Friday, May 6, 2011

ISKCON - The International Society for Krishna Consciousness

183,894 items / 1,449,644 views




While I was shooting the Marriammen feast at Juhu beach I shot the ISKCON The International Society for Krishna Consciousness devotees eponymous as Hare Rama Hare Khrisgna bhakts.

I shot several shots and add these pictures as my new set at Flickr.com.

Many years back I had shot their Rath Yatra at Bandra Reclamation too..as there are many devotees of their erstwhile mission in this area of Bandra.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Society_for_Krishna_C...

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

he International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), also known as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Hindu Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization.[1] It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.[2] Its core beliefs are based on traditional Hindu scriptures such as the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and the Bhagavad-gītā,[3] both of which, according to the traditional Hindu view, date back more than 5,000 years. The distinctive appearance of the movement and its culture come from the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, which has had adherents in India since the late 15th century and Western converts since the early 1930s.[4]

Non-sectarian and monotheistic in its ideals,[5] ISKCON was formed to spread the practice of bhakti yoga, in which aspirant devotees (bhaktas) dedicate their thoughts and actions towards pleasing the Supreme Lord, Krishna.[6][7] ISKCON today is a worldwide confederation of more than 400 centres, including 60 farm communities, some aiming for self-sufficiency, 50 schools and 90 restaurants.[8] In recent decades the movement's most rapid expansions in terms of numbers of membership have been within Eastern Europe (especially since the collapse of the Soviet Union) and India.[9]

ISKCON devotees follow a disciplic line of Gaudiya Bhagavata Vaishnavas and are the largest branch of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.[10] Vaishnavism means 'worship of Vishnu', and Gauḍa refers to the area where this particular branch of Vaishnavism originated, in the Gauda region of West Bengal. Gaudiya Vaishnavism has had a following in India, especially West Bengal and Orissa, for the past five hundred years. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada disseminated Gaudiya Vaishnava Theology in the Western world through extensive writings and translations,[11] including the Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana), Chaitanya Charitamrita and other scriptures. These works are now available in more than seventy languages and serve as the canon of ISKCON. Many are available online from a number of websites.[12][13]

Early western conversions to monotheistic Krishna Vaisnavism or the Bhagavata Vaishnava line which forms the basis of the ISKCON philosophy were recorded by the Greeks and are reflected in the archaeological record.[14][15]

Krishna is described as the source of all the avatars.[16] Thus ISKCON devotees worship Krishna as the highest form of God, svayam bhagavan, and often refer to Him as "the Supreme Personality of Godhead" in writing, which was a phrase coined by Prabhupada in his books on the subject. To devotees, Radha represents Krishna's divine female counterpart, the original spiritual potency, and the embodiment of divine love. The individual soul is an eternal personal identity which does not ultimately merge into any formless light or void as suggested by the monistic (Advaita) schools of Hinduism; Prabhupada never declared ISKCON to be a Hindu organisation, because he considered it to be a 'material designation', not an appropriate name. Prabhupada most frequently offers Sanatana-dharma and Varnashrama dharma as more accurate names for the religious system which accepts Vedic authority.[17] It is a monotheistic tradition which has its roots in the theistic Vedanta traditions.[18]

The popular nickname of "Hare Krishnas" for devotees of this movement comes from the mantra that devotees sing aloud (kirtan) or chant quietly (japa) on tulsi mala. This mantra, known also as the Maha Mantra, contains the names of God Krishna and Krishna's brother, Balarama [19]

The Maha Mantra:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama Hare Hare

When Srila Prabhupada first incorporated ISKCON in 1966, he gave it seven purposes:[20]

1. To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all people in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life and to achieve real unity and peace in the world.
2. To propagate a consciousness of Krishna, as it is revealed in the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad-Bhagavatam.
3. To bring the members of the Society together with each other and nearer to Krishna, the prime entity, thus to develop the idea within the members, and humanity at large, that each soul is part and parcel of the quality of Godhead (Krishna).
4. To teach and encourage the sankirtana movement, congregational chanting of the holy names of God as revealed in the teachings of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
5. To erect for the members, and for society at large, a holy place of transcendental pastimes, dedicated to the personality of Krishna.
6. To bring the members closer together for the purpose of teaching a simpler and more natural way of life.
7. With a view towards achieving the aforementioned purposes, to publish and distribute periodicals, magazines, books and other writings.

