The Winter Book Marathon took place as usual during the month leading up to Christmas, when devotees were focused on the mass distribution of Srila Prabhupada’s books across the country. This year, a grand total of 500 devotees from the wider Manor community took part, distributing on the high streets, door-to-door, at ‘Sacred Street Party’ events, as well as to shops, businesses and personal contacts. An impressive 51,710 books went out altogether, which made it the most successful Marathon at

the Manor for over 15 years! The highest scoring male devotee was once again Ananda Caitanya Das, and amongst the ladies it was Guru Shakti Dasi.“The 2014 Marathon was truly epic!” explained Sutapa Das, the Manor’s Head of Book Distribution. “With the participation and united efforts of hundreds of devotees, we can see what amazing things can be achieved. The scope for book distribution at the Manor is unlimited!”

Janu

ary

2015

Dedicated to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

Srila Prabhupada:

Your program for distributing

books and having the street

festivals and then preaching

is very good. Also by teaching

by your personal example and

attending to the Deity worship

is the most convincing. Example

is better than precept. I am glad

to note that the 24 hour kirtana

was going on.

Letter to Tamal Krishna Goswami,

September 1974

Book Distribution Breaks Records

The Oxford DebateRadhanath Swami was invited to participate in an historic discussion by the Oxford Union, one of the world’s most prestigious debating societies. Other speakers that evening included Dr. Cornel West, a provocative American academic, activist and author, and Angela Davis a prominent political activist, author, and educator. The discussion was attended by 400 students and held in honour of the revolutionary campaigner of black rights Malcolm X who himself had come to the Union 50 years ago. Other notable people who have spoken at the Union over the years include Albert Einstein, Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, Winston Churchill and the former US President Ronald Reagon.

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Bhaktivedanta Manor Newsletter January 2015

London Temple’s 45th Anniversary

Jeremy Paxman Veteran broadcaster Jeremy Paxman and Srutidharma Das were delighted to encounter each other at the House of Commons last November.

Saving SoulsHari-dhama Das, who works for the London Ambulance Service as a Community Resuscitation Training Officer, has undertaken several projects at Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament in training their staff in emergency lifesaving skills.Both establishments set up HeartStart training schemes, looking at how responders care for someone having a heart attack, going into a cardiac arrest, choking and having a serious bleed. Hari-dhama Das has placed over 20 defibrillators (the lifesaving machine that shocks the heart in a cardiac arrest). At Buckingham Palace more than 500 Royal Household staff have now been trained, for which they recently received a "Certificate of Excellence" from the London Ambulance Service . Pictured: Hari-dhama Das with Stuart Holden, Buckingham Palace’s Senior Health and Safety Advisor.

Bringing good tidings to localsYoung Balaram personally distributed over 180 new seasonal cards to local villagers. The popular card includes an iconic view of Bhaktivedanta Manor in the snow.

Over the last 45 years, the ISKCON -London Temple has been a home of beautiful deity worship and a thriving devotee community which is now situated at the corner of Oxford Street - one of the busiest shopping streets in the world. Seminars, festivals and chanting processions are just a few aspects of devotee culture that have been welcomed by the capital, establishing

ISKCON-London as a spiritual oasis in the heart of the capital’s famous West End. In celebration of their 45th Anniversary, the Temple staged a huge event at the Camden Centre which included memories and appreciations, music, drama, dance and a feast; as well as a presentation outlining an ambitious vision of expansion for the future .

25th Anniversary of Sunrise RadioSrutidharma Das and Radha Mohan Das with Priti Patel MP, the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury at the House of Commons, during Sunrise Radio’s 25th Anniversary celebrations.

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA

KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HAREHARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

Ideal start to the YearDuring the New Year’s Day gathering of community devotees , Bhakti Rasamrita Swami explained that it was the ideal way to start the New Year because ISKCON was created to give people the opportunity to have the invaluable association of devotees. The annual event, which is growing in popularity, is organised by Sudha Bhava, Sukadeva on behalf of Bhaktivedanta Manor.

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Bhaktivedanta Manor Newsletter January 2015

Mitzvah Day

As part of Mitzvah Day 2014 local Jews, Christians and Manor devotees worked together to plant hundreds of daffodils adjacent to Aldenham Parish Church.Mitzvah Day is an annual day of faith-based social action that takes place in November each year, primarily in the UK and masterminded by the Jewish community.

Multi Faith Week

Children from the Manor School celebrated Multi Faith week by visiting local places of worship . The Key Stage 2 children visited Radlett Reform Synagogue where they were treated to a wonderful presentation. They were honoured to meet Rabbi Paul Freedman and to ask him questions. The children gained a lot from the visit and noted

similarities and differences to their own faith. Other children visited the Watford Mosque and met the Imam who explained the practices of Islam. The School also received a guest speaker into the school to describe his experience of being a Muslim.

Radha Mohan Das spoke about community diversity from a Krishna conscious

perspective at a Multi-faith commemoration of the First World War, organised by London

Colney Parish Council.

