Home

Volunteer

Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. Hospice Seminar in Philadelphia

 
 Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. Co-founder and President, Sangita devi dasi, RN, CHPN, Certified Hospice Educator, will present the V-CARE basic hospice course.
 
When: Sunday, March 16, 2008
 
Where: Philadelphia ISKCON Temple
41 W. Allens Lane
Philadelphia, PA
215-247-4601
 
 
Interactive Curriculum Includes:
 
History of hospice movement
Communicating with the dying patient
Stages of Grief
Patient's Bill of Rights
Living Wills/Advance Directives
Understanding typical anxieties expressed by the dying patient
Ways to assist the family members
How to be a "healing presence."
What is holistic care?
 
and much more...

RSVP by March 10, 2008 by writing to:

sangitadd@hotmail.com

Sri Vrndavana Dhama

Hari Bol Devotees all over the world....Pamho and may
we always find a way to see the glories of our dear
Srila Prabhupada in whatever we do, say, offer and
give away.

I don't know if you have ever had the great fortune of
meeting Ragatmika devi and Karnapur das, two very old
and dear disciples of our Srila Prabhupada. Karnapur
was the first TP of New Jersey ISKCON temple back in
1971, and has faithfully served as Prabhupada's
accountant in several temples, mainly in Los Angeles.
Prabhupada personally told him, "Account for every
penny coming in and going out...this is accounting for
Krsna!" Karnapur is the personification of a humble
and sincere devotee. He has attended mangal arati for
35 years, 16 rounds daily and the 4 regulative
principles strictly.  This is not an ordinary
accomplishment!

I had the great fortune of distributing Prabhupada's
Books with Ragatmika in many US Airports, specifically
the Anchorage, Alaska Airport, when the famous
pipeline was being built, The "pipeliners" and
military men were giving us "Bhakta Bens":) (100
dollar bills) like they were "Bhakta Washingtons"
(ones) or "Bhakta Lincolns"...(fives) (For humor, we
used to refer to Laksmidevi in this way:)

So intent was Ragatmika to distribute Prabhupada's
Books to any soul who stopped, that she would work
12-15 hrs daily. She would walk around the
airport, singing bhajans and many times she would have
a crowd around her, all wanting to give a donation for
what she was representing! We also established a
small preaching center there, and for many months, we
collected a ton of Laksmi for the BBT and Prabhupada's
Palace, distributing cases and cases of SB's and
GITAS.

We also fed a lot of Eskimos, American Indians and
military men a Sunday Feast each week: with
Ragatmika's famous strawberry malpuras. It was really the ole
pioneering days, and to this day,  Ragatmika has never
given up distributing Prabhupada's Books. In Sri
Mayapura Dhama, where her family has been living for 2
years, she daily distributes Prabhupada's Books in
Prabhupada's Samadhi to the bus loads of tourists!

Ragatmika devi is so saintly, that she is always
playing down her physical challenges. She was actually
a Catholic nun before she became a devotee, and her
close friends have given her the nick name of "Mother
Superior":) (as she looks and behaves like a saintly
person). She is extremely conscious of speaking about
SRILA PRABHUPADA and KRSNA, inspiring others to do the
same. Because of her devout faith in Prabhupada's
Process, she finds great pleasure in serving the
devotees.

You may remember in the BTG, about a decade/half ago,
the story of her pre-mature son, Nitai pran das, who
subsequently left his body in an incubator, that
looked like a temple from the inside of the 4 glass
walls. Ragatmika had installed a tiny tape-recorder,
playing Srila Prabhupada chanting Hare Krsna 24/7. She
enthused and impressed the staff of Cedar Senai Hosp
in Los Angeles to the degree that the nurses felt it
was "their service" to keep Prabhupada singing at all
times. The nurses and Drs were completely stunned by
her vibrant sincerity and dedication, as they
discussed amongst themselves "the tall Hare Krsna
lady" who was coming daily to read Srimad Bhagavatam
to her dying son Nitai Pran, and preach to him!

Ragatmika enlivened the entire staff on that floor of
"the premies"....to chant Hare Krsna, hear Krsna's
Pastimes and daily she would bring them maha-prasad.
The attending nurses said the baby was living just to
hear Krsna's Names from Mother Ragatmika! Nitai pran
das was only to live in this material world for 6
months. The entire staff on that ward attended the
ceremony that followed his departure and devotees were
astounded to see the photos later.  The boy had a
distinct similarity to the profile of Srila
Bhaktivinode Thakura!

