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October 2002

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Dear friends,

Hare Krishna.

It's certainly been a summer of Ratha Yatras, and by Krishna's mercy I've been able to be at five of the six.

London was as big as ever and with lots of blissful kirtan and big festival in Trafalgar Square. Leicester was arranged very nicely with H.H.Sivarama Swami singing bhajans/kirtan from a moving lorry fully decorated and with installed PA system and he was ably assisted by many devotees. There was also melodic kirtans lead mainly by the Coventry yatra and also Kalyaphani prabhu who was walking. The festival at Cossington park was very good with kirtan, drama and talk by H.H. Sivarama Swami.

The 2nd Rathayatra in Bristol was slightly bigger than last year and although it was raining when we arrived, the sun came out and we had ecstatic kirtans as we walked pulling Parasarama's Cart four miles from Clifton through the city centre and on to the Hindu Temple. Next year I will try to arrange a festival programme in the Temple to finish.

Glastonbury was blissful as always, with more devotees as Titiksu paid for a coach to bring devotees from the Manor, and after many wonderful kirtans and a trip up the Tor we had a festival with an assortment of different types of transcendental music with tamboura bhajans by Saksi Gopal, accoustic guitar songs/poetry with Mahoksa and Jamuna Jivana, mellow rock with Sakhyarasa and friends and a final kirtan by Giridhari in Tribuvanatha style which had lots of devotees dancing. Two hundred plates of prasadam were served and with gulab jamuns on the menu everybody went home happy and chanting. Next year is the 10th so I'm hoping to try to arrange something extra special.

To conclude the Ratha Yatra season we went to Brighton and it was one of the best, even though it was the first one there. There were a lot of devotees and guests and even though the procession was short, along the sea front, there was plenty of time to stop for building up kirtans to a crescendo. The prasadam was served at a hotel and hundreds of people were satisfied. After hearing the talk by Janananada prabhu, and kirtans etc., it was time for the return journey with the cart which was a first for many devotees and was so uplifting, especially with a veteran like Janananda prabhu leading the final kirtan and inspiring all the devotees to dance and jump in the air in ecstacy. Parasarama cooked prasadam for the Rathayatras and many devotees helped with the cooking and other arrangements, and although it's hard work it's blissful to perform devotional service for Lord Jagannatha.

I hope that more of you will be inspired to go to more Ratha Yatras next year and taste the Nectar of the Holy Name.

your servant Minakertanarama dasa.

Calendar

Weekly

Tuesday: Swindon Namma Hatta (contact Justin)

Wednesday: Bristol Shirehampton namma Hatta (contact Arjuna)

October

Wed 2nd Indira Ekadasi - fast from grains and beans

Sat 5th Bristol Nama Hatta Odd Fellows Hall. 3.00 pm. Clifton. Special Guest - Gauranga Sundara prabhu (Temple President Leicester). Bhajans in Broadmead at 1:30 pm

Sun 6th Plymouth Nama Hatta - Anne and Allens - 2.00 pm (to be confirmed – check with Minaketanarama or Anne)

Sun 13th Festival at Bhaktivedanta Manor for Dusshera (Victory of Rama over Ravana)

Tues 15th Dusshera

Wed 16th Disappearance of Tribuvanatha prabhu

Thurs 17th Pasankusa Ekadasi

Disappearance of Raghunatha das Goswami, Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami and Krishna das Kaviraja Goswami

Sun 20th Krishna's Rasa Dance. Caturmasya 4th. Month - fast from urad dahl

Beginning of month of Kartik(Damodara) - offering of candles to baby Krishna

Sat 26th Disappearance of Narottama das Thakura

Tues 29th Appearance of Radha Kunde at Midnight

November

Fri 1st Rama Ekadasi

Sun 3rd Hanuman's Appearance Day. Diwali festival at the Manor.

Diwali programme in Exeter(contact Larry and Sam for details)

Mon 4th Diwali Festival of lights for Lord Rama returning to Ayodyha

Tues 5th Go Puja(cows) and Govardhan Puja(Worship of Govardhan Hill)

Fri 8th 25th Anniversary of Disappearance of His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Srila Prabhupada (festivals at all ISKCON Centres. (Special 3 day festival in Vrindavana) Fast till noon.

Tues 12th Gopastami (When Lord Krishna and Lord Balarama look after the cows for the first time - Large festival in Nandagram)

Disappearance of Srinivasa Acarya and Gadadhara pandit

Fri 15th Utthana Ekadasi.Diss. of Gaura Kisore das babaji (fast till noon – feasting next day)

Sun 17th Bristol Nama Hatta - Odd Fellows Hall 2.00 pm

Tues 19th End of Kartik and Caturmasya. Marriage of Tulasi and Salagram.

Sat 30th Utpanna ekadasi

December

Mon 2nd Anniversary of Installation of Sri Sri Radha London Isvara

Sun 8th Maha Regional meeting for all Nama Hatta Groups in Bristol at Odd Fellows Hall - 2.00 pm.

Sun 15th Moksada Ekadasi. (Gita Jayanti - The day Bhagavad Gita was spoken by Lord Krishna)

Mon 23rd Disappearance of Srila Bhaktisidhanta Sarasvati Thakura (fast till Noon)

Wed 25th Appearance of Jesus Christ (Actually around March time)

Mon 30th Saphala Ekadasi