Holy Pilgrimage - Hindu temples in United Kingdom

ISKCON, Newcastle, United Kingdom

(ISKCON Newcastle - dedicated to your spiritual upliftment)

304, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne and Wear NE4 6AR UK

Mobile: 07530813239

Founder of ISKCON:

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness was born in 1896, in Calcutta, India.
His father Gour Mohan De and mother Rajani De raised him lovingly as a devotee of Lord Krishna. At the age of 26 he met his spiritual master; Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami who solidified the spiritual culture he had imbibed from his parents and instructed him to spread it in the English speaking world.
So it was that after a lifetime of preparation at the age of 70 Srila Prabhupada travelled to America to establish the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
Between 1966 and 1977 he performed extraordinary feats as a pure representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Krsna, in spreading Krsna Consciousness worldwide.
On 14th November 1977 he departed this world yet continues to live here in his teachings, his society and in the hearts of his followers, where we can find him today

Gaura Purnima Festival at ISKCON Newcastle Appearance Day of Lord Caitanya Sunday 16th March 2014 3pm onwards Chanting, Dancing and Feasting!!!

We are very fortunate to receive the association of His Holiness Janananda Gosvami Maharaja
this week at ISKCON Newcastle.
So this weekend will be full of wonderful programmes at the temple – music, lecture,
prasadam, harinama!!
Saturday (8th March) from 6pm Question and Answer Session at temple
You can bring your own question on a piece of paper about any spiritual topic that will
be placed in a box (anonymous) and Maharaja will pick up one question at a time to
answer. I’m sure you have had thoughts and doubts that you always wanted to ask. Now this
the opportunity!!
Saturday Afternoon Harinama (TBC)
Sunday (9th March) Programme from 3pm
Maharaja will be giving the lecture
After lecture Gaura-Arati and prasadam – an event not to miss!

8 Hour Kirtan

this Saturday 22nd of February.
Starts at 12pm.
Lunch and a light dinner will be served.
Come join us for 8 hours of blissful chanting, dancing and feasting!
Please spread the word!
Hare Krishna!
Your ever-aspiring servants,
The younglings of ISKCON Newcastle,
under the able guidance of the seniors

Please come to the next Sunday Feast, held every Sunday at the temple! Programme starts at 3pm and continues till 5.30pm.

Sunday Programme:

Come with your friends and family and enjoy devotional singing & dancing, philosophical talk and discussion and a free delicious vegetarian feast.

ISKCON's teachings:

ISKCON's teachings are based on the Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. They were originally written in the ancient sanskrit language and encapsulated the large body of texts known as "The Vedas".

These original books are translated by
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of ISKCON

We are very fortunate to have the association of His Holiness Bhakti Caitanya Swami Maharaja as we start the new year 2014. This is an wonderful opportunity to have Maharaja’s association, and start the new year in a very auspicious way.
During his visit there are two great days of Programmes being arranged. Following are the details:
January 10th Friday:
Question and Answer session at the temple on Friday night starting from 7pm
Prasadam (Free vegetarian food) will be served at 6pm.
January 11th Saturday:
Seminar with HH Bhakti Caitanya Swami starting from 11am till 4pm
Prasadam will be served during the seminar.
January 12th Sunday:
Initiation ceremony starting at 10.30am.
Later Sunday lecture by Maharaja, a talk about Nelson Mandela – programme starts at 3pm.
There will be prasadam served both days during the programmes.
Please attend these wonderful programmes and start your new year in a very auspicious way!
Following is a video of HH Bhakti Caitanya Swami Maharaja’s last visit at ISKCON Newcastle (April 2013)

Gita Jayanti Festival - 2013

“Wherever the Gita is read, inquired into, heard, taught or chanted, O Mother Earth, there undoubtedly and
unfailingly do I Myself reside. Whenever help is needed in that place, it will come quickly. (Gita Mahatmyam – Text 6)
Saturday, 14th December 2013 starting at 1pm
Share in the Divine Recital of the Glorious Bhagavad Gita (Song of God)
Everyone is welcome to join in the recitation Once in a year opportunity – not to be missed!
On this day, 5000 years ago, on the battlefield of Kuruksetra, the Supreme Lord delivered the most confidential and topmost knowledge of devotional service to His lotus feet in the form of the Bhagavad-gita to His dearmost devotee Arjuna, and to humanity at large, in order to help all devotees understand the purpose of life and the way to surrender to Him.