[edit] Four regulative principles

Srila Prabhupada prescribed four regulative principles, in relation to the four legs of dharma,[21] as the basis of the spiritual life:

* No eating of meat, fish or eggs (lacto-vegetarianism)
* No illicit sex
* No gambling
* No intoxication (including alcohol, caffeine, tobacco and other recreational drugs).

The four legs of Dharma are:[21]

* Daya: Mercy
* Tapas: Self-Control or Austerity
* Satyam: Truthfulness
* Śaucam: Cleanliness of body and mind


Many members of ISKCON worship at their local mandir, or temple, and practice Krishna consciousness at home with their families.[22] Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON established the Krishna Balarama Mandir in Vrindavan, India in 1975.[23] According to the ISKCON website, the temple has three altars, and rest on the land that Lord Krishna inhabited nearly five thousand years ago. It was in Vrindavan that Prabhupada decided to bring the message of Krishna Consciousness of the Bhagavatam to the United States.[24] As stated by the founder of the society, "Vrindavana is the most sacred place within this cosmic universe, and people seeking to achieve spiritual emancipation by entering the kingdom of God may make a home at Vrindavana and become serious students of the six Gosvamis, who were instructed by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu."[25] The temple functions as an international center for those seeking to further their devotion within ISKCON.

ISKCON is known for their energetic active preaching. Members try to spread Krishna consciousness, primarily by singing the Hare Krishna mantra in public places and by selling books written by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.[26] Both of these activities are known within the movement as Sankirtan. A study conducted by E. Burke Rochford Jr. at the University of California found that there are four types of contact between those in ISKCON and prospective members. Those include: individually motivated contact, contact made with members in public arenas, contact made through personal connections, and contact with sympathizers of the movement who strongly sway people to join.[27] According to the doctrine of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, one does not need to be born in a Hindu family to take up the practice of Vaishnavism. There are ISKCON communities around the world with schools, restaurants and farms. In general, funds collected by ISKCON are treated as communal property and used to support the community as a whole and to promote the preaching mission.[28] Many temples also have programs (like Food for Life Global) to provide meals for the needy. Also, ISKCON has recently brought the academic study of Krishna into western academia as Krishnology.

Child Gets His Cheeks Pierced With a Rod

Lubricating The Rod In The Mouth With Milk

Child Gets His Cheeks Pierced With a Rod

Child Gets His Cheeks Pierced With a Rod

Child Gets His Cheeks Pierced With a Rod

Child Gets His Cheeks Pierced With a 8 Feet Rod

Faith Can Move Mountains

Cheek Piercing For Goddess Marriammen Juhu Beach

Behind A Beggar Poet Lies The Soul of a Hijra

Hijras Are Part of The Poetic Journey of My Life

Cheek Piercing For Goddess Marriammen Juhu Beach

Cheek Piercing For Goddess Marriammen Juhu Beach

You Need A Heart Not A Head To Shoot Hijras

183,670 items / 1,448,751 views

This is Sarla hijra we head met earlier at a Marriammen feast but I dont remember , she insisted we had met I left it at that, she had many friends among the rod piercers and was shooting them on her mobile but keeping a respectable distance..

I met her at the Juhu signal she was tanked some guys had spiked her drink she could barely stand she kept clinging to me I tried to get her a ricksha she wanted to go to Ville Pare station,luckily a few male guys and a family knew her and took her away to safety she gave me her number I have not called her yet , so my path is strewn with hijra s there is no escaping it they are part of my poetic journey on earth and my Hijra Guru Laxmi calls it my Hijda Vardan.. Blessings of the Hijra on the soul of my Poetry.

The only hijra who can do magic to my soul in a special way is Khushi from Mumbai.. I love shooting her and she is poetry all the way..

The other was Priya hijra from Singapore..

Hijras are beautiful human and God fearing Mother Marriamen is one of the favorite deity of the hijra from the South after Lord Iravan of Koothandavar Temple Koovagam Villupuram.

