Hare Krishna! Today (Tuesday) is Ekadasi. We thank the organizers and many volunteers who helped put on the wonderful Festival of the Holy Name last week. Amrita-Keli and Lila Kishor Prabhus share their story on Nectar Talks this Wednesday. Join Lord Jagannatha and His ratha cart in the St Augustine Christmas Parade on Saturday. The temple will be selling Christmas Cookie Tins again, pre-order now. Learn how to Help Children Cope with Grief in an online seminar given by Mahavisnupriya Devi Dasi, LCSW. And participate in our Gita Jayanti campaign by purchasing or sponsoring Bhagavad-gitas to distribute. For details, please read on…
Special Thanks & Congratulations
From the president’s desk: Special thanks to all the devotees who brought us the Festival of the Holy Name last weekend. We are so grateful to be able to come together again under the tent, chanting our hearts out and meeting up with friends old and new. It is all due to the festival committee’s hard work and diligence, and the intelligent planning and execution of the difficult task of putting on a big, big festival safely during the COVID virus pandemic.
1200 people registered for the festival, that means 1200 people took their time and showed their respect to the organizing committee by showing their vaccination cards or their negative covid tests, as well as complying with the mask mandate while under the tent. Thank you to all of you for your cooperation, and special thanks to Haripriya Devi Dasi who took on the hard job of not letting anyone forget about the mask mandate.
A special shout out to our teenagers, who could be seen everywhere, manning the kitchen tent for hours and hours, and dancing so enthusiastically for the pleasure of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai. I’m seeing succession plans right before my eyes!
The FoHN committee wanted so much to give this beautiful offering of nama yajña to all the devotees, and their combined efforts really were appreciated by one and all. We wish it didn’t have to end, and hope for more of the same next year! You can watch the kirtans on YouTube: Festival of the Holy Name.
Also, congratulations:
Congratulations to Bhismadeva Dasa and Haripriya Devi Dasi on their wedding last week. We wish them a long and happy life together in service to Krishna and Srila Prabhupada.
Congratulations to Swarupa Acyuta Dasa and his wife Rohini Devi Dasi, on the birth of their baby boy last week. May he always find the shelter of Lord Krishna’s lotus feet.
Shop Govinda’s Gifts for the Holidays
Govinda’s Gifts Shop will be open Sundays from 4 pm - 8 pm, and during the week by appointment. We have a full line of children’s clothing, books and some toys; everything for your home deity worship, beautiful ladies shawls, chaddars, shirts, dresses, saris and kurtis, and men’s clothing too, and much more. Check out our new line of Phool Incense in beautiful boxes ready for holiday gift giving.
Nectar Talks with Amrita-Keli and Lila Kishor
Look for this upcoming Nectar Talks Episode 17 on Wednesday, December 1, 2021, as Namamrita Dasa and Krishna Kishora Dasa host our guests.
Lila Kishor Dasa and Amrita-Keli Dasi are young second generation devotees, yet they have accomplished so much in their lives. Hear about their eventful journey through Krishna consciousness, their joys and challenges, and the exciting programs they have pioneered. Learn how they came to a life of devotion and service. Hear about how they reconcile differences in their cultural upbringing and much more.
Our episodes are pre-recorded for the time being. Episode 17 will be uploaded to the following sites by 7pm EST.
Saturday, December 4 is the annual St Augustine Christmas Parade, and Lord Jagannatha and His Ratha Cart will be in the parade again this year. Please join us for a joyful harinama, dance with the Lord through the streets, pass out prasad candy and books along the way. Come early (parade starts at 9 am) and meet the Ratha Cart at San Marco Avenue and Carlos, at US 1, the northern point.
Alachua Christmas Parade
The Alachua Christmas Parade is on Saturday, Dec 11. We will meet behind Alachua Villas at 1:00 pm.
Christmas Cookies and Fudge
The temple will sell tins of Christmas cookies and fudge once again this year. Order soon! A two dozen assortment of Russian Teacakes, Lemon Poppyseed and Pfeffernüsse Spice is $15. A tin of 18 pieces of chocolate fudge is $12. Pre-pay online via PayPal, or pay cash at the time of pickup on Saturday, Dec 11, Saturday, Dec 18 or Monday, Dec 20. Email mukhyadd@gmail.com to coordinate pickup.