Richard Romain, a representative of The Board of Deputies of British Jews and

the new Honorary Alderman for Harrow Council and, appreciated his visit to

Bhaktivedanta Manor.

Appreciation from the Mayor"Your presence at our Civic Service in the Bushey and Oxhey Methodist Church was very important to us," explained the Mayor of Hertsmere Cllr Carey Keates. "It was greatly appreciated, particularly following the welcome my wife and I received when we attended Janmashtami."

(right) Srutidharma das and Rev Geoffrey Farrar enjoyed an interfaith discussion at

the Mayor's Civic Service.

Committing to Spiritual LifeRadhanath Swami initiated 40 devotees from across Europe at the Manor, including 22 members of the local congregation. Included were Manor residents Bhaktin Jurgita, who is now called Yugala Priti Dasi and Bhakta Silvan, who is now called Sundar Jaganath Das. Initiation into ISKCON represents a commitment to spiritual life by dedicating oneself to the mood and teachings of Srila Prabhupada.

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Bhaktivedanta Manor Newsletter January 2015

The Hidden Forest

During a function held at the House of Lords designed to raise environmental awareness within the Hindu community, a new book was launched on that same theme. Commissioned by the Bhumi Project, and written and illustrated by Jahnavi Harrison, the Hidden Forest is a charming story of three generations of the same family on pilgrimage to Vrindavan from Delhi. The family rediscover the beauty and simplicity of traditional pilgrimage practices, and the need to preserve sacred sites for future generations. The story can be downloaded at: www.bhumiproject.org/thehiddenforest.

Sociologists of ReligionProf Eileen Barker from the London School of Economics brought three Sociologists of Religion to the Manor. The delegation, from Sweden, included Prof Peter Akerback from Stockholm University, Sanja Nilsson studying for her PhD and Prof Liselotte Frisk from Dalarna University.

Yamuna DeviA new two-volume work will give readers an in-depth, personal look at the journey of one of the most beloved devotees in ISKCON – Yamuna Devi, one of the first disciples of Srila Prabhupada and a pioneer. Yamuna passed away in December 2011, and “Yamuna Devi: A Life of Unalloyed Devotion” is itself a loving offering of devotion from some of the many devotees who were deeply impacted by her.The two volume set is available for purchase from Bhaktivedanta Manor and ISKCON London’s bookstores, and online at www.unalloyed.org.

The achievement of the East London based Bhakti Vrksha team, which includes 150 members from across the city, was extraordinary. During the Winter Book Marathon they distributed 10,200 books in all kinds of ways around their local areas.“It’s wonderful to make Srila Prabhupada famous by

talking about his books to so many people,” explained Bhakti Vrksha leader Aravind Krishna Das. “It’s inspiring to see so many devotees of all ages focused on the same goal. To be amidst the atmosphere of so much book distribution is contagious and intoxicating!”

Bhakti Vriksha team

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Bhaktivedanta Manor Newsletter January 2015

The Pizza EffectPizza Effect is a European wide project coordinated by The Lotus Trust and various partner organisations. It unites people around a common idea of healthy simple food, appreciation of different cultures and active social integration into the community. The project also engages people most at risk of social exclusion in society, and especially the most vulnerable. In Borehamwood, Shantasya Dasi and Japa Yajna Das have been working with locals from a variety of backgrounds to cook and share tasty three course vegetarian meals.

Recitation of the Bhagavad Gita

Gita Jayanti, the annual event at the Manor which includes the mass recitation of the Bhagavad Gita, is a great way to learn the most sacred conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna. On 21st December Navadvip Chandra Das led the Sanskrit chanting, and Bhakti Rasamrta Swami and Chandramauli Swami explained the meaning. 600 devotees attended the event, another 400 listened online and a total of 2500 Bhagavad Gitas were sponsored for distribution.

George Harrison evening plays on The George Harrison tribute evening took place on the 29th November, marking the thirteenth year since George Harrison passed away. The annual event goes from strength to strength and over 100 devotees and well-wishers attended. Sakshi Gopal Das shared insight into the spirituality, life and times of George Harrison and five separate musical acts were performed.

Head of Diversity at the Home Office Following a number of cultural presentations at the UK Home Office by Radha Govinda Das and Guru Das, Ken Sutton, the Head of Diversity there was welcomed to the Manor. More presentations at the Home Office are planned for later this year.

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Bhaktivedanta Manor Newsletter January 2015

Spiritual Gift ShopAdi Guru Das was invited to a community spiritual gift shop in Eltham, South East London, to deliver a workshop on japa meditation and talk about Krishna consciousness. During the session he also taught devotional songs. "They were very receptive and congenial", Adi Guru Das explained. "I have been invited to similar functions in the area."

Outreach’s Christmas Concert

More than 70 people who had previously attended retreats, courses, visited krishnawisdom.com or simply dropped by the Manor attended a Christmas Concert. The evening included devotional songs and chanting using a blend of modern and traditional instruments. “It was a wonderful evening with a nice sense of unity,” explained Congregational Director Kanhaiya Das, “many of the guests were new to Krishna consciousness and everyone enjoyed their experience!”