If You Have Passion Photography Enters Your Karmic Soul

Poetizing The Soul of Human Pain

The Human Horse Of Marriammen

Holding The Spirit of Another Mans Faith


a shia hindu
a follower
of hussain
ahle bayt
walking on
the sands
of time
invoking
peace humanity
dance of death
on the soul
of hate
endlessly
for the boat
to take me
to the other
shore
i wait
a glimmer
of hope
a receding gate
beyond the horizon
lies my fate
allahu akbar
god is great

om namoh shiva
the holy chant
of peace and humanity
another man meditates
like me he too
invokes the essence
of love devotion
on the chakra
of tolerance
gyrates

The Claypot Of Devotion



bursting with emotion
thirsting for devotion
immortal love great lotion
holding the essence
of an ocean

Goddess Marriammen at Juhu Beach

Mariamman is a South Indian mother Goddess predominantly worshipped in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. She is worshipped mainly by the tamil speaking population in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka.

The origin of Goddess Mariamman is unclear. Mari in Tamil means rain. Mariamman is an ancient village goddess related to fertility and rain. Mari also means change. Thus, the name Maria Amman would mean goddess who has changed. According to some, Mariamman is the sister of Lord Ranganatha (Maha Vishnu) and called Mahamaya. The Samayapuram Mariamman is worshipped on the first day of the Tamil month of Vaikasi by the Iyengar/Srivaishna Brahmins of Srirangam. Another version suggests that she is the mother of Parasurama, Renukadevi who is appeased for rains. Mariamman was the smallpox goddess before this disease was eradicated and is similar to Sitala Devi in this respect.


vedictalks.blogspot.com/2009/02/origin-of-goddess-mariamm...

Photography Is Unearthing The Hidden Soul of God

The Dead Poets Society of Mumbai

I Want To Touch You ... I Did

183,618 items / 1,448,516 views


a
thought
many a times
you forbid
the poet
in the manger
you got rid
his mind
was neurotic
his intentions
rabid poetic
off the lid
while you slept
on wings
of fancy
he swept in
kissed
you on
your dreamy
eyelids
in he came
'out he slid
he touched you
all over he did
through his minds
camera grid

The Cheek Piercing Poet of Mumbai

I Will Pierce My Cheeks One of These Days

The Barefeet Shia Blogger of Bandra

Juhu Beach The Starting Point of Marriammen Feast Rituals

183,598 items / 1,448,436 views

Devendra Bhima asked me to come at 4 pm but all the devotees came after 5.30 so I shoot the beach I am not much into seascapes or landscapes , I shot urchins and killed my time the beach was hot I was barefeet , I was fasting like the Tamils just drank water nothing else...

Marriammen Feast Rod Piercing Juhu Beach 2011

183,595 items / 1,448,345 views

I came back to Juhu beach at 4 pm to shoot the second part of the Marriamen Feast of Nehru Nagar Tamil Hindus, rituals to appease Goddess Marriammen rod piercing hanging of lime attached to needles in the flesh and hooks on the back to hang from cranes and pulleys and to pull cars and vans.

Than there are devotees who carry burning hot pots on their heads and all these participants devotees move from Juhu beach to Marriammen temple Nehru Nagar where the hooks and rods are removed.

I shot this event too barefeet despite a deep injury on my leg.. and I am thankful to Marriammen Seva Samaj the organizers and my dear friend Bhima Davendar who allow me to shoot this event ..

I will be piercing my cheeks too one of these days to show my spiritual support with my Tamil friends a follower of Imam Hussain among the devotees of Mother Marriammen..two different ideologies one single path of Faith..


I shot the hijras who carried hot pots on their heads also you will have to ignore the spots on my sky pictures because of dust on my CCD .. I dont have the patience to clean all my pictures I shot RAW and JPEG..and I am plumb broke to buy and upgrade my camera but I am not cribbing I am happy for small mercies I take care of the shadows god takes care of the highlights for me.. this is a 14 GB card..


This is my second set of Marriammen events at my Flickr photostream.

The Only One Who Knows My True Worth is My Neigbors Dog Lucky

perhaps he knows i am fucked broke unlucky..