Ragatmika served faithfully in New Dwarka for
decades, dressing Sri Sri Rukmini and Dwarkadish,
preaching to the guests, and of course, distributing
Srila Prabhupada's Books!  

Yesterday, she sent me the following letter from
Bhaktivedanta Hospital. I felt we should post it, so
that devotees can contribute to her operation. She and
her husband have no money and now they have no home.
They have faithfully served ISKCON for over 35 years,
so now it is our turn to give back, if i may be so
bold as to pray out loud like this.

An excerpt of her letter..............

.......................Please accept my respectful
obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
 
Upon arriving at the Bhaktivedanta Hospital in Mumbai
on Sept. 27, my husband, son and I underwent a
comprehensive health check-up.  My husband and son are
in fine health, although my tests revealed two large
cists, one attached to each ovary, as well as numerous
lesions on the liver. Surgery is scheduled for Monday,
Oct. 8 at 2:30 pm.

A Gyn doctor and an oncologist will conduct the
procedure which will include a hysterectomy, removal
of ovaries and an exploratory to obtain samples of
lymph gland, etc. in order to test for cancer. There
are least 7 members in my biological family that have
died from cancer, so the Drs feel the operation is a
necessity, given my age and symptoms. The hospital
CARE dept. has kindly sent out an appeal to their
congregational members for financial assistance in
covering my tests and surgery bills.
 
In addition to this news, we also just received news
yesterday from the devotee we're renting the flat from
in Mayapur (for the past two years) that he wants to
move into it by January 1st. With the flood happening
in Mayapur now and our being in Mumbai for some
undetermined period, it is difficult for us to search
for another residence right now.

(If there are any owners of Mayapura flats that would
consider renting to them, please contact them
immediately.)

 To add to the above events, our visas call for the
customary exit (every six months) from India over the
Nepal border by the beginning of November. Hopefully,
we can extend our visa with the help of a medical
waver letter.

All in all, we are accepting all of these events as
Krsna's mercy, even though we can't say how the Lord's
plan will unfold in our lives. In this hour of need we
are humbly requesting from you.... our friends,
assembled devotees, and well-wishers, your blessings
and prayers that we can remember Krsna always and
accept, in fact embrace, whatever unfolds as purely
His mercy.

May we always chant His Names in such a helpless mood.
Be assured we are receiving most loving care from the
exceptional devotees in Mumbai, even to the extent
that Narada Muni

(their adopted son who was found in a dumpster!)

will be able to attend Gopal's Garden, an exclusively
devotee school, three stories high, not far from the
hospital for the duration of my recovery period. We
have been given a guest room in the hospital, although
I'll be officially admitted on Sunday and move into a
semi-private room until after a week's recovery
period.

The number of the hospital and our guest room is (022)
2845 9888 or (022) 2845 0215 , Ext. 2542.
 
Thank you for your cherished friendship,
your servant and friend,
Ragatmika-devi dasi

My dear friends and devotee family, If you have been
blessed with the financial means in this lifetime,
please kindly donate to Ragatmika's medical emergency.

You can send by Western Union. Also, on Monday, in
your respective homes and temples, if you would please
offer some puja and prayers to Lord Nrsmhadev and all
our Lords for her successful surgery and speedy
recovery. Thank you so very much for your generosity
and seva to this exceptional, faithful disciple and
chaste daughter of Srila Prabhupada.

Ys
Mahadevi dasi

Karnapur's (Rodson Tewksbury) Indian Bank info:

Axis Bank (UTI) Acct number: 005010100369404
Kolkata Main Branch West Bengal

Back to top

 

June, 2007

Temporary Hospice in Vrindavana Changes Hands

As some of you may already know, HG Yadunandana Prabhu (ACBSP) from Los Angeles, California (U.S.) began a successful “temporary hospice program” in the holy dhama of Vrindavana to accommodate the needs of dying devotees until the time the permanent hospice facility is completed. 

