Festival '98 Newsletter

[Guest guest]

Dear Raktambar ji, PAMHO. AGTSP.

 

Here is a leaflet with summary information re. the Festival, followed by the

fully detailed Festival Newsletter. Please forward it to everyone in the

com.bbt.se and iskcon.glasnet.ru nets.

Kindly add also any other eventual devotee's e-mail address you may have.

Thanks in advance for the service. Hari bol.

 

*** *** *** ********* *** *** ***

 

Sri Mayapur Gaura Purnima Festival 1998

Summary of Dates and Prices

 

 

* SCHEDULE *

14 feb - GBC meeting starts

26 feb - GBC meeting ends

26 Feb - Gaura Purnima Festival starts

27 Feb - Gaura Mandala Parikrama starts

05 March - G.M. Parikrama ends

06 March - Seminars start

09 March - Free Prasadam distribution at Santipur

13 March - Gaura Purnima

14 March - Gaura Purnima Festival last day.

 

 

* PRICES *

Class A (First World) - 84 $ per person for the full festival (17 days).

Class B (Second World)- 64 $ per person for the full festival (17 days).

Class C (Third World) - 54 $ per person for the full festival (17 days).

 

N.M.Parikrama (additional to the above prices)- 35 $ for the 7 days program

 

Prasadam (already include in the above prices):

Full (breakfast and lunch) - 38,00 $ for 17 days

Only Breakfast............ - 16,50 $ for 17 days

Only Lunch................ - 21,50 $ for 17 days

 

 

* ROOMS *

Class A -Cakra, Gada, IYF, Sankirtana bld., Conch, Lotus, Caitanya Mission.

Class B -Boundary Wall, Brahmacari Asrama, Nityananda Kutir.

Class C -Gauranga Huts, Basements, Gada dormitory, Girls Gurukula.

 

 

* RESERVATIONS and INFORMATIONS *

e-mail - radhasyamasundara.jps (AT) com (DOT) bbt.se

phone - +91-3472-45240

mail - Radhasyamasundara das - Mayapur Festival dept. - c/o ISKCON -

31 Flight Lt. Tapan Chowdury Ave. (formally Lake Avenue)

Calcutta 700 027 - WB - India.

 

*** *** ***** ***** ******* ***** ***** *** ***

 

Here follows the fully detailed Festival Newsletter :

 

******* SRI MAYAPUR GAURA PURNIMA FESTIVAL 1998 *******

Information regarding prices, dates, facilities etc.

 

This document will cover the following points :

1 - Festival schedule

2 - Type of rooms available .

3 - Prices for the whole festival (17 days)

4 - Room Owners.

5 - Prasadam.

6 - Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama.

7 - Transportation.

8 - Facilities.

9 - Pre-booking and Reservations for Mayapur.

10 - Cancellations and refunds

11 - Vrndavana Festival

12 - From the Mayapur Festival Management

 

 

 

***** 1-SCHEDULE *****

 

14 to 18 Feb. - GBC deputies and GBC Executive Comitee meetings

19 to 26 Feb. - GBC body meetings

25 and 26 Feb. - ISKCON Managers Meeting.

 

26 Febr. - Gaura Purnima Festival starts - inauguration and public

Istha-gosthi with the GBC body.

27 Febr. - Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama starts.

05 March - Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama ends.

09 March - Madhavendra dvadasi : free Prasadam distribution at Santipur.

13 March - Gaura Purnima.

14 March - Jagannath Misra 's feast - last day of the G.P. Festival 1998.

15 March onwards - Departures.

 

During the week between the 6th and the 12th of March inclusive, several

devotees will be giving seminars and daily classes, spread throughout the

day. Some of the seniormost devotees who have already confirmed it are :

 

H.H. Jayapataka Svami - seminar - title to be announced .

H.H. Harikesa Svami - giving his usual daily class in Gurukula at 4:00 PM.

H.H. Suhotra Svami - seminar - Transcendental personalism :

Vedic answer for the human situation .

H.H. Bhakti Vidya Purna Svami - seminar - on Varnasrama .

 

H.H. Hrdayananda Gosvami also informed us that he will try to take part in

this program . Many other seminars are not yet finalized : we will announce

them in Mayapur before Parikrama .

 

 

 

***** 2-ROOMS *****

 

There are three cathegories of rooms available : A, B, and C ( previously

called: "First, Second and Third World ).

For more details regarding prices, please refer to chapter 3.

 

* CLASS A ( First World ) - 84 $ per person *

 

A.1 - Brick building, four persons per single room, eight persons per double

room. A matress, bedsheet and mosquito net is provided for each

person. Common bathrooms. Men and ladies separate.

