ISKCON South Africa Annual Report - 2014 | Page 24

ISKCON Cape Town celebrated 25 years in 2013. Here temple president Jyotirmay Prabhu shares his reflections on 2014 ISKCON Cape Town attracted many new people by starting weekly vegetarian cooking classes as well as Wednesday Bhagavad Gita classes. Our Sunday Love Feast discourses are based on verses from the Bhagavad-Gita - we encourage guests to follow the verses with their own copies of the Bhagavad-Gita and as a result our distribution of Bhagvad-Gita’s has increased manifold. Our popularity and turnover for Govindas has increased significantly. Cape Townian’s are turning towards a vegetarian and vegan-based diet and as a result our Govindas has seen greater footfall. We have also begun supplying prasadam to wellness warehouses and a franchised health store with over 10 stores in Cape Town thereby increasing the popularity of Govinda’s. We had wonderful festivals during the past year with aim of attracting new guests. Our Festivals are welcoming with food stalls, cooking classes, yoga demos, plays and cultural entertainment. This year we are excited to host Holi and a boat festival. Guests are added to our database and receive weekly information about our exciting up-and-coming festivals and events. We were blessed to have the association and guidance of senior devotees, including Bhakti Narasimha Swami, Bhakti Brhad Bhagavat Swami, Urmila Mataji, Lalitanath Prabhu, Kadamba Kanana Swami and Bhakti Charu Swami. Their presence and association give a lot of spiritual strength to the community. Four new African devotees have joined the temple with the intention of starting preaching programs in African communities in Cape Town. We have also cultivated a group of children in a nearby township who have learnt the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and practice kirtans collectively by themselves. This past year we have painted the building and renovated the Food for Life kitchen allowing for an expanded program and increased distribution. We are planning on building a new loft, a new deity kitchen and renovate the devotee guest room. ‘Spirit Matters’ New Comers program is a space open to all to enquire about the meaningful things in life and to meet other spiritually inclined people who share the same desire: to bring love to this world through establishing a relationship with the Supreme Lord. Contact: 17  St.  Andrews  Road,Rondebosch7700   T:  021  685  8384  or  021  686  1179   [email protected]   www.iskconcape.org.za