Since we’re just a month away from the World Holy Name Festival, we’re presenting ideas for temple Presidents and devotees to make the most of this spiritual event.
Harer Nama, harer Nama harer Nama Eva kevalam
Kalau nasty Eva Nasty Eva nasty Eva gatir anyatha
Around 500-years ago, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had given us the ultimate instruction which was to chant as it is the only mode of deliverance from this material world. In a month’s time, ISKCON’s World Holy Name Festival will give each and every individual an opportunity to participate in this Sankirtan movement.
Everyone can celebrate the World Holy Name Festival from the 17th to the 24th of September, 2018.
The World Holy Name Festival organising team has carefully curated a list of inspirational ideas which can be taken up by one an all, alone or with family or with friends. Below are some ideas:
Temple Presidents:
If you are a Temple President you can organise an event for all the devotees to participate in. If you run a centre or a group, you can do the same. For example, you can organise for someone to give a talk about Prabhupada distributing the Holy Name across the world.
You can also organise a talk about the power of the Holy Name or you can organise a kirtan in celebration of the World Holy Name Festival. You can organise Harinam Sankirtan to celebrate or share the Holy Name out on the street, based on your location.
GBC Members, Zonal Secretaries, and Supervisors can help out by making sure devotees in your area know about the World Holy Name Festival. Make sure you ask everyone to make a plan for a celebration.
Devotees:
Every devotee can celebrate the World Holy Name Festival by chanting extra rounds each day of the festival. You can also can read about the Holy Name from part two of Sri Namamrita called ‘The Theology of the Holy Name’. Or you can read sections from the book Chanting Hare Krishna. Both these books are compilations of sayings from the books of Srila Prabhupada.
You can make a plan to go to the temple or your local centre and join in the celebrations there. Otherwise you can create your own program at home, or with friends. There is no limit to what can be done, use your creativity and see how far you can go.
This year the World Holy Name Festival starts on Radhastami, (17 September) which makes this year the most auspicious World Holy Name Festival of all. We request everyone to make a personal heart-felt prayer to Srimati Radharani to engage us all in the devotional service of Krishna by spreading the glories of his Holy Name everywhere.
Other activities which you can organise:
Organise a Japa-thon with your friends. Get a group together and chant for one or two hours. You can also organise a Japathon where different groups take turns at chanting for 30 minutes then the next group takes over, similar to a 12 hour Kirtan.
Get your family and friends together and share your experiences with chanting the Holy Name. You can discuss how has it affected you, how do you manage to get through your rounds, what suggestions and help can you give each other.
You can go to the Fortunate People website and record a video of you and your friends chanting the Mahamantra. Fortunate People is a program created by devotees to get as many people as possible to chant Hare Krishna. http://fortunate-people.com
Go for a japa-walk with a group. Ask everyone to take their bead-bag and walk in a relaxed pace, chanting the Holy Names as you go along.
Improve your own chanting by listening to a recording of Srila Prabhupada chanting his rounds. Share the recording with your friends and family.
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare,
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
The World Holy Name Festival Team
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