A.2 - VIP rooms with private bathroom (a/b) available for men, women and

families. Full bedding. A daily room charge, additional to the class A

fee, is charged for each room.

 

* CLASS B (Second World ) - 64 $ per person *

 

B.1 - Brick building, four to eight persons per room.

No bedding. Common bathrooms. Men and ladies separate.

B.2 - Bamboo cottages with four beds, matresses, bedsheets and mosquito nets

for each room. Common bathrooms. Available for men, ladies and

families.

 

* CLASS C (Third World) - 54 $ per person *

 

C.1 - Bamboo huts. Four or ten persons per room. A bed, matress, mosquito

net for each person. Common bathrooms. Men and ladies separated .

C.2 - Dormitories in Guest house. Twentyfour persons per room. No bedding

Common bathroom. Men and ladies separate.

C.3 - Basement rooms. Four to sixteen persons per room. No bedding.

Common bathrooms. Men and ladies separated.

C.4 - Girls Gurukula. Brick building. Eight to ten persons per room. No

bedding. Common bathrooms. Only ladies.

 

The available rooms for each category are :

 

A.1 - Cakra Building, Gada Building c/b, ISKCON Youth Forum, Sankirtana

building (upper floors).

A.2 - Conch, Lotus, Gada a/b, Caitanya Mission.

 

B.1 - Boundary wall (ladies), Brahmacari asrama (men).

B.2 - Nityananda Kutirs.

 

C.1 - Gauranga Huts 1 (near Conch bld.). 10 persons per room. Only men.

C.1 - Gauranga Huts 2 (on the road to Gurukula, near Expo).

4 persons per room . Men and women.

C.2 - Gada bld. D401 to D404 (men) and D411 (ladies).

C.3 - Cakra bld. basement and Sankirtana bld. basement.

C.4 - Girls Gurukula.

 

 

 

***** 3-PRICES *****

 

The following prices are for the whole duration of the Festival, 17 days -

26th February to 14th March inclusive - and are per person . They cover the

cost of : festival fee, room and Prasadam . They may undergo some very

minor adjustment, due to foreign exchange fluctuations.

Children under the age of twelve pay half price.

 

· Class A - 84 $ ( 46 $ without Prasadam )

· Class B - 64 $ ( 26 $ without Prasadam )

· Class C - 54 $ ( 16 $ without Prasadam )

 

The cost of Prasadam (38 US$) may be deducted from it upon request (see

chapter 8 for more details). Daily rates are calculated proportionately.

Rooms and Prasadam booked before and after the Festival are charged

additionally.

 

 

 

***** 4-ROOM AND HOUSE OWNERS *****

 

Room and house owners, or any devotee not requiring accomodation, are

requested to pay a fee to help us to put up the festival. Festival Prasadam

may be made available for them upon request.

 

Class A - Only Festival Fee : 30 US$ per person (Prasadam not included).

Class B - Only Festival Fee : 15 US$ per person (Prasadam not included).

Class C - Only Festival Fee : 10 US$ per person (Prasadam not included).

 

Room Owners are requested to inform us in advance of their expected arrival,

in order to give us enough time to make sure we have their room ready for

them.

 

 

 

***** 5-PRASADAM *****

 

Whoever registers for the Festival is entitled to have Prasadam at the Gada

bld Prasadam hall. Its cost (38 $ ) has been already included in the prices

mentioned in chapter 3.

It cannot be sold separately or on a daily basis.

It consists of two meals : breakfast (at 9:00 AM) and lunch (at 2:30 PM).

 

If some devotee feels he wishes to have only one meal a day (either

breakfast or lunch) or he prefers not to take any meal at all, the cost of

the unwanted Prasadam will be deducted at the time of registration, upon

request, from his Festival registration fee.

 

Here are the prices for Festival Prasadam:

· Full Prasadam - 38,00 US$ for the whole Festival (17 days)

· only Breakfast - 16,50 US$ for the whole Festival (17 days)

· only Lunch - 21,50 US$ for the whole Festival (17 days)

 

Prasadam is the same for all categories, A, B and C .

 

Although the majority of devotees prefer to have Festival Prasadam, we would

like to give you here a general description of all the different types of

Prasadam that will be available at ISKCON Mayapur :

 

* FESTIVAL PRASADAM *

Available only against Festival registration .

Breakfast : One cereal (macaroni, upma, flat rice, puffed rice etc.), fruit

salad with yogurt, chutney, fresh fruits, bel juice, one savory

(samosa, bonda, kachory etc.), one or two sweets.