Sri Sirla Prabhupada’s Quote:

Whatever material abilities one has when he comes to Krsna consciousness, let him learn to engage these in Krsna’s service: that is sufficient. There is no need of learning new skills now. That will simply be a waste of time — Srila Prabhupada

(ISKCON Newcastle live broadcast is now on Mayapur TV)

Govardhan Puja 2013

These are some of the colourful pictures from Govardhan Puja Celebration at ISKCON Newcastle on 3rd of November 2013

Education:

Presentations Available to Schools

We offer presentations to Primary and Secondary Schools, Colleges and Universities both from the general Hindu perspective and from within that, our particular tradition of Vaishnavism.
Consider a temple visit for an opportunity to experience first hand an authentic Hindu shrine, observe worship and enjoy a traditionally cooked and served, delicious vegetarian lunch. INSET training is offered to teachers and trainee teachers who strive to make teaching Hinduism interesting, rewarding and effective.
Please explore this page to find out more details of our individually tailored, interactive and experiential services, our service charges and how to find us. We have also included comments from both teachers and students about our previous workshops, temple visits and sixth form conferences. If you’re looking for resource packs for RE teachers, story books, or artefacts our gift shop will be able to assist you.
Thank you for your interest, we look forward to being of service to you.
(Kirtida Dasi - Regional Co-ordinator)
ISKCON Educational Services staff are trained in giving presentations on all aspects of Hinduism, either from a broad perspective or from our own standpoint within the tradition. Whether we are hosting you at our temple or visiting your school, our teaching programmes are tailor-made to suit your specific requirements

Presentations to Primary Schools

Opportunities available

As representatives of ISKCON Educational Services, we offer the following services to schools:
Temple visits or providing a guest visitor to your school

Discussions on Vedic (Hindu) culture and Philosophy, with artefacts, anecdotal stories and audience participation. Topics include: animals, art, buildings, customs, dress, food, holy men, music, religious beliefs, and rituals, weather. Question and answer sessions included.
Dressing up in Indian costume and face painting.
Demonstration of the traditional arati ceremony worship as practiced by Hindus.
Playing of Indian musical instruments.
Workshops: e.g. making garlands and lamps for the shrine, mock weddings.
A Story. Tales from Ramayana, Mahabharata, Panca-Tantra etc. Basic morality might be included (e.g., why we should not tell lies). Children can be involved in dressing up, role-play etc.
Prashad: traditional vegetarian lunch (temple only) or sample of food.
Temple shop offering a variety of souvenirs and artefacts for both students and teachers.

Presentations to Secondary Schools/Colleges/Universities

Opportunities available

As representatives of ISKCON Educational Services, we offer the following services to schools:
Temple visits or providing a guest visitor to your school
Discussions on Vedic (Hindu) culture and Philosophy. Thought provoking, stimulating even challenging! Clear explanations of a wide range of subjects including: brahman, atma, karma, reincarnation, moksha, samskaras (birth, marriage, etc.), caste system, ISKCON (history, development & lifestyle), puja, Deities, prashad etc. Presentations appropriately pitched with games and teaching aids for lower secondary pupils and stimulating philosophical debate for older students.

Social issues, morality & ethics. Question and answer sessions at the end.
Demonstration of the traditional arati ceremony, worship as practiced by Hindus.
Playing of Indian musical instruments.
Workshops: e.g. dressing up, making garlands, mock weddings etc.
Prashad: traditional vegetarian lunch (temple only) or sample of food.
Temple shop offering a variety of souvenirs and artefacts for both students and teachers.
Assemblies: Lively and relevant talks on topic or theme of your choice.

INSET / Initial Teacher Training

Iskcon Educational Services offers a range of opportunities to RE advisers and other educationalists involved in In-Service Training. Similar programmes are also available to RE lecturers and groups of trainee teachers. IES staffs are all practicing Hindus and simultaneously well experienced in Western thought and culture. They are also familiar with the educational world and it`s ethos, as well as some of the challenges that RE faces.
Our services are available either at your workplace or at the temple.
Programmes at your School, College, University or Teachers Centre
Our lecturers can help in three principal ways, as follows:
Teaching about Hinduism

To enhance teachers` own knowledge and understanding of Hinduism (Which is difficult to glean simply from textbooks) and to give them confidence in teaching it.
To make sense of the great diversity of belief and practices found within the tradition.
To help teachers to come to grips with unfamiliar terms and concepts.
On any number of subjects ranging from Vedanta philosophy to Hinduism in Britain today.

