Louisville Preaching Center Launches Public Programs

BY: VAKRESHVARA DAS

Aug 15, 2011 — LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, USA (SUN) — As you have probably seen,there is a new ISKCON preaching center in Louisville, KY. My name is Vakreshvara das and I am running the preaching center. I am 26 years old and from Louisville, KY. I have served within ISKCON for the past two years, mostly at New Talavan in Mississippi. The new Louisville preaching center just began in July of this year, and has now begun public programs of Harinama Sankirtan. I thank all of my senior Vaishnavas and mentors for their encouragement, support, blessings and advice in beginning this project.

We are now providing a Sunday class at a local yoga studio/healing arts center in town. The center is very progressive and active and it's an excellent opportunity for outreach. The programs have been successful so far, with the participants being led in kirtan, a short class on Krishna Consciousness and then honoring prasadam. I've gotten a very good response so far.

I'm also operating the ISKCON Prison Ministry out of the house, currently writing incarcerated men and sharing Krishna Consciousness with them through written letters and shipments of Srila Prabhupada's books. It's a very meaningful service, especially when the prisoners write back so appreciative and have begun developing spiritual ideals for their lives. Many of them are becoming vegetarian and chanting Hare Krishna, and sharing with other prisoners.

We're developing a level of self-sufficiency and local green living at the center, as Srila Prabhupada envisioned. We have a nice vegetable garden full of squash and beans, and a fall crop coming up of asian vegetables, broccoli, cabbage, peas and cauliflower, etc. We also have some pear, apple, and fig trees. We buy local non-homogenized milk and local/organic produce whenever possible to offer Krishna.

We also are distributing books and doing Harinama on the streets. There is a very large alternative district in Louisville that is perfectly suited for this. I had the pleasure of meeting a very pious young military man who was spiritually inclined and happy to take a Bhagavad-gita. We also will be developing a college Bhakti Yoga program at the local university this Autumn.

So, by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's grace and the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, Harinama Sankirtan is again happening in Louisville, KY. If you would like to see our center succeed please consider making a donation. We need anything a typical preaching center might need: cases of books, BTG's, devotional items, musical instruments and of course laxsmi. We could also use books in Hindi and Gujarat.

You may see our recent ad here.

I can be reached at sankirtanlouisville@gmail.com and at (502) 287-2421 . Thank you very much, Hare Krishna.