ABOUT RADHA KRISHNA TEMPLE - HAMILTON
Hare Krishna Dear Devotees!
The temple is currently undergoing major upgrades and humbly asks for your cooperation and support as we prepare for a grand celebration in honour of the following renovations and upgrades:
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Hand-crafted Altar Singhasana
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Wooden Boat for Radha Krishna Boat Festival (TBA)
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Srila Prabhupada Asan
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Vyasa Asan
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Upstairs: Kitchen, Hall Carpeting, Inner and Outer wall painting
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Downstairs: Kitchen
Please expect temple closures at short notices
If you would like to donate as service towards these renovations, please direct credit to 02 – 0316 – 0328010 -000 with “upgrade” in the reference field. Please email rasikm393@gmail.com for further information and an emailed receipt.
Remember, every bit counts so any amount of donation at your discretion is humbly appreciated!
At Radha Krishna Temple Hamilton, we emphasise the importance of developing a loving relationship with Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead through devotional service. That relationship is reawakened in all participants via chanting of the Holy Names of the Lord in particular by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra,
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
by honouring Prasadam (partaking of food offered to Krishna), and by reading and studying sacred texts like the Bhagavad-gita As It Is and the Srimad Bhagavatam and other books translated/written by Srila Prabhupada.
Radha Krishna Temple Hamilton was built under the approval of His Holiness Tamala Krishna Goswami Maharaj as advised in writing to his dear disciple Raghava Chaitanya Das (Rasik Master). The temple was officially opened on the 21st of April 2002 by Sri Radhavallabh Maharaj (of Vrindavan).
Our Temple’s mission is to preach the glories of Krishna Consciousness and perform Sankirtana Yajna (congregational chanting) as instructed by Srila Prabhupada, our previous Gaudiya-Vaishnava Acaryas and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The temple managers, Raghava Chaitanya Das (Rasik Master) and Ujjvala Devi Dasi (Usha Master) dedicated their lives to the temple since inception and continue to do so as was advised by Srila Gurudev, HH Tamala Krishna Goswami Maharaj.
As described in verse one of the Brahma Samhita (spoken by Brahma dev to glorify the Supreme Lord) Sri Krishna Govinda (one who is all attractive) is the Supreme Personality of Godhead:
isvarah paramah krishnah
sac-cid-ananda-vigrahaha
anadir adir govindaha
sarva-karana-karanam
“Krsna who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.”
Krishna is also referred to as Leela Purshottam, for He appeared in this world to perform many transcendental activities and please His pure devotees. The main purpose of Sri Krishna’s appearance was to deliver the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna not only so he may fight the Mahabharata war against his cousin brothers, The Kauravas, but also to remind humanity of their eternal relationship with Him.
Srimati Radharani is Sri Krishna’s internal potency and eternal consort. The Srimad Bhagavatam states that Krishna enchants the world but Radharani enchants Krishna Himself. Krishna is called Madana Mohana, which means He is so attractive that He can defeat the attraction of thousands of Cupids. But Radharani is still more attractive, for She can attract Krishna. Therefore devotees call Her Madana Mohana Mohini, the attractor of the attractor of Cupid. Krishna is only satisfied by pure, loving, devotional service and Radharani is the personification of devotion.
Together they reside in their eternal abode, Goloka Vrindavan Dhaam as Radha-Krishna, where they enjoy their pastimes and give pleasure to the residents of Vraj.
Sri Sri Gaur Nitai are expansions of Krishna and Balram, respectively, who appeared in West Bengal, India, 500 years ago to spread the love of Krishna through nagar sankirtana (congregational chanting of the mahamantra in the streets).
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is an incarnation of Sri Krishna in the mood of Radharani (Radha bhava). He is described as having the golden complexion of Radharani (Gauranga) and appeared for the purpose of worshipping Krishna through ecstatic chanting and dancing. He is also referred to as Patita Pavana (the saviour of all fallen souls).
Sri Nityananda Prabhu is an incarnation of Balarama and is referred to as the most merciful incarnation of the Supreme Lord. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Thakur ji writes: “Nityananda alone possesses the distinctive function of the guru. In Nityananda, the function is embodied. Nityananda is the servant-God.”
Sri Sri Sita Ram are plenary expansions of Radharani and Krishna, respectively. Their glories are personified in the Ramayana (the main scripture associated with Sri Rama).
Sri Rama (one who gives pleasure to all) appeared to rid the world of evil and establish morals and humanity. Sri Rama is referred to as Maryada Purshottam, meaning one who is greater than the greatest man and upholds all rules and regulations as told in the scriptures.
Srimati Sita Devi is Sri Rama’s eternal consort and expresses the roles and duty of an ideal woman by portraying sacrifice, dedication, courage, and purity throughout the Ramayana as Sri Rama’s wife.
Lakshman ji is the younger and most loyal brother of Sri Rama and also an expansion of Lord Balarama (plenary expansion and brother of Sri Krishna). He accompanied Rama into 14 years of exile, leaving behind His wife to serve His brother and sister-in-law as His own mother and father.
Hanuman ji is the 11th rudra of Lord Shiva and the personification of a loyal servant in the Ramayana. When Hanuman meets Sri Rama for the first time He immediately knew that Sri Rama was His eternal Master and served Him as such.