Chanting PledgesReciting the Hare Krishna mantra is the foundational spiritual practise for devotees. Practitioners from around the UK who make their lifetime commitments vow to meditate for more than one hour each morning, but that's not easy in the beginning.So to mark gradual progress a ceremony

is held whenever members feel ready to make a specific commitment to 15, 30 or 45 minutes of chanting each morning.In Bristol, a Vaishnava Sankalpa ceremony was held for ten meditators who were making their commitments to between 1 and 16 rounds daily. They each performed a short puja before receiving a certificate, to the loud applause of the local members.

Training the Temple Managers

Bhaktivedanta Manor devotees attended interactive workshops co-ordinated by Sanjay Bhandari (Sandipani Muni Das). The sessions focused on developing communications skills, goal setting and time management.Sanjay runs training workshops for the world's leading financial organisations such as Barclays in London and Goldman Sachs in New York.“We know in theory the qualities that were explored, but unpacking them for today’s sensibilities made a lot of useful difference,” said Caitanya Jivan Das. “It was great to spend time with colleagues and getting to learn deeper aspects of each other’s personalities,” added Brijlata Dasi.

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Bhaktivedanta Manor Newsletter January 2015

Winter 2014

Last November the Pandava Sena hosted their largest ever University Retreat at Bhaktivedanta Manor. 250 students from various backgrounds came together from over 15 universities across the country.

The day started with a hearty breakfast and a cup of tea to keep everyone warm and nourished throughout the morning. All the students then took darshan of the Temple deities, followed by a short introductory tour by Vinay Raniga.

The next part of the day Ghanashyam Priya Das led an interactive seminar, speaking on true goals and what service really means, leaving the crowd intrigued and enthused to continue their spiritual experience.

The first few activities of the day were cow milking and the 'Videostar’ activity. Students were split into groups to produce a creative short video taken on site.

After a wholesome lunch, everyone was treated to interactive sessions and took part in some hatha yoga and a kirtan workshop, as well as a Q&A session.

Finally there was an explosive kirtan led by Ravi Pattni and Madhvi Mulji. Everyone was up on their feet dancing and singing, whilst getting a chance to take darshan of Their Lordships once again. Everyone had an extraordinary day and an inspirational experience of Krishna Consciousness.

I found out about PSena through my brother who would regularly go to the fortnightly events called Jamming.

I particularly enjoy doing service with everyone and making new friends. The association is an important part to PSena and that drew me in.

I am currently involved in the PSena festival team where we organise festivals at the Manor throughout the year, especially Janmastami, Diwali and Christmas. I also regularly attend Harrow Jammings and help the team organise those events.

I enjoy arts, drawing and playing sports like netball and badminton.

Ambika Patel

Age: 16

Studying:

A Levels

How did you find out about Psena?

What did you like about the Psena?

Facts about yourself?

What service do you do?

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Bhaktivedanta Manor Newsletter January 2015

FebruarySun 1st App of Sri Nityananda Prabhu (fast till noon)Mon 9th App of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura (fast till noon)Sun 15th Vijaya EkadasiMarchSun 1st Amalaki Vrata EkadasiThur 5th Gaura Purmina: (fast till moonrise) Sun 8th Festival at Manor (Holi)Sun 15th Mother’s DayMon 16th Papamocani EkadasiSat 28th Ramanavami: (fast till noon)Sun 29th Festival at Manor (Ramanavami)Mon 30th Kamada Ekadasi

© 2014, All articles & photographs copyright of Bhaktivedanta Manor

Bhaktivedanta ManorDharam Marg · Hilfield Lane Aldenham · Herts

(for sat-nav only, please use postcode WD25 8DT)01923 851000 www.krishnatemple.com

Please send your news, photos and comments to: Radha Mohan das newsletter@krishnatemple.com

HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA, KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE,

HARE RAMA HARE RAMA, RAMA RAMA HARE HARE

Oliver DowdenOliver Dowden enjoyed his tour of Bhaktivedanta Manor, and was particularly impressed with Manor School. He was the former Deputy Chief of Staff at Number 10 Downing Street and has recently become the Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Hertsmere.

Chanting with Stevie WonderStevie Wonder invited devotees to participate in his Christmas Concert at the Forum, a famous music venue in Los Angeles. After chanting the Hare Krishna mantra during the Pastime Paradise song the devotees were again invited on stage for the finale!

Remembrance Day Devaki Dasi represented the Manor community at the Remembrance Day Service held at the Letchmore Heath War Memorial. She laid a wreath in memory of locals who had died in the First and Second World Wars, and recited prayers.

The Gita Project The Gita Project aims to donate sponsored copies of Bhagavad Gita As It Is to various institutions including prisons, hotels, airports, courts and hospitals. Many books have already been donated to different hospitals across London. The Lead Chaplain of Homerton University Hospital, Ms Robin Pfaff, expressed her appreciation for the books and immediately placed several copies outside the Chapel for easy public access.The Project is also developing a follow-up strategy with events including devotional music, discussion groups and the sharing of sancified vegetarian food.For more information: www.thegitaproject.org