Where I Went and What I Did
I was so happy to return to my harinama service, after acting as a personal assistant for my guru for three weeks and my mother for two days. I continued chanting in public with NYC Harinam for four hours a day, Monday through Saturday. Mornings, evenings, and Sundays I did an additional 28½ hours of harinama for the Prabhupada marathon. The first Sunday I was joined on harinama by Matanga Prabhu and the Krishna House girls at Rockefeller Plaza. I also attended the Bhakti Center Thursday night kirtan once.
I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is and his Srimad-Bhagavatam, as well as a couple of lectures. I share quotes from Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami’s essays in Among Friends and from his Free Write Journal. I include notes on classes at ISKCON NYC by Candrasekhara Swami, Hansarupa Prabhu, Rama Raya Prabhu, Natabara Gauranga Prabhu, Matanga Prabhu, Bhakta Vatsala Prabhu, Arjunananda Prabhu, and Gopal Campu Prabhu. I share an interesting quote by religion scholar, Larry Shinn.
Many thanks to a nice Indian lady who gave me a donation on Christmas Day, after my lecture on Christ and Krishna for the Sunday feast. Thanks to Lila Manjari Devi Dasi for her donation and to Mohan Govinda Prabhu of New Jersey for his donation. Thanks to Rama Raya Prabhu, Matanga Prabhu, Divyangi Devi Dasi, and Kiara for their harinama videos.
Itinerary
January 8: Miami Ratha-yatra
January 9: Miami harinama
January 10–12: harinama at USF in Tampa and USF Wednesday evening program
January 13–April 15: harinama and college outreach in Tallahassee and Tampa
January 28: Ratha-yatra in Gasparilla Parade
March 18: St. Augustine Ratha-yatra
April 1: Tallahassee Ratha-yatra
April (3rd week): 3 days of harinama with Sankarsana Prabhu in Washington, D.C.
April 27: King’s Day in Amsterdam
May 4: Nrsimha Caturdasi festival at Simhachalam in Bavaria, Germany
May 20: Newcastle Monthly Sankirtana Festival
May 27: Baltimore Ratha-yatra
June 10: New York Ratha-yatra
July and August: harinama in France
Chanting Hare Krishna in New York City
I was very happy to be on harinama with the NYC Harinam party after three and a half weeks away as you can see in this video (https://youtu.be/xfNYFq0-Uno):
I was even happier to see that a yoga teacher, attracted by the kirtan, played shakers for the rest of my kirtan after buying a “bhakta stack” from Rama Raya Prabhu.
Later some ladies passing by played shakers and danced with great delight (https://youtu.be/Ov7EN2UzSH0):
I felt Krishna was really welcoming me back to NYC Harinam!
Narada Muni Prabhu also chanted there, and a couple of boys played shakers and danced during his kirtan (https://youtu.be/bkdSm7wUcLc):
While Kearston of Krishna House chanted there, some ladies played shakers and danced (https://youtu.be/-WljOAO-Qk0):
We were thinking of chanting Hare Krishna on the Brooklyn Bridge on Sunday, but Caitanyananda Prabhu said for the third week in a row, as part of a Christmas celebration, the authorities had blocked off Fifth Avenue from 47th Street to 58th Street, and that there would be lots of people there. We decided to meet at the gigantic Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center which is situated in an area referred to as Rockefeller Plaza, and then walk along Fifth Avenue.
Here Matanga Prabhu leads me and the Krishna House girls in chanting Hare Krishna near the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Plaza (https://youtube.com/shorts/zZXtiGZOVNs?feature=share and https://youtu.be/NDSeK_jb7l4):
Next Kiara of Krishna House sang by the Christmas tree (https://youtube.com/shorts/OG9bI7LWNJg?feature=share):
We chanted on Fifth Avenue a bit, and then returned to the subway at Rockefeller Center.
Here Kiara of Krishna House chants Hare Krishna on Fifth Avenue near Rockefeller Plaza, and an Indian family plays shakers (https://youtu.be/igq-JgkR9pI):
As I got on the subway, this young man recalled me from Rittenhouse Square and the Philly Ratha-yatra. Visiting New York City from Philadelphia, he was simply amazed that he was running in to me again. He was one of the people I invited to the Philly Ratha-yatra who actually came.