Helping Children Cope with Grief
Please join Mahavisnupriya Devi Dasi, MSW, Licensed Clinical Social Worker on Wednesday, December 8, 2021, 7-8:30 pm EST for a presentation with Q&A on Helping Children Cope with Grief.
Children grieve too, though it may look different from how adults grieve. Any type of loss, such as through death, divorce, suicide, or separation from loved ones, can cause grief. It is healthy for children to mourn the death of a loved one, to be sad, and work through the grieving process. It is important they don’t do it alone. Mahavisnupriya Devi Dasi, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 23 years of experience in diagnosing and treating victims of trauma and abuse in both adults and children, will discuss the relationship between trauma and grief, how children experience grief, and how it differs from mourning. She will give us insights on how to help children cope with grief.
This presentation is organized by End of Life Care Alachua. Join us LIVE on:
Gita Jayanti will be celebrated on December 14, 2021 commemorating the day Lord Krishna spoke the Bhagavad-gita. ISKCON is aiming to inundate the world with the treasure house of Bhagavad-gita via a “Live To Give” campaign. The collective goal is to distribute 2.2 million Bhagavad-gitas worldwide.
Team ISKCON Alachua’s goal is to distribute 2,500 Gitas this December. Please purchase or sponsor Bhagavad-gitas! Sponsored Gitas will be distributed on your behalf in motels, hospitals, neighborhood gift-giving, on Harinama, etc.
A fire yajña will be conducted at Kurukshetra (India) on December 18, and 19 and special prayers will be chanted for sponsors of a case of Gitas. Here at the Alachua temple we will hold a New Year’s Eve fire yajña and the names of all the Gita marathon participants will be read out loud to invoke auspiciousness for them and their families.
1 case of hardbound Bhagavad-gitas (16 copies) - $121
1 case of softbound Bhagavad-gitas (24 copies) - $72
Other language Gitas are also available (Spanish, Hindi, Telugu, Gujarati, Arabic, etc.) We can also ship the case(s) for you; extra shipping may accrue. The temple lobby book room is open every Sunday from 4:30 - 7:00 p.m. to serve you. Or, visit the temple website to pay for your case(s). Please write details in the payment memo during the checkout, on how you would like your books to be distributed, or how you would like to pick them up:
For more information, please contact srivrndavanadd@gmail.com or nandini.kishori@gmail.com.
Maintain Your Temple with a Monthly Tithe
Tithing is the monthly giving back to Krishna of some amount of your hard earned money. As one writer puts it “The basic question is not how much of our money we should give to God, but how much of God’s money we should keep for ourselves.”
Your tithing dollars help us pay the regular monthly bills, the electric, gas, water, bhoga expenses, flower budget, yard maintenance, etc. When you come to the temple any day of any week and see the beautiful darshan, the refreshing gardens, breakfast, lunch and feast prasad, understand that this is possible because of our regular monthly tithing donors.
It is the privilege and responsibility of every member of this community to support Krishna’s temple.
Become a tither today. Choose an amount you feel comfortable giving each month. Please click here to sign up!
Srila Prabhupada’s Pioneers
Spiritual Journeys of His Disciples of New Raman Reti
A new digital PDF book has been published, filled with interviews, articles and photos of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples who live at our ISKCON New Raman Reti community in Alachua, Florida. Compiled & edited by Sri Devi Dasi, proofread by Vegavati Devi Dasi.
Sri Devi Dasi explains: "Owing to my past work with the temple office, I was placed in the position where I could compile these histories of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples of New Raman Reti. We are honored to present them here in one place, for the pleasure of my grand-guru, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Srila Prabhupada and all the senior disciples described herein. Those disciples who have responded to our request for histories are described here. There are more disciples in our community than are found here, and perhaps we will hear from them in the future.”
“It has been deeply meaningful to interact with these direct disciples of Prabhupada in our community, thanks to whom this movement is still in existence. Where would we be without them?! My own opportunity for devotional service, as well as those like me, who came later, stems from the endeavors of these pioneers. I know that you will find their histories enlivening and interesting, each with their own unique flavor of devotion. Next time you meet them, you will have a deeper appreciation for each of them.”
Who Will Speak For You? Advanced Care Planning - Living Will & Healthcare Surrogate
Click here for the Google form that should be filled out by anyone wanting to complete the Living will and Health care surrogate forms. Sponsored by End of Life Care - Alachua.
