December 11th was celebrated as Gita Jayanti, Mokshada Ekadashi, all over the world according to the lunar calendar. About a hundred or so members of Hare Krishna Temple attended the morning ritual beginning at 4 O'clock in the auspicious time frame. Followed by Nrusimha prayers, Tulsi arati, arati to Spiritual Master, and Greetings The Deities. One of the senior devotees explained the importance of the Bhagavad Gita. Since fasting is recommended no grains or beans were served. According to the schedule, several devotees as well as our school students presented Gita recitation eloquently. The book"Bhagavad Gita as it is' contains 18 chapters.
All the 18 chapters along with the 700 verses and its translation reading were presented Live online. The temple Priest Nikhil Trivedi performed a 'havan' chanting Sanskrit shlokas.
Hundreds of copies of Gita books were distributed. Even though Mother Nature was not so favorable the congregation showed a great spirit and respect towards Mother Gita.
Please read the introduction of our organization and its achievements in the last 50 years.
(Photo provided by Nikhil Trivedi, Priest, ISKCON New York City)
Hare Krishna movement is an International Society based on Bhakti tradition or Yoga of devotion. It preaches that our deepest pleasure comes not from possessing, but from giving, not in controlling, but in sharing. It lies in making meaningful contributions by serving others and connecting to God through the reciprocation of love. In this Global community devotees are Doctors, Policemen, Plumbers, Professors, Taxi drivers, IT Professionals, Students and Homemakers. We come from diverse cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, but we share an enthusiasm for life that comes by knowing the happiness that is found within, simply by chanting the Holy Name. There are 650 Krishna Temples worldwide, 3,600 Home study groups, 200 vegetarian restaurants, and 65 Farms and Eco villages. So far there are 95,000 Initiated disciples and over 9 million worshipers. We have printed and distributed 516 million books so far. 1.2 million meals are served daily to children in India as a part of the Food Relief program. Last year 212,000 patients were treated by Bhaktivedanta Hospitals, Mumbai. 260,000 walking tours and Lord Jagannath Rathayatra has become the most popular events in every town and village. About 6,000 Krishna festivals are held around the world every year. Gita Jayanti celebration is just one of them.
