From the Temple President’s DeskSri Krishna is the most beautiful Supreme Personality of Godhead, who spreads joy to everyone, especially those who seek His shelter.

Most people in this world are chasing happiness by accumulating money, comforts, positions or people to have influence over. Yet, they never find peace of mind or happiness in life. A branch that is connected to a tree blooms with flowers and fruits, while one cut off from the tree is bare and dry. Similarly, our connection with Lord Krishna, the Emperor of Sweetness - madhuraadhipater akhilam madhuram - can alone give us ever expanding happiness. This connection is made easily possible by chanting the Lord’s name and rendering devotional service to Him.

Sincere service pleases Krishna

Lord Krishna descends into this world of darkness, in the jail of Kamsa and illuminates the whole jail

Newsletter Vol 12 / Issue: 8 (Monthly) / August 2015 / Price: `1/-

ISKCON PUNE TODAY / August 2015 Page 1

with His bodily effulgence. He appears decorated with ornaments and beautiful curly locks of blackish hair. Smiling at His parents, Vasudeva and Devaki, He reminds them of their previous lives and penances.

When baby Krishna orders Vasudeva to take Him to Gokula across the Yamuna, Vasudeva is delighted to render this service, although his hands and legs were chained by Kamsa’s guards. Such readiness to serve the Lord without any personal consideration pleased Lord Krishna, who empowered Vasudeva by effortlessly cutting the iron chains.

Where there is a will to serve, the Lord arranges a way for His devotee through all impossible situations. When Vasudeva carried Krishna, the doors of the jail opened automatically. The guards were in such deep sleep that even if dogs had bitten them they would not have woken up!

When Krishna entered Vrindavan, there was auspiciousness everywhere.

Similarly, on the auspicious occasion of Sri Krishna

Janmashtami, we take this opportunity to invite you and your family to the ISKCON-NVCC and ISKCON CAMP temples. Please have darshan of the Supreme Lord in our temples and carry

Him home to spread auspiciousness to all

your family members.

Krishna’s activities reawaken our forgotten love for Him

Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, performs many human-like activities that draw our

hearts nearer to Him due to His sweetness. From the Vedic literatures, we hear how He stole butter, herded cows and calves, danced and sang with His cowherd friends and gopis as if He was one of them, feared the stick of mother Yashoda and lifted the sandals of His father Nanda. Although His pastimes make Him appear human-like, only uninformed people come to the wrong conclusion that Lord Krishna is a mere human like the rest of us, or that he may perhaps just be a bit extra-ordinary.

In order to prove His supreme position, Krishna also performs super-human activities like lifting the Govardhana hill, dancing on the serpent Kaliya’s hoods, swallowing a forest fire, jumping off from the top of Pravarshana mountain which has a height of 90,000 miles, exhibiting his universal form to Arjuna and expanding Himself into 16,108 forms to be with each queen of Dwaraka. Thus His human-like activities in the form of sweet and loving reciprocations are His mercy upon His devotees, to help them revive their innate love for Him. Awakening such love or pure devotional service is the one and only goal of life.

Chant Hare Krishna and be happy

We are living in the fast-paced jet age that makes us race for wealth, survival and comforts. Although the media and internet have put our lives on the fast lane, making all conveniences available at the touch of a finger, we still continue to struggle for time and have lost our peace of mind. To counteract the perils of modern life which is characterised by tension, worry and hurry, one should visit the temple of Lord Sri Krishna, who plays happily on His sweet flute along with His eternal consort

Radheshyam Das, President, ISKCON Pune

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INVITATION

Sri Krishna JanmashtamiMahamohatsav 5 Sep, 2015

ISKCON PUNE TODAY / August 2015Page 2

ISKCON Pune Today | August 2015

Join us in the Joyful Celebration of Sri Krishna Janmashtami

Janmashtami 5th September 2015 Schedule of Events4.30 am-9.00 am : Mangal Arati, Mantra Meditation, Guru Puja, Shringar Arti9.00 am-12.30 pm : Discourse on Krishna Lila6.00 pm-midnight : Cultural events including dance, drama, vocal, instrumental, kids performance8.30 pm-10.00 pm : Maha Abhishek

24-hours kirtan Darshan will be

open all day

ISKCON PUNE TODAY / August 2015 Page 3

ISKCON Pune Today | August 2015

Who is Lord Balaram?

The simple answer is Lord Balaram is the brother of Lord Krishna! Shrimad Bhagavad Puran states that Lord Krishna is the Original Supreme Personality of Godhead and He expands into His unlimited forms with all potencies & They are not different than Him but may exhibit different forms & functions.

