Maha Mantra Festival:- Sep 10-20th

On September 18, 1965, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada got off the ship 'Jaladutta' and stepped on the American soil. The rest is history. After Srila Prabhupada came to the US, within 12 years he was able to establish over 100 temples, and inspire thousands of followers, sharing with them the strength of the Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra! Today, International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has grown to a world-wide confederation of over 500 centres around the world!

Starting Sat, Sep 10th, ISKCON centres all over the world will celebrate the arrival of Srila Prabhupada in the West 46 years ago, the day that changed the life trajectory of millions all over the globe.

The celebrations this year in ISKCON Toronto will be marked by 10 days of non-stop activity as the MAHA MANTRA FESTIVAL! We encourage you to make the most of this occasion, participate in the numerous activities, help organize them and most importantly - spread the word around!

Daily Highlights:

* Morning Conference Call readings: daily from 7:15am to 7:30am (starts Sat, Sep 10th) From the book - Sri Namamrta, the Nectar of the Holy Name - the perfect way to start your day!
Conference line dial-in: 647-847-1525; Passcode:- 6118889#

Special events during the Maha-Mantra Festival (Sep 10-20th):

* Double Decker Bus Harinam: Sat, Sep 10th, 1:00pm to 5:00pm (pre-registration required)
For the third year in a row, the popular bus harinam is back! Enjoy the chance to do kirtan aboard a double decker bus as we drive around Toronto. For a modest fee of $25 for the upper level and $10 for the lower level, get your tickets fast as seats are limited!

* Srila Prabhupada Movie Night: Thu, Sep 15th, 6:30pm to 8:00pm
Movie night about Srila Prabhupada with popcorn and juice at the Hare Krsna Temple!

* Downtown Street Harinam: Fri, Sep 16th, 6:00pm to 8:30pm
Harinam down the streets of Yorkville, the heart of the International Film Festival! (meet at the Hare Krsna Temple)

* Sankirtan at Beatles Festival in Orillia: Sat, Sep 17th, 7:00am to 9:00pm (pre-registration required)
Opportunity to share the holy name, prasadam and books at the famous Beatles Festival in Orillia!

* Grand Finale Kirtan & Pizza Party: Tue, Sep 20th, 6:00pm to 9:00pm
An extremely grand way to cap off 10 days of fun and bliss with a special kirtan night at the Hare Krsna Temple!

It is going to be busy & fun 10 days, and we hope to see you at these events!

Almost there...

It's been an eventful 2 weeks, 15 action-packed days! What started off as a "whim" of the excited mind, and materialized as the "Maha-mantra week" has been an ecstatic experience to say the least.


Today, the 12 hour kirtan marks the Grand-Finale of the celebrations. We're almost there, 2 more hours to go... and it does feel like an incredible journey with the holy name. And in this journey, we've witnessed inspiration, determination, dedication and the effort required to create this experience!


In spite of the extremely short notice, Jatin Bhandari (aka Jetu), our kirtan star arranged for an exciting lineup kirtaneers for the whole day. With his fellows in the "Sri Sri Radha Govinda Kirtan Mandali", Jetu setup the altar and accompanying instruments. Moreover, whoever was chanting, Jetu and Satyananda accompanied them as backup vocals, instrumentalists and cheer leaders. The deep love for the holy name was reflected loud and clear in the sincere chanting of the kirtaneers.

The theme today has been chanting at the time of death, we read about it this morning from Sri Namamrta, and we heard in the bhagavatam class about Srila Prabhupada's final instruction. The time of death is the real test, whether we'll remember Krsna or not...but who knows when death will knock, we're all almost there!

Daily Conference Calls & Japathon going strong!

At the Hare Krsna Temple in Toronto, we're celebrating the MahaMantra Week to mark Srila Prabhupada's arrival in the west 45 years ago. 15 days of festivities are marked with harinams, sankirtan outings, double-decker harinam, 64+ round days, movie nights and more.

This past weekend Beatles Festival Sankirtan in Orillia was a great event to say the least! Over 45 devotees participated in bringing the holy names and Srila Prabhupada's books to the small town on Orillia. Everyone attending the festival was truly enthralled and left eagerly awaiting for next year. More details coming up soon!

As the week rolls by, our Japathon challenge of chanting 45,000 rounds collectively is on strong and steady we're only at 8,500 and we need you to chant and log in! This is a special offering to Srila Prabhupada to commemorate 45 years of the "Hare Krsna Culture". Visit www.torontokrishna.com to log your rounds.

Also start your mornings with special conference call readings on Sri Namamrta - The Nectar of the holy name. Every day we read for 10 min from 7:15-7:25 am, on the transcendental effects of chanting Hare Krsna and the propagation of the holy name. Join in by calling the toll free line 1-800-617-7801; Conference code: 6833446

(You don't need a security pin. Please press 1 after entering the Conference code)

Chant and Be Happy!