Pandirivalasa village is a tribal (adivasi) hamlet located near the tourist hillstation of Anantagiri. This village is located very remotely near the mountains and forests, away from any town or modern facilities, the nearest small town being 20 kilometers away. The surrounding area is a beautiful and natural place, with lots of mountains, forests, waterfalls and so on. [Video Inside]

We would like to share some photos and video clips from some of the recent food distribution programs conducted by our Ashram in Andhra Pradresh. This set of photos is from Potnuru village, in Vishakapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh. Potnuru is an ancient historical village in Padmanabham Mandalam. It is said that Sri Krishna Deva Raya, the emperor of the Vijayanagar kingdom, visited this place long ago and a memorial is there in the village to remind us of the royal visit. [Video Inside]

We would like to give you a small update on the food relief activities being run from our Ashram in Andhra Pradesh. We initially launched the food relief activities in Andhra Pradesh one and a half years ago, and since then we have been able to distribute spiritual food to over 150,000 people in the districts of Vizianagaram and Vishakapatnam. The devotees have been cooking and distributing food 15 to 20 days each month without fail, feeding 500 to 700 people each day. [Video Inside]

This month we were approached by Mr. Victor, the principal of Mandal Parishad Primary School in the rural village of Jonnavalasa, Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh. He heard of our ashram's food distribution programs in Vizianagaram and requested us to do something for the children in his school. Already the children receive daily meals from the government, through the national mid-day meal program, so we asked in what way we could be of assistance. He replied that the children could use school uniforms, as their families cannot afford them. [Video Inside]

We are happy to inform you that the Bhaktivedanta Ashram has recently begun food distribution programs in Andhra Pradesh. Currently we are conducting the activities throughout Vizianagaram district based from our ashram located in Vizianagaram, in the North of Andhra Pradesh. In the initial stages we are planning to distribute food 15 times a month in various tribal villages within 100 kilometers of our ashram.

Below are a few recent photos of the food distribution program we are conducting in the village of Ulanga. Ulanga is a small village located around 5 km from our relief center in Randiya. Like Randiya, it is also an adivasi (tribal) village. We humbly request you to keep the children of Ulanga in your daily prayers.

In our previous newsletter we showed you pictures and a video of the children of Randiya and the weekly food distribution we conduct in that village. For the new year we thought it would be nice to give these children a small gift that they could really relate to, something that would allow them to just be children for a day. [Video Inside]

Randiya is a very poor rural village located around 20 km away from our main Ashram in Orissa. The village consists of people from the adivasi (tribal) community. Around two years ago, the Bhaktivedanta Ashram opened a relief center here and began regular distribution of free meals to more than 300 children of the village. Since that time we have been able to distribute over 44,000 meals to these wonderful children. [Video Inside]

Another village has been added to our food relief program in Orissa. The village of Ugalpur is located around 6 kilometers outside of Bhadrak. Here are a few photos of the children from this village and the recent food distribution. We have also included a three minute video clip at the top of the page. [Video Inside]

This month we have begun food distribution in a new village, Bagurai Leprosy Colony, located a few kilometers outside of Bhadrak, in Orissa. As the name implies, most of the children in the village have parents affected by leprosy. This makes it even harder for their families to earn money, and take care of the children properly. We are trying to provide a little help in the form of spiritual food, so that the children can at least receive a few nourishing meals.

To commemorate the opening of a new branch in Avinashi, the Bhaktivedanta Ashram has organized ‘Hare Krishna Festival’ at the 800 year old Sri Lakshmi Narasimha temple in the famous temple town of Avinashi.

On the auspicious occasion of Puri Jagannatha Ratha Yatra, the sacred deities of Sri Devi (Lakshmi), Bhu Devi and Vimala Devi were installed at the Bhaktivedanta Ashram in Bhadrak, Orissa. Each deity has been crafted from 110 kilograms (242 lbs) of ashtadhatu metal (a combination of eight metals: gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead, tin, iron, and mercury), and they are each approximately two and a half feet tall.

500 years ago, while walking from Navadvipa to Puri, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu spent the night in Bhadrak on the banks of the sacred Salandi river. He stayed at an ancient temple of Sri Sri Radha Madana Mohana (located in Santhiya village). Before departing for Puri, He blessed the temple pujari by giving him His personal blanket. This blanket has been worshipped for the last 500 years by the descendants of the original pujari.

Quite unexpectedly, on the auspicious occassion of Naga Panchami (the traditional day for worshipping snakes and Nagas), a divine Naga appeared at our Sri Jagannatha temple in Bhadrak to bless devotees. As word spread, more than 1,000 villagers arrived throughout the day and night, bringing offerings of milk and deepams to offer to the Naga.

The following pictures are of Lord Jagannatha and Baladeva dressed in Hati Vesha (Elephant Dress) during last year's Snana Purnima festival at the Bhaktivedanta Ashram in Bhadrak, Orissa. Snana Purnima takes place 15 days before Lord Jagannatha's Ratha Yatra festival. It is the last darshan of the Lord until 15 days later when He comes out on His chariot.

The topic of this issue is the Mahabharata war in relation to world history and culture. We will begin the topic with a question we received sometime back: "In the Mahabharata, the war seemed to have affected the whole world. We don’t find so many references to such of a huge event in other cultures. Why are there no references to a great world event?"

In the Vedantic traditions sound is considered one of the most important principles of existence, as it is both the source of matter and the key to become free from it. One who can thoroughly understand the four stages of sound as explained in the Vedic texts can utilize this science to become free from the bondage of matter.

The Bhagavata Purana, commonly referred to as the Srimad  Bhagavatam, is considered the ripened fruit of all Vedic  knowledge. The Srimad Bhagavatam describes the various incarnations of Lord Hari, and in the process of these descriptions ten important subject matters are explained, namely sarga (the elemental creation), visarga (the secondary creation), sthanam (the planetary systems), poshanam (protection by the Lord), utayah (the creative impetus), manvantara (the periods of Manu), isha-anukatha (the science of God), nirodha (dissolution), mukti (liberation), and ashraya (the supreme shelter).

Many times people have written to me about their difficulties and despondency in life. Usually they ask how they can attain peace and happiness. Nowadays peace is a very rare commodity in the world. Everyone is looking for it, whether one is an individual, or a nation.

Sri Chaitanya is the Kali-yuga avatara, and He descended for the purpose of establishing the yuga dharma, which in this age is the chanting of Lord Krishna's names. He appeared in the guise of a devotee to perfectly show how the process of devotion should be followed and applied.