GBC Update on HH Jayapataka Swami

By the GBC

Update on the Condition of His Holiness Jayapataka Swami

The ISKCON Governing Body Commission (GBC), which is currently meeting for five days at ISKCON’s Juhu Beach Temple in Mumbai, was shocked this morning at the news that His Holiness Jayapataka Swami, our dear god-brother and GBC colleague, was rushed to the hospital at approximately 4 AM Mumbai time.

Aniruddha dasa, GBC Deputy, has sent three reports about Maharaja’s condition. We would like to update ISKCON devotees worldwide about Maharaja and beg for your prayers on his behalf. We ask devotees around the world to pray to Lord Krishna and Lord Nrsimhadeva for Jayapataka Swami’s protection.

Maharaja was rushed to the hospital this morning in an ambulance after his assistants found him in bed around 3:30 AM unable to move and calling for help in a semi-conscious state. He was taken the Hinduja Hospital, not far from the Juhu ISKCON temple. He was unconscious when he arrived at the hospital. There several tests were conducted and it was concluded that there was no problem with his heart, as first suspected.

Maharaja’s blood pressure was dangerously high, but more importantly it was determined that he had suffered two brain hemorrhages (internal bleeding). One was located in the brain stem, a very sensitive area at the base of the brain where surgery is not possible.

Several expert physicians were called in, including devotee doctors from the Bhaktivedanta Hospital in Mumbai. Specialists included neurologists and a neurosurgeon.

Jayapataka Swami is in the intensive care unit. As the hospital will not allow many visitors in the unit, GBC members Sivarama Swami, Bir Krishna Goswami, Bhakti Caru Swami, and Radhanatha Swami who had rushed to the hospital in the morning to be with Jayapataka Swami, returned to the temple around noon. Upon return, Radhanatha Swami immediately updated the GBC about Maharaja’s condition.

Radhanatha Swami reported that Jayapataka Swami remains in critical condition. His condition is extremely delicate. One positive report he shared with the GBC, was that, although not apparently conscious, when Jayapataka Swami was asked to squeeze his left hand, he did so.

As surgery is not an option at this time, doctors are monitoring Maharaja’s condition very carefully, and administering medication as appropriate.

Jayapataka Swami is one of ISKCON’s most senior devotees. He is a dear disciple of Srila Prabhupada. He pioneered preaching in India as well as congregational outreach programs. He has been a faithful and important member of the GBC for decades.

We fervently pray to Lord Krishna for His protection. He has sacrificed his life in service, and we pray the Lord will give him full strength. We also offer our prayers and full support to the disciples of our dear god-brother in this most difficult time.

We request that devotees of ISKCON worldwide offer prayers to their Deities and to Srila Prabhupada that this great leader among us may regain his health and remain with us to serve the ISKCON mission for many more years.

We value, respect and love Jayapataka Maharaja. We admire his deep love for Prabhupada, for the ISKCON society, and for suffering humanity. May Lord Krishna be pleased to allow us all many more years of service to, and association with, His Holiness Jayapataka Swami.

Your servants,

The Members of the ISKCON Governing Body Commission
Ramai Swami, Chairperson
ISKCON Radha Rasabihari Temple Juhu Beach, Mumbai, India

Damodara Tour Diary – South India

By Rasika Murari dasa

Hare Krsna

All glories to Srila Gurudeva
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
All Glories to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga
All glories to Sri Sri Jagannatha Baladeva and Subhadra Maiya

Please accept my humble obeisances

Day 1 –  27th September 2008, Saturday, KLIA ~ Chennai ~ Tirupati

We Left the abode of Sri Sri Nitai and Nimai at about 6.30am. Sriman Palani prabhu have mercifully offered his assistant to drive me to the KLIA and thus he had put up the night. We reached KLIA after an hour and half. It took another 45 minutes for the check-in proceedings due to very long queue. There was just enough time for me to change some Indian rupees and rushed through the immigration and security checks to the departure hall. People are already boarding the plane when I arrived at the
departure hall. .

Damodara International Promotion – North India

By Srivas Caitanya dasa

 

Hare Krsna

All glories to Srila Prabhupada
All Glories to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga
All glories to Sri Sri Jagannatha Baladeva and Subhadra Maiya

Please accept my humble obeisances.

Day 1 – 3rd October 2008, Friday

KLIA – New Delhi Airport -Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi Temple, New Delhi

Damodara World Launch Diary 1, Part 4

By Uttama Chaitanya Das

 

Day 13: Tuesday, Mauritius – South Africa. Durban – Johannesburg – Damodara
month 1st day, Krishna Saradiya Rasayatra

——————————————————-

Hare Krishna.

My first ushering of Damodara festival outside of Malaysia since 1995.

Left for airport at 0630 to catch the plane at 0930 to Durban. From Durban need to board another plane to Johannesburg.

After 4hrs, I landed at Durban International Airport. Someone was supposed to be waiting for me at the airport to handover the ticket to Johannesburg. Unfortunately no one was there.

Damodara World Launch Diary 1, Part 3

By Uttama Chaitanya Das

 

Day 8: Thursday, Vadodara – Mumbai – Ramacandra Vijayotsava

Today is Dussera. A grand festival in Gujarat. A public holiday I was told.

