ISKCON Brampton is a suburb in the Toronto area that has a small temple and congregation of devotees. On Sunday, May 31st we made our way there for a special mid-day Sunday Feast TOVP program which was also attended by His Holiness Bhaktimarg Swami who had come especially for the TOVP presentations in Brampton and Toronto that day.
After an abhisheka of the Padukas and Sitari, puspanjali and kirtan, Bhaktimarg Swami, Radha Jivan and Jananivas all spoke and inspired the devotees with the greatness and importance of the TOVP project. Pledges started coming in and in the end $243,000 was pledged. Prasadam was then served.
From Brampton we went to the Toronto temple, one of the original temples opened during Srila Prabhupada’s physical presence. He very much liked this large, old church building and would often comment in a joking manner how ISKCON was buying old churches throughout North America because the Christians could no longer attract people to them. Srila Prabhupada called the temple New Remuna Dhama on account of naming the presiding Deities Sri Sri Radha Ksira-Chora Gopinath after the same Deities in India who are fond of receiving an offering of Ksira daily. He instructed the devotees to do the same.
The temple was almost filled to capacity with 3-400 devotees eagerly awaiting to hear from the TOVP team which now consisted of His Holiness Bhaktimarg Swami, Ambarisa, Jananivas, Radha Jivana and Svaha prabhus. Every devotee became inspired by the presentation and the pledges soon started to roll in. By the program’s end $930,000 had been pledged. A puspanjali ceremony took place, Jananivas placed the Sitari on everyone’s head, and the program came to a close with a wonderful feast.
All glories to Lord Nityananda Rama. All glories to the devotees of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.