|
Prabhu Sridhar Das in Bolivia tells us about the actual situation of our Vrinda family in Bolivia, La Paz. Vrinda has not existed many years in Bolivia - only for about six years.
When Guru Maharaj came to Bolivia in 1997, the preaching had been stagnated for about ten years, since the devotees had been unjustly persecuted and Srila Prabhupada's mission had been prohibited. The Iskcon temple (which at that time was the only mission in Bolivia) was closed, and the devotees put into prison, but they were later set free due to lack of evidences of what they were accused for. However, the Krishna consciousness movement were sadly prohibited.
However, these things changed when His Holiness B.A. Paramadvaiti Swami established the Vrinda mission, and for the first time in ten years, people could see the Harinam, and the devotees could freely distribute transcendental literature. It took some time to change the bad image that the public opinion had of the devotees, but by Krishna's mercy and by the Vaisnavas, this was easily done, which inspired greatly the sankirtan movement.
In March 1997 Guru Maharaj opened the bramacary ashram in the old part of La Paz. In the end of the same year, Guru Maharaj came for the second time, and it was decided to establish the melas (big spiritual festivals). The first mela took place at la Isla del Sol (the Sun Island) in the lake Titicaca, which is a historical place and considered a holy place for the Incas. This mela was in June 1998, and since then, the melas are realized in different places in South America.
The VRINDA mission in Bolivia has developed ever since then, and they maintain the preaching. With the support of Maharaj Parvath, it is also spreading to the eastern Bolivia.
Restaurant Vrinda's is one of the main services of the devotees in La Paz.. In the last two years this restaurant has got many friends from all parts of the world, and also among the local citizens. Besides this, the devotees are now in the project to once again organize a mela in one or two years.
The Bolivian devotees are also developing an ecological farm in a beautiful place where one can have retreats and festivals for everybody; this to please Srila Prabhupada and Srila Guru Maharaj.
Another activity is the impulse of Vegetarianism, which is organized by Kermes each second month in different zones and places in the country. The main activity, however, is the Harinam Sankirtan in the temple and the streets of the city.
More information about VRINDA Bolivia, is to be found at their web site in Spanish (http://www.geocities.com/vrindabolivia) that is to be finished soon.
|
Email This Page