The ‘sun and moon’ of the Benaras Gharana are all set to enthrall their audience on May 20th. Enjoy the Gen-Next Mishra Bandhu sing harmoniously exhibiting the excellence of duet accompanied by Hindole Majumdar on Tabla and Anirban Chakrabarty on Harmonium at ASU Kerr Cultural Center from 6PM. Info
Telugu association benefit show
Telugu association benefit show today to raise funds so to keep doing all relevant events for community at large & helps keeping our culture alive for generations to come. 100% of sales of Bahubali Friday show goes towards it. Support
Spiritual discourses by Mauj Mein
Spiritual discourses by Mauj Mein Raho profounder Swami Anubhavananda for three days on May 31, June 01 and June 03 from 6PM. Be present at discourses and go through a life-changing experience and witness how embodiment of happiness transforms you into a blithe spirit and fills you with high spirits info
Sri Ramnavami
The festival of Ram Navami marks the birthday celebrations of the Supreme Lord Sri Rama. According to the ancient Vedic calendar, it falls in the Spring season. It is considered auspicious to undertake a fast on the day in the name of Rama. Devotees perform elaborate worships and chant the name of Rama. Temples of Rama decorated with flowers, leaves and have special services and bhajan sessions throughout the day. Stories from the Ramayana are read out in joyous public gatherings. Most people fast until midnight.
When the Lord comes to this world he doesn’t take birth like ordinary human beings but appears out of His own sweet will. Whenever there is a need for the protection of devotees the Lord appears. The Supreme Lord incarnates in many forms like Matsya the fish, Varaha the boar, Narsimha the half man half lion. All these forms of the Lord are very attractive to His devotees who take great pleasure in talking about his pastimes.
One such famous incarnation of The Supreme Lord is Lord Rama. The birth of Lord Rama is celebrated as Rama Navami. Lord Rama was born to King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya in Ayodhya. He had three younger brothers Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrughna.
The Ramayana narrates the history of Lord Rama – the great King, Husband, ideal Son and Master.
Lord Rama was an ideal son. He always obeyed his father and had great respect for his mothers.
He was a perfect King and ruler. Lord Rama ruled for 14,000 years. His reign till today is called Rama Rajya. When Lord Rama was ruling his people there was no famine in his kingdom, no scarcity of food and no disease ever affected anyone. The people in his kingdom had a strong bond of love with Him. They lived only to serve and please Him.
He was very strict with troublemakers and punished them when necessary. He was handsome, strong, brave, chivalrous, fair, just, gentle, sweet, kind and always merciful to His devotees and all the citizens.
Janmashtami
What is Janmashtami?
Janmashtami commemorates the earthly appearance of Krishna, who is described in India’s sacred writings as God Himself. One of the biggest religious festivals in the world, it is celebrated by nine hundred and thirty million people around the world–and two million in the US alone. To devotees, it’s Christmas and New Year’s in one, a day of deep spiritual renewal and celebration that effectively finishes an old year and begins a fresh one.
But why Janmashtami, you may ask? What’s so special about Krishna, as opposed to any other form of God? It’s His personable-ness. He reciprocates in unique, personal ways with every devotee who offers Him love—He is the most adorable, mischievous son, the most romantic lover, the most compassionate friend. And on Janmashtami, devotees celebrate Krishna in all of these aspects. For just as Krishna reciprocates individually with His relatives and confidantes, he responds to the distinct feelings and desires held most deeply in the heart of every single worshipper.
So remember that whatever way you worship Krishna on Janmashtami, He will reciprocate with you accordingly. It’s a meditation that makes for an extremely rewarding devotional experience.
How is Janmashtami Celebrated?
