The Hare Krishnas certainly know how to party! When we get together, we sing our hearts out, beat drums like there is no tomorrow, dance euphorically and create a spritually intoxicating atmosphere which surely brings a smile to even the most grumpy of faces.
So why mess with a good formula? To help close off 2008 and to usher in the new year, the two days spanning December 31st to January 1st will be filled with the sounds of kirtan! Oh, and there will also be amazing and sumptuous vegetarian food (prasadam) too!
The festival begins at 11:30am on December 31st and will consist of kirtan throughout the day with breaks for prasadam. As the night arrives, we stretch our legs and make our way to City Hall for an outdoor harinama (outdoor chanting), led by HH Bhaktimarga Swami. Last year, there were over 40,000 people at City Hall celebrating the countdown to the new year. Armed with drums, karatalas (cymbals) and our jubilant voices we chant and dance and the crowd absolutely loves it!
The next day the program once again begins at 11:30am and will continue to the evening. At 6:00pm, ISKCON Toronto, the Hare Krishna Temple, will host the annual Prabhupada Festival. This year’s festival will feature a dramatic production by HH Bhaktimarga Swami and will certainly help start the new year on the right note.
Block off your calendars because from December 31st to January 1st, Toronto’s famous Hare Krishna Temple will be the place to be!
Coming back to temple at 2:30am, almost 100 devotees still had plenty of energy last year!