Several months ago, Yadunandana Prabhu was inspired to turn over the responsibility of the temporary hospice project to Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. Thanks to everyone’s cooperation, especially the devoted monthly donors, the transition has proven to be a success. Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. Treasurer, Nirakula dasi, is now collecting the donations from the same PayPal account and the donations continue to support the “hospice apartment” which is situated behind the MVT complex. This apartment, owned by Her Grace Pranada dasi, will continue to be rented by Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. and used for homecare hospice patients whenever needed.

In the meantime, the permanent hospice building is nearing completion and is expected to open within a year. However, even after the doors to the Bhaktivedanta Hospice open, this “hospice apartment” will still be made available for those devotees who wish to be cared for in a private apartment with visits from the professional home hospice team from the Bhaktivedanta Hospice. Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. plans to completely furnish the apartment in order to make it more comfortable for our devotee patients and families and to create a more Krsna conscious ambiance within its walls. The apartment is a large studio apartment with a kitchen and private bath. It also has A/C for the hot summer months. Through the mercy of our generous donors, Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. will continue to pay the rent in order to offset some of the expenses of the terminally ill devotees and their families. In addition, we will do our best to raise other funds to help pay for the patient’s medications and other expenses as we are able.

We are humbly asking those donors who previously gave to this important project to please continue to send in your monthly donations. Rest assured that 100% of the money will continue to be used in the service of the terminally ill devotees.

For those who wish to join us and become a part of this much-needed service, kindly visit: www.buddhiyoga.org to pledge your donation. Large or small, all money added together can and does make a big difference for our extended family of Vaisnavas in need. Who among us will not be in need of this service at some point?

You can make a one-time donation or sign up for a monthly subscription. For more information, write to jusaniya@msn.com. Please visit our website at: www.vaisnavascare.com to find out what other services you can render (even from your home) for our Vaisnava hospice program.

One person can make a difference. Together we can move mountains!

Back to top

Thank You from Radhanatha dasa More pictures   Please accept my humble obeisances.  All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Thank you very much.  I received a check from the devotees (via V-CARE donations).  When servants of the devotees like myself are sick we are in anxiety to pay bills.  Donations like this help us. I joined the Hare Krsna Movement in 1975.  In 1976, I started to develop leg pain from arthritis.  There is no cure for this disease, called ankylosing spondylitis. It is slowly stiffening my body more and more.  But due to a lot of different cleansings I am able to keep my health as good as it can be.     In my 30 years in ISKCON I have mostly done book distribution.  doing my best to try and please Srila Prabhupada.  But also 15 years ago I started a Krsna Kids newsletter for children.  So thank you for your assistance.  Your servant, Radhanatha  Donate Now  Mail in donation Donate Now  Online Donation

Back to top

 

Overwhelming Response to V-CARE Seminars at Bhaktivedanta Hospital

On February 13 and 14, 2007, Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. President Sangita devi dasi, (Susan Pattinson, RN, CHPN, Certified Hospice Educator), presented two evenings of seminars on the art of caring for patients and loved ones at the end of life. The first night, 175 people attended. The second night, 200 people attended with standing room only. Half of the audience were devotees from various parts of Mumbai, including the Chowpatty temple, and half of the audience were from other religious organizations who wanted to learn about caring for their relatives and friends when needed. Many of them became interested in volunteering at the Bhaktivedanta Hospital’s home hospice and palliative program. 

“It was an interesting mix of participants,” Sangita commented. “The combination of ISKCON devotees and others of various religious beliefs made the audience discussion all the more stimulating. It became obvious that we all have similar concerns when it comes to the subject of death and dying and losing someone dear to us.”

We thank His Grace Madhavananda Prabhu, Vishwarup Prabhu, Shyama vallabha Prabhu, Subhadra Priya Prabhu, and His Grace Krsnacandra Prabhu for making these lectures possible at the renowned Bhaktivedanta Hospital in Mumbai, India.

Copies of the training program are on DVD and can be purchased through Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. If interested in hosting a seminar in your community, kindly contact Jusaniya dasi at jusaniya@msn.com.