Helping R.E. staff develop ideas for teaching

To demonstrate how Hinduism provides material for colourful and exiting learning
To share experiences and ideas for teaching
To help teachers make the faith accessible and yet avoid trivialisation or misrepresentation
To explore through demonstration the use of story, dressing-up, the arti ceremony and Hindu culture on such topics as animals, weather, customs, food, dress, music, art, buildings, holy men, religious beliefs and rituals, moral issues and so on)
To help teachers develop practical skills, useful in classroom, such as stringing of flower garlands or making divas using traditional ghee wicks.
To explore the use of artefacts and relevant literature
For the specialist and non-specialist at all Key stages.

Displaying and Supplying Artefacts & Literature

Take-away support materials
A display of quality books, artefacts with possibilities to discuss their use and significance

Service Charges

ISKCON Educational Services aims to both support your teaching and maintain our own work in religious, moral & multicultural education. In certain circumstances we can make concessions, e.g. when the RE budget is very low or when we are visiting a distant school and the travel expenses are unusually high. Please feel free to discuss these matters with us.
All charges are subject to VAT@ 20%
Visits to the temple
Without lunch starting from £2.50 per head depending on group size
With lunch starting from £5.00 per head depending on group size
Visits to your school
£45 per hour + VAT
Travel expenses: by car; £ 0.60/mile or by public transport: refund of tickets etc.
Please make all cheques payable to ISKCON. We offer one month for settling payment, but prefer to do so on the day.
For further information please contact:
Kirtida Dasi
ISKCON (Newcastle), 304 Westgate Road Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 6AR
Tel: 07931769494

Sunday Programme:

Sunday Feast Public Programme is a window into the dynamic and exciting life of the Hare Krishna temple.
Please come to the next Sunday Feast, held every Sunday at the temple!
Programme starts at 3pm and continues till 5.30pm. Come with your friends and family and enjoy devotional singing & dancing, philosophical talk and discussion, Arati cermony and a free delicious vegetarian feast.
Here are the elements in order that make up the Sunday Feast:
Devotional singing (Bhajan): These are songs (hymns of praise or hymns made up of the names of God) sung with Harmonium, Mridanga (temple drum), and of course, singing and dancing.
Philosophical talk: The lecture is a chance to hear directly from a senior member of the tradition about the philosophy and practice of the ancient tradition embodied by the “Hare Krishnas.” It will include readings from the religious classics of India like the Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. There is also an open question and answer period at the end that you are encouraged to take part in!
Arati and Kirtan: Arati is the offering of such diverse elements as Lamps of burning ghee, fragrant incense, opulent flowers, pure water and peacock feather fans and yak-tail whisk fans. Included is the pleasing and energetic singing (Kirtan) of hymns of praise to God and His beloved servants. It is accompanied by drums, bells, gongs, singing and dancing.
Prasadam: This is the Feast part of Sunday Feast! The Prasadam is absolutely fresh, utterly delicious vegetarian food, cooked by expert kitchen staff and offered to God for His pleasure. What remains is His mercy or, in Sanskrit, His Prasadam. Delicious and like nothing you’ve ever had before. And it’s all free.
Sponsorship: Sponsorship is a nice way to seek blessings from the Lord and His devotees, and is often done in commemoration of something important to oneself i.e. birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, etc.

Wednesday Programme:

Relish the KIRTAN EXPERIENCE and a free vegetarian dinner every Wednesday from 6pm till 8pm at temple.
Enjoy the blissful, calming musical experience of Mantra Meditation and have a relaxing evening.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada founder Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness said following words about ‘Chanting & Hare Krishna Maha Mantra’:
When one is factually on the plane of spiritual understanding, surpassing the stages of sense, mind and intelligence, one is situated on the transcendental plane. This chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is directly enacted from the spiritual platform, surpassing all lower status of consciousness, namely sensual, mental, and intellectual.
There is no need of understanding the language of the mantra, nor is there any need of mental speculation, nor any intellectual adjustment for chanting this maha-mantra. It springs automatically from the spiritual platform, and as such, anyone can take part in this transcendental sound vibration without any previous qualification and dance in ecstasy. We have seen it practically. Even a child can take part in the chanting, or even a dog can take part in it.