Kiara continued chanting Hare Krishna on the F train, as our party returned from Rockefeller Plaza (https://youtu.be/kdbYJfzFwcI):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at ISKCON NYC Sunday feast program (https://youtu.be/a4jOEO1fj3o):
Arjunananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at 34th Street / Penn Station subway station (https://youtu.be/eeBijrabwmM):
Amrita chanted Hare Krishna there too (https://youtu.be/gSmLzwl4QJQ):
I also chanted Hare Krishna there (https://youtu.be/qQk-3I9p0AM):
Rama Raya Prabhu chanted Hare Krishna as we finished chanting there for the day (https://youtu.be/_1ot-IeXnq8):
I told the attendees at the ISKCON NYC Tuesday evening program I would not lead the kirtan after giving the lecture, but would dance instead, in hopes of inspiring others to dance. Thus Divyanga Devi Dasi chanted Hare Krishna, and everyone danced (https://youtu.be/bKIq_t5b-fk):
Arjunananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Mangala Arati at ISKCON NYC (https://youtu.be/DCrbMvgvNRM):
Param Prabhu of Vrindavan chants Hare Krishna in Tulasi Kirtan at ISKCON NYC (https://youtu.be/w7RlccwJqsU):
Bhubaneswar, an Indian student whose college was at the stop, surprised me by asking if he could play my harmonium. I said he could if he chanted Hare Krishna, so he chanted Hare Krishna and played harmonium there at Jay Street / Metrotech subway station on the uptown A/C/F platform, and I sang the response (https://youtu.be/saOe9E9pmsk):
Jagaddhatri Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Times Square subway station (https://youtu.be/aCy6pQ0ZWFY):
Param Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Times Square, and a mom and kid play shakers (https://youtu.be/vtbpIegmBFQ):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna to Jingle Bells tune at Times Square (https://youtu.be/lWj2wij0KK0):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Tulasi Kirtan at ISKCON NYC (https://youtu.be/FcE54QCRW18):
Jagaddhatri Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Times Square subway station (https://youtu.be/W83xE3_pTu0):
Divyangi Devi Dasi chants Hare Krishna at Times Square subway station, and several people dance (https://youtu.be/KfDfIbkXwUA):
Here is more video of Divyangi Devi Dasi chanting Hare Krishna at Times Square (https://youtu.be/_bs3_zOqalE):
Param Prabhu of Vrindavan chants Hare Krishna at Times Square, and a new girl plays the shakers (https://youtu.be/j1AmP37HedA):
Narada Muni Prabhu chants Hare Krishna, and a kid plays shakers and dances.(https://youtu.be/CoPoKGzMUd8):
Narada Muni Prabhu kept chanting Hare Krishna, and the kid kept playing shakers and dancing (https://youtube.com/shorts/ckSiXsAD3-g?feature=share):
Natabara Gauranga Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Times Square (https://youtu.be/TXsiZqw_khw):
Nate chants Hare Krishna at Times Square (https://youtu.be/Y33SrRSViwA):
Radhika chants Hare Krishna at Times Square (https://youtu.be/Vfk0ZLDDKLU):
As Kearston was chanting Hare Krishna at Times Square, passersby picked up shakers to join in (https://youtu.be/gM—LlIBDag):
While Kearston chanted Hare Krishna at Times Square, and passersby danced enthusiastically (https://youtu.be/YKmQ4pwcgKU):
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Times Square, and a guy plays shakers and dances (https://youtu.be/XJMnd5Gdx1Q):
Arjunananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Fulton Street, and young ladies play shakers and dance (https://youtu.be/a7pHBzRcPrg):
Radhika chants Hare Krishna at Fulton Street (https://youtu.be/v1Fg94lk6vQ):
Kishan chants Hare Krishna at Fulton Street, and passersby play shakers and dance (https://youtube.com/shorts/Ydi0hLse4TM?feature=share):
Here is more of the Hare Krishna kirtan of Kishan at Fulton Street (https://youtu.be/SqnrkVRPTgc):
While I chanted there at Fulton, a whole family played shakers (https://youtu.be/MdtL6DHMz4o):
Seeing that scene reminded me how Srila Prabhupada said in 1966, “We have seen it practically . . .
Thanks to Rama Raya Prabhu for the video.
Rama Raya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Fulton Street, and devotees dance (https://youtu.be/we2lojEYA18)
As the kirtan ended some passersby danced as well (https://youtu.be/NZJS0FHMhok):