Jhulan Yatra: August 1st - 5th

Come and serve Sri Sri Radha Krishna at the Jhulan Yatra festival every morning (after Darshan arati - 7:00 am) at the Hare Krishna temple from August 1st until August 5th (last day of Jhulan Yatra and Lord Balarama Appearance Day). A specially decorated swing has been arranged by the devotees for Sri Sri Radha and Krishna to sit and and accept the flower offerings from the devotees. Join the festival and get a rare chance to personally swing their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Krishna!

Sneak Preview of Festival of India Pictures!

Despite the challenges faced due to the civic strike, the 37th Annual Festival of India took place on July 18th and 19th and brought rich colour and festivity to the heart of downtown Toronto! As usual the festival provided a great opportunity for some amazing photographs!

Kumari Photo and Design, our official photographers for the festival, had a great time clicking away throughout the weekend. On their blog, they have posted a preview of some of the pictures that they took!

We hope these pictures bring back fond memories of the festival! Stay tuned for more pictures!

Special Seminars by HG Narayani devi dasi

A very special devotee, HG Narayani devi dasi, is visiting Toronto
for a short time, and will be conducting a special set of seminars beginning July 31st at the Hare Krishna Temple. HG Narayani devi dasi joined ISKCON in 1970, and has since taught seminars around the world. She currently teaches at the Vrindavana and Mayapur Institutes for Higher Education.

The seminar details are as follows:

Friday, July 31st:
6:30pm - 8pm: Prayerful Japa (Mantra Meditation)

Saturday, August 1st:
10am-12pm - Prayerful Reading
1pm - 3pm - Association with Srila Prabhupada

Sunday, August 2nd:
10am - 12pm: Making a Personal Relationship with the Deities
1pm - 2pm: Appreciating Krishna's Name, Form, Devotee, Quality, Dhama (The 5 most potent forms of devotional service)

You can RSVP for these seminars here:



Please don't miss out on this opportunity to delve deeper into these topics, and to hear about them from this elevated soul. It truly is the opportunity of a lifetime. Hope to see you there!

Deity Darshan: July 26, 2009

Sunday Feast Recordings - July 26, 2009

The recording for this week's Sunday Feast can be viewed by clicking the image below.

As a reminder, the recordings from our weekly live web broadcasts are stored on our ISKCON Toronto Video Archive Blog.

Second Sankirtan Festival - This Weekend!

After an amazing weekend with the Festival of India (Ratha-Yatra), the GTA Sankirtan Team is very happy to invite everyone to the 3rd Monthly Sankirtan Festival (MSF) on this coming Saturday, July 25th (a.k.a Sankirtan Saturday!)

Sankirtan is a Sanskrit term which means the congregational chanting and sharing of the names and glories of Krishna, which is the recommended process for spiritual success. In the Hare Krishna tradition, sankirtan is associated with sharing our spiritual culture with the public via the timeless books, translated by Srila Prabhupada.

As some of you experienced in the last two months, this Saturday, you’ll get another opportunity to experience the bliss yourself! Part of the MSF initiative is to bring everyone together, and so in that spirit the MSF will begin with the morning program at the Toronto Hare Krishna temple at 4:30am on July 25, 2009. The program will include a morning worship ceremony, some time for mantra mediation and will include a discourse that will discuss the benefits of sankirtan. A short seminar on the practicalities of how to distribute books will follow, and by 11am we should hit the streets and stay out until 2pm.

Being part of the MSF is not simply restricted to coming out on book distribution. There are various avenues where you can help contribute to make this event a success! Whether it be helping to prepare prasadam (sanctified vegetarian food), spreading the word about the event, helping out with logistics, being part of the harinama team (who will sing the Lord's names) or just being a friendly face who wants to watch everyone else, we encourage everyone to please come out! This is a golden change to participate in the transcendental service that is so dear to Srila Prabhupada!

Please sign up on the form below and don't hesitate to contact us with any comments or questions at toronto.sankirtan@gmail.com.

Festival of India (Ratha-Yatra) 2009 dazzles the City of Toronto!

The 37th Annual Festival of India (Ratha-Yatra) that took place on July 18th and 19th was a huge success with thousands taking part in the parade down Yonge Street and the festival at the new location at Yonge and Queens Quay.

Stay tuned for a detailed update and pictures!

Festival of India (Ratha-Yatra) this Weekend!

Festivities for the 37th annual Festival of India (Ratha Yatra) will begin tomorrow! The festival consists of an upbeat, colourful parade down Yonge Street. The Parade begins at 11am, starting from Bloor and continuing south to Queens Quay. Following the parade is a two-day festival on the new site at Yonge & Queens Quay, expected to draw close to 40,000 people.

The festival is open entirely to the public and is free for everyone. Part of the festivities include award-winning entertainment, Yoga Meltdown, an outdoor yoga festival, a free vegetarian feast and a South Asian Bazaar.

Festival Timings:
Saturday, July 18, 2009:
Parade – 11am – 2pm
Festival at Yonge & Queens Quay – 12pm to 9pm
Sunday, July 19, 2009:
Festival at Yonge & Queens Quay - 12pm to 5pm

Please visit http://www.feedyoursoul.to/ for more information!

New site for the Festival of India (Ratha-Yatra) 2009

Due to the on-going City of Toronto strike, ferry service to Centre Island is cancelled. As such, there has been a need to look for an alternative site for the Festival of India and the festival committee is pleased to announce that a backup site has been secured.

The new festival site is located at the foot of Yonge Street just South of Queen's Quay. A map of this new site is shown below with the site in blue and the Ratha-Yatra route in green.
Please see http://www.feedyoursoul.to/ for more detials about the festival!

Seminars by HG Dravida das this week!

