On Saturday, August 16th we will be celebrating Sri Krishna Janmastami, the appearance day of Lord Krishna. This occasion marks the biggest and grandest celebration at Toronto’s Hare Krishna Temple. Festivities will extend to Friday, August 15th, and Sunday, August 17th.
Lord Krishna appeared over five thousand years ago in Mathura (India). His name means the all-attractive one. He is transcendental, all-knowing, and possesses all the qualities of all the avatars, yet He remains as an ever-youthful cowherd boy. His beauty and sweetness know no bounds. Lord Krishna is the spiritual master and friend to all.
We expect large crowds as usual and are making special arrangements to ensure a pleasant experience for all. Beginning at 7:00 am, there will be special darshans of the Deities; this will continue until 10:00 pm. Please note that after 10:00 pm the Temple will be closed to the public. We strongly encourage visitors to come earlier in the day, as the crowds are expected to be quite large in the evening. The process will be short visits where visitors will have the opportunity to have darshan (audience) of the Deities amidst melodious kirtans; please be prepared to wait in the long lines of devotees waiting for this divine experience. We kindly request that visitors leave the Temple after this experience so we can accommodate the crowd in a safe and pleasant atmosphere. Additionally, we ask visitors to be respectful of our neighbors and refrain from making excessive noise or leaving garbage in the streets. Please note that there will NOT be a fresh flower outfit at midnight this year, this will be offered on Radhastami (August 31st). There will also not be a feast at midnight as we have had in the past, small packets of prasadam will be distributed throughout the day. Our Govinda’s Restaurant will be open with a special menu of take-out snacks (no full meals/thalis).
On Friday, August 15th, we will have a special pre-festival with Kirtan beginning at 6:00pm and extended darshans till 8:30pm. This is a great option for those looking to skip the crowds but still get darshan of Sri Sri Radha Ksira-Chora Gopinatha!
On Sunday, August 17th, we will be observing the Appearance day of ISKCON Founder-Acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada also known as Vyasa Puja. For more information, click HERE. Additionally, we will have a special Sunday Feast program featuring an Abisheka (bathing) ceremony performed by donors. For more information, click HERE.
As always, we cannot pull off such grand festivities without your support. There are various sponsorship opportunities to serve the deities and guests from sweets, flowers to water etc. Please click HERE to learn more about these sponsorship opportunities!
Please note there is VERY LIMITED street parking available near the Temple, we request visitors to be courteous to our neighbours and ensure that are parked legally and not blocking any driveways. There are a few paid parking lots within walking distance of the Temple, details are below. We also STRONGLY encourage visitors to utilize public transport as the prefered metod of reaching the Temple. For more information on parking and directions, click HERE
