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Homages from ISKCON Centers

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<strong>Homages</strong> <strong>from</strong> <strong>ISKCON</strong> <strong>Centers</strong><br />

obtainable by traveling to all the universes. We pray for that which is the only thing worth struggling<br />

for, pure devotional service.<br />

Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura writes in a song <strong>from</strong> Çaraëägati:<br />

sarvasva tomär, caraëe saàpiyä,<br />

poòechi tomära ghare<br />

tumi to’ öhäkur, tomära kukur,<br />

boliyä jänaho more<br />

Now that I have surrendered all I possess, I fall prostrate before Your house. You are the Supreme<br />

Lord. Kindly consider me Your household dog.<br />

bäìdhiyä nikaöe, ämäre pälibe,<br />

rohibo tomära dwäre<br />

pratépa-janere, äsite nä dibo,<br />

räkhibo gaòera päre<br />

Chain me nearby and maintain me as You will. I shall remain at Your doorstep and allow no<br />

enemies to enter. I will keep them beyond the moat surrounding Your home.<br />

Similarly, Çréla Prabhupäda, we would like to surrender unto your house, i.e., <strong>ISKCON</strong>. And by your<br />

causeless mercy please consider us your household dogs. Please keep us chained nearby. Maintain us<br />

so that we will always remain in <strong>ISKCON</strong>.<br />

With great pleasure we present before you the latest construction updates and preaching updates<br />

for the Mira Road temple.<br />

Temple Construction Update: The overall structure of the temple is complete. We were able to<br />

celebrate the Gaura Pürëimä abhiñeka on the ground floor for the last two years. The marble cladding<br />

of the temple is pending. We aim to complete the exterior work of the temple by October 2012. We need<br />

your blessings to make this attempt successful<br />

Preaching Report: The Sunday Love Feast program is very successful. About five hundred Hindispeaking<br />

congregational devotees attend. Last September we started an English program on Saturdays,<br />

and about fifty devotees regularly attend.<br />

The Upäsanä Festival is conducted for adolescent boys every month; about one hundred attend.<br />

In addition, the boys can attend various Bhakti Vriksha classes every week. Occasionally they go for<br />

yäträs, where they can the associate with our local leading devotees. This association makes the boys<br />

very strong in devotion.<br />

Sandesh Festivals for adolescent girls are gradually becoming regular due to the collective effort of<br />

ten sincere girls. At present about thirty girls attend the program.<br />

By your mercy, Çréla Prabhupäda, the children’s programs are going on very well. Now about fifteen<br />

teachers conduct summer camps at their homes. Last year we conducted a Spiritual Science Exhibition,<br />

in which sixty children participated. They made fifty models based on the pastimes of Lord Kåñëa and<br />

Lord Räma. The children very enthusiastically participated in the whole exhibition, which lasted <strong>from</strong><br />

8:00 am to 10:00 pm.<br />

The counseling system is expanding: now there are around twenty counselors.<br />

Çréla Prabhupäda, by your mercy we had a very successful Ratha-yäträ in Kandivali on New Years<br />

Day, attended by thousands of devotees. On January 26 th we had a very successful Ratha-yäträ in Thane,<br />

also attended by thousands of devotees. Many Ratha-yäträs and Bhägavata Kathäs are happening through<br />

the agency of <strong>ISKCON</strong> Mira Road.<br />

Wonderful preaching is also going on in the satellite centers of <strong>ISKCON</strong> Mira Road, at Vapi, Thane,<br />

Kalayan, Borivili, and Bhavnagar. They all have the potential of becoming full-fledged <strong>ISKCON</strong> centers<br />

in the near future.<br />

Your mercy is unlimited, Çréla Prabhupäda, and even though our efforts are full of shortcomings, our<br />

179<br />

3_<strong>ISKCON</strong> <strong>Centers</strong>_06June2012.indd 179 6/6/12 10:40 AM

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