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December 2023
ISKCON of Arizona Newsletter
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Our newest resident, Sufi the turkey, arrived in time to welcome everyone
to our all-vegan Thanksgiving. For
more about Sufi, scroll down to
Recent Activities.
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Greetings & Namaste,
'Tis the season...
First came the festivals. Our Rathayatra chariot entry into Tucson's All Souls Procession transformed the Day of the Dead into an amazing Night of the Living.
The following Sunday our Diwali / Govardhan Fest turned out to be our biggest ever, with an endless stream of guests coming to offer candles to Lord Krishna, then feast on a mountain of His favorite prasadam.
At Thanksgiving the party morphed into a marathon dinner, with over 400 guests savoring our all-vegan offerings until every last morsel was gone.
This month we'll cook it up again for Christmas, so bring your appetite, dear reader, because, as the saying goes, "the diet starts after New Year's."
Yours in service,
Sandamini Devi
[email protected]
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Best December Days for
Meditation and Fasting
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Utpanna Ekadasi
Friday, December 8th
(fasting from grains & beans)
Moksada Ekadasi
Friday, December 22nd
(fasting from grains & beans)
Purnima (Full Moon)
Tuesday, December 26th
Disappearance Day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati
Saturday, December 30th
(fasting till noon)
| Not satisfied with his corn and scratch, Sufi was looking at our guests' plates for tofu turkey! | |
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High school class visits temple
In November about 20 Religious Studies students visited the temple from New Waldorf Charter School.
Kirtanesvara Prabhu gave the students and their teacher a tour of the community, then led them to the temple for a talk, questions, and Hare Krishna kirtan.
As they were leaving, some took books, everyone took cookies, and some returned that Thursday for our student-centered program at the Cove
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Housewarming and heartwarming in
Oro Valley
Also in November several devotees from the Tucson temple had the pleasure of visiting Tejo, Sravani & family at their spacious new home in Oro Valley.
Since it was still the month of Karttika, we sang Damodarastakam, offered candles to Lord Krishna in His Damodara form, and chanted and danced with abandon.
After Dhirodatta Prabhu narrated the pastime of Lord Damodara, Tejo and Sravani fed us a feast so wonderful we were reluctant to rise and leave. A truly blissful evening.
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Sufi the turkey, the life of our Thanksgiving party
The weather was beautiful, the live music was great, and the dinner was divine, but as soon as Sufi the turkey strutted onto the patio, he stole the show.
Hatched from a male egg incubated by 5th-graders only six months ago, Sufi's all-white plumage was an instant sensation among the diners, many of whom wanted a selfie with him. And Sufi didn't disappoint as he gobbled and cuddled for hours with our guests.
Sufi was such a hit we're going to build him his own cage out in the back garden. He's family now!
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Architecture Design Submitted for Pre-approval | |
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The design is "Rajasthan meets the Southwest," by
the renowned architect
John Maddocks.
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The design for ISKCON Tucson's ten-thousand-square-foot temple, pure veggie prasadam restaurant, boutique, dining patio, and gardens has been submitted to the city authorities for pre-approval. We invite all who would like to see this amazing project manifest to donate below.
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Highlights of Diwali/ Govardhan Fest | |
Tucson's First Rathayatra Chariot Float | |
On Sunday, November 5th our ISKCON temple joined Tucson's All Souls Procession down Grande to Congress with Lord Jagannath's 27-ft tall Rathayatra chariot. Brought by our Los Angeles temple's Rathayatra team and equipped with a retractable canopy, the magnificent chariot lit up the parade route, ducking low-hanging wires and tree branches, as hundreds of devotees and onlookers chanted, danced, and pulled its thick ropes for two hours to the festival site. Our heartfelt thanks to all the devotees who came out to participate in the parade and serve our blessed food to the grateful festival-goers who followed us to the end. | |
The Sunday Feast & Festival | |
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Feeding guests prasadam
(food offered to God) benefits everyone. Both the givers and the receivers get the mercy!
