Radhadesh English Newsletter - November December 2021

Radhadesh E-Magazine

Govardhan Puja also in this issue: THE MONTH OF DAMODARA

DIWALI

Issue 11

Nov - Dec 2021

Dedicated to...

This newsletter is dedicated to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

We remain forever indebted to him, our eternal spiritual master, and pray for his blessings so that we may continue to establish Vrindavan here in Radhadesh.

CONTENTS The Damodar month

05

The time of Kartik is here. This article speaks about why we offer candles during the month of Kartik.

Diwali

08

What is the festival of lights? Why is it so important? Take a quick dive into the pastimes of Lord Rama and explore the true meaning of Diwali.

Govardhana Puja

10

To protect His dear friends and devotees from a great storm, Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhan hill. Read Srila Prabhupada's lecture on this beautiful pastime.

Goshala update Read about the progress of the building of the new cow shed.

13

Upcoming festivals

14

As a reminder of upcoming big festivals and important dates, we have created a small schedule for your convenience.

Weddings

19

Get married amidst the forests and hills of the Ardennes, at the Gothic-Medieval castle of Radhadesh.

Every mile for planet Earth

23

A volunteer for the Goshala, Ram, participated in a marathon to raise funds for the the new cow shed. Read here about his experience.

"Of all the devotees, this Govardhana Hill is the best! O my friends, this hill supplies Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, along with Their calves, cows and cowherd friends, with all kinds of necessities — water for drinking, very soft grass, caves, fruits, flowers and vegetables. In this way the hill offers respects to the Lord. Being touched by the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, Govardhana Hill appears very jubilant." Śrimad Bhagavatam 10.21.18

Editorial team : Shyamsakhi dasi, Surabhi Kunja dasi, Syamananda das Photography: Syamananda das, Surabhi Kunj dasi and our community members.

IIllustrations: Saccidanandana das & unknown artists Graphic design: Surabhi kunj devi dasi Proofreader: Syamananda das

Dear reader, It's here, it's here our favourite month of the year...!!

We are very happy to introduce everyone to this special issue of the Radhadesh Newsletter. Special for a few reasons. One reason is you will have noticed that our head of publications and design, Surabhi dasi, has done a beautiful upgrade on our design for the newsletter.

With lots of subdued, autumnal colours and little decorative touches that gives it a rich lush feel.

Then also, with this issue being produced in the month of Kartik, we have

lots

of

wonderful

kartik

ways

to

increase

our

Krishna

consciousness.

There can be no doubt that this is every devotees favourite time of the year. More devotees come to the temple, we increase the morning program, we sing extra songs in the evening and most importantly maybe, we all get a chance to worship directly the Lord by offering our lights of devotion. Alongside the miracle that is chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, the Lord's invitation during the month of Damodara to please Him simply by circling His beautiful form with a little light, is just another indication of how supremely merciful is our Lord, who is so eager to bring us back to Him, He accepts such simple acts, as topmost acts of love. This is the God we worship, this is Krishna.

This is Kartik 2021...come get the mercy!

Offering a lamp

The month of

DAMODAR written by Syamananda dasa

THE BEST BARGAIN No

one

can

resist

a

good

bargain! Who can walk past a sign saying

’70% off’ for the

whole month and not think to drop

in

and

see

can

I

grab

myself a good deal.

We are residents of the age of kali - so we are wired always to look for the fastest and easiest way to get things done. So Krsna has arranged a special month where the already very bargain priced

love

of

God,

reduced even more!

becomes

It has been explained in the Sri Caitanya Caritamrita that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates broke into the store house where love of God was been kept and starting handing out all the ‘goodies’ to anyone and everyone, not looking if they were qualified or not. All that the recipients had to do was reach out their hands and receive it. So this outrageously magnanimous mood becomes even more accessible during the month of Damodara.

Usually in the Vedic literature, there is always some required ‘tapas’ or austerity described if we want to achieve something (well actually everything in life is like that!). But for the month of kartik the ‘big austerity’ that we have to undertake to get our hands on this wonderful bargain, is to come before the Lord and simply circle a light before Him. No mention of fasting, difficult disciplines, rigid procedures or anything of the sort. Just join in singing about His wonderful childhood pastimes and hold up our light to His beautiful form and ask Him to accept our attempt to muster whatever devotion we have right here, right now.

