We wish you all a very Happy Krishna Conscious New year 2012. I am pleased to inform you that I am in Visakhapatnam (South India) now and we ushered this New Year in a very beautiful way by dancing and singing the Hare Krishna Mahamantra with 900 inmates of Visakhapatnam Central Prison.
I told the Prisoners that they must be surprised why ISKCON coming to the prison and is celebrating New Year with them, but this is our Founder Acharya Srila Prabhupad’s vision. Today ISKCON is preaching in prisons all over the world under ISKCON Prison ministry. In kaliyuga Krishna comes in the form of his holy name and Gita. So if you read Gita, chant holy name then he will also release you from this jail and protect you. When they heard this they were clapping with joy continuously for 2 minutes. His Grace Samba Prabhu Temple president of ISKCON Visakhapatnam spoke on the importance of the holy name and prasadam. When he wished them New Year there was a beautiful smile on their faces.
We have been doing this jail program in many places but what I observed here was that the age group of inmates was lower and thus more scope to change them. I felt very encouraged with the spontaneous participation of prisoners in kirtan, after which we distributed Gita in all the three languages English hindi and telugu followed by distribution of hot delicious Khicadi prasadam along with Bananas.
Not only the inmates even the Deputy Jail Superintendent along with his whole staff enjoyed the Prasadam.
- By Vrajendranandana Dasa
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