A glimpse of Pongal celebrations at Sri Krishna Temple, Colombo.
New Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple construction February updates 2021.
The new Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple construction project is in its final stage of completion. Here are some recent pictures taken on February 2021.
New Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple is on its completion
The new temple construction project is currently in its finishing stage. Here are some pictures taken recently.
Sri Krishna Janmastami 2020
Sri Krishna Janmastami is the most important festival of our Temple.
The entire world celebrates the divine appearance of Lord Krishna. In our temple, the arrangement for the festival has already started.
SRI VYASA PUJA
The Appeareance Day of our beloved Master His Divine Grace Sri Srimad A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada will be celebrated on Thursday 13.08.2020 at 12 noon.
Cow Protection programme in Sri Lanka
In Sanskrit the cow is called as ‘Aghnya’ which means “not to be killed”. The Vedas consider the cow as the most sacred animal and killing of a cow is considered to be the same as killing a Brahmin. The Veda mentions that there are seven mothers namely 1) atma-mata (one’s biological mother) 2) guroh patni (the wife of one’s teacher) 3) brahmani (the wife of a brahmana) 4) raja-patnika (the wife of the king) 5) dhenu (the cow) 6) dhatri (the nurse) and 7) prithvi (the Earth). Hence it is evident that the Cows should be considered as ‘Mother’ with all the sentiments and protection granted to one’s own biological mother. Cows are also considered to represent ‘Mother Earth’ which in turn signifies the importance to honour them and worship them. Not only in Hinduism, other religions such as Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism also prohibit killing of cows.
Lord Krishna descended to Earth 5,000 years ago and grew up as a cowherd boy in Vrindavan which was also called as “Goloka”(Cow Planet). During this time Lord Krishna spent most of his time with Cows and treated them with utmost love and care. He showed the human kind the importance of Cows and the need to treat them with love. Lord Krishna is known as Gopala, the protector of the Cows and Govinda, the one who gives pleasure to the Cows. He showed that the Cows were to be considered more auspicious than demigods and directed the villagers to worship cows along with the Govardhan hill which provided all the resources such as grass for the cows to graze. Angered by this change, the God of rain, Indra, reacted with heavy rain and thunderstorm in an act to punish the villagers to worship him and not the hill or the cows. Lord Krishna, in return, lifted the Govardhana Hill with his little finger and held it as an umbrella, thereby providing shelter to all the residents of the village including all the cows. Indra having his ego humbled by the Lord, descended to earth and worshiped Lord Krishna and sought his mercy.
Celebrating Govardhan Hill
This event has been celebrated over the years by the devotees who conduct Govardhana pooja by making a replica of the Govardhana Hill with different varieties of food and worship Lord Krishna and the Cows which are very much loved by Lord Krishna and been an integral part of the human lives.
In Sri Lanka, the ISKCON temple celebrated this event on the 20 October 2017.
His Excellency Maithripala Sirisena rescues a cow from slaughter on his birthday
The President of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Maithripala Sirisena, on this 66th birthday which fell on the 3rd September 2017 visited the Dehiwala Vishnu temple to offer pooja. The President also released a cow from the slaughter house and gifted her to Mahakarta Das – the temple president of ISKCON Sri Lanka to be protected and maintained by the “Goshala” of ISKCON Sri Lanka.
Support the cow protection in Sri Lanka
ISKCON Sri Lanka has its own Goshala or cow shelter which is located in Hekita, Wattala. Here, cows, bulls and calves rescued from slaughter houses are given protection for the rest of their lives. The milk obtained from them are used to nourish over hundred children at ‘Bhaktivedanta Children’s Home – Gokulam’ which is also established and run by ISKCON Sri Lanka. Currently there are more than 50 cows including calves and bulls and the protection of the Goshala.
Deepavali Celebration at Sri Lankan President’s House
On 19th October 2017 ‘Deepavali’ Festival was celebrated at the president’s House in Colombo, Sri Lanka in the presence of Hon. President Maithiripala Sirisena , Prime Minister Ranil Wiskremesinghe, Prison Reforms and Hindu Affairs Minister D.M. Swaminathan, Hon.Speaker Karu Jayasuriya and opposition leader Mr. Sampanthan and many other political as well as religious leaders.
During this event, on behalf of ISKCON Sri Lanka, Ms.Krishnapriya along with the Temple president of ISKCON Sri Lanka Sriman Mahakarta Das and the director of Bhaktivedanta Children’s Home ‘Gokulam’ Srimati Nandarani Devi and Ms. Krishnapriya presented the ‘Krishna’ Book written by A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada to the president.
Ratha Yatra Festival 2017
Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple is celebrating the 19th annual Sri Jagannath Ratha yatra festival on Thursday, 5 October 2017.
Sri Jagannath Ratha Yatra originated in Puri, Orissa five thousand years ago in India, on the East Coast state of Orrisa, in a city called Jagannatha Puri. The Festival celebrates Lord Krishna’s return to Vrindaban and is held annually in the months of June-July to honor Lord Jagannatha, which means Lord of the Universe.
