A 3 minute video of Bhima-Karma Saragrahi‘s dramatic, uplifting and introspective rendition of his poem “Turned Around.” He delivered it during the KM09 Gala Evening at the Ford Theatre in Hollywood.

In the ancient Sanskrit language, “Kuli Mela” is “A Celebration of Community.”

The main theme for KulimeLA 2009 was to “Honor the Past, Celebrate the Present & Envision the Future.”

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Los Angeles Gurukuli Reunion, the John Anson Ford Amphitheater, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, was chosen as an ideal location for Kulis to come together to acknowledge their collective history and appreciate the many accomplishments of the pioneer Gurukulis throughout the past two decades.

Dressed in formal and elegant attire, approximately one thousand Vaishnavas gathered to walk the red carpet and participate in an amazing evening that beautifully showcased “A Mosaic of Our Generations.”

CLICK HERE to check out the growing Kuli Mela video and audio selections on Krishna.com.

The Kuli Mela Association is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to connect our diverse and dynamic global community. We believe that by encouraging each other along our individual paths and by serving together in our shared goals we can make a positive difference in the world.

For more information please visit our KMA Facebook Page.

Video of Ananta Vrindavan singing an a capella combo of “Je Anilo Prema Dhana” & “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday” during the KulimeLA 2009 Gala Evening at the Ford Theater in Hollywood. He dedicated his performance to “the memory of loved ones we’ve lost as a way to invoke their presence in our hearts.”

In the ancient Sanskrit language, “Kuli Mela” is “A Celebration of Community.”

The main theme for KulimeLA 2009 was to “Honor the Past, Celebrate the Present & Envision the Future.”

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Los Angeles Gurukuli Reunion, the John Anson Ford Amphitheater, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, was chosen as an ideal location for Kulis to come together to acknowledge their collective history and appreciate the many accomplishments of the pioneer Gurukulis throughout the past two decades.

Dressed in formal and elegant attire, approximately one thousand Vaishnavas gathered to walk the red carpet and participate in an amazing evening that beautifully showcased “A Mosaic of Our Generations.”

CLICK HERE to check out the growing Kuli Mela video and audio selections on Krishna.com.

The Kuli Mela Association is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to connect our diverse and dynamic global community. We believe that by encouraging each other along our individual paths and by serving together in our shared goals we can make a positive difference in the world.

For more information please visit our KMA Facebook Page.

A video montage featuring highlights of KM06 – New Vrindaban, KM07 – Alachua, KM07 – Moscow & KM08 – Radhadesh, shown during the KulimeLA 2009 Gala Evening at the Ford Theater in Hollywood. 

In the ancient Sanskrit language, “Kuli Mela” is “A Celebration of Community.”

The main theme for KulimeLA 2009 was to “Honor the Past, Celebrate the Present & Envision the Future.”

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Los Angeles Gurukuli Reunion, the John Anson Ford Amphitheater, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, was chosen as an ideal location for Kulis to come together to acknowledge their collective history and appreciate the many accomplishments of the pioneer Gurukulis throughout the past two decades.

Dressed in formal and elegant attire, approximately one thousand Vaishnavas gathered to walk the red carpet and participate in an amazing evening that beautifully showcased “A Mosaic of Our Generations.”

CLICK HERE to check out the growing Kuli Mela video and audio selections on Krishna.com.

The Kuli Mela Association is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to connect our diverse and dynamic global community. We believe that by encouraging each other along our individual paths and by serving together in our shared goals we can make a positive difference in the world.

For more information please visit our KMA Facebook Page.

Goura Riggan performs a Kathak dance during the KulimeLA 2009 Gala Evening at the Ford Theatre in Hollywood, CA.

In the ancient Sanskrit language, “Kuli Mela” is “A Celebration of Community.”

The main theme for KulimeLA 2009 was to “Honor the Past, Celebrate the Present & Envision the Future.”

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Los Angeles Gurukuli Reunion, the John Anson Ford Amphitheater, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, was chosen as an ideal location for Kulis to come together to acknowledge their collective history and appreciate the many accomplishments of the pioneer Gurukulis throughout the past two decades.

Dressed in formal and elegant attire, approximately one thousand Vaishnavas gathered to walk the red carpet and participate in an amazing evening that beautifully showcased “A Mosaic of Our Generations.”

CLICK HERE to check out the growing Kuli Mela video and audio selections on Krishna.com.

