The Thriving Devotees of Yekaterinburg, Russia – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

This past week, in a video describing Indradyumna Swami’s travels to Yekaterinburg, Indradyumna Swami described the city of Yekaterinburg and the mood of the Devotees there.

Indradyumna Swami described that Yekaterinburg, Russia, is a major city in the Urals in the middle of Russia. Founded in 1723 by Peter the Great, the city was named after his wife. Yekaterinburg is sometimes described as the window to Asia, just as St. Petersburg on the western side is the window to Europe. The city is an important economic center, and there are 1.5 million people there.

Indradyumna Swami said that the temple there was started in the early 1990’s. In those days, the devotees had a very large Gurukua with over 300 children in it. There is still a Gurkula there. In the temple community, there are 500 initiated devotees and they have a congregation of over 1,000 members. It’s a small, beautiful temple with Gaura-Nitai Deities. Indradyumna Swami added that they devotees also maintain a farm with 12 cows and two vegetarian restaurants.

Indradyumna Swami ended by saying:

Like many of the places we are visiting on our tour throughout Russia, the community is thriving. Krsna consciousness is very successful in this country and we are very glad to be here, associating with these very enthusiastic, very blissful devotees in Yekaterinburg. Hare Krsna. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

In several Facebook posts, Indradyumna Swami recounts the inspiring nature of his ongoing Russian tour with Badahari das, Caturatma das, and others.

The excerpt above came from a video on Indradyumna Swami’s facebook page. On Indradyumna Swami’s official Youtube Channel, you can find a kirtan with Indradyumna Swami and Badhar das in Yekaterinburg.

For more on Indradyumna Swami’s transcendental travels and lectures, please visit Indradyumna Swami’s facebook and his lecture site at Narottam.

The Wonderful Devotees of Irkutsk, Russia – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

In a video describing his recent travels in Irkutsk, Russia, His Holiness Indradyumna Swami discussed there are about 500,000 people in the city itself, which used to be a major trading post between China and Europe. ISKCON, Indradyumna Swami mentioned, has been present in the city since the early 1990’s. There are presently a little more than 300 active Devotees there and a large congregation as well. The Devotees have constructed a beautiful temple there, and they have a Gurukula and a daycare center for little children.

The Russian government imposed restrictions on what they call “new religious movements” which has made preaching in these areas difficult, Indradyumna Swami admitted. He said that in most of our centers and most temples in cities there is no harinam or book distribution allowed, and foreign missionaries cannot preach or teach the public. They can only inspire the devotees already there at the local centers. So that is a setback, Indradyumna Swami mentioned.

However, some of the temples in some of the cities have good relationships with the government and they are allowed to do a little harinam. One such place is the city of Irkutsk. The Devotees there go on harinam three times a week in the winter and in the summer, every day. Indradyumna Swami said he is very impressed with the Devotees there, and he said:

“When I come to places like this, the remote areas of Russian and Siberia, the devotees are so wonderful I feel like I am coming to get association.”

Indradyumna Swami said that Srila Prabhupada set the standard in this regard. He came in the early 1970’s to Moscow and that seed has grown into a beautiful tree producing so many fruits and flowers of beautiful Devotees. All glories to these Devotees!

In several Facebook posts, Indradyumna Swami recounts the sweetness of his ongoing Russian tour.

Excerpt came from a video of Indradyumna Swami available on his official youtube channel.

For more on Indradyumna Swami’s transcendental travels and lectures, please visit Indradyumna Swami’s facebook and his lecture site at Narottam.

Freed by Transcendental Sound – Indradyumna Swami Nectar

In a class delivered at the Bhaktivedanta Manor in June of 2017, His Holiness Indradyumna Swami spoke on the power of transcendental sound vibration. His class was inspired by the 22nd verse of the fourth chapter of the Vedanta Sutra, in which it is stated that one is freed (“not fenced in”), by transcendental sound.

In the lecture, Indradyumna Swami goes on to explain that actually, we are liberated from material life when we encounter and absorb transcendental sound: sabda brahma. By contrast, repeated hearing of mundane sounds, which are almost unlimited, condition and bind us to matter, to this material world. In the class, Indradyumna Swami uses the example of starting the day by listening to a melancholy song versus an upbeat positive song or versus listening to a heated political debate. Those different sounds enter our consciousness and change it and affects our day moving forward. So does transcendental sound and discourse.

In his class, Indradyumna Swami quotes from Narottama das Thakur’s bhajan “Hari hari! Bifale” the line “golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana”. This line, Indradyumna Swami explains, indicates that the sankirtan movement and the Hare Krsna Maha Mantra (the great chant for deliverance) has not come from this material creation.

So chant as often as you can!

Class delivered by Indradyumna Swami at the Bhaktivedanta Manor in June of 2017.

For more on Indradyumna Swami’s transcendental travels and lectures, please visit Indradyumna Swami’s facebook and his lecture site at Narottam.

Sacred sounds are flooding the beautiful foothills in and around the New Govardhan community here in New South Wales, Australia. Devotees have gathered from all over the country for a weekend of transcendental bliss.

Srila Prabhupada, your preaching continues to inspire us all many decades down the road!