Back to top

Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. Volunteer Program Revised

November 27, 2006

Dear Devotees,

Recently we emailed our volunteers, prayer partners, and subscribers about our revised Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. volunteer program. Our first goal is to update our volunteer list by January 1, 2007. If you have not yet received our new volunteer application via email, kindly write to us at jusaniya@msn.com and we will immediately send one to you. In addition, we have written a Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. Volunteer Handbook to be read and signed by anyone who wishes to continue their volunteer status or by anyone desiring to become a new V-CARE volunteer. When you respond to the email application, the new handbook will be promptly emailed to you. It outlines our new volunteer guidelines as well as provides important information about legal and ethical issues pertaining to your volunteer service. 

Our sincere volunteers are the backbone of this organization. We thank all of our volunteers, prayer partners, donors, and subscribers for your continued support for the Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. hospice project. Many devotees, families, and friends continue to receive various types of services and support from our V-CARE volunteers around the world. Without you, it would not be possible to reach our goal of assisting devotees and their families with end-of-life education and care. Thank you so much for your kindness and compassion. You have proven that one person can make a difference and that together we can increase the mood of love and care for one another within our Krsna consciousness movement.

Your servants at Vaisnavas C.A.R.E.,

Jusaniya devi dasi
Sangita devi dasi
Kaulini devi dasi
Jagarini devi dasi
Nirakula devi dasi

Back to top

October 2, 2006

Disappearance of Srimati Gauri dasi, Yamunangi, and Sri Hari dasa
By Hari-sauri dasa

Official announcement regarding the disappearance of Srimati Gauri dasi, Yamunangi dasi and Sri Hari dasa.

With great regret the Mayapur management wishes to inform the community of devotees about the disappearance of Srimati Gauri dasi, the granddaughter of Srila Prabhupada, her three years old daughter Yamunangi, and her brother-in-law, Sriman Sri Hari dasa.

Gauri dasi leaves behind her husband, Sriman Sujitendriya dasa, a Mayapur gurukula graduate who has lived in the ISKCON Mayapur community his whole life, and her youngest daughter, Bhagirathi aged ten months.

These three devotees were tragically drowned in a boating accident in Sri Mayapur dhama at sometime in the early afternoon on Wednesday 27 September, 2006.

The tragedy occurred on a flooded stretch of road on the way to the Yoga-pitha, nearby where Sujitendriya and his brother Sri Hari were building a house.

Because of the floods Gauri had rung her father Sriman Vrindavan Candra De, and he advised her to come to their family home in Kolkata until it receded. Thus, Sujitendriya, Gauri and their two daughters, Sri Hari and several others were waiting for a boat to leave Mayapur. Instead of the boat they expected, a smaller one came and offered to take them so everyone, about twelve or fourteen persons, agreed to use it.

Their route followed the flooded road leading to the Yoga-pitha. The current was running strong at ninety degrees to the road, so about six of the men got out to push and guide the boat along from the front and back. Gauri and the two children, along with their maid, were sitting in the boat with six others, plus the two boatmen.

Due to the powerful current somehow the boat got out of control and it sank into the water pitching the occupants into the flood. Gauri couldn’t swim and Sujitendriya grabbed her and their daughter Yamunangi, but both were going under. To save all of them from being swept away Sujitendriya grabbed hold of a banana tree with one hand. With the other he was hanging on to his wife Gauri in a desperate attempt to save her. But by this time she was fully submerged and unconscious.

They were pulled out onto the bank and an Australian devotee, Shanti
Parayana prabhu, attempted to revive Gauri with CPR. After some time
however it was clear the attempt was not successful. Yamunangi had also
expired in the arms of her father.

Sri Hari prabhu went to save the youngest daughter Bhagirathi and the maid. He succeeded in doing this but in the attempt, although he was a good swimmer, he was also dragged under and drowned. He died a hero, saving others while giving his own life.

Out of all the passengers three died; Gauri, Yamunangi and Sri Hari–Sujitendriya prabhu’s wife, daughter and brother.

The bodies were taken in the afternoon to Krsnanagar and offically declared dead and laid in the morgue to await postmortem. Sujitendriya prabhu was brought back to Mayapur, almost dead himself from ceaseless lamentation. I cannot give the details here of the trauma Sujitendriya prabhu was suffering. It was a very heart rending experience. Every few moments he would break down and beat his head or chest with his hands and cry in anguish. Kurma Caitanya, one of our Mayapur pujaris, was a great help, staying with him the whole night to help comfort him.