The Kuli Mela Association is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to connect our diverse and dynamic global community. We believe that by encouraging each other along our individual paths and by serving together in our shared goals we can make a positive difference in the world.

For more information please visit our KMA Facebook Page.

Bhima Karma & Tyaga Hebel share a 10 minute overview of “ISKCON’s Gurukula Experiment” during the KM09 Gala Evening at the Ford Theater. This presentation touches on many of the high (and low) lights of the past 40 years. 

In the ancient Sanskrit language, “Kuli Mela” is “A Celebration of Community.”

The main theme for KulimeLA 2009 was to “Honor the Past, Celebrate the Present & Envision the Future.”

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Los Angeles Gurukuli Reunion, the John Anson Ford Amphitheater, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, was chosen as an ideal location for Kulis to come together to acknowledge their collective history and appreciate the many accomplishments of the pioneer Gurukulis throughout the past two decades.

Dressed in formal and elegant attire, approximately one thousand Vaishnavas gathered to walk the red carpet and participate in an amazing evening that beautifully showcased “A Mosaic of Our Generations.”

CLICK HERE to check out the growing Kuli Mela video and audio selections on Krishna.com.

The Kuli Mela Association is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to connect our diverse and dynamic global community. We believe that by encouraging each other along our individual paths and by serving together in our shared goals we can make a positive difference in the world.

For more information please visit our KMA Facebook Page.

A newly released video of Krsangi Davis performing her “Spark of the Spirit” Dance during the KulimeLA 2009 Gala Evening at the Ford Theater in Hollywood, CA. 

In the ancient Sanskrit language, “Kuli Mela” is “A Celebration of Community.”

The main theme for KulimeLA 2009 was to “Honor the Past, Celebrate the Present & Envision the Future.”

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Los Angeles Gurukuli Reunion, the John Anson Ford Amphitheater, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, was chosen as an ideal location for Kulis to come together to acknowledge their collective history and appreciate the many accomplishments of the pioneer Gurukulis throughout the past two decades.

Dressed in formal and elegant attire, approximately one thousand Vaishnavas gathered to walk the red carpet and participate in an amazing evening that beautifully showcased “A Mosaic of Our Generations.”

CLICK HERE to check out the growing Kuli Mela video and audio selections on Krishna.com.

The Kuli Mela Association is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to connect our diverse and dynamic global community. We believe that by encouraging each other along our individual paths and by serving together in our shared goals we can make a positive difference in the world.

For more information please visit our KMA Facebook Page.

A newly released video of Chaitanya-Nitai performing her original song during the KulimeLA 2009 Gala Evening at the Ford Theater in Hollywood, CA. She dedicated her song to the Pioneer Kulis “who paved the way.” 

In the ancient Sanskrit language, “Kuli Mela” is “A Celebration of Community.”

The main theme for KulimeLA 2009 was to “Honor the Past, Celebrate the Present & Envision the Future.”

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Los Angeles Gurukuli Reunion, the John Anson Ford Amphitheater, nestled in the Hollywood Hills, was chosen as an ideal location for Kulis to come together to acknowledge their collective history and appreciate the many accomplishments of the pioneer Gurukulis throughout the past two decades.

Dressed in formal and elegant attire, approximately one thousand Vaishnavas gathered to walk the red carpet and participate in an amazing evening that beautifully showcased “A Mosaic of Our Generations.”

CLICK HERE to check out the growing Kuli Mela video and audio selections on Krishna.com.

The Kuli Mela Association is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to connect our diverse and dynamic global community. We believe that by encouraging each other along our individual paths and by serving together in our shared goals we can make a positive difference in the world.

For more information please visit our KMA Facebook Page.

Australians Ignite Kulimela Fuse

Written by Antony Brennan and originally posted at ISKCON News on January, 28, 2011.

The recent Australian Kulimela was a great success. Attended by up to 300 devotees and well wishers from around Australia and across the world, many are still swooning over their memories of the association, the kirtan and the prasadam.

The Kulimela was hosted by New Govardhana Dham, a farm at Eungella near Murwillumbah in northern New South Wales. The festival ran over two weeks from the 27th of December 2010 to the 9th of January, 2011.

The first week of the celebration was designed to allow participants to recover from jet lag, get to know each other and experience the Australian environment.

Bus tours took everyone to refreshing rockpools and waterfalls for swimming and to explore the region’s beautiful rainforests and walking tracks. On new year’s eve devotees travelled to the Gold Coast, a popular tourist destination, for Harinam and prasadam distribution. The afternoons and evenings rang to the sounds of bhajans and kirtan in the temple and bhajan kutir.

Week two was also filled with kirtan, prasadam and the added ingredients of seminars and concerts. The second week was capped by the Kuli Fest, a festival of photography, art, fashion, martial arts and yoga presented by second generation devotees. The final event was a Ratha Yatra from the bridge near the farm entrance up to the temple.

Devotees and well wishers at the Kulimela were treated to seminars on business planning, forgiveness, yoga, reframing, healing, ayurveda, self defence, cow protection and more. Seminars were presented by Asesha devi Dasi, Gitanjali Devi Dasi, Taraka Devi Dasi, Vaiyasaki Dasa, Damodara Dasa, Lila Kirtan Devi Dasi, Shabaz and other talented devotees.

“The idea of a Kulimela in Australia was initially floated by Kalindi Bindi,” said Advaita Mayler, one of the Australian Kulimela organizers. “She knew that we needed something like this for our youth.”

“I was fortunate enough to attend the Kulimela in Radhadesh a few years ago,” Advaita said. “That event inspired me so much that I signed up straight away to help Kalindi pull it off over here.”

“Initially it was Kalindi and myself trying to plan the whole thing,” Advaita says. “Once we had settled on New Govardhana as the venue it was a challenge as neither of us lived there on the farm. Shyamasundari stepped up wanting to get involved and she got a bunch of the local youth enthused by the idea and from that Nitai Christian Durr signed up to be the local co-ordinator. By the time it kicked off we had about seven main organizers.

Advice and assistance was available from the Kulimela Association which gave valuable support behind the scenes in the lead up to the event. The association is comprised of people who have organized previous Melas, with a core group from the States who have a lot of experience having organized a few of these festivals.

The festival was host to many wonderful musicians such as Gaura Vani and As Kindred Spirits, Azitiz and The Ghost Brothers from the USA and Canada. Local acts inspired and uplifted everyone including Sri Prahlada, Gitanjali Devi Dasi, Dovetales, Haribhakti Dey and Cupids Bullet.

“The main message of the festival was for everyone, especially the youth, to unite, reconnect and to inspire one another both materially and spiritually,” said Nitai. “Everyone should strive to move forward in life regardless of what level of Krishna Conciousness they are at,” he says.

“People I meet are still commenting on the Kulimela,” Nitai says. “Some are saying it was the best devotional festival they have been to, some say they will remember it for life and they are looking forward to the next one.”

During the Kulimela the rain poured almost every evening which, after the festival, led to flooding in the region. Even this could not take away from the immense benefit of associating with so many devotees of Lord Krishna.

The Australian Kulimela organizers are planning smaller scale gatherings all over Australia throughout the year and are hoping to arrange another big event on an annual basis.

Rumor also has it that New Zealand devotees may be planning a Kulimela of their own.

Kulimela Australia 2011

KULI FEST: Saturday, January 8th at the Murwillumbah Civic Center

CLICK HERE to view tonight’s evening performances webcast LIVE on Ustream.

Tentative Schedule: 5:00 to 10:00+ pm, Brisbane time.

Invocation (H.H. Mukunda Goswami + Gurukula kids)

Radha devi (NZ – Bharat Natyam)

Natya shakti (AU – Bharat Natyam)

Mayapuris (US – Drumming)

Gaura Vani and As Kindred Spirits (US)

Hari Bhakti (AU)

Madhurastakam (Kuli Mela Supergroup)

Intermission

Fashion Show

Chaitanya

Sudi + Lalita

Chay and Stuntmen

Dovetails (AU – Vedic Rap)

Uncle Crazy (AU)

Ghost Brothers (CA)

—————————————————————————

Times are local to Brisbane, Australia.

Some examples of the start time around the world:

Los Angeles: Friday, January 7, 2011 at 11:00 pm.

New York: Saturday, January 8, 2011 at 2:00 am.

London: Saturday, January 8, 2011 at 7:00 am.

Mumbai: Saturday, January 8, 2011 at 12:30 pm.

To convert the time difference to your location, CLICK HERE.

Schedule is subject to change.

Please send prayers to Krishna that He instruct the internet gods to provide a good internet connection.

Thanks to Sitapati and his crew for doing their best to make the live video feed happen.

—————————————————————————

In the ancient Sanskrit language, “Kuli” refers to a member of a “Community” and “Mela” means “Festive Gathering.” Combined, “Kuli Mela” transforms into “A Celebration of Community.”