Lunch : Plain rice, fried rice, chapatis, dal, several subjis (sukta, sag,

chachari, posta, laphra, tarkari, chana subji, etc.), boiled subji,

chutney, papad, yogurt or misty dai , juice, two or three sweets.

Venue : Gada building ground floor Prasadam hall.

Breakfast - 9:00 AM.

Lunch - 2:30 PM.

 

* BHAKTA KITCHEN PRASADAM *

Mayapur Devotees Prasadam - Rice, dal, two or three subjis (sometimes

chapatis and a sweet) .

Daily coupons may be purchased at the Main-gate counter or at the

Prasadam-hall gate.

Price : 10 rs. for each meal .

Venue : Big Kitchen (the Prasadam hall behind Samadhi Mandir).

Breakfast - 9:00 AM.

Lunch - 4:00 PM.

 

* SULABHA BHOJANALAYA *

Pilgrims subsidized Prasadam - Rice, dal and two sabjis (quite spicy).

Daily coupons may be purchased at the Main-gate counter or at the

Prasadam-hall gate.

Price : 10 rs. for each meal .

Venue : Big Kitchen (Prasadam hall behind Samadhi Mandir).

Lunch : from 12:00 Noon until 2:00 PM.

On crowded days this service may be extended until evening.

 

* GOVINDA RESTAURANT *

Lunch may be made available if booked before 11:00 AM.

Snacks available at all times.

Lunch price: 35 rs.

Lunch: 1:30 PM.

Snacks: from 7:30 AM. until 9:00 PM.

 

* MAHAPRASADAM *

Sweets : at the Mahaprasadam shops from 7:30 AM until 9:00 PM.

Rajabhoga : Radhamadhava, Jagannath, Pancatattva or Sri Nrsimhadeva plates

may be available upon booking at the Donation Desk in the temple

room or with the Head-pujari. However, be aware that the plates

are booked early.

 

* GAURANGA PIZZERIA *

Situated on the southern side of the Samadhi ring road.

Open from 5:00 PM to 9:30 PM .

 

* OTHERS *

During the Festival, also several others stalls and Prasadam shops may open

in the temple courtyard and in the Mini-market area . You just have to walk

by and have your share.

 

 

 

***** 6-PARIKRAMA *****

 

Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama starts on the 27th of February and ends on the

5th of March 1998. It takes place within the two weeks period of the

Festival. The fee for the entire Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama is 35 US $

per person, and it is additional to the above mentioned Festival fees.

There is no difference of prices between First, Second or Third world.

It includes accommodation in tents, Prasadam and the Parikrama itself.

Children pay 50% .

 

The Parikrama starts from ISKCON Mayapur at 6 AM. on 27 February and returns

on the 5 March at noon. During these seven days the devotees will walk

together, visiting several holy places daily. They will reside and eat in

camps organized and run by the Mayapur devotees, without returning to the

ISKCON compound until the Parikrama is over.

 

Everyone is advised therefore to bring whatever may be needed for a week

walking tour, i.e. sleeping bag, clothes, gamchas etc. At the same time we

suggest you take with you only the minimum indispensable items, in order not

to overload the tour. A transportation trolley will be available to carry

the bulkiest and heaviest bags. Spare and extra luggage which you do not

want to carry with you, may be locked in your room at the Sri Mayapur

Candrodaya Mandir (ISKCON Mayapur) or may be left in the free luggage store

room which will be made temporarily available - for the duration of the

Parikrama - in the Cakra bld. by the devotees of the reception .

 

For those who wish to join the Parikrama for only a few hours a day - going

there in the morning and coming back at noon - daily bus transportation back

and forth will be organized from the Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir by the

Parikrama organizers. Tickets may be bought at departure .

 

More details will be made available in Mayapur through an Istha-ghosti held

the day before the departure.

 

The schedule of the places the Parikrama camp each night is as follows:

27 February - Jagannath Mandir

28 February - Nrsimha Palli

01 March - Svarup Ganj

02 March - Navadvipa town

03 March - Vidyanagar

04 March - Belpukur

05 March - Iskcon Mayapur

 

As during the 1997 Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama, there will be another

Parikrama party, formed by three thousand namahatta devotees from Bengala,

Orissa and Assam, which will simultaneously take place, following one day

behind the first group on the same route.

 

 

 

***** 7-Transportation *****

 

* Calcutta to Mayapur :

1. Train - Howrah station to Navadvipa, or Sealdah station to

Krsnanagar. From the airport, the nearest train station is

Dumdum station (on the Krsnanagar line).

