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About Us
Ceo of Iskcon Miami Outreach
His Holiness Bhakti Prabhupada Vrata Damodara Maharaja
1946 Born in NYC.
1965 – Moved from Brooklyn (NYC) to the Lower East Side (Manhattan), very near to Tompkins Square Park where Srila Prabhupada would soon launch the Hare Krsna Movement in the West by public Harinama Sankirtana.
1966 – Once the first (storefront) temple was started, he began visiting there and interacting with “the Swami” any number of times, this despite his disorientation (greatly worsened by his use of LSD).
1968 – Published a rudimentary “underground newspaper,” one issue of which had dedicated a page to an article about SP entitled “The Master Returns” and which included a famous photo of SP presenting his First Canto Bhagavatams to Prime Minister Sastri.
1969 – Purchased a used furniture store which only months earlier had been the first ISKCON temple in Boston, MA (USA), established by Satsvarupa dasa. This (storefront) temple was blessed several times by the personal presence of SP.
For its last two years (‘73 – ’75), this expanding enterprise became increasingly related (“dovetailed”) to the Boston temple.
1972 – Granted one last darshana with His Divine Grace (at 38 North Beacon Street, Boston, MA).
1975 – Sold the business and, in July, joined the temple, donating most of the proceeds.
1976 (spring, Ramanavami) – received first initiation.
1977 (end of October) received second initiation.
1975 – 1977 – Traveling (book distribution) Sankirtana. Very austere!
1978 – 1990 – Various services, including treasurer of Boston temple, and later, and of other temples and of BTG Magazine.
1990 – 2000 – Struggling to reestablish and maintain ISKCON in Bogota, Colombia, he resorted to business activities.
2001 – 2002 – Resided in the Alachua community.
2002 – the present – Taught Bhakti Sastri courses in VIHE (Vrndavana) several years. Has been traveling and preaching, including in NYC, Miami, Alachua, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, Puerto Rico, Ukraine, Vrndavana, Mayapur, Spain, Guyana, Trinidad, Surinam, Peru, Bolivia, Kuwait, etc. Is currently mainly based in Miami, Florida.
In early 2013, was awarded sannyasa by HH Niranjana Swami.
In mid-2018 was elected to become a member of SABHA.
Early this year (2019) was authorized to initiate disciples in ISKCON.
Is currently (as per 2021) focused on efforts to revive the preaching in Miami through a new non-profit organization named ISKCON Miami Outreach.
About Us
Founded Iskcon Miami Outreach
- Biography of Jayadhvaja Das
- 69 Saw the devotees in Argentina Buenos Aires on a black and white tv chanting on a square
- Some of those devotees were Brahmananda , Gargamuni and other devotees
- 73 Meet devotees on an Harinam and got an invitation to visit the temple, the invitation was giving by
- Atulananda Das
- 73 Attend Sunday Love Feast, and Love Prasadam and programs
- 74 Pramana Swami convince me to join, he insisted that was better to become Krishna Conscious in the temple
- 75 After six to eight months in the temple got initiation by Srila Prabhupada and got a letter from Srila Pabhupada
- Telling me that my name was Jayadhvaja and not Jayadharma
- 76 Temple close by the government, Srila Prabhupada call us to India, start to collect in Brazil to go to India
- 76 Travel to Peru on the way to India spend few months and got second initiation, together with my godbrother Kaivalya Swarupa
- 76 Got to Madrid Spain and did book distribution and become temple president
- 77 Travel to India and Join Bombay and help Mahabudhi Das the temple commander and spend the next twelve years in India
- 80 Become Sankirtan Leader of the Jagannatha Bus traveling throughout India, Bombay Sankirtan become
- 3 years on the road world champion on book distribution
- 85 Become Temple President of the Bombay Temple
- 87 Become Temple President of the New Delhi temple in Greater Kailash
- 89 Become Regional Secretary for Eastern Africa Kenya
- 90 Return To India
- 91 Travel to Malasya , Australia , New Zealand, Argentina
- 92 USA Tour visit many temples stays in USA
- 95 Collect for Alachua’s Project under Hamsa Rupa Prabhu
- 99 Travel to Miami and assist the temple
- 2000 Settle in Miami and join the temple preaching programs
- 2013 Become Board Member of the Miami Temple
- 2019 Founded Iskcon Miami Outreach with his Holiness BPV Damodar Swami
- Currently (as per 2021) focused on efforts to revive the preaching in Miami through a new non-profit organization named ISKCON Miami Outreach
- 2021 Revived Ratha Yatra in Miami after 32 years of absence
- 2022 Did the first Ratha Yatra at Coconut Grove which was attended by ten thousand people
- 2023 Revive Book Distribution at Public places like Farmers Market and Universities around Miami
Chief Financial Officer
My first contact with ISKCON was thru my uncle, Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhu in Los Angeles, CA. It was the summer of 1976 and I was 16 years old. He is a cousin to my mother. Baladeva prabhu was very patient with me, because at the time I was an atheist and used to debate him ad nauseam. He tolerated my useless arguments in favor of Prasadam and the reading of Krishna Book. That worked!
In 1977, September, I ended up joining ISKCON in San Francisco; but remained there for only a couple of weeks. My parents had to