The following day, Thursday 28 September, Dayaram prabhu, Naru-gopala prabhu, Ramadevi dasi, and a team of devotees went with Sujitendriya prabhu to Krsnanagar by large motorized boat along the Jalangi since it is the only way out of Mayapur at the moment. It took nearly 21/2 hours to get there.

Because of all the arrangements that needed to be made with the Krsnanagar morgue for the post-mortem and reception of the bodies for peforming the cremation, it was not possible to leave Mayapur until about 11 AM. We got there about 1.30 PM.

Gauri’s family, Vrindavan Candra De and his wife and son, had traveled late at night from Kolkata and reached Krsnanagar about midnight. They were hosted by a local devotee in Krsnanagar but were not informed of all the details when they arrived. At that point they had only heard that their daughter was in hospital. We wanted to be personally present when they heard the full details of the tragic event so that we could help them deal with the shock and grief.

Myself, Dayaram and Ramadevi had the task of informing Vrindavan Candra and his wife and son of what had happened. It is without a doubt one of the most difficult things one has to do in life. Vrindavan Candra was stunned almost speechless, his wife and son both broke down sobbing and crying. Meanwhile Sujitendriya had come to another room in the house and after some time Vrindavan Candra and the son met with him. Needless to say it was an inconsolable scene as Sujitendriya told them what had happened, in between repeatedly breaking down himself.

After some time we had to get to the practical business of viewing and receiving the bodies. It was getting late, the postmortem was only done in mid-afternoon and we were told we couldn’t get the bodies until 3.15 PM. This being India that meant sometime later.

Thus about 4.00 PM we had to go and pick up the bodies from the morgue. We only took Vrndavan Candra and family with us to view the bodies. Initially the mother didn’t want to see the bodies but finally decided to come along.

We thought the viewing of the bodies would be in a private room but it seems that in rural India, or at least Krsnanagar, such things are an unobtainable luxury. We had to stand around outside the broken down building that passes off as the morgue as three cheap wooden beds were set outside. About twenty people were milling around curious to see the event. Finally the bodies were brought out and placed on the beds. Thankfully they were at least wrapped nicely and kept in clean, white, fine muslin bags.

The pathos when Gauri and Yamunangi’s bodies were unwrapped for her parents to see, is undescribable. The mother was fully distraught. The body of Sujitendriya’s brother, Sri Hari prabhu was also lying there and his was identified by the devotees.

Vrindavan Candra and family then returned directly back to Kolkata. The thought of coming to Mayapur for the cremation was simply too much for them to bear.

By this time it was about 4.45 PM and we still had to get the bodies back to Mayapur for cremation. The flood makes everything difficult. The Navadvipa crematoriom isn’t working right now, the Krsnanagar one is also temporarily out of service and we were unsure about where to do it on our land. We considered a spot near the Gauranga Setu, the big bridge running into Navadvip, but in the end it was settled by Sujitendriya prabhu informing us that his wife had once made him promise that she would be cremated in ISKCON Mayapur.

The devotees at the goshalla are expert with organizing this and they assured us that we could get in by boat from the Jalangi and do the burning on some higher ground there. From Krsnanagar we were able to drive to the house of Bhaktivinoda Thakur where there is a small ghat, not far upstream and opposite from our goshalla. The bodies were sent ahead by truck while we picked up Sujitendriya prabhu. Our boat was waiting at the ghat for us and the bodies were loaded onto the deck.

About 20 devotees were on board as we set off downstream in the failing light to find a suitable spot to breach the flooded banks of the Jalangi and sail into the goshalla. We achieved that within a few minutes and started chugging across fields towards the buildings in the near dark.

Suddenly some low-lying telegraph lines were upon us. We had to dive for cover on the deck as they scrapped over the boat. Devotees sitting on the roof of the cabin, including Dayaram and Naru-gopala prabhus, were almost swept off by the wires; one wire snagged across the deck cabin and snapped, the rest of the wires got caught on the wheel house and the whole lot ripped out of the pole. Luckily noone was hurt or electrocuted. Proceeding cautiously the devotees thence expertly brought the boat into the goshalla area, between the buildings, over fences and the road, to dock right at the main cow shelter.

Then over the next two hours the bodies were washed, clothed in new garments and all the Vaisnava pujas were done for the departed souls. They were then burnt.