2. State Bus - at 6:00 AM. from Dharmatala to ISKCON Mayapur (24 rs.)

3. Taxi - From airport 850/950 rs. , from Howrah st. 850/1000 rs.

4. PrivateBus -to be previously arranged with ISKCON Calcutta(Sattvik Das).

 

* Mayapur to Calcutta :

1. State bus - at 6:00 AM and 3:00 PM from ISKCON Mayapur to Calcutta.

2. Taxi or private car - bookable at ISKCON Mayapur (see chapter 8).

3. Train - from Krsnanagar or from Navadvip ( time table available at the

reception desk).

4. End of the Festival busses - to be booked at the reception desk between

the 7th and the 9th of March, going to : Airport, ISKCON Calcutta

or Howrah station. Price: 100/120 rs. per seat.

Also private busses may be reserved from the same counter for

approx. 3000 Rs. per bus .

Departure schedule will be fixed according to the requests made.

5. Daily Iskcon bus (between 27th February and 12th March) - Departure from

Mayapur at 6:00 AM and from Calcutta at 4:00 PM . Tickets may be

purchased at ISKCON Calcutta or at the reception desk in Mayapur

at least one day in advance.

 

* Calcutta to Delhi :

Transportation between Calcutta and Delhi (on the way to Vrndavana ) should

be arranged before coming to Mayapur, if possible . However, if one fails to

do so, a devotee during the Festival in Mayapur will be assigned the service

of purchasing and reconfirming plane and train tickets for the visiting

devotees . In this regard, see also chapter 8.

 

* Delhi to Vrndavana :

Several trains are available from Delhi to Mathura. Taxis are also available

for around 1200/1500 rs. . Private buses can be reserved by previous

arrangement with Ganapati Dasa . There will also be a Vrindavana Booking

desk at ISKCON Mayapur from the 6th to the 9th of March .

 

 

 

***** 8-FACILITIES *****

 

During your stay at ISKCON Mayapur during the festival, these facilities

will be made available :

 

*** Plane/train ticket confirmation ***

Several devotees will be assigned the service of reconfirming your airplane

tickets and to purchase new plane or train tickets for your travel .

To cover their expenses, you will be charged 20 rs. for each ticket

reconfirmation and 50 rs. for a new ticket . However, due to the rush which

is usually there, we always advise you to have your return ticket arranged

before hand .

 

*** Free luggage store-room ***

A permanent luggage store room will be made available free of cost in the

Cakra bld . An additional temporary free luggage store room will be arranged

for the Parikrama participants in Cakra bld . We remind you that all the

luggage stored in this second room should be collected before the 6th March.

After this, uncollected luggage will be transferred to the permanent "free

luggage store-room".

 

*** Safety lockers ***

In the above mentioned "free luggage store room" several locker boxes are

available free of cost for whoever needs them. You have to provide your own

lock for it.

 

*** Lost and found ***

At the reception desk in room 111, a "lost and found service" is provided .

For anything you loose or find, please approach the receptionist.

Any goods lost during the Parikrama should be claimed from the Parikrama

organizers.

 

*** Reception riksa service ***

A free riksa luggage transport service is run by the reception desk team for

any registered devotee. You do not need to tip the riksa driver .

 

*** Mail & fax facilities ***

Mail service is available at room 211 of chakra building.

E-mail service is available either in room 106 of chakra bld. ( Vidvan

Gauranga Das ) or in room 102 cakra bld. ( Phanisvara Das ).

For timings you should contact the above offices.

Fax service : room 205 Chakra.

 

*** Phone booth ***

An STD and ISD phone service booth is available from 6:00 AM. to 10:00 PM.

in room 119 in Cakra building. A bill to be paid by cash will be issued

after each phone call .

 

*** Mini-market shops ***

To reserve your shop stall at the mini-market, please contact Bhakti

Purusottama Svami.

His phone and fax number is : +91.3472.45234

and his e-mail address : bhakti.purusottama.swami (AT) com (DOT) bbt.se

 

*** Taxi bookings ***

You may reserve your taxi at the inquiry office situated on the ground floor

of Lotus bld .

 

*** Gauranga 's mercy ***

At Sri Mayapur Dham you may also benefit of the facility of easily getting

Sri Caitanya 's mercy. You just have to always chant Hare Krsna, serve the

Deities, take bath in the Ganga, eat only Krsna Prasadam and talk only about

subjects related to spiritual life. Serving the Dham by cleaning and

beautifying it will also help. This facility is available at any time, even

before and after the festival.

 

 

 

***** 9-FESTIVAL RESERVATIONS *****

 

When reserving your room for the festival, please provide us the following

information:

 

1. Names (or at least number) of all the persons you want to book for,

specifying if men or women and if they have any grouping preference.

