming into the new year.

23 -26 Jan 2003, Prahladananda Swami visiting Brisbane temple

Maharaja will be coming to Brisbane on the 23 January and staying up the 26. Prahladananda Swami gives very lively classes (morning class is from 7.30 am and evening class at 7.30 pm) which are often very humorous and he is a totally staunch exponent of preaching and distributing Srila Prabhupada's books. Make sure you catch at least one of Maharaja's classes and see for yourself.

9 -11 Jan 2003, Bhakti Caru Maharaja visits Brisbane temple

This week we are graced by a surprise visit from HH Bhakti Caru Maharaja, fresh from his visit to Fiji. Maharaja is famous for producing the "Abhay Charan" television series about the life of Srila Prabhupada. He will in Brisbane from midday on
the 9 January up to midday on the 11 January, and will be holding morning and evening classes while he is here. Please come and take advantage of this rare opportunity to hear this very dear disciple of Srila Prabhupada speak.

New Govardhan Rathayatra and Festival

This year's festival was a grand success with many travelling devotees joining the locals from Brisbane and Murwillumbah. Highlight of the festival was of course the New Year's Eve Rathayatra through the streets of Byron Bay, capped off by
the amazing fireworks display on the beach. Lord Jaganatha looked resplendent with His sister Lady Subhadra and brother Sri Balaram, on Their magnificent chariot pulled along by the enthusiastic devotees. Approximately 40,000 guests were in
town on the night, and many pulled the Lord's cart, joining in with the devotees. Other great events at the festival were the classes given by Jayapataka Swami, Ramai Swami and BV Madhava Swami, very nice children's activities, fantastic kirtanas in the temple room, Prabhupada remembrance night, mantra rock night with Ramai Swami and a tour of ISKCON worldwide via Jayapataka Swami's transcendental slide show. Of course the beach picnic and volleyball game was also very popular.

HARE KRISHNA NEWS UPDATE for December 2002

There is a lot happening over the next month so please take a little time to go through and see what is on offer for this festive period.

His Holiness Mahavisnu Goswami is coming to Brisbane on Wednesday 18th December, when he will present an evening class beginning at 6.30pm.

New Govardhana Rathayatra Festival
This year's festival promises to be as enlivening as previous year's which have been a big highlight for devotees from all along the eastern seaboard. The climax to the 5 day festival is the Byron Night Rathayatra where 40,000 guests, 400 devotees and Lord Jaganatha's transcendental cart all combine to create a truly unforgettable experience. Don't miss it! You can get the festival programme here. VIP's include Jayapataka Swami, Ramai Swami and Bhakti Visrambha
Madhava Swami.

His Holiness Prahladananda Swami will be visiting Brisbane form the 23-27 January giving morning and evening classes. More details will be available when we come close to the date.

His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami will also be visiting Brisbane during January, dates to be confirmed.

His Holiness Bhanu Swami is visiting Brisbane from Thursday 19 December up to Tuesday 24 December. Maharaja will present a seminar on the Nectar of Instruction on Thursday evening at 7.00pm, and Saturday and Sunday mornings at 7.30 am. He will give Srimad Bhagavatam class on Friday and Monday mornings.

His Holiness Bhakti Visrambha Swami will be arriving in Brisbane on the 24th of December and will give morning class on 25 and 26 in the temple.

6 Nov 2002 Wednesday - Govardhan Puja Celebrations

This wednesday evening, 6th November, we will celebrate the festival of Govardhan Puja at the temple. The festivities begin at 6pm, and will include a drama from the Sunday school children, the circumambulation of Govardhan Hill, and a discussion of the significance of the pastime of Krishna's lifting Govardhan Hill. Come along and you can even take home part of the hill!

8 Nov 2002 Friday - Srila Prabhupada's Disappearance Day

Friday 8 November is the 25th anniversary of the passing of Srila Prabhupada from this world. There will be a service at the temple from 6pm on friday evening where the devotees will read from Srila Prabhupada's Lilamrita Biography, offer homages, and perform pushpanjali and guru puja to Srila Prabhupada. Please come and join us for this very moving event which always increases our appreciation for the sacrifices made by Srila Prabhupada to give Krishna Consciousness to the world

15 Nov 2002 Friday - The Great Transcendental Adventure - new book written by Kurma Prabhu

This is name of a wonderful book written by Kurma Prabhu, which describes the establishment of the Krishna Consciousness movement in Australia and New Zealand. Kurma is usually more well known for his cooking skills, but he certainly has a lot to offer as a writer, as anyone who reads his book will discover. The book is available for purchase from Rama Priya and Mukunda Mala's book stall on Saturday evenings at the temple.

On Friday the 15th November, Kurma Prabhu will be in Brisbane where he will be reading from his book and giving some extra embellishments on the nectar of Prabhupada's pastimes to establish the movement here in Australia. Come along at 7.30 am to hear the nectar.

2 November 2002 - Divali

We will be holding a special feast this Saturday night, 2nd November, 2002, to celebrate Divali. The programme will begin at 5.30 pm and will include a special talk on the pastimes of Lord Ramacandra and the Dhipa ceremony where all present
may come forward and offer a lamp to the Lord.

Some small items to offer to Lord Rama will also be available to sponsor on the night. Jai Sri Rama!

21 Oct - 20 Nov 2002 - KARTIKA - the month of Damodar

This month the devotees celebrate the wonderful pastime of Lord Krishna as a baby being tied by the bonds of affection of His mother Yashoda Mayi.
Each morning at 7.30 am at the temple the devotees sing prayers in praise of Lord Damodar, and each devotee offers a lamp to the Lord. It is a beautiful time of the year. In addition, any devotional service performed during the month of Damodar has one thousand times the benefit that it normally has, so devotees are encouraged to take advantage of this transcendental bargain and perform some service to the Lord during the month of Kartika.

18 October 2002 - HH Veda Vyasa Priya Maharaja visits to Brisbane

This weekend (18-21 October) we welcome back HH Veda Vyasa Priya Maharaja to Brisbane. Maharaja's schedule is as follows:

6 October 2002 - Retreat at Brisbane Forest Park

On Sunday before last, about 50 devotees gathered at the Brisbane Forest Park for the devotee retreat/picnic. One of the goals set by the organisers was for devotees to meet in a relaxed atmosphere outside the usual temple environment.
This was certainly achieved and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the day with a variety of activities for young and old throughout the day. Highlights were the bush walk through the lovely rainforest, and the seminars given by His Holiness Veda Vyasa Priya Maharaja and Haridas Thakur Prabhu on the chanting of the Holy Name.
Attached are some nice shots of the day. Stay tuned for more retreats in the future!

Catering at West End Festival

Devotees catered for the West End festival last Sunday. This festival is one of the biggest around the city and it was great that the devotees were a big presence there. More than 700 full plates of prasadam went out to eager festival goers from midday up to 10 pm. Devotees were also distributing many books of spirtual knowledge and vegetarianism from the book stand attached to the prasadam tent.