Lord Krishna is the fountainhead of all incarnations & Lord Balaram is His immediate expansion. They are both one & the same identity. They differ only in one aspect that is complexion. Krishna has monsoon rain cloud bluish complexion and

Lord Balaram has spring cloud complexion of snow white. He is constant companion of Lord Krishna and assists in Krishna’s transcendental pastimes.

He is the adi-guru, the original spiritual master. Every jiva – living entity should render service to Krishna with love and devotion and Lord Balaram teaches us how to serve Krishna like that. His thinking, feeling, willing, desires, actions, behaviour, mood even clothing is such that it will serve and please Krishna. He takes all kinds of roles to serve Krishna –sometimes elder brother (Mahabharat), sometimes younger brother (Ramayan) and if required he becomes bed of Lord Vishnu (Krishna) in

the form of Anant-shesh (Shesh Nag). Such is the service attitude of Lord Balaram.

Only after getting the mercy and blessings of Lord Balaram, we can get mercy from Lord Krishna. Let’s pray Lord Balaram to bless us to serve Krishna the best possible way.

Program schedule8.30 – 10.30 am – Special class on Lord Balaram’s pastimes.

6:30 pm – Abhishek followed by festival lecture and feast for everyone.

Janmashtami is the largest festival celebrated in ISKCON. Lord Krishna’s birthday is celebrated with pomp and fervour and the entire city is invited to join in the celebrations. One of the main attraction of the celebration is the ‘Abhishek’ of the Lord. Hundreds of families get the privilege to perform the auspicious ‘Kalash Abhishek’ of the Lord and seek His blessings. Besides the ‘Abhishek’ ceremony, the celebrations included kirtans, lectures and mahaprasad distribution to all.

Even though the entire city converges at the temples on this day there are many who want to have celebrations in their homes also to invite the Lord in their families and friends. For fulfilling these auspicious desires, temple devotees extend to celebrate Janmahstami festivals in the invited homes of citizens across Pune city. Janmashtami programs held at homes generally last for upto 3 hours which include the Lord’s ‘Abhishek’, decorating and dressing the Lord Radha-Krishna, melodious singing of bhajans and kirtans, a lecture on Krishna-lila, culminating with Arti and

delicious prasadam for all guests. Each and everything is aimed at seeking Krishna’s love and blessings.

From the temple, we arrange for 4 to 5 ‘pujaris’ who personally make all the arrangements of Abhishek and Kirtans. Families hosting the festivals also participate by making many special arrangements to welcome the Lord in their homes and hearts. The atmosphere at these programs is full of devotion and joy. Even children participate with plays or songs showcasing their talents. Till date 75 families all over Pune celebrated Janmashtami in their homes. These celebrations can be organised on any convenient day before or after the

actual Janmastami festival i.e 5th Sept 2015.

One of the hosts, Srimati Kavita Shah expresses her heart “Krishna Janmahotsav arranged by ISKCON on Aug 29th at my home enlightened the living of the entire family. It was a special occasion where the entire family and our friends got a chance to bond in such a vibrant atmosphere. We look forward to have this every year at our home.”

If you wish to celebrate Janmashtami at your home please contact 8380077625.

Celebrating the Appearance day of Lord Balaram on Saturday, 29 August 2015

Do you want to celebrate Janmashtami in your home????

continued from page 1

Srimati Radharani. In this way, the all-merciful Lord, invites one and all to come and partake of His unlimited spiritual bliss.

Grand Celebrations

Like every year we are celebrating Janmashtami with great pomp and

enthusiasm at ISKCON-NVCC, Pune. There are varieties of cultural, devotional and educational events lined up for the entire day. We invite you with family and friends to spend the entire day absorbed in the service and remembrance of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna, culminating with Their maha abhisheka. Sponsors of the abhishek kalash, along with their family

members, will get the unique opportunity to personally bathe Sri Sri Radha Krishna in the temple hall. You can carry home the blessings in the form of the same kalash containing charnamrita.

Yours in the service of Sri Sri Radha-Vrindavanchandra and Sri Sri Radha Kunjabihari

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ISKCON PUNE TODAY / August 2015Page 4

From:Editor,

ISKCON PUNE TODAYInternational Society for Krishna Consciousness Founder Acharya : His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada 4, TARAPORE ROAD, CAMP, PUNE - 411001 (MS)Email: nvcc@iskconpune.in | www.iskconpune.inPhone: 020-26332328

Registered NewspaperISKCON PUNE TODAYPosted at GPO, PuneOn 5th, 6th & 7th of every monthTo,

RNI Res.No.72522/2000PCE/043/2015-17Published on 2nd August 2015