Hand And Feet of A Beggar Poet

My Poems Are Written In Blood

183,585 items / 1,448,292 views

power bubbles
soap suds
memories
inundated
tears and flood
a hope
turned out
to be a dud
hit in the belly
the groins
fell flat
in the mud
a squeak
a whimper
a soundless thud

Only Poets Can Fly Without Wings

183,579 items / 1,448,285 views

bleeding feet
oh death
where is thy sting
as i go
round and round
and round the ring
searching for life
hereafter among
all things as life
on this fucked
planet gives me no
solace sweet nothing
even singh is controlled
by a remote a singh
who is no king
scam corruption
grows in his back
garden the common
man takren for a ride
what a fling
zenitude and zing
nothing but pain
more pain
it brings
man a monkey
from one swing
to another swing

This Dog Asked Me Why I Keep Falling in Love On The Internet

And for the fuck time I had no fucking answer...

Bleeding Feet Of The Blogger

The Story Of Man Is Written In Blood

Lost Facebook Moments And Those Sleepless Nights

183,559 items / 1,448,213 views


April 23 at 8:42pm

i have had the most fucked day of my life at work today
just showered and am here beating the posterior of my keyboard

sometimes i just want to tie a loin cloth and run away into the mountains live with animals away from humanity
humanity depresses me sometimes
most of the time

you are lucky you have a vast future ahead of you

i buried my future beneath the sands of fucked time and space
oh i hate life

i hate poetry i write it because it appears to my mystic mind that i am in love with you

April 24 at 12:06am

i wont be able to sleep
i have not had my dinner
i crashed in the afternoon too


i am very depressed and all my walls are coming crashing you might not believe it at the moment you are the only friend i have

even before i met i never talked to anyone

i kept to myself and this crazy world judged me my inner soul through my pictures

you would make a great friend but i feel you as a ..

gosh i cant say it

even before i met you i never talked to anyone


I know sir....
I have never claimed that i am a good sister ,daughter ,cousin etc ..but i assure you i am a very good friend ..that i can say with pride you see...

I dont have a lots of friends ...only few n they are life time friends n you are one of them now :)

as the poet
remembers
those pesky moments
those billboard fights
when fate once and
for all switched off
the lights a balding
vulture he soared
the fancy flights
till his wings got burnt
like Icarus
he fell from a height
poetic pause
a poetic plight
something is wrong
something is not right
a smile that kills
smile that smites
an evasive
silent inbox
poetry ignites
deliriousness delights
shadows highlights
fear and frights
than as the bus comes
to a screeching halt
for one last
time she alights
leaving behind
paper flowers
eaten by termites
the poet is buried
in deep sleep
a poem his
soul ghostwrites
a world far away
among zooming
tail lights
the other side
of deleted doom
the other side
of my midnight

Bhai Ham Zindagi Se Ub Gaye

183,532 items / 1,448,150 views


gham ke gor samndar main dhoob gaye
hasratein lekar ayye the mohabt ki
aur janaze pe sajh dhaj kkar mehboob gaye

Ganesh Bhima Davendar And Me

Da Mir Pan Zlatko Send Me Message From Istanbul

182,565 items / 1,440,297 views


Da Mir Pan May 5 at 9:35pm Report


dear friend
we are so sorry that we didnt find you on your working place before we go....
now we are inistanbul, trip pass good...
thank you for everything...
God bless you and your family...
damir and zlatko

Da Mir Pan Zlatko Send Me Message From Istanbul

Pain Is What Keeps The Poetry of Life Alive


a burning
carcass
dying
dying
not yet
dead
why all
this fuss
ashes to ashes
dust to dust
the peer bubble
of my life
its poetry
on the soul
of my
consciousness
burst
for the elixir
of life
i no more thirst
bad to verse
poetically
perverse
life a curse

We Were Both Doomed By The Poetry of Our Fucked Lives

our necks
taunting
death
the butcher
with his knife
we die everyday
our souls our flesh
in eternal strife
we give birth
to pain morbidity
our midwife
caught
in a power bubble
between
high and low life
in a world
where hate is rife

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