In the pastime celebrated in this Damodara month of Mother Yasoda tying Krsna up with a rope, we understand Krsna only agrees finally to be tied due to His mother’s boundless devotion. So Krsna wants our devotion and is so boundless in His Love for us, no matter how ‘rascal’ we have become, that He accepts our candles during Kartik as an act of the topmost devotion. His Holiness Sivarama swami has written a wonderful book called ‘Sri Damodara Jivani’. In it he brings together the many commentaries of our acaryas on this very unique pastime, where they reveal that Krsna is making it very clear - its love He wants and only love. And while our love for Krsna maybe still in a mostly dormant state for the present, His love for us never diminished in the slightest, even when we made that original fatal mistake of turning our face from Him and coming to the material world. So alive and burning is His love for us that He looks past all the nonsense that still lies cluttered in our hearts and accepts our little lights with His full embrace. So please don’t miss this wonderful ‘Kartik Sale’ and grab all the bargain love that is available with each light you offer to the Lord.

A person who offers a lamp to Lord Krishna during the month of Kartik attains the eternal spiritual world where there is no suffering Skanda Purana

We all love a good story. Every book, movie, poem and even songs are telling a story of some sort or other.

You could make an in-depth analyse of what makes a good story and there is a number of components to it. But one element that turns a story into a

DIWALI

‘classic ‘timeless’.

the festival of lights written by Syamananda dasa

A timeless story has at its heart, themes and characters that we see are relevant in times past, present and future. And we most definitely see this ‘timeless’ feature in the Ramayana. It has been said that the director George Lucas was familiar with the Ramayan in writing one ‘littleknown’ movie from 1977 that maybe you might have seen!

And one of the key features in the story of the Ramayana (and also that ‘little known’ movie) is the ultimate triumph of light over darkness or good over evil.

Ravana had performed the most unforgivable act of kidnapping another man’s wife but not just any man but the future Kings’ wife. For someone with ten heads, he sure did some pretty stupid things!

Driven by insatiable lust, he completely put aside all his intelligence and also the good warnings of his many advisors including his other wives, and dragged the beautiful Sita to his city of Lanka hoping he could use her to satisfy his lusty feelings.

story’

is

if

the

story

is

But to no avail! Not only would Sita not succumb to his licentious entreaties for him to enjoy her but Ravana sealed his doom when he kidnapped Lord Rama’s wife, thereby inciting Lord Rama’s vow to kill him for this heinous act.

After the epic search to find Sita and the bloody battle to punish Ravana, the beautiful couple of Lord Rama and His eternal consort of Mother Sita, return to Their rightful place on the throne in the kingdom of Ayodhya.

The citizens had been driven to almost madness when so many years back their beloved king was to suddenly be exiled on the day he was to be coronated their rightful king. It is said that Ayodhya became like a graveyard as all the citizens had felt their very life leave them as Rama and Sita left the city to accept Their exile to the forest for fourteen years. It had been a very long fourteen years for the citizens of Ayodhya. Ironically, for the most part, except for the kidnaping incident, Their time in the forest had been very blissful for Sita and Rama. They had been cared for so nicely by Laksmana and able to wander free from the duties of the palace among the forest animals and the many sages who dwell their. It was also the longest time Sita and Rama would spend together as upon Their return to Ayodhya, things were not to go smoothly - but that’s another story!

So when the citizens finally see their beloved King and Queen return, it was as if their very life was coming back into their bodies. To find some way to express their happiness at seeing the Divine couple return and ensuring a ‘warm welcome’, every citizen lit up their house with bright ‘dipas’ or ‘candles of love’. So we too can recreate this wonderful act of joy and the mood of the citizens of Ayodhya by lighting a dipa upon the auspicious Diwali festival and offering it to the Lord. But we can also take it a step deeper and brighten our hearts with the torch-light of transcendental knowledge that makes our heart a beautiful place for the Divine couple to come and take Their seat upon Their righful throne. Then we too like the citizens of Ayodhya, will feel our real life return as we reawaken our eternal relationship as the servants of the Divine couple.

www.radhadesh.com/diwali

DIWALI

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE 5:00pm Kids Diwali workshop 6:00pm Diwali lecture 6:30pm Theatre 7:00pm Gaura Arati / Offering dipas 7:30pm Classical dance 7:45pm Sparklers for kids 8:00pm Prasadam 8:15pm Kirtan & Damodarastakam

Sita, Rama and Lakshmana Return to Ayodhya painting by Saccidananda das

GOVARDHANA PUJA Govardhana Pūjā Lecture - New York, November 4, 1966

by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Festival

"The result is that when Kṛṣṇa talked like this, then His father agreed not to perform the sacrifice. Because all the inhabitants of Vraja, Vṛndāvana, they are so much fond of Kṛṣṇa, whatever Kṛṣṇa will say, they will accept. So although Kṛṣṇa was a boy, He implored his father and other elderly gentlemen present there that "There is no need of performing this sacrifice."