House Programme:
ISKCON Newcastle organises several house programmes. Ramarao Prabhu and Indira Mataji from Peterlee organises a series of Bhagavad Gita sessions. These sessions are conducted by Bhakti Rasa Dasa, President of ISKCON Newcastle and are held in the homes of congregational members in Peterlee, Middlesborough and Stockton areas. These programmes are generally attended by many people including newcomers. After the discourse on Bhagavad Gita there are question sessions from enthusiastic audience. If you are interested in joining the next Bhagavad Gita session please contact Ramarao Prabhu at ramarao1942@hotmail.com
We also have regular house programmes in Sunderland area which are organised by Ramai Prabhu, Vrinda Mataji and Diya. They arrange these programmes to help and encourage people who are interested in spiritual life.
Create an uplifting, spiritual atmosphere in your home by inviting devotees for an evening with your family. You can choose a special event, such as a birthday or anniversary celebration, keep it small or invite your family and friends – it’s up to you!
Usually, house programmes begin in the evenings with kirtans (devotional meditative songs). Then there is a lecture followed by questions and answers. The programme ends with a wonderful vegetarian feast.

Mayapur – TV
(INDIA)

Our donors are really awesome - they have enabled MayapurTV to develop good enough quality to broadcast this Gaurapurnima festival in Hi Def, and then on a daily basis on Bengal Cable TV - this is wonderful preaching for Srila Prabhupada. The HiDef upgrade for the Festival has cost us an additional £14,000 - and because of our donors steady financial support we will be able to pay it back.
Although the website seems stagnant, we have a team of great programmers, all volunteers, determined to put the website on the cutting edge of design and functionality so we can interact as a world-wide community of devotees with our international centers.

Remember, MayapurTV is at heart an ISKCON devotee community project to help temples have contact with congregations via the internet, and those of us living away from temples can get encouragement to practice Krishna Consciousness in our homes. If you are not already donating - whatever you feel comfortable with - do please consider doing so as our donors are making a big difference in the lives of many.

Direction to Temple:
304 Westgate Road
Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
Tyne & Wear,
NE4 6AR
For SatNav please use: NE4 5QU
Use the side entrance to get into the temple.
Tel: 0191 272 1911
Mobile: 07530813239
During School visit, please call: 07931769494

From City Centre
From City Centre take Bus No. 10, 11 or 38
Ask the bus driver to drop you off at the big lamp and you are in front of temple.
From Gateshead/near South
Cross New Redheugh Bridge and follow the road to the third cross-roads (each with traffic lights). Turn left into Bath Lane, then immediately sharp left again into Corporation Street. Turn right before lights onto Diana Street. Take first left, left again and park. Temple is on far corner on left.
From East/near North
Go through the City Centre to St. James Metro Station at Gallogate. Take road up Corporation Street and continue as above.
From the North/West/South
Follow the A1(M) until the junction with the A69 and the A186. Take the A186 towards the City Centre for about two miles. After three tower blocks on the left, turn left at lights into Corporation Street, then immediately left into Diana Street. Take first left, left again and park. Temple is on far corner on left

General Enquiries
Tel: 0191 272 1911
Mobile: 07530813239
Email: info@iskconnewcastle.org
ISKCON Educational Services Enquiries
Mobile: 07931769494
Dance Class Enquiries
Mobile: 07834351600
Email: neelimathampy@hotmail.com

Address

304 Westgate Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
Tyne and Wear
NE4 6AR
For SatNav please use NE4 5QU
Use the side entrance to get into the temple

Om Tat Sat

(Continued...)

(My humble salutations to the great devotees and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection)

(The Blog is reverently for all the seekers of truth, lovers of wisdom and to share the Hindu Dharma with others on the spiritual path and also this is purely a non-commercial blog)

Hindu Vedic Philosophy (Holy Pilgrimage - Theertha Kshetra)