THE HARE KRISHNAS GLORIFY THEIR LORDSHIPS, SRI SRI GAURA NITAI ON QUEENS DAY, AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS, 30 APRIL 2013 (115MB) youtube/watch?v=vOnQZL877s4 - HH Kadamba Kanana Swami Queens Day 2013 Harinam Amsterdam NL (157 minutes) ISKCON The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) was established in 1966 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada . ISKCON has since developed into a worldwide confederation of 10,000 temple devotees and 250,000 congregational devotees. Better known as the Hare Krishna movement, ISKCON is comprised of more than 350 centers, 60 rural communities, 50 schools and 60 restaurants worldwide. The mission of this nonsectarian, monotheistic movement is to promote the well being of society by teaching the science of Krishna consciousness according to Bhagavad-gita and other ancient scriptures. ISKCON IN THE NETHERLANDS Since the 70′s Hare Krishna has been present in the Netherlands and later also in Belgium. Currently we have well established temples, preaching centers and other small programs around the Benelux. The temple in Amsterdam was of course the first temple in the Netherlands and this has expanded to other tempels like The Hague and Radhadesh (Belgium). You can find a list with all our centers here. A few centers have their individual website which you can find in the contact list. EARLY LIFE Srila Prabhupada was born in Calcutta, India. He studied in British schools under colonial rule and finally went to university in Calcutta where he studied English, Sanskrit, philosophy, and economics. At university, he became a supporter of Gandhi’s independence movement. As a measure of his support he dressed only in white handloom cloth (woven in India) and declined to accept his degree from the university. In 1918, to support his family, he began work at a large pharmaceutical company, then established his own business (the Prayag Pharmacy) in Allahabad. He met his spiritual master (Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati) in Calcutta in 1922 and took initiation from him in 1932. MISSION In 1936 Srila Prabhupada wrote to Bhaktisiddhanta asking if there was anything in particular that he could do for him. Srila Prabhupada received the reply that he should ‘spread Krishna consciousness in the English speaking world.’ This was the last instruction he received from his spiritual teacher, as Bhaktisiddhanta left this world soon after. This instruction made a great impression on Srila Prabhupada and formed the focus for the rest of his life. Subsequently, Srila Prabhupada wrote an English commentary on Bhagavad-gita and assisted Bhaktisiddhanta’s mission (the Gaudiya Matha) in its work. In 1944, during the Second World War, Srila Prabhupada began a magazine called Back to Godhead. Single-handedly he wrote, edited, oversaw the layout, proofread, and sold copies of the magazine. In 1950 Srila Prabhupada retired from business in order to devote himself full time to his studies and writing. In 1959 he entered the renounced order of life (sannyasa) and began his masterpiece – an English translation and commentary on Srimad-Bhagavatam. Working alone he bought paper, gathered funds, and arranged for the printing. Within a few years, he had completed the first of the 12 cantos of Srimad-Bhagavatam in three volumes. He sold the books himself and through agents in the larger Indian cities. ESTABLISING ISKCON In 1965 at the age of 69, Srila Prabhupada traveled by ship to America and, once there, began teaching people about the Vaishnava tradition. Between 1966 and 1968 temples were established in several American cities. The first Ratha-yatra, a traditional festival that Srila Prabhupada had copied as a child, was held in 1967 in San Francisco. From 1971 to 1977, Srila Prabhupada and his students developed ISKCON into a worldwide organization. Temples, restaurants, and farm communities were established, along with the Bhaktivedanta Institute and Food for Life. Between 1966 and 1977, Srila Prabhupada circled the earth fourteen times on lecture tours that took him to six continents. In spite of his rigorous schedule he wrote prolifically and his books form a veritable library of Vedic philosophy, religion, and culture. His writings have been translated into over 50 languages and his publishing house (the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust) became the world’s largest publisher in the field of Indian religion and philosophy. --------------------------------------------- QUEENS BIRTHDAY IN THE NETHERLANDS. The Queens official birthday (Queens Day, koninginnedag) in the Netherlands (Holland) is celebrated each year with parties, street markets, concerts and special events for the royal family on April 30 or on April 29 if the 30th is a Sunday. At the end of January 2013, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, the longest reigning Dutch monarch, announced her abdication after 33 years on the throne. 