Now we have the task to look after Sujitendriya prabhu and his remaining daughter, 10 months old Bhagirathi. Sujitendriya and Gauri were also looking after the widows and children of two other of his brothers who expired in the last couple of years. Now there are three with the widow of Sri Hari prabhu. It will take a while to help him and them sort their lives out but we are confident he will get all the support he needs from the families here in Sri Mayapur dhama. We ask all devotees to please pray for the well-being of these devotees.

Tragic as it is, at the same time these departed souls have to be seen as most fortunate. Gauri dasi was Srila Prabhupada’s granddaughter. That in itself would have been enough to gaurantee her liberated status. However, she was a devotee not just by birth, but by choice also. She was serious about her spiritual life and loved to live in Mayapur despite not having very opulent circumstances. She was well liked by all the devotees here. She was married to a young man who has practically lived his whole life in Mayapur, going through the whole gurukula and then running a business in conjunction with the Deity dept. selling beautiful photos and laminations of the Deities here.

Yamunangi took her birth in the most auspicious place, in the most auspicious family line, and she left her body in the same holy dhama. Srila Prabhupada once said that when a devotee child leaves early, it means that that soul was an advanced devotee in their last life who had some small residue of material desire or reaction to burn off by taking another birth, and having done so, they return back to Krsna.

Sri Hari prabhu was the President of ISKCON Chittagoan in Bangladesh. He joined ISKCON in 1978 and was the senior-most devotee in Bangladesh. He fully dedicated his life to Srila Prabhupada’s preaching mission. It is said that if one even thinks of living in the holy dhama, Krsna reserves a place for that person, so Sri Hari prabhu has now by the mercy of the Lord attained the supreme abode.

While we lament the loss of the association of these devotees, there can be no inauspiciousness for them. They fulfilled their life’s purpose and left their bodies in the heart of Sri Mayapur dhama in the bosom of Mother Ganges. Most certainly they all three went home back to Godhead. What more can one desire?

According to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s Navadvipa-dhama Mahatmya:

“O brother! One who resides in the land of Navadvipa is greatly fortunate, for he obtains pure love for Krishna. Whosoever goes at any time to visit Navadvipa becomes freed from all offenses. Whatever a pilgrim obtains by wandering to all the holy places is obtained simply by remembering Sri Navadvipa. This all the scriptures sing.

“A person who simply sees Navadvipa gets the great fortune of love for Krishna birth after birth. Even one who practices karma- or buddhi-yoga never again takes birth if he goes to Navadvipa.

“If a person wanders in Navadvipa, at every step he obtains the result of ten million horse sacrifices. That too is stated in all the scriptures.

“If anyone resides there and chants his given mantra, that mantra becomes Lord Caitanya, and so he is easily delivered.

“What yogis obtain in other holy places after ten years of practice is obtained in Navadvipa by practicing for only three nights.

“The liberation obtained in other holy places by knowledge of Brahman is obtained simply by bathing in the Bhagirathi in Sri-dhama Navadvipa. The five types of liberation—achieving the same planet as the Lord, getting a form similar to that of the Lord, obtaining opulence equal to that of the Lord, getting direct association with the Lord, and merging into the Brahman effulgence—can be obtained in Navadvipa, even without one’s knowledge, by those who desire such liberation.”

We request all the devotees to give their blessings and prayers for the departed Vaisnavas, and also their support to Sujitendriya prabhu so that he can overcome his loss, raise his daughter Bhagirathi nicely in Krsna consciousness, and continue to progress in his devotional life as a resident of Sri-dhama Mayapur.

 

 

 

 

 

Four Dead In Manipur Temple Blast

Manipur, India – A Krishna temple operated by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) was the victim of a bomb blast at approximately 7:00 pm India time on Wednesday, August 16th. Over a thousand worshippers were celebrating Janmastami, the most sacred observance of the year for devotees of Krishna, at a temple in the state of Manipur, in the northeast region of India. Unknown assailants threw a hand grenade into a crowd of people sitting under a large tent outside of the temple, watching a religious dance performance depicting Lord Krishna's pas­times.

