From the Russian Speaking Devotees in London

Daya Hladini devi dasi and Yogapaty das

On behalf of the Russian Speaking yatra in London we are pleased to share with you the exciting activities and achievements that kept us busy and joyful in Krishna consciousness throughout the month of March:

Bhajan Band Recording: Our newly formed Bhajan band has embarked on an exciting journey by initiating the recording of musical Bhajans in the studio. We are eagerly looking forward to sharing the release with you soon!

Celebrating Group’s Birthday: We are also happy to share photos that we just received from the anniversary festival celebration of our Russian speaking group in February. Please see the pictures by clicking on the following link – https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/m0l6sdvqug03bau2kj4oe/h?rlkey=2sw86yl7ri4myhv74d32h1p51&dl=0

The event took place in a rented big hall within a Christian church, where we were honored to have Radha Govinda Prabhu and his wife Moksa Rupa Mataji straight from Romania as our special guests.

A joyous day spent with devotees, commemorating the anniversary with lively kirtan and a sumptuous feast. The day was filled with joyous activities including poems reading, stand-up shows, and lecture all cantered around Krishna consciousness life.

Gaura Purnima Celebration: Our group came together to celebrate Gaura Purnima day at the temple, followed by active participation in the Maha Harinam. For a better harinama appearance Matajis come together wearing same colour sarees to make it seem nice and appealing for people passing by.

Monthly Sunday Feasts: As part of our regular activities, we continued our delicious service of cooking Sunday feasts at the Soho temple to please the devotees of the Lord. In March, we prepared a delicious prasadam including dal, sabji, pakoras, salad and cakes, which was enjoyed by all the devotees on Sunday feast.

St. Patrick’s Day Harinama: We also took the opportunity to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by joining a very exstatic Harinama in central London, adding a spiritual touch to a festive mood in the town.

Online Namahattas: Recognizing the challenges of a busy lifestyle in London, we introduced online namahattas on Thursdays. This month, we read and discussed the stories of Vrindavan and its residents to awaken natural interest and attraction to Krishna’s pastimes within our hearts.

These sessions include kirtan, lecture and discussions, catering to the needs of devotees who may miss out on regular offline gatherings during the week.

Prabhus Mentorship Group: Our mentorship group engaged in a fruitful session this month listening to a talk of the devotee based on the Bhakti Vijnana Goswami Maharaj’s article “13 Recommendations on How to Better Your Sadhana.”

The insights gained were invaluable in deepening prabhus spiritual practices.

Matajis Mentor Group: This month, the Matajis mentor group had a very uplifting discussion about their realizations followed by supporting each other on their spiritual paths and finished by deepening the understanding of a humble attitude in the life of devotee.

Namahattas Continuation: Our commitment to Namahattas remained strong, organizing three very atmospheric gatherings this month.

One namahatta included a special guest, Gaura Sundara Prabhu, a legendary preacher among Russian-speaking groups. We were very honoured to have him with us!

Each Namahatta follows a standard format with a nectarian kirtan, followed by a lecture or a reading and discussing session and delicious prasadam.

This helps us foster family-like relations among devotees and strengthens our connection with each other.

Bhakti Sastri Graduates: We are proud to announce the first set of graduates from the Bhakti Sastri course organized by our senior devotee, Vrajendra Kishor Prabhu. Despite the graduation, we continue to hold Bhakti Sastri courses on a weekly basis, where we delve deeper into the depths of Srila Praphupada books.

This gives us an amazing opportunity to explore together the profound teachings Praphupada has left us.

Vrajendra Kishor Prabhu initiated a Bhakti School for devotees interested in reading and discussing Srila Prabhupada’s books. Leading weekly discussions on the Bhagavad Gita, he provides a cozy online gathering for all the participants.

These activities reflect our group’s commitment to spiritual growth, Srila Praphupada mission, community engagement, and joyous celebrations among the devotees.

We look forward to more enriching experiences in the coming months and to serve dearest RadhaLondonIsvara as best as we can.