Festival season is in the air, and the temple has been brimming with activity! People from around the world have begun to arrive to help prepare for the biggest party of the year – Toronto’s 37th Annual Festival of India, taking place this coming July 18th and 19th!

One very special guest has arrived from San Diego, and will be giving seminars on Tuesday and Thursday of this week at the temple. Dravida das, a very senior disciple of Srila Prabhupada, is known the world-over for his sincerity and dedication, and his creative ways of presenting spirituality through poetry and song. He is very loved and admired by the Toronto community, and we are thrilled that he will be giving seminars this week!

The details are as follows:

Tuesday, July 14th:
Glories of Chanting the Holy Name
6:30pm – 8pm

Thursday, July 16th:
Becoming Absorbed in Krishna Consciousness Through Sound Vibration
6:30pm – 8pm

Both seminars will take place in the temple room. Please don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity to associate with this amazing and elevated soul!

Sunday Feast Recordings, July 12 2009

The recording for this week's Sunday Feast can be viewed by clicking the image below.

As a reminder, the recordings from our weekly live web broadcasts are stored on our ISKCON Toronto Video Archive Blog.

Deity Darshan: July 12, 2009

Festival of India to Take Over Yonge Dundas Square this Monday!

This Monday, the Festival of India will feature a "pre-festival party" at Yonge-Dundas Square to give the City of Toronto a preview of what is to come! Festivities at Yonge-Dundas Square, located in the heart of downtown Toronto, will feature Henna Tattoo Art, "Dress in a Sari" Booth
Express Yoga, presented by Yoga Meltdown, South Asian Marketplace, a Spicy Dosa Eating Competition, an Evening Concert and Entertainment.

The Schedule for the Days Activities is as follows:

• 7:00am to 8:00am: Toronto Morning Yoga Challenge!


• 12:00pm to 9:00pm: Pre-Festival Party, featuring interactive booths, henna tattoos, food stalls, Express Yoga and a South Asian Bazaar


• 4:00pm to 5:00pm: Martial Arts Workshop by IMPACT


• 5:30pm to 6:30pm: Spicy Dosa Eating Contest


• 6:30pm to 9:00pm: Evening Concert – Krishna Culture Festival Tour

Join us at Yonge-Dundas Square on July 13th, 2009!

Spicy Dosa Eating Competition at Yonge-Dundas Square!

The Second Annual Spicy Dosa Eating Contest will taking place at Yonge-Dundas Square on Monday, July 13th, 2009! this is a part of the pre-festival kick-off party for the Festival of India (Ratha-Yatra)!!!

This contest organized in collaboration with Udipi Palace and Toronto Vegetarian Association will give the contestants a chance to enjoy hot and spicy dosas (a South Indian delicacy, they are crepes made of lentils and rice that are high in protein and carbohydrates).

If you are interested in taking part in this competition, please download the contestant form and submit it personally at the restaurant (1460 Gerrard Street E.) with the entry fee. A part of the proceeds from this competition will go to fund the monthly Food for Life events that take place in the Hare Krishna Temple!

The last date for submission is July 12th 2009 by 10.00PM. The first 20 Forms received will be the final contestants participating in this contest.

More details on the contest available at the restaurant and on thier website.

ISKCON Toronto Annual General Meeting!

The Annual General Meeting of the Incorporation of ISKCON Toronto will be held on Wednesday, July 15, 2009 at 6:00 PM in Govinda's Dining Hall.

During the meeting the Temple Council will review the 2008 financial statements, discuss the new By-laws that were adopted and will answer any general questions. GBC representatives Bhaktimarga Swami and Gopal Krishna Maharaja as well as the accountant who recently approved our audited statement will be in attendance.

All temple and congregational devotees are cordially invited.

Snana-Yatra Celebrations at New Remuna Dhama!

This past Sunday, Toronto's Hare Krishna temple celebrated our annual Snana-Yatra festival. This festival is where Lord Jagannatha, His brother Balarama, and His sister Subadhra are given a special abisheka (bathing ceremony).

The temple room was packed with people wanting to catch a final glimpse of Lord Jagannatha as, for the next two weeks, Their Lordships have "mysteriously" contracted a cold and will be quarantined and given intensive care by their pujaris (priests).

When the two week period is completed and they are fully recovered they will come out of their temple to give darshan to everyone during the Festival of India (Ratha-Yatra Festival) on July 18-19, 2009. Thier Lordships will be riding down Yonge Street on large colourful chariots pulled by Their devotees amid ecstatic chanting of the holy names!

For more information please see the official Ratha-Yatra Website.

Sunday Feast Recordings (Snana-Yatra) - July 5, 2009

The recording for this week's Sunday Feast and Snana-Yatra celebrations can be viewed by clicking the image below.

As a reminder, the recordings from our weekly live web broadcasts are stored on our ISKCON Toronto Video Archive Blog.

Deity Darshan: July 5, 2009

Gundica Clean-Up this Sunday - 10am to 4pm

This weekend is our annual Gundica Cleanup, which will be held on Sunday, July 5th. As many of you know, we will be celebrating the 37th Annual Festival of India (Ratha-Yatra) on July 18-19, 2009. Every year, we traditionally clean the temple two weeks in advance of this huge festival!

This is following the example set by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who held the first Gundica Cleanup some 500 years ago. The famous Ratha-Yatra parade in Jagannatha Puri begins at the Jagannatha Puri temple and proceeds all the way till the Gundica Temple. Preparing for the arrival of Lord Jagannatha, Caitanya Mahaprabhu with His associates personally cleaned the entire temple.

This year we will be cleaning our temple on the auspicious occasion of Snana-Yatra. The clean-up will start at 10:00am in the temple room and will continue till 4:00pm. Lunch (prasadam) will be provided for those who come out to help clean! For further information, please contact Gopal at psenatoronto@gmail.com.