75 years old Beatrix said she would abdicate on 30th of April and her oldest son Willem-Alexander will become the King of the Netherlands. The last Queens Day will take place on Tuesday 30th of April, 2013, the first Kings Day on Saturday 26, 2014, one day before Willem-Alexander’s birthday. From now on the King’s Day will be held on April 27 each year. WHAT DO PEOPLE DO? In many towns and cities, particularly Amsterdam, Arnhem, Utrecht and The Hague, the Queens Day celebrations begin on the evening of April 29. There are public music performances and street parties. Some events continue until daybreak when the actual Queens Day events begin. Many people in the Netherlands have a day off work and schools are closed on April 30. It is the only day in the year that people without licences to trade can sell things on the street. Some people set up stalls to sell second-hand goods and Queens Day themed products in many city and town centers. There is a lot of busking and official musical performances on Queens Day. Many people spontaneously sing Het Wilhelmus. This is a poem written in 1574 and describes the life of William of Orange (William the Silent) and his fight for the Dutch people. It is written as if William of Orange is introducing himself to the Dutch people. Versions are also played by bands performing at Queens Day events and on radio stations. Each year, the royal family visits one or a few places on April 30. There they are entertained with displays and performances around local historic events. The members of the royal family generally join in with the games in a good natured way and greet thousands of people who turn out to see them. PUBLIC LIFE On April 30, banks, post offices and many businesses are closed. Opening hours in stores vary. Some stores are open as usual, some are open for part of the day, and some are closed all day. Public transport runs to a normal or special timetable and there are extra train services to take people home from large celebrations. However, buses and trams in the center of large cities may have different or shortened routes to avoid the crowds. Restaurants may be shut, open as usual or only serving special Queens Day meals. Cafes and restaurants may close earlier than usual. Due to mass celebration, it is difficult to reach many addresses in the center of large cities, especially Amsterdam by most forms of transport. Apart from minor criminal acts such as pick pocketing and urinating in public, Queens Day events are usually very peaceful. If April 30 falls on a Sunday, the celebrations take place on Saturday April 29. BACKGROUND On August 31, 1880, Princess Wilhelmina was born in The Hague. She was the last child of King William III and the only child to outlive him. On August 31, 1885, and on the same date each year after that public birthday celebrations were held for her. The occasion was originally known as Princesses Day (Prinsessedag) and became known as Queens Day in 1890 after Wilhelmina became Queen following the death of her father. On August 31, 1902, people in the Netherlands heard that Queen Wilhelmina had recovered from typhus and Queens Day became a true public celebration. On September 6, 1948, Wilhelminas daughter, Juliana became queen and from 1949, the Queens Day celebrations were moved to April 30, her birthday. On April 30, 1980, Beatrix, Julianas daughter, became queen. Her birthday is on January 31, but the date of Queens Day remained the same as a way of honoring Juliana. Hence, Queens Day is the Queens official birthday and the anniversary of her coronation. Symbols The national flag of the Netherlands is a horizontal tricolor with red at the top, white in the middle and blue at the bottom. On some feast days, an orange strip of cloth, known as a wimpel, is hung above the national flag. This is a symbol for the Dutch royal family, which uses the name House of Orange-Nassau. The national flag and the colors red, white, blue and orange are widely displayed on Queens Day. Many people make a special effort to wear an orange item of clothing, to dye their hair orange or to color their faces orange. Accessories that combine the color orange with some symbol of the royal family, such as a crown or a lion, are especially popular and sought after. A lot of other orange food stuffs are prepared for Queens Day. These include: cakes; custard slices with orange icing or filling; white chocolate; and soft drinks.
Posted on: Wed, 23 Jul 2014 14:17:02 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015