Mahamantra Week Celebrations 2010 - A Report by Toronto Sankirtan Team

Summary (detailed report with pictures attached below)

The 'World Holy Name Festival' was celebrated in Toronto as 'Mahamantra Week 2010' from Sep 17th to Oct 2nd to mark the 45th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in the West. A 15-day action packed schedule was organized for these celebrations.

Daily 10 minute conference call readings from Sri Namamrta were very well received by the devotees and created the right meditation for beginning their day. The Japathon target of collectively chanting 45,000 rounds as an offering to Srila Prabhupada and the 45 years of the influence of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra in the West was exceeded! On each Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday during the two weeks, a new initiative - Japa Volunteer - was launched, where all guests visiting the temple in the evening from 6:00-8:30 pm were introduced to the activities of the Mahamantra Week, and encouraged to chant. The two Sundays were set aside for 64+ rounds day as devotees congregated in the temple room to chant in each others association. Two special Sunday evening feasts based on the Mahamantra theme were also an added attraction. Other festivities included two Thursday Srila Prabhupada Movie nights with popcorn and juice at the temple, which were very well attended. Friday nights were marked with Harinam Sankirtan down the posh street in the shopping district, Yorkville, where the passersby were treated to the sounds of melodious kirtan by Dhiragrahi Prabhu, and all the participating devotees were treated to pizza afterwards. The 16th Monthly Sankirtan Festival was also organized as a part of the Mahamantra Week celebrations and was a rather successful one with 15 participating devotees distributing 54 books. Additional special highlights were the Orillia Beatles Sankirtan and the Double Decker Bus harinam, both of which were highly effective means of sharing Krishna Consciousness with the oblivious masses and were very enlivening, entertaining and inspiring for the devotees. The Mahamantra Week celebrations concluded with a 12-hour kirtan, facilitated by Bhakta Jetu (Jatin Bhandari). Soul-stirring kirtan surcharged the entire atmosphere as several devotees chanted their hearts out.

Detailed report with pictures: Mahamantra week 2010 Celebrations - A Report (compress).pdf

The Mahamantra Week was but an excuse; may we always celebrate the legacy of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra!

In your service,

Toronto Sankirtan Team

Marching towards 20,000 in 2010

Toronto Sankirtan Adventures @ http://torontosankirtan.blogspot.com

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“Things that are very difficult to do become easy to execute if one somehow or other simply remembers Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. But if one does not remember Him, even easy things become very difficult. To this Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu I offer my respectful obeisances” [Caitanya Caritamrita Adi 14.1]