Alachua (was Nalinikanta and Ratnesvari), how did it get started? Options

[metamorphosis]

entire story, click here<

Positive Happenings in Alachua
BY: SATYAHIT DASA


Apr 9, ALACHUA, FLORIDA (SUN) — A brief report from Alachua and Gainesville, Florida temples.


We just left the usual Sunday feast with its three serving line-ups outside for receiving prasadam. 300 / 400 hundred devotees every Sunday attend a stunningly powerful arotik kirtan, followed by announcements, book scores, devotee distributor names and class followed by the feast. After prasadam, everyone socializes on the grounds and around 25 picnic tables under a huge colorfully striped tent. There are a number of devotee stalls outside selling books, clothing and instruments, and at least two or three selling prasadam right from the start. The devotees and guests come in all sizes, colors and ages and are all very happy. This is quite noticeable everywhere.



There are apparently many ex-retired Temple presidents living in this area, totaling over 1,000 devotees in all. So in conclusion, the Alachua-Gainesville Hare Krsna temples are bustling Krsna conscious places filled with serious-minded devotees… and I have only covered a fraction of the devotee activities here.

[metamorphosis]

Now being a "devotee" is not about service, but about a Job w/salary

  Raman Reti Temple President Search
by Sudharma dasi
Posted April 21, 2007
The Alachua Temple Board of Directors and Community are currently seeking candidates for the position of New Raman Reti Temple President. Candidates must have management experience, strong people skills, visible morning sadhana, and a strong portfolio of service within ISKCON. Salary range $25-32K depending on experience.

For a complete job description, click here. Interested parties are encouraged to submit a resume with references and recommendation letters to the Temple Board,

[Kalisurfer]

entire story, click here<

Apr 9, ALACHUA, FLORIDA (SUN) — A brief report from Alachua and Gainesville, Florida temples.

We just left the usual Sunday feast with its three serving line-ups outside for receiving prasadam. 300 / 400 hundred devotees every Sunday attend a stunningly powerful arotik kirtan, followed by announcements, book scores, devotee distributor names and class followed by the feast.

It was surprising to hear that they still do book scores with devotee distributor names, especially before the Sunday Feast. In such a closed community like Alachua, where outside of the nearby university in Gainesville, you don’t have a lot of new people coming through the area, who is getting all these books? Every person living within 100 miles of Alachua must have been given an ISKCON book at some point in the past 15 years, not to mention the student at the University of Florida too.

I find it interesting that for a missionary preaching movement who still puts such importance on preaching and book distribution, that its chosen hub of devotee-hood is located in such an out of the way outpost hidden down deep in the southern most part of the country, in a peninsula sticking into the Atlantic Ocean?

I know many devotees who live there and they love the environment, for no doubt it is nice to live close to like minded people, but in some ways it points to a possible surrender by many to the creature comforts in the land of retirement and vacations, while being just a shell of what it purports to be as a movement that once was active and strong throughout the country. This is the home where most western devotees have decided to congregate and live, while most other temples in the USA have become Indian sponsored and run.

Though if one is brahminicaly minded and likes to be a manager, you can find a pretty promising career with many perks & benefits! I wonder if they offer a 401K plan?

[0jijaji0]

Alachua seems to be the place where Gaudiya Vaishnavism will take solid root in the western world I believe and I don't mean Iskcon alone, Alachua has devotees from Gaudiya Math and from the traditional orthodox Parivars coming and wanting to settle there because of sadhu sanga.

That is good I believe because if there are many devotees from various camps it will be more like Vrndavan and not some cult, differences that seem intolerable will gradually disolve...and a possibility of appreciating each other arising.

For myself the book scores with devotee distributor names at Sunday feasts is not very attractive and I don't think I could ever learn to appreciate that again (been there done that braddah) that might put me into a PTSD freakout..

I do think it a natural thing to want to move to warmer weather when one gets older, warmer weather is easier on our bodies, I know I want to get out of the high tundra here one day....

[metamorphosis]

Announcing Alachua Mela
by ISKCON Alachua

Posted May 15, 2007

Thursday, June 14 to Sunday, June 17, 2007 at ISKCON Alachua

Alachua Mela is a Krishna conscious gathering of spiritual empowerment, sharing of diverse interests and talents, inspiring us to a purposeful balanced spiritual life, and creating a powerfully unified community. Join us in creating this event, our lives and our community.


Join us for four days of:
Workshops
Connection Circles
Feasting
Singing and Dancing in Kirtan
Musical Entertainment (with Dancing) by Devotee Bands and DJ's
Plays and other Arts and Entertainment
Vaisnava Youth Camp (8-15) and Little Vaisnava Camp (ages 3-7)
Group Camps (Spirituality, Community, Mind & Body, Business, Arts & Entertainment etc.)
Sports Tournaments: Soccer, Volleyball and Basketball.
Market Place
The Workshops and Connection circles are as follows:


Spirituality
Spirituality Group Discussion
Tools for Meditation (Hita)
6 Loving Exchanges (Jaya)
Integrating K.C (Gaura Shakti)
Prabhupada / Gurukuli Inheritance (Samapriya & Hita)
Talking to Friends & Co-workers about K.C. (Jaggy & Celio)
How to Conduct a Kirtan (Param)
Indian vs. Vedic Culture (Madhva)
Ocean of Mercy (Jahnava and Priya Higgins)
Kirtan Etiquette (Param)
How to Conduct a Kirtan (Param)

Community
Connect Circles: Parenting
Connect Circles: College Career
Education - Nurturing (Gaurapriya Sutherland)
Connect Circles: Relationships

Body & Mind
Vira Vinyasa Yoga (Gaurapriya Sutherland)
Shanti Vinyasa Yoga (Gaurapriya Sutherland)
Natural & Ayurvedic Health (Dhananjaya)
Satvatove - Introduction to Foundational Life Skills (Malini)
Satvatove - Graduate Workshop (Dhira Govinda)
Shivananda Yoga (Hita)
Intro to Landmark (Priya Higgins)
Astrology
Holistic Mothering [women only] (Gaurapriya Glick)
Spa Treatments [women only]
Thai Massage (Ram)
Your Vaastu Home Made Simple (Dhananjaya)
Palmistry (Ananga Manjari)
Live Food Experience (Raya Krsna)

Business
Resume Building (Giri)
Interview Skills (Giri)
Business Panel (Krsna Avatar)
Millionaire Minds

Arts & Entertainment
Krishna on Broadway (Krsnaa)

Local Hare Krishnas bear brunt of measles cases
THE COUNTY AND UF ARE WORKING TO CONTROL THE THREAT.

[Bhaktavasya]

Live Food Experience (Raya Krsna)

After looking very scrutinizingly for á fault, i couldn't find any. Only something funny... (what, as opposed to dead food experience?)