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Krishna Puja Costs
The puja costs for Krishna Puja will be the same as last year’s international pujas that were held in the U.S. The suggested voluntary Guru Dakshina offering to Shri Mataji is $75 for an adult. The cost of the Puja Seminar is $250 for an adult. As before, we will be collecting money for the Puja Seminar separately from the Guru Dakshina offering to Shri Mataji. There are different rates for students and yogis from developing countries. Please pay in US dollars with cash, travelers checkor personal check.
Registration Rates
for Krishna Puja 2006 in LA |
| |
Suggested Dakshina |
Puja
Seminar Costs |
| Adults -- full rate |
$
75 |
$
250 |
| Adult Students |
$
45 |
$
155 |
| Developing Countries |
$
45 |
$
105 |
| Children (13 - 17) |
$
51 |
$
100 |
| Children (6 - 12) |
$
45 |
$
80 |
| Children under 6 |
$
9 |
$
16 |
| |
| Developing Countries |
| Adults |
$
45 |
$
105 |
| Adult Students |
$
22 |
$
75 |
| Children (13 - 17) |
$
22 |
$
55 |
| Children (6 - 12) |
$
22 |
$
35 |
| Children under 6 |
$
9 |
$
16 |
Hotel Stays Before and After the Puja Weekend
Yogis who would like to stay at the Warner Center Marrriott Hotel in LA three days before or three days after the puja weekend should contact Gilat Tsour, the hotel reservations manager directly at [email protected] to make a reservation. Tell her that you are with the “Vishwa Nirmala Dharma Group” and she can arrange for the special puja hotel rate of $99 plus 14% tax per night. If you are arriving before Friday and would like to share a room with other yogis, contact Jitendra Patpatia at [email protected] for help with these arrangements.
Transportation Assistance for Sahaja Yogis from Hosting Countries
Host Country yogis arriving Thursday or earlier to help with the Krishna Puja preparations may contact Armen Tarpenyan at [email protected] or call him at (805) 523- 1929 to request transportation assistance in LA.
About Raksha Bandhan at Shri Krishna Puja
We are grateful to our Divine Beloved Mother Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi for the opportunity to collectively celebrate Raksha Bandhan during the auspicious occasion of the upcoming International Shri Krishna Puja Seminar in Los Angeles.
Raksha Bandhan is an ancient and holy tradition celebrating the pure relationship between a brother and sister. The Raksha Bandhan ceremony provides us with the opportunity to nourish within ourselves, the qualities demonstrated by Shri Vishnumaya’s humble sacrifice and love for her brother, Lord Krishna. Through this sacred tradition, we hope to please our Divine Mother, who delights in the sweet expressions of love and devotion between Her children.
We would like to invite all the brothers and sisters to gather for the Rakhi ceremony on Saturday, August 12. We hope for the ceremony to flow smoothly by asking the Sahaj brothers to sit together with others of the same age range: boys, yuvas, young men, and adults. The sisters will perform aarti to the brothers and make various offerings, including a bindi, rice, fragrance, the rakhi thread, and a sweet, signifying her promise to look after the well-being of her brother. The heart of the offerings is the rahki thread that she ties around his left wrist (this is one of the locations representing the left vishuddhi chakra of Shri Vishnumaya within us). The rakhi thread imbibes within it the pure love and responsibility each accepts for the other and to the society as a whole. The brother’s acceptance of the rakhi, and offering of a small gift to his sister, reflects his pledge to protect and respect his sister. In celebrating the tradition of Raksha Bandhan in the land of Shri Krishna, we manifest the pure desire to restore this holy relationship of purity, dedication, sacrifice and commitment in our countries and throughout the world. It is an honor and privilege to consecrate the pure brother/sister relationship during the auspicious occasion of our Divine Mother’s Presence in the Land of Shri Krishna.
To gain a deeper understanding of Raksha Bandhan, Her Holiness Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi has given us a beautiful explanation in a talk (1990 Raksha Bandhan Puja; August 4, 1990; Cerritos, CA. USA) that can be obtained from
The DVD/Video Center Audio/CD Tape Center
8031 West Pomo Street 908 Sumner Street
Phoenix, AZ 85043 Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(623) 936-6227 (831) 423-4947
Yoginis who would like to celebrate Raksha Bandhan in their collective can assemble a thali (tray) containing a candle, incense, kumkum, fragrance, rice, the rakhi threads and sweets. First, the sister asks the brother if she can tie a rakhi; while the brother has a right to decline, the honor and devotion that accompanies the offer is seldom refused. Then the sister applies kumkum to the brother’s Agnya. Next, she performs aarti, giving bandhan to the brother with the candle and incense lit on the tray. She then offers a few grains of rice on top of his Sahasrara symbolizing her respect for his enlightened kundalini at Sahasrara. Perfume is applied to his wrists before tying the rakhi on the left wrist. Finally she offers him a sweet reflecting her promise to look after his sustenance and well-being from then onward. The brother then offers a small gift of appreciation to his sister to conclude the ceremony.
Additional information about the tradition of Raksha Bandhan can be found at http://www.raksha-bandhan.com/
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