Where Vaishnava temples exist, festivities begin before dawn and extend all day until midnight, the exact moment of the anniversary of Krishna’s appearance. Events include kirtan, singing the Lord’s name along with other devotees; and japa, private, more intimate prayer. Some devotees cook a feast of over one hundred dishes, while others perform drama and dance. Some clothe and decorate the deity of Krishna while others string enormous flower garlands and other decorations for the temple. Incense burns, scriptures are read, and all but the young and the infirm fast all day. The deities are also bathed with a variety of auspicious liquids in a kind of ablution ceremony called abhisheka. Sometimes taking over two hours, this is performed with great pomp.
Finally, at midnight, priests pull apart the curtains to reveal the freshly dressed deity of Krishna on a creatively festooned and colored altar. The excitement builds, and a rousing kirtan ensues
Ratha-Yatra – Chariot Festival
Rathayatra is celebrated by devotees of Lord Krishna all over the world after being introduced to the west in 1967 in San Franscisco by ISKCON Founder-acarya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and his first American disciples.
The smiling figures of Lord Jagannatha, Lady Subhadra and Lord Balarama ride on three, huge, wooden chariots. They are the focus of the festival.
Rathayatra is the International Society for Krishna Consciousness‘ biggest street festival. It features three huge, wooden chariots pulled by hand in a grand procession.
All the way through there is melodious singing, chanting and dancing to rhythmical drums and cymbals.
The procession ends with a stage show, a festival and delicious vegetarian prasadam feast.
Visit Http://www.chariotfestivalmd.org to know more about Rath-yatra (Chariot Festival)
Follow ISKCON Baltimore Rathayatra on Facebook – Facebook.com/iskconbaltimore
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Sri Niytananda Trayodasi
Sri Niytananda Trayodasi Wednesday February 8th, 2017
Sri Nityananda Prabhu appeared in the village of Ekachakra, in West Bengal, India, around 1474. In the Caitanya Caritamrita and other scriptures He is declared to be the avatar of Lord Balarama, the direct expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna.
As a child He was called Nitai and had a close circle of friends. Together they used to imitate the pastimes of Krishna and His associates. All the adults of Ekachakra were fascinated by this unique little boy, and they loved Him as their own. Seeing His total absorption in Krishna and the avatars of Vishnu, they suspected that He might be some sort of incarnation Himself. He was relentless, day after day enacting a different pastime, and did it so skillfully that His neighbors wondered, “How is it that He is so talented? How does He know the stories so well? No one has explained all these details to Him.” On one occasion, one of the boys dressed as Akrura and took Krishna and Balarama away from Vrindavana on the order of Kamsa. Nitai cried in grief, feeling the separation of the cowherd girls who loved Krishna with their whole being. Tears of love flowed from His eyes. His acting was so authentic that it made all who watched question whether He was merely acting or in some way experiencing the part He played. This was true whether He was playing Krishna, Balarama, or even Vamana and other Incarnations of the Lord. When questioned, Nitai would respond: “They are My own divine pastimes, and I am allowing you to see them.”
Sudharshan Ji
Priest Sudharshana ji was born and brought up in Karnataka, India. He is a graduate in Pancharathra Agama Pravara & Praveena from Maharaja Sanskrit College (Mysore – India), Vishista Dwaitha Vedantha Vidwaduthama from Jayachamarajendra Sanskrit College (Bangalore – India) and Adwaitha Vedantha Vidwaduthama from Sree Kala Bhirava Veda Sanskrit College Aadi Chunchanagiri. He was trained in Agamam by his father Sh. Raghava Bhatt and also by Dr. Venkatarama Bhatter. He was a priest at Sri Vasantha Vallbha Raya Swamy Temple (Vasantpura – Bangalore) for 10 years. He did many services like Prathistapana Mahostavam, brahmatasavas, Pavitrostavam, kumbhabhishekams. He came to US in 2012 and worked as a priest at Sri Ranganatha Temple (Pomona -New York) for 2 years. He is proficient in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and can speak English and Hindi. Well versed in Venkateshwara kalyanam. Sri Sudharshana Bhatt joined Ekta Mandir Hindu-Jain Temple in phoenix in January 2014 and continues to serve at the Ekta Mandir.
