Mumbai, 3rd October 2023: The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) concluded a week-long spiritual celebration known as World Holy Name Week with a series of deeply enriching events. Gauranga Das Prabhu Ji, the Director of the Govardhan Ecovillage, an award-winning United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) eco-village community and Governing Body Commissioner (GBC) for ISKCON recognized for his strategic leadership, highlighted the significance of spiritual music as a means to achieve mental health, emphasising how it can soothe the mind and elevate the spirit.
The celebration began with an enchanting evening kirtan mela at the ISKCON centre in Mira Road. Devotees and spiritual enthusiasts gathered to immerse themselves in the soul-stirring melodies of Kirtan, there was another kirtan event at Govardhan ecovillage led by the famous New York Bhajan singer Acyuta Gopi devi (@govindagirl_acyutagopi) for the second time, transcending geographical boundaries and bringing together devotees and music lovers in a divine atmosphere of devotion.
At the event, Gauranga Prabhu Ji, ISKCON, quoting a verse from Srimad Bhagavatam, said,
āpannaḥ saṁsṛtiṁ ghorāṁ
yan-nāma vivaśo gṛṇan
tataḥ sadyo vimucyeta
yad bibheti svayaṁ bhayam
“Living beings who are entangled in the complicated meshes of birth and death can be freed immediately by even unconsciously chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, which is feared by fear personified.”
This event also marked ISKCON’s participation in the global Harinam Yagna during the World Holy Name Week, with over a million people from around the world uniting in the transcendental practice of chanting the holy names, promoting spiritual well-being and unity.
Speaking at the Kirtan, Achyuta Gopi from the New York Bhajan Group, said, “The holy name is transcendental and is beyond all material barriers and divisions of language, nationality and other divisive considerations. ISKCON celebrates this diversity via the unifying potency of Sankirtan or congregational chanting of the holy names.”
On the auspicious occasion of Bhadra Poornima, ISKCON also organized a grand event at Sridham Mayapur, the world headquarters of ISKCON. One of the most significant aspects of this gathering was the distribution of over 15,000 sets of the Bhagavat Purana in India in the 2023 campaign, also known as “The Book that Helps Escape Death.” With this, the idea of timeless wisdom contained in the Bhagavat Purana and its power to transform lives was reiterated. This accomplishment builds upon ISKCON’s legacy of distributing 550 million copies of the Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavatam worldwide since 1970.
As the week-long sprint came to an end, Gauranga Das Prabhu Ji expressed his gratitude to all participants and volunteers who distributed Bhagavata Purana by distributing certificates. He emphasized that these events not only promote spiritual well-being but also foster a sense of unity and love among all participants.
As the World Holy Name Week and the Bhadra Poornima Bhagavata Purana distribution campaigns conclude, ISKCON remains dedicated to its mission of spreading spiritual wisdom and providing opportunities for individuals to experience the transformative power of the holy names and the holy literatures.