A second grenade, which did not go off, was found an hour later in the most crowded area of the temple, near an altar bearing sacred images of Krishna. According to ISKCON spokespersons in Manipur, four people, including a young girl, are confirmed dead. Approximately 36 people were injured, including five foreign nationals. An eight-year old girl, who had been playing the part of Krishna on stage when the bomb exploded, is among those severely injured. The troupe's dance teacher lost his leg in the blast.

"We are sickened and greatly saddened by this horrible, vicious act," said Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON's Minister of Communications. "The victims were innocent devotees of God. There is no excuse for such wanton acts of violence. We pray for the victims and their families, and we pray that Lord Krishna will soon lift the terrible veil of hatred and violence that is covering our world."

Among the injured, His Holiness Bhakti Svarupa Damodara Swami, an ISKCON leader in Manipur, was taken to a hospital, where he remains in stable condition.

Victims are being treated in several area hospitals. Indian Army and government officials are trying to arrange a special morning air flight from Manipura to Calcutta, where better emergency care facilities are available. Otherwise, victims will have to wait for a regularly scheduled afternoon flight from the remote State in northeast India.

According to the police, no militant groups or individuals have claimed responsibility for the bombing. The temple building did not sustain any damage.

Please pray for the Manipur devotees and their families

Back to top

Meet Radhanatha dasa… 
by Gunamayi dasi, New Jersey, U.S.A.

After joining the International Society for Krishna consciousness (ISKCON) in the early 1970’s, Radhanatha dasa was initiated by Srila Prabhupada in New York in June, 1976 at the age of 21. Since then, he has faithfully served Srila Prabhupada as a sankirtana devotee. After an unsuccessful operation on his neck, contracting tuberculosis, and even after having both of his legs amputated, Radhanatha Prabhu continues to distribute Srila Prabhupada’s transcendental literature from his wheelchair. He presently lives in Southern California (U.S.) and gives books to everyone he meets while selling flowers in order to support himself.

Unfortunately, Radhanatha’s health continues to fail and he is now going blind in one eye. His godbrothers and friends report that he never complains about his situation. In fact, we heard about this incredible devotee after receiving a letter from his dear friend. Radhanatha Prabhu is an extraordinary person, a staunch follower of Srila Prabhupada, and he deserves help from our worldwide devotee community. 

By bringing this “saint” to the spotlight, we are hopeful that devotees pledge a monthly donation of $1, $5, $10, $21, $51 etc. or give a one-time donation to help with Radhanatha Prabhu’s living and medical expenses. All donations can be sent directly to Vaisnavas C.A.R.E. so they are tax deductible. You will receive a receipt for your tax purposes. One hundred percent of the money collected will be directly sent on a monthly basis by our V-CARE treasurer to Radhanatha Prabhu.

Please become involved by offering your monthly pledge or send a one-time donation in order to help Radhanatha dasa, a wonderful book distributor and cherished disciple of Srila Prabhupada.

Donate Now
mail in donation

Online Donation

Pictures of Radhanatha Prabhu on Sankirtana

Back to top

Update from Bhaktivedanta Hospital
on 7-11 Bomb Victims
July 17, 2006
 

The whole world is shocked by the horrible terrorist attack on Mumbai killing over 200 innocent people in trains. These people were just like one of us who was rushing home to be with loved ones after a hard day at work & all of a sudden they were embraced by death. there are over 700 injured being treated at various hospitals in Mumbai & some of them are really in critical situation. One of these bomb blasts was near Bhayendar which is like 5 km away from Bhaktivedanta Hospital, Mira road. The Bhaktivedanta Hospital received 42 patients in critical state of which 15 could not survive due to severe bleeding & deep injuries. We have discharged 11 patients after treatments & diagnosis, but we still have 16 innocent persons fighting for life.

At 6.45 p.m. on July 11th. scores of injured began arriving at the
Bhaktivedanta Hospital in rickshaws, private vehicles, and ambulances from the bomb blast site of Mira-Bhyander only 5 km away. Immediately a team of over 100 staff doctors, nurses and paramedical staff jumped into action putting the severely injured on stretchers and wheeling them into emergency care and ICU.

The Bhaktivedanta hospital was a faced a hurricane of activity as the staff was bombarded with patients with severe head and brain injuries, mutilated extremities, fractures, shrapnel wounds, deafness, eye injuries and internal injuries all the way up until 4 AM in the morning.

While the staff performed operations continuously throughout the night an information kios