The first time the Ratha Yatra was performed outside of India was on July 9, 1967 in San Francisco, under the supervision of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977). Now, the Ratha Yatra festival is now common sight in most major cities of the world and is one of the festivals that is celebrated extravagantly in ISKCON Sri Lanka.
On this day, the beautifully adorned deities of Lord Jagannath along with his brother Baladev and sister Subadhra will be taken on a procession in a colourfully decorated chariot along the main streets of Colombo City where they will shower their blessings to every living entity.
The chariot will leave the Sri Sri Radha Krishna temple, 188, New Chetty Street, Colombo 13 at 7:00 am and will proceed along the main roads in Colombo city with many cultural programs, chanting of Hare Krishna Maha Mantra, dancing and singing Bhajans and kirtans and prasadam distribution etc. Devotees can also offer their poojas during the procession and pull the chariot and receive the mercy of Lord Jagannath, Baladev and Subadhra.
The chariot will return to the temple at about 1pm on the same day.
Join us for the joyous celebration of Ratha Yatra!
Get event updates and photographs from our Facebook event page
https://www.facebook.com/events/277050902800223/?active_tab=discussion
Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa Pooja
Date : 16th August Wednesday, 2017
Time : 9 am until noon
Venue: Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple, No 188, New Chetty Street, Colombo-13
FB Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/137249260201218/
16th August 2017, Wednesday marks the divine auspicious appearance day of ISKCON’s founder-acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Srila Prabhupada fulfilled Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s prediction “Prtvithe ache yata nagaradi grama, sarvatra pracara haibe more nama”– In every town and village of the world, My name will be heard.
On September 01, 1896, the day after Sri Krishna Janmashtami in Tollygunge suburb of Calcutta, Abhay Charan who later became known as Srila Prabhupada was born to Rajani and Gour Mohan De. His father, Gour Mohan De, and his mother Rajani, named him Abhay Charan which means one who is fearless after having taken shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Krishna. As per their tradition, an astrologer was called to prepare his horoscope after birth for the baby and he revealed that when Abhay Charan reaches the age of seventy, he will cross the ocean, become a great teacher of religion and establish 108 Krishna temples.
Srila Prabhupada eventually set out to America in 1965 and established the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) at the age of sixty-nine. He travelled around the world fourteen times, established more than 100 temples of Krishna and initiated more than 10000 disciples into Krishna consciousness. We are all eternally indebted for giving us Krishna Consciousness and for creating a shelter for the whole world to live in.
Please come and join us in this glorious event with your family and friends….
Balaram Jayanthy 2017
Please visit our event page for photos and other updates:
https://www.facebook.com/events/378402099244042/
The auspicious appearance day of Lord Balarama, the elder brother of Lord Sri Krishna, was celebrated on the full-moon day of Shravana which falls on the 7th of August this year. Lord Balarama first appeared in the womb of Devaki as her seventh son (the first six sons were killed by her brother Kamsa) and was then transferred to the womb of Rohini and appeared as the son of Rohini and Vasudeva.
Lord Balarama gives us the required spiritual strength to cross over the hurdles in our journey of self-realization. On this day, Devotees fasted till noon and pray to Lord Balarama to bestow the spiritual strength needed to practice spiritual life.
Lord Balarama also known as Baladeva and Sankarshana, is the first personal expansion of Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All other incarnations expand from him. They are both one and the same identity and differ only in form. In Lord Krishna’s pastimes, Lord Balarama plays as Krishna’s older brother. Together Krishna and Balarama enact many pastimes as cowherd boys in the land of Vrindavana. He also killed demons like Dhenukasura, Pralambasura, Dvivida and Balvala. Lord Balarama is the eternal companion of Sri Krishna. He came as Lakshmana with Rama and later as Nityananda Prabhu with Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Lord Balarama is the source of all spiritual power which helps one attain the highest bliss of life and hence the name Balarama. He is the protector of the devotees of the Lord. Without his mercy one cannot approach the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. Therefore his appearance as the son of Rohini and Vasudeva is celebrated by devotees all over the world.
Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple is celebrating the auspicious day of appearance of Balaram on 7th of August 2017. The day time program ends with scrumptious feast of Maha Prasadam. This auspicious day also marks the end of Jhulan Yatra and in the evening, devotees can take part in swaying the swing and offer direct and personal service to their Lordships and enjoy the cultural programs as well.
Krishna Janmastami Festival 2017
Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple
Invites you and your family to participate in
Sri Krishna Janmastami celebrations
15TH August 2017
Sri Krishna Janmastami is the most important festival of our temple. Sri Krishna Janmastami, the appearance day of Lord Krishna, is the most auspicious day on which Supreme Lord appeared on earth five thousand years ago on the eighth day of the dark fortnight in the month of Bhadrapada, during the auspicious Rohini nakshatra.
Join us and experience the bliss of Krishna Consciousness!
Please follow our event page on Facebook for more updates: https://www.facebook.com/events/480777538965640/