So they stopped the sacrifice. As a result of this stopping, Indra became very much angry, and there was torrents of rain, incessant rain, and very vehemently. So the whole village and whole tract of land comprising the Vrajabhūmi, they became overflooded. And the cows and the animals and the people became too much afflicted. So they had no other source. They approached Kṛṣṇa, "Protect us. Kṛṣṇa, protect us." So at that time Kṛṣṇa said, "Yes, I will give you protection." So He was, although a boy of six or seven years old, He lifted that hill. That is... We are... If any time you go to India you will see the hill. It is not less than at least five, six miles area, very big hill.

That hill was lifted by Him, and He kept that hill in His hand for seven days.

And then everything was cleared. Then Indra prayed to Him.

So there are many things after this. So today Kṛṣṇa lifted this hill; therefore His name is Giridhārī. Giridhārī means who held the hill. Giri means the hill, and dhārī means one who holds up. So today is that, is the annual ceremony of today, this Govardhana-pūjā. So we follow that principle. Because we are devotees of Kṛṣṇa, we are trying to follow His instruction. So at noontime we shall perform that pūjā, and you are invited to take prasādam. I think prasādam will be ready by eleven o'clock, and you will kindly participate in taking prasādam."

Schedule for Radhadesh 05 November 2021 04.30 Mangala arati 05.00 Tulasi puja 05.15 Japa 07.40 Guru-puja 08.00 Deity greeting & offering of preparations 08:08 Damodarastakam prayers 08.30 Class by Nikunja Devi Dasi 09.30 Special Giriraj maha-breakfast 12.30 Noon Arati 13.30 Lunch feast 17.45 Govardhan Lila Drama (Reception Hall) 19.00 Gaura arati 19.30 Kirtan 20.50 Last Darshan and Damodarastakam prayers

Govinda's Restaurant NAPOLITANA PIZZA Every Thursday 12:00 - 15:00 Radhadesh - Chateau de Petite Somme | Petite Somme 5 | www.radhadesh.com/restaurant

served fresh and hot!

Ridiculously delicious

Radhadesh highlights!

Goshala We are extremely excited to share with you the current progress of the cow stable. With the support of a few genuine souls, we have been able to get this far. We are forever grateful that we received the mercy from these special people.

The cow stable is planned to be partially finished by the end of November/beginning

December 2021, so that the cows can enter before the winter season. The full finish is scheduled to be in January 2022. The digging for the foundation started earlier this year and the building is currently well on its way. You can see the progress in the

images below and follow us on the Cow Sanctuary instagram page for more recurring updates.

@radhadesh.cows

THE PROGRESS

MARCH 2021

OCTOBER 2021

Upcoming Festivals 21 October

29 October

4 November

Start of the Kartik month

Bahulastami

Diwali

Offer a candle everyday

The appearance day of

Every year Radhadesh

during this month and

Radhakunda.

celebrates the lights

chant the Damodarastakam

festival with quite a

prayer with the Radhadesh

number of pilgrims.

residents in the morning at 07:30 and evening 20:50.

5 November

8 November

11 November

Govardhana Puja

Srila Prabhupada's

Gopastami

Radhadesh celebrates

disappearance day

The day Lord Krishna

the occasion Lord

On this day we dedicate

began to herd the

Krishna protected His

special readings,

mature cows. On this

devotees by raising the

bhajans and kirtans to

day many devotees go

Govardhana Hill as a

Srila Prabhupada.

and feed the cows in

protective umbrella.

the goshala.

Upcoming Festivals 19 November

14 December

23 December

End of the Kartik month

Advent of Bhagavad Gita

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta

Radhadesh celebrates the

Sarasvati Thakur's

advent of Srimad Bhagavad

disappearance day

Gita by reading the Gita in full on this special day.

NOVEMBER INNER BALANCE 26 November 15:30 – 28 November 13:30 It has been an interesting time to say the least for many. Allot of us have been a little stagnant waiting for our chance to bounce back into action. Some of us have taken time to nourish ourselves, start a hobby or do some creative internal work that you may have planned to do but never had the time. Either way, now is your chance to re-stimulate your mind, body and senses with an uplifting weekend of yoga, movement, creativity, expression, gardening, walking and tasty hot nourishing meals.