2. Child or adult (if child, please mention the age).

3. Which type of room you would like to be allocated .

4. Arrival and Departure dates.

5. Group leader ( if any ).

6. Prasadam: Full (breakfast and lunch) , only breakfast, only lunch, or

nothing at all.

7. Names (or number) of those wishing to participate in the Parikrama.

8. Any other personal request.

 

Please note that points 5, 6, 7 and 8 do not necessarily need to be

mentioned in your booking form.

However, no booking can be accepted if points 1, 2, 3 and 4 are not

specified.

 

Mail your reservation request to the address provided below and enclose with

it a Bank Draft (in any currency) of at least 20% the total bill, payable to

"ISKCON - Gaura Purnima Festival Fund". Our bank do not accept drafts for

less than 20 $. Payment in cash is also accepted, but needs to be personally

handed in by someone. Cash, unless registered, is not safe by mail .

Send it to :

 

Radhasyamasundara Das - Mayapur Festival Department

c/o ISKCON

31 Flight Lt. Tapan Chowdhury Ave. (formally Lake Ave.)

Calcutta 700 027 - W.B. - India.

 

IMPORTANT - We request devotees to personally send their bookings Drafts by

speed post or courier, as regular mail or bank transfers can take from three

to five months to reach.

 

You may also simultaneously send us notice of your booking by e-mail or

phone (details below).

We would like to remind you that rooms are allocated on a first come first

served basis, therefore the sooner your booking reaches us, the better.

 

internet: radhasyamasundara.jps (AT) com (DOT) bbt.se

com: radhasyamasundara jps

phone: - +91 . 3472 . 45239 / 240

fax: - +91 . 3472 . 45238

 

NO BOOKING IS ACCEPTED AFTER THE 1ST OF FEBRUARY 1998.

Although we will naturally try to accomodate everyone according to their

choice, late bookers should not hold us responsible for any inconvenience.

 

Please note that cancellations and changes to your bookings may be done by

e-mail, phone or fax, as postal service could take too long .

 

For further information, questions and for double checking your bookings,

you are invited to write or call us at any time at the above given

addresses.

 

 

 

***** 10-Cancellations and Refunds *****

 

* Before the 1st of February *

you may cancel your reservations by contacting us by e-mail or phone

( radhasyamasundara.jps (AT) com (DOT) bbt.se and +91.3472.45239/240 )

completely free of cost or fines.

 

* After the 1st of February *

in order to cancel your reservation and eventually get a refund, you will

have to contact the reception desk in Mayapur.

However, you should please take note that :

 

Room cancellations :

1- upto 24 hrs before the reservation date : 80% refund .

2- if you arrive later than the prefixed date, no refund is available for

the days gone.

3- if you leave early, you will get back 80% refund for the balance days.

 

Prasadam cancellations :

1- is fully refundable if cancelled at least one day in advance .

2- is not refundable at all if cancelled later than that .

 

Parikrama cancellations :

1- is fully refundable if cancelled at least one day in advance.

2- is not refundable at all if cancelled after the Parikrama has already

started.

 

 

 

***** 11-VRNDAVANA *****

 

For information or reservations regarding the Vrndavana Festival, please

contact :

 

Ganapati Das - Guest House manager

and/or Mahamana Das - Temple president

and/or Pancagauda Das - Vice-president

ISKCON - Sri Krsna Balaram Mandir

Raman reti - Vrndavana

Mathura District - Uttar Pradesh - INDIA.

phone: +91 565 442478 / 591 / 592

The temple has also an e-mail account.

 

 

 

***** 12-FROM THE MAYAPUR FESTIVAL MANAGEMENT *****

 

In order to smooth the registration process at your arrival in Mayapur, it

is advisable to have a single person, the "group leader", approach the

registration desk. The full group can be registered together by one person

only. The group leader should have clear in his mind before hand what the

people in his group are wishing to do.

 

At the time of your departure, you are kindly requested to lock the door of

your room and to return the keys at the same place from where you took them.

 

We also remind everyone that whatever items are provided in the room belong

to someone. Nothing is "just there" or has no propietor. The Mayapur

Festival Management is held responsible for all these items . If anything is

found missing or damaged, the M.F.M. will have to pay for it .

Therefore, we humbly request everyone to be Krsna conscious and nicely take

care of everything. If this is done, it will be easier to keep the prices as

low as possible and to avoid collecting "deposit charges".

 

We look forward to having your association and we hope you will

transcendentally enjoy your stay at Sri Mayapur Dham in association with

hundreds of devotees from all over the world. Hare Krsna.