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Join us each Sunday for an evening of musical meditation, topical philosophy, an ancient worship ceremony, and an
8-course vegetarian feast.
ALL FREE!
5:30 pm - Bhajans
6 pm - Topical talk
6:30 pm - Worship ceremony
7 pm - Announcements
7:10 pm - Feast
PLUS! New Sunday School
for kids from 5:15 to 6:30 pm in the Cove!
December's Sunday Speakers
Dec. 3rd -Ganga Mantri prabhu
Dec 10th- Kirtan Esvara prabhu
Dec 17th - Dhiro Datta prabhu
Dec 24th - Closed Christmas Eve
Dec 31 - Kirtan Mela 5:30 to 7:30
followed by New Year's Eve feast.
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Sponsor the Sunday Feast for an upcoming birthday, anniversary or special day in the name of a loved one. Donations are tax deductible.
Sunday Feast Sponsorship for 75-100 plates is $151. SPONSOR HERE
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Krishna's Home Update: Inspection Time | | |
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Krishna's Home
News Update
Please take a look at our latest one-page newsletter to see the Home's progress. Inspections take time, but we're getting closer
to opening our doors.
Click HERE to read.
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Krishna's Home Care Tucson
514 E. Blacklidge Dr. (just one block west of the temple across 1st Ave) krishnashome.org
At left, one of the new bedrooms at Krishna's Home.
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Feeding the Unhoused on Tucson's Southside | |
Govinda's Vegan/Veggie Restaurant | |
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Join us for delicious vegan Christmas and New Year's dinners on Monday, December 25th, and Monday,
January 1st, from 12 noon to 5 pm.
See holiday menu here
FYI: On Christmas Eve Day and New Year's Eve Day, Govinda's will be closed so there
will be no Sunday Brunch.
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Check out our ever-changing menu and new offerings. | |
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Govinda's Self-Serve
All-You-Care-To-Eat Hours:
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Lunch - Wednesday through Saturday 11:30 am to 2:30 pm
Dinner - Tuesday through Saturday
5 pm to 8 pm
Sunday Brunch - 11 am to 2:30 pm
Closed Mondays
See the menu on Govinda's webpage: iskcontucson.org/govindas
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Govinda's guest quote of the month: We love you! Keep it up. Great meal today (lunch) - Andrea | |
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Many thanks to our wonderful volunteers who make all the difference: Murali, Melissa, Govinda Datta, Ram Nam & Chandrika--from painting to plumbing to keeping everything clean, we couldn't do it without you! And a shout-out to all our Diwali festival performers and volunteers: Well done !!!
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Income/expense Tracker: Please click to view the Monthly Financial Statement on our Seva webpage - iskcontucson.org/seva
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Check out this clip titled, “Bhakti Demands More Than Rituals.” | |
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Authentic Indian
Cuisine Catering!
All varieties and quantities of Indian foods for parties, dinners, weddings, and banquets. All main Indian dishes cooked by Master
Chef Kul Sharma. To book, call Kul at 520-891-8083.
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"Whether you are a communist in the winter season or a capitalist in the summer season, your tendency is to exploit others. Unless there is a change of heart, this exploitation will go on."
(Srila Prabhupada in Beyond Illusion and Doubt)
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From Srila Prabhupada's Bhgavatam purports... | |
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“Lord Kṛṣṇa points out that it is the relativities like winter and summer that give us trouble in the material world. In the winter we do not like taking a bath, but in the summer we wish to take a bath twice, thrice or more a day. Thus Kṛṣṇa advises us not to be disturbed by such relativities and dualities when they come and go."
(Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.28.37 purport)
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Perform a sacred ceremony.
Have your home, car, business, or family blessed and protected
with the help and guidance of our experienced temple priest, Kirtan Yajna Prabhu. You may call him at (520) 288-1775, or email
[email protected]
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