The tradition is to buy lots of sweet especially jalebi. The temple is doing
brisk business selling so many different kinds of sweetmeat.

Gujarat’s speciality is its sweets, just as Bengal. Nartaka Gauranga pr and
Damodara Caitanya pr sent me to the airport.

Damodara World Launch Diary 1, Part 2

By Uttama Chaitanya Das

Day 5: Monday, Mumbai – Ahmedabad

Flight 0835 delayed by an hour. Reached Ahmedabad, capital of Gujarat, at
1030.

My first trip to this city. My last visit to Gujarat was in 1992.

I was received at the airport by a devotee and it took some 40 minutes to reach the temple.

I was astonished to view such a huge, ancient-looking temple.

The old temple-building houses a simple temple – Sri Sri Gaura Nitai and the temple guest rooms.

Everything looks ancient here and little run-down.

Damodara World Launch Diary 1

By Uttama Chaitanya Das

 

Day 1: Thursday, KLIA – Chennai – Mumbai

Hare Krishna. Please accept my humble obeisances.

By the mercy of Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga, we are embarking on our first
international promotional tour of Damodara preaching programme. It was not a
long-thought off plan. Rather, it all happened within one month – the
planning and execution.

Damodara 2008 Official Launch

By Bhakta Hemalan, Bhakta Gajen & Rasika Murari dasa
Damodara 2008 Organizing Committee

The much anticipated launching of Deepavali Damodara 2008 finally took
place on Friday, 17 October 2008 (Krsna Tritiya, Damodara Masa) at KL
Sentral in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Following the huge success of last year’s Damodara program, ISKCON Kuala
Lumpur’s Sri Jagannatha Mandir took upon itself to relive the glories of
Karttika month again this year on a more grand scale. The event was
massively publicized both locally and internationally through newspapers,
radio stations, e-mails, smses, and of course the ever reliable word of
mouth.

The launching of Deepavali Damodara was to be held in conjunction with the
Deepavali Carnival ‘08, which spans for 25 days, that takes place every
year which is organized by a local NGO. This carnival is a one-stop
shopping center offering an array of items for the Festival of Lights,
which also includes our very own BBT booth and together with a booth for
Damodar ghee lamp offerings. While you’d have to trawl through many a
marketplace to find a treasure trove of trinkets, accessories and
hand-stitched embroidery, u might just find yourself offering a ghee lamp
to Lord Damodara, as did many who attended the carnival found out.

The cause of such a hype in publicizing Deepavali Damodara is simple, to
understand the significance of offering ghee lamp to the Lord during this
auspicious month. As stated in many of the Vedic Puranas, such as Padma
and Skanda Purana, offering ghee lamp to Lord Damodara during this
favorable month can eradicate sins and grant mercy of the Lord.

ISKCON KL was given the main stage to host the launching of Deepavali
Damodara and that glorious night was witnessed by an audience and well
wishers numbering in hundreds. The show began at 7.45pm to the dance of
Bharatanatyam and continued on with ISKCON’s trademark Kirtan led by HG
Gauracandra pr. whom, escorted the VIP, Dato? Kumarendran, a leading and
prominent lawyer to his seat. He is a well-wisher and has donated
handsomely for our second phase temple building project fund.

A welcoming speech, addressing the significance of Deepavali Damodara was
given by HG Simeshwara pr., by which this time, the number of audience and
onlookers swelled to around 1000 people.

Mid-way through the show, baby “Krishna” was spotted surrounded by his
Asta-Sakhis, led by the auspicious roaring of conch shells in song, he
made his way center stage started to playfully dance with his “Gopis” and
Yasoda Maiya proceeded to chase him, as per Krishna’s childhood pastimes
in Vrndavana, with no place to run, he went to the VIP seat and pulled
Dato? Kumarendran up on stage to unveil the large poster of
Damodara-lila., what seemed to be so spontaneous was carefully planed
drama.

The Deepavali Damodara officially ended at 10.30 pm with 700 people
presenting their ghee lamp offering to Lord Damodara on the stage and
honored the delicious prasadam. The event was able to instill the
significance of Deepavali and the importance of offering ghee lamps to the
Lord during this auspicious month of Karttika.

Though we don?t have Govardhan?s mercy to protect us from the evening
heavy downpour, which made the attendance dwindled for this year?s launch,
nevertheless the sheer efforts of the organizer, ISKCON Kuala Lumpur
deserved a huge applaud for continuously finding venues to bestow one and
all to take part in the glorification of that Supreme Lord, Sri Damodara
Bhagavan.

Our exceptional appreciation goes to HG Srivas Caitanya pr., Srimen Raaj,
Bhaktin Gowri and the VOICE team for an amazing show.
We would also like to record our deepest gratitude to HG Simhesvara pr.
for gracing and blessing the event despite his busy schedule.

Hare Krsna

Damodara Programme in a nutshell

1. What is the Damodara Programme? 

It is a simple programme aimed at capitalizing the most auspicious month of Damodara/Kartik to introduce Lord Krishna to as many people as possible, especially offering them a chance to offer ghee lamps to Krishna. 

The sastras clearly elucidates the glories of this simple act of devotion, done knowingly or unknowingly. 
 

Damodara Festival Flyer

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