Ram Raya Prabhu is a man possessed with a mission and has been taking a Harinam
Party out into the streets of New York everyday for the past 21 days without
fail. If it rains, we go in the subway, where there trains are boarded.

These past few days, we have been blessed with sublime weather. In the sun we
perform Harinam Sankirtan at Union Square, or more recently at our new spot -
Washington Square Park.

In the Park, tourists and locals unite to join us in the chanting. Students of
New York University smile and clap their hands. Babies dance on the shoulders
of their dancing grandmothers.

“Hands Up!” I shout, after a kirtan. “This is New York!” I pretend that I am
a mugger with a gun. Everyone laughs and puts up their hands and joins in the
chanting:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

We chant every Mon, Wed, Fri from 10:30 – 11:30 am at Thomkins Square Park, along with distributing prasad to the homeless and everyone else who would like some.

We chant daily at 14th Street Union Square. The Occupy Union Square people are there, along with local New Yorkers coming home from work.

The party includes devotees from the Bhakti Center @ 25 1st Avenue. Special guest is H.G. Ram Raya Prabhu who joined ISKCON in 1978. He has a special attraction for chanting the holy names, and lived for many years in Sri Vrndavana Dhama. He has been organizing the party and canvessing devotees to attend.

In honor of Srila Prabhupada’s wonderful accomplishment, The Bhaktivedanta Band has offered a special night of kirtan, performed in the latest “House” beats, with the title, “Prabhupada’s House”.

Pradyumna Prabhu and I had traveled from Kolkata to Guwahati, Assam on Feb, 23, 2012 to perform kirtan for a reception and marriage for our friend Akshay Prabhu. Akshay Prabhu is one of the leaders of the Youth Outreach program of ISKCON Guwahati. His wife is a congregational devotee of ISKCON Mumbai.

On the evening of Feb. 25, H.G. Sri Jiva Prabhu, the temple president of ISKCON Guwahati, Sri Sri Rukumini Krishna Mandir, invited us to perform an outdoor concert on the steps of the temple for the congregation and youth. It was a beautiful spring night, and the weather was just starting to warm up in Assam.

The audience consisted of all different age groups, and everyone seemed to love the show. There was clapping, chanting, and enthusiastic dancing, as we performed for 90 minutes.

Upon returning to Kolkata, we were delighted to hear our young friend Gopal Prabhhu (5 years old), leading the kirtan in the Kolkata ISKCON temple. We immediatly went out chanting on the streets of Kolkata with the ISKCON Youth Forum devotees, and upon returning were invited to a congregational program in Salt Lake. We returned back to the ashram late at night – tired but happy.

The next day, the groom and bride appeared to visit the temple, on their way to Mayapur. We were very happy to meet each other. They expressed great appreciation and gratitude for Pradyumna Prabhu and I, to come to Guwahati to chant Hare Krishna at their wedding. They said that their family members were greatly impressed by the wedding, and hope to continue their involvement with Krishna consciousness, more and more.

ISKCON Guwahati Kirtan Festival from Ekalavya Das on Vimeo.

I participated in th e ILS, Iskcon Leadership Sanga with 400 international
leaders which was a wonderful experience of seminars, parikramas, kirtans, and
even a boat ride and swim on the ganga.

The Mayapuris and youth of Mayapur hosted a program in the Srila Prabhupada
Samadhi Auditorium. I performed with them, and operated the sound system as a
service for them.

ILS Parikrama to Yogapith from Ekalavya Das on Vimeo.

The high point for me was this ecstatic kirtan to Yogapith.

Watch the video here:

We have Launched Our New Video ” Don’t Ban Bhagavad Gita”

We had a wonderful time at Juhu Rathayatra on board a 40′ kirtan truck.

Please watch the video below.

http://vimeo.com/35314682

We performed on a lake front for 7000 people.

Our pictures appeared in 3 newspapers.

One newspaper had never covered an ISKCON event before.

I suspect that it was due to all the positive publicity that we received as a result of the move by the Russian extremist group in the court to try to Ban the Bhagavad Gita.

We won the case, and gained unprecedented positive press as a result.

Srimad Bhagavad Gita Ki Jaya!
Harinam Sankirtan Ki Jaya!

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/12/19/uk-india-russia-idUKTRE7BI0W620111219

The news has gone in media all over the world.

Now, we are working on a song about the protest:

Please Don’t Ban the Gita
(Protest Song)
Intro

The Bhagavad Gita is the book
that causes all of us to look
within – - -
To read a book is not a crime
Plus this one has words divine
withhin – - -
The song of God is very fine
Song of love and peace divine
within – - -
What you give comes back to you.
This song tells that lesson too 
within – -

Please our Russian Friends
Don’t ban, Don’t ban
Bhagavad Gita
Please our Russian Friends
Don’t ban, Don’t ban
Bhagavad Gita

About the Gita, Einstein said
God and the universe wed
within – - -
Emerson had his praises too,
said the Gita was as vast as the ocean blue
within – - -
The time will come, the time will pass.
When all of us will have to ask 
within – - -
How on this world, we’ve made our mark.
Did we promote the light or dark
within – - -

Please our Russian Friends
Don’t ban, Don’t ban
Bhagavad Gita
Please our Russian Friends
Don’t ban, Don’t ban
Bhagavad Gita

When I was just a boy, only 15 years old,
My sister gifted me the Gita – my fortune untold.
I became transformed, a sinner to a saint.
Let the Bhagavad Gita sing, sing without restraint.
Let the Bhagavad Gita sing, sing without restraint.
Let the Bhagavad Gita sing, sing without restraint.

Modulation to G#

Guitar solo

Modulation to A

Please our Russian Friends
Don’t ban, Don’t ban
Bhagavad Gita
Please our Russian Friends
Don’t ban, Don’t ban
Bhagavad Gita

Please our Russian Friends
Don’t ban, Don’t ban
Bhagavad Gita
Please our Russian Friends
Don’t ban, Don’t ban
Bhagavad Gita

Vamp and fade:  Free the Gita, Bhagavad Gita…