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Above are a few photos from Srila
Govinda Maharaj's recent World Tour and his visit
to the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Seva Ashrams in
Santa Cruz & San Jose, California
2007: The Most Wonderful
Festival !
 Dear
devotees and friends,
After three years, Srila
Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, our
beloved spiritual master and
Sevaite-President-Acharya of the Sri Chaitanya
Saraswat Math, returned to the beautiful Seva
Ashram here in Soquel, California, to Their
Lordships Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharvika
Giridhari Jiu and the devotees who were awaiting
him so anxiously.
The 23rd World
Tour, began with enthusiastic crowds of devotees
receiving Srila Govinda Maharaj in Bangkok
- Thailand, continued in St. Petersburg -
Russia, Milan - Italy, Caracas - Venezuela and
carried Srila Govinda Maharaj to Vera Cruz -
Mexico to install the Deities, Sri Sri Guru
Gauranga Gandharva Nandanandana, and finally
brought Srila Govinda Maharaj to California on
October 31st and continued ecstatically through
his departure to England on November
26th.
Devotees had been
awaiting Srila Govinda Maharaj, and had traveled
from all over the United States. We were very
honored to receive so many dignitary devotees from
all over the world. With the arrival of Srila
Govinda Maharaj and his entourage, the devotees
became both enthusiastic to serve and very focused
on receiving Srila Govinda Maharaj and his party,
and joined together happily in Vaishnava seva, in
receiving and honoring the many visiting devotees.
I
personally had traveled with Srila Govinda Maharaj
for approximately two months before returning to
California, and when I arrived I was amazed to see
how effectively everything had been organized in
my absence. It would be impossible to mention
everyone who worked so hard to make this festival
successful, and I certainly wouldn't want to
forget to name anyone among the many devotees who
endeavored with so much energy and enthusiasm.
The
devotees were working around the clock to
accommodate and provide everyone with sumptuous
prashadam; to decorate, beautify and clean the
temple and ashram; to fetch so many guests from
the airports, railway and bus stations, to serve
His Divine Grace, and to please the many visiting
devotees, guests, and friends. Still, I could not
help but note that Sri Hasyapriya
Prabhu was continually involved with his time
and energy, and very attentive to so many
details to see that everything continued smoothly.
My own impression was that the
devotees became united in service and that this
was the most wonderful festival I have
participated in here at the Sri Chaitanya Seva
Ashram in Soquel, California. Srila Govinda
Maharaj himself expressed his satisfaction, and
has remarked that it is his hope that he may again
return here in the near future.
I
wish to express my appreciation and gratitude to
everyone who cooperated so earnestly in making
this festival a grand success. Certainly everyone
who did so has successfully pleased
the Lord's most dear representative, Srila
Govinda Maharaj, and also received the blessings
of Their Lordships, Sri Sri Guru Gauranga
Gandharvika Giridhari. It is our prayer that we
may also again serve you, and receive you once
again in this beautiful ashram, which is so dear
to the heart of our beloved Gurudev. May we all
become ever united in the service of Sri Guru and
Sri Gauranga.
Affectionately
yours,
Sripad Bhakti Pavan Janardan
Maharaj
Top of
the page
2008: The Year of The
Ashram!
Our hope for many years has been to
expand the facilities of the Soquel Seva
Ashram. The limited guest and residential
facilities here necessitate the building of a
larger temple and additional guest rooms to serve
the needs of the devotees. During the last year we
hired many engineers and other professionals to
help prepare the plans for this expansion.
During his recent visit, we had
the opportunity to show these plans to Srila
Govinda Maharaj. Srila Gurudev again expressed
his support and gave his blessings to our
proposal. He assured us that Krishna would send us
everything that we needed to make this project
successful!
This
will be an important year for our Ashram
development. Next month we will be submitting our
application to the County of Santa Cruz for
permission to modify the use of our property to
accommodate our development plans. Then over the
following months we will have meetings with the
neighbors and additional meetings with various
county departments. If all goes well, by Gurudev's
mercy we should have permission to start building
by the end of this year!
Artistic rendering of our proposed
temple center.
Painted by Sushila Devi
Dasi
Many devotees have helped
with their time and money to get us this far.
However, within the next 30 days we need to raise
$25,000 for professional fees and county fees to
submit this application. We humbly ask for your
financial assistance to reach this goal. Here is a
link to our Pay Pal account that can be used for
your donations. Or visit our website at SevaAshram.org
for more
information.
With
the support of Srila Govinda Maharaj and the help
of our community of devotees and friends, we pray
that we can help serve the desire of Srila Gurudev
for the development of the Soquel Seva Ashram and
the service of Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharvika
Giridhari.
Top of the
page
Temple Oil Painting
Business
Pumpkin Patch Glass Art Fundraiser
Cookie Table Christmas Marathon
This is a Very
Exciting Time!
Although I am
unqualified, I was asked to write something about my service
of collecting for the Soquel Seva Ashram, so
I will try.
Our Gurudev has explained that the purpose of
an ashram is to provide shelter for the devotees: to
give them a place to congregate, to
worship, and to distribute sukriti (good fortune)
to the surrounding community. Srila Gurudev has
given so many service opportunities; one
of which is to collect for the maintenance of the
ashram. This service benefits the person collecting and
the person giving.
Every month there are so many expenses, more
than most can fathom. On top of
the general maintenance, we are trying to
fulfill Srila Gurudev's wish of developing this
property into a beautiful Vedic style temple
that can facilitate many residents and guests. Srila Gurudev has
guided us since the first design was proposed over
nine years ago.
Presenting Srila Gurudev with a
business report
Four years ago I
asked Srila Gurudev for some instruction after finishing college.
I was expecting to receive some general instruction about
helping at the ashram here in Soquel. But
he gave me a very specific order.
He said to use my education to make money
for the temple. With Sripad Janardan
Maharaj's blessing, I moved into the Soquel Seva Ashram
where I began working with the temple oil
painting business and other collection projects.
I
feel my life hadn't begun before this. I am
constantly amazed by how sweet this service is. I
have seen the most inspired side of devotees I
have known for years and made amazing new
friendships with devotees I never knew. Being
guided by the elder devotees, I am always learning
valuable lessons in service, collecting, and
business. I am constantly being challenged and my
heart is constantly being melted. I can honestly
say I have never been happier!
Sushila Devi stretching a
painting.
This is a very exciting time! We are
moving full speed ahead to build Gurudev's
new temple. During Srila Gurudev's visit here at the
Soquel Seva Ashram this past November; he gave
his full blessings for this development project.
And with His auspicious presence many
devotees have become inspired to help and even stay.
This year we have some
new devotees to join our exciting team and we
have many new ideas for the Ashram's
businesses. I am more excited than ever.
I
am full of faults and have no qualification to be
writing this article but I feel so much gratitude
for the opportunity I have been given, I can't
help but share my heart.
Please forgive my offenses.
Your
Servant,
Vaidehi Devi Dasi
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page
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