Guesthouse Accommodations
Our guesthouse is now open for overnight stays with certain restrictions. Please call the temple office for more information: 386-462-2017
Request a Prayer
As devotees progress on their path towards becoming more Krishna conscious, sometimes obstacles arise in the form of physical or mental distress. We have re-launched our Prayer Circleof senior devotees who are willing to pray to Their Lordships for you or a loved one to help you overcome such obstacles. To submit a request, and for more information, see the Prayer Circle page on our website.
WhatsApp Broadcast List
If you are a member of our Alachua / Gainesville / North Florida community and would like to receive important temple announcements in a timely manner, on your cell phone via WhatsApp text messages, please follow these steps:
1) Install WhatsApp on your cell phone (if you haven’t already.)
2) Add the temple’s WhatsApp number352-922-0252to your phone’s Contacts, naming the contact “ISKCON Alachua WhatsApp” or similar.
3) Open WhatsApp, find the temple contact you just created, and text us (from within WhatsApp) a message with your full name, location (nearest town or city) and a request to be added.
Listen to Past Lectures
There’s a treasure trove of nectarean audio recordings awaiting you in our Alachua Temple Live lecture archive. Sometimes people ask us where they can find our recent Srimad=Bhagavatam, Chaitanya-Charitamrita and Sunday Feast lecture recordings. Here’s a reminder of where they’re stored: from our Alachuatemple.com website menu, click on Live and then Lectures/Podcast. Or go directly to and bookmark https://alachuatemplelive.blogspot.com/. The archive is updated once a week.
Thank you to all those who have been serving, and contributing, to keep our ISKCON Alachua Hare Krishna temple open and thriving, even in the midst of this pandemic.
Thewearing of face masks and social distancing between non-family members is required on temple property at all times, including for children ages 5 and older. If you are feeling sick, stay home. No loitering. When available, prasad will be distributed in pre-packed to-go containers and we request you take it home with you, so that masks can stay on at all times.
We are open only duringscheduled arati times, daily from 4:30-5:00 am, 7:15-8:45 am, 12:00-12:30 pm, 4:15-4:45 pm, 6:30-7:00 pm, and on Sundays, 4:15-6:30 pm. Maximum occupancy of 30 spaces marked on the temple room floor for people to stand or sit, socially distanced, first-come, first-served. (Two family members may share one X-marked spot.) Walk-through darshan at busy times including 7:15-7:45 am daily, and 4:15-6:30 pm Sundays. The temple closes by 7:00 pm each day. Watch our live broadcast on our Facebook page or YouTube channel. Additional details in the “Safety Protocols for Summer Festivals” section.
The temple follows CDC and our local medical team’s guidance for COVID 19 protocols. As more people are traveling now, here are our guidelines on travel.
After Domestic Travel IF YOU ARE VACCINATED:
Self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms; isolate and get tested if you develop symptoms.
You do NOT need to get tested or self-quarantine if you are fully vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19 in the past 3 months. You should still follow all other travel recommendations.
After Domestic Travel if you are not vaccinated:
Get tested with a viral test 3-5 days after travel AND stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days after travel.
Even if you test negative, stay home and self-quarantine for the full 7 days.
If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected.
If you don’t get tested, stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days after travel.
All air passengers coming to the United States, including U.S. citizens and fully vaccinated people, are required to have a negative COVID-19 test result no more than 3 days before travel or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 in the past 3 months before they board a flight to the United States.
After travel:
Get tested with a viral test 3-5 days after travel.
Self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms; isolate and get tested if you develop symptoms.
Follow all state and local recommendations or requirements after travel.
After International travel if you are NOT vaccinated:
Get tested with a viral test 3-5 days after travel AND stay home and self-quarantine for a full 7 days after travel.
Even if you test negative, stay home and self-quarantine for the full 7 days.
If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected.
If you don’t get tested, stay home and self-quarantine for 10 days after travel.
Where to get vaccinated? CVS, Walgreens and Publix continue to administer COVID vaccines to anyone age 16 or older; the Pfizer vaccine is available for anyone age 12 or older.
Morning class times are 8:00 a.m. EST unless otherwise noted. The Sunday Feast lecture begins at 5:15 p.m. Tune in live to our ISKCON Alachua Facebook page or YouTube channel; listen to audio recordings in our lecture archive.
Departments and Links
Govinda’s Gifts (open Sundays 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. and during the week by appointment)
