By Ananta Gopal Das | Head Pujari (Priest) at Bhaktivedanta Manor

Bhaktivedanta Manor temple is one of the largest temples in Europe and a popular holy place, visited by millions of people every year. The temple is famous for many things; great festivals, beautiful gardens, huge congregation, Goshalla – a shelter for the cows – and most importantly, Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda – Deities personally installed by the Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada.

It always amazes me when I see devotees eagerly running to the temple room to be on time for the aarti ceremony before the priest blows the conch shell. Many congregation devotees come daily for the morning prayers before work; some even bring their children along.

Some devotees don’t have time to come into the temple room to offer prayers because they need to rush to work, but they still take darshan of the Deities from the window outside.

At the temple there is a sense of urgency, the eagerness to make spiritual progress now – in this life – and not later, on another day or in some future birth.

Parents teach their children how to pronounce the names of The Deities and offer obeisances in the temple room. New students on the monk course are reading from the screen the Guru worship prayers, trying to sing along with the rest of the devotees. Pujaris are waving camaras, kirtan leaders playing drums and cymbals and everyone is dancing in the temple room.

Loud singing of the holy Names of Krishna penetrates the temple walls and can even be heard in the gardens. Every step is a dance and every day is a festival. That is life at Bhaktivedanta Manor.

Come and join us if you can, even for a few minutes. Get inspired and begin your day in the best possible way, dancing and singing for Radha Gokulananda!