ISKCON's Japathon and Global Kirtan Connect concludes

October 12, 2020 at 07:20 AM EDT

Panchratna Prabhu Ramai Maharaj Lokanath Maharaj Swaroop Damodar Peabhu Bhaktichaitanya Maharaj and

Srila Prabhupada after completing a 35-day journey byfreighter Ship Jaldoot, he laid his feet on US soil for the first time. Remembering that auspicious day "World Holy Name Festival' is celebrated.”

Nagpur, Oct 12, 2020 (Issuewire.com) - The World Holy Name Festival was celebrated all over the world with great enthusiasm by ISKCON temples under the guidance of Srila Lokanath Swami Maharaj, the Minister of the Harinam Sankirtan Ministry of International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). In this program which lasted for a whole week, every day from 8 am to 9.30 am, senior sanyasis and authorities preached Shrimad Bhagwat, Then, every day Japa Retreat, Kirtan Mela, and many programs were also held on the glory of Harinam from 5 pm to 9 pm. where the keynote speakers were Bhurijan Prabhu, Giriraj Swami Maharaj, Sachinandan Swami Maharaj, Mahatma Prabhu, Urmila Devi Dasi, Bhakti Vigyan Goswami Maharaj. Vaisosika Prabhu, Ravindra Swaroop Prabhu, Bhakti Chaitanya Swami Maharaj, Narayani Devi Dasi, Indradhuman Swami Maharaj, Romapad Swami Maharaj, Jayadvaita Swami Maharaj, BB Govind Swami Maharaj, Jivanatha Prabhu, Bhaktimarg Swami Maharaj, Bada Haridas Prabhu, Ruchira Devi Dasi, Bhakti Gauravani Goswami Maharaj, Kadamb Kanan Swami Maharaj, Deen Bandhu Prabhu, Jayapataka Swami Maharaj, Kripamoya Prabhu, Rukmini Devi Dasi, Radhanath Swami Maharaj, Anuttam Prabhu, and Lokanath Swami Maharaj, all these speakers represent the whole world and are very important personalities of ISKCON. H.G. Jagannath Kirtananand Das from London (UK) was Master of Ceremony.

ISKCON Harinam Sankirtan Ministry's spokesperson, Dr. Shyamsunder Sharma, said that this program was inaugurated at the hands of the chairman of GBC. H.H. Ramai Swami Maharaj who is born in Egypt and is now residing at Melbourne, Australia. The chief guest of the event was H.H. Bhaktichaitanya Swami Maharaj, from Auckland (New Zealand) who is also the Vice President of ISKCON Governing Body.

H. J. Pancharatna Prabhu from Toronto, Canada was Master of Ceremony at the time of the inauguration and beautifully compered the program. First of all Swaroop Damodar Das from Dubai, who is an artist and a teacher, performed the Adhiwas Kirtan to the Mangalacharan. "Bodo Kripa Koile Krishna Adhmer Prati ...." this hymn was written by Prabhupada himself in the ship Jaldoot during his journey to America. Pancharatna Prabhu translated the hymn it into English as the Bhajan was in Bengali.

The Japathon (Vishwa Jap Mahayagnya) took place on the last day of the program. In this, devotees of all ISKCON temples of the world chanted Hare Krishna Mahamantra for 24 hours. Apart from this, 1,31,031 people from many parts of the whole world who were not connected with ISKCON, also contributed in a unique way in this Japa Mahayagnya. These people made videos in which they stated their names, city names, state names and names of their countries and said "I am dedicating this Hare Krishna Mahamantra for love and world peace. Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare. Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare." By Saying this, they prepared a video of their own and uploaded it to the website fortunate-people.com through more than 700 ISKCON ambassadors. The above-given number is only of the last day of the program. We are still receiving the videos. In the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita Lord Shri Krishna has said that in all types of Yagnyas I am the Japa Yagnya. Hence so many people are taking part in this Yagnya.
Global Kirtan Connect" was the center of attraction of the entire program. This program started at ISKCON Auckland (New Zealand) with Kirtan at 12 noon. The devotees of other countries that fall in the same time zone also started kirtan at the same time. The event went on till one o'clock in the afternoon. After that it was followed by Brisbane (Australia), Tokyo (Japan), Penang (Malaysia), Bangkok (Thailand), Kathmandu (Nepal), Mayapur, Vrindavan (India), Dubai (U.A.E. ), Moscow (Russia), Rijeka (Croatia), London (UK), Ghana (West Africa), Vancouver (Canada), Sao Pulo (Brazil), Alachua (U.S.), Washington, Dallas, Denver, Silicon Valley, New York, Houston, Honolulu and finally it concluded at 12 noon in the American Minor Islands. The Global Connect program ended at 1 pm. In every country, the famous ISKCON personalities led the program. The special feature of this 24-hour program was that there was no sunset during the entire program.

To make this event a success, the president of all the ISKCON temples, the secretary of ISKCON Sankirtan ministry Eklavya Das, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Das, Parampara Vani Das, Dinanukampa Devi Dasi, Krishna Bhakta Das, Padmamali Das, Madhavi Gauri Devi Dasi, Swaroopananda Das, Govind Charan Das took efforts.