Explore within and get your body and energies flowing, revitalise your senses and connect deeper. Experience gentle and rigorous styles of yoga. Deep relaxation, inspiring meditation, mantra chanting and walks.

WINTER INSPIRATION AND PEACE RETREAT 17 December 15:30 – 19 December 19:30

WWW.RADHADESHRETREATS.COM

Guided tours of CHÂTEAU DE PETITE SOMME French Dutch English

1 october - 30 june 15:30 10:30 | 11:30* | 15:00 16:00

1 july - 30 september 11:00 | 15:30 10:30 | 11:30 | 15:00 | 16:30 16:00

*only during the weekends From October till June, we are closed on Mondays. Except for school and bank holidays and pre-booked groups.

Due to government guidelines and to avoid disappointments, we recommend you book online, by e-mail, or by phone.

Visitors without a reservation are still welcome but may be refused if the capacity is reached.

Currently, there is a maximum of 20 people per tour.

WEDDINGS Plan your outdoor wedding in Radhadesh.

Wedding season is from May - August.

Email to weddings@radhadesh.com "When there is love in our heart, only love will come out"' -Radhanath Swami

Perfume Oils 10ml perfume oils, natural fragranced with high-quality natural essential oils extracted from flowers, leaves, roots and wood.

Some of our products available online...

€8,00

Dholak Drum Very easy to hold and play. Ideal for any festivity, wedding, or procession.

High-quality sound. Dholak is most widely used in traditional folk music in India.

€60,00

Precious Hem Incense HEM incense sticks are handcrafted to diffuse a fragrance that lingers longer and leaves you satisfied with its purity.

They create a perfect setting for any religious function or rite and can also be used to home for its fragrance. They act as a perfect companion during meditation or a quiet reflection.

€3,00

Buy online

WWW.RADHADESH.COM/ESHOP

“Everyone can establish a small temple in his house, and he can begin family-wise — himself, his wife, his children. That is wanted. This Krsna consciousness movement wants to see that every house has become a temple of Krsna. That is our program.”

Lecture by Srila Prabhupada, 13 December 1972 To facilitate those devotees who are inclined towards Krishna Consciousness but cannot come to the temple every day, ISKCON Radhadesh organizes Bhakti Home Programs at various places. Bhakti Home is a program centered around Krishnaconscious homes aiming to connect Krishna-conscious families with additional support and exciting resources in today’s busy world.

The program consists of Kirtana, the Holy names of Lord Krishna, spiritual discussion on Bhagavad-gita or other Vedic scriptures, Question/Answer session and concludes with prasad (sanctified food offered to the Lord). After the Corona measures are relaxed, we would like to contact you by email to plan a date for your house program. If you are interested in the Bhakti Home programs, scan this QR code to fill in the form to register or you can contact shyam@radhadesh.com.

Bhakti home program

Memberships programs Become a member and directly serve Sri Sri Radha Gopinatha.

For more information go to radhadesh.com/members or email members@radhadesh.com

Radhadesh is a non-profit organization with over 100 permanent residents and more than 5000 congregational members and friends.

Become part of this wonderful spiritual family and participate in our lovely programs from your home.

From only €10 a month you are then united with us in helping Radhadesh achieve amazing things. You can then also become part of our annual member's weekend and participate in this joyous occasion. You also receive plenty of nice benefits depending on the support package of your choice!

Bronze membership € 10 / month

Silver membership

Gold membership

Platinum membership from € 84 / month

€ 50 / month

€ 30 / month

Every mile for planet Earth!

I have been a volunteer in the

With blessings of Krishna I managed

Radhadesh cow protection

to reach my personal target in

program since 2011. In 2013, there

zwickroell annual charity run I have

was a fire accident in the cow barn

proposed our cow protection

and many volunteers have turned

programme as a charity to support.

to raise funds to build a new cow

Special thanks to my wife and son

barn. After much legal work and

who supported me in this run and

intense master-planning

the 60 day challenge comes to an

Radhadesh received in September

end. I pray to Krishna to make this

2020 the much awaited building

achievement happen again every

permission in order to commence

year.

the new project.

Thank you, Ram supported by Bhu and Vaishnav

WE ARE OPEN!

visit

WWW.RADHADESH.COM for more information

@RADHADESH.OFFICIAL @CASTLE.DURBUY @RADHADESH.MELLOWS @GOVINDAS.RADHADESH @PREMACULTURE @DURBUYBOUTIQUE @RADHADESH.COWS YOUTUBE.COM/C/ISKCONRADHADESH YOUTUBE.COM/C/RADHADESHTV