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Croome Hare Krishna Festival 2015

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Dear devotees who ever had a relationship with Chaitanya College at Croome Court, UK.
This is an appeal especially to those who visited, lived or worked at CC when it was the HQ for ISKCON UK in the 1970’s/early 1980’s.
We are now in the fifth year of an annual Croome Hare Krishna Festival, hosted by the National Trust of England and Wales who now care for the Croome estate. They are very much behind our efforts to regain links with those familiar with life at the court in our time there .
I have responsibility to facilitate this and to this end we want to encourage attendance at the event, to be held this year on Saturday 19th of September and Sunday 20th of September. There will be some involvement as team members available (Details posted later).
As well, we need to think of photography, printed matter and other memorabilia of the period. Please search your attics and submit anything for us to archive or copy and return to you.
So far, the Gurukulu department has fared best with photographic records. Thanks to Reshesvari’s collection we have a popular display to draw ex-students and jog memories of previous attendees to the event. Many departments flourished at Chaitanya College and I’m sure there must be materials out there to help generate awareness of those exciting accomplishments!
Our presence here at Croome is a notable opportunity to be recognised for the part ISKCON and its members played in the history of this grand mansion in the english countryside.
At the opening in 2010 the director of the National Trust thanked ISKCON for its occupation of the court saying â€œ if you had not taken such care we would probably be holding this ceremony in front of a ruinâ€.

Please help us to expand this annual festival… Make some plans and pass on the news.

Croome Hare Krishna Festival Journal

Next week the steering group will meet at Croome and also have the second of this year’s meeting with the National trust where the arrangements for parking, stalls, seminars and catering etc will be tightened up. We’ll set eyes on the publicity material for the first time also. Overall this year’s event is one of the best for the National Trust and our efforts are aimed at maximising the good of previous years.
Prabhus already signed up for this years seminars include RupaVilas and Saunaka Rishi of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies. Sivaram Swami has had an invitation from me personally â€“ we pray for the recovery of his senses about his ever returning to Croome since the sad day of it’s closing! Hey, Maharaja, make it this year, please.
Some devotees have been talking about forming an outreach group to encourage and synchronise our connections with Croome- â€œThe Friends of Lord Krishna at Croome or FOLK@ Croome.
Incidentally premises local to Croome have been spotted and such a place would be an excellent fresh foothold for devotees, particularly those still living in the area, left centre less since the college closed in 1985, Folk@ Croome could have a base there. There is a camping site next door should the plan come to fruition for a greater number of devotees to attend.
I must be away to phone Bhumadeva about his possible re-appearance at the festival â€“ he was a very popular presence in 2013.

Further posts will follow as we build up to September 19th.
Obeisances to all,
Ys. Sripati Das

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