ISKCON STATE LEVEL BHAGAVAD GITA CONTEST 2010

ISKCON STATE LEVEL BHAGAVAD GITA CONTEST conducted by ISKCON Rajahmundry is first of its kind in INDIA in ISKCON organization .This is an idea of the temple president SRIMAN SATYA GOPINATH DAS .He is also a RGB member for the southern region .The state level BHAGAVAD GITA contest is his long lasting desire to spread the Lords message among students community which has come into shape in October 2009.

MODERN PROBLEMS ANCIENT SOLUTIONS

The Bhagavad Gita contest aims at:

• To prepare good citizens "Present students are the future of the world"
• To inculcate Human values
• To Imbibe Spiritual values and education
• To bring them to the platform of Universal Brotherhood
• To eradicate Violence in students Community
• To make them understand to follow the nature's laws
• To know Bhagavad gita as a manual for Human mission
• To give them self Discipline
• To make them understand true love doesn't kill anybody

The Examination is in two categories

The prizes for the contest are as follows:

(SEPARATE PRIZES FOR CATEGORY 1 AND 2)

The poster containing the above information has been released by Sriman Satya Gopinath Das in a press meet held in the premises of ISKCON RAJAHMUNDRY for inviting application from students.

Regular scrolls are given in Major T.V. Channels. To organize this programme devotees from the temple are sent to all district head quarters in advance. Where they established a contact place /information centre for the convenience of the students. Advertisements are given in major news papers in all districts along with the names of the district coordinators .The district coordinators went to each and every school/college and introduced with institution head .All the students wishing to participate in the contest are made to fill an application and pay an entry fee of RS150/- for which they are gifted a hard bound RS 200/- worth 1000 page Bhagavad Gita As It Is (Telugu or English).Hall tickets are issued on the spot. Many students and parents showed keen interest on this programme .Many of the institute heads are ready to welcome this programme .This is because everyone felt the need of spiritual education in the student community as they realized the spiritual knowledge is the only way to stop the degradation of moral values .

Initially all the devotees faced some problems as some say the entry fee is more or some say it is hard for school going children to follow and understand Bhagavad Gita .But all the time H.G.Satya Gopinath Prabhu is in touch with all the district coordinators almost two times a day and encouraged a lot . By his sincere prayers to the lord slowly students enrollment increased .Many people encouraged and helped us in this programme .Gradually the number of enrollees reached more than 25, 000, jaya Srila prabhupada.

This success is mainly because of H.G.Satya Gopinath Prabhu. All the efforts of all the district coordinators put together is less when compared to the efforts and pain taken by him. besides talking to all devotees on phone twice a day and encouraging them, prabhuji used to answer hundreds of calls received daily as he has given his personal number for TV scrolling. He used to receive unending phone calls from 5am to 12:30 mid night. Prabhuji received all the phone calls patiently and answered all their questions regarding the contest. Due to this tire less efforts of H.G.Satya Gopinath prabhu and all the devotees the programme turned out to be a great success.

Finally the examination was held on 31st January 2010, in all the district head quarters. Some of the districts have two or three examination centers .More than 80% of the students attended the exam .All the students who participated in the examination are given the ISKCON Bhagavad Gita contest participation certificate on the spot. In many centres devotees distributed prasadam to the students. The Gita contest results are announced within 15 days of the examination .Invitations are sent to all prize winning students. Heads of the institutes with best participation are also invited .The prize distribution ceremony was held on the 4th March 2010at Subrahmanyam maidanam .The chairman of A.P. Industrial development corporation Sri S. Siva Rama Subrahmanyam , Mayor Smt. Adireddy Veerraghavamma, Deputy Mayor Sri Prasad ,Leading contractor Sri Thota Subba Rao and Asst Vice Chairman of Axis bank Sri V.Partha Saradhi are chief invites for the Programme. Also Hyderabad ISKCON temple President H.H.Vedanta Caitanya das ,Medchal ISKCON temple president H.H .Srivatsav das, Vijayawada ISKCON Temple president H.H.Rammurari das are there on the Dias.

The guest of honor have distributed the mementos, PRATHIBA PURASHKAR certificates ,The book containing biography of Srila Prabhupada along with prize money to the winners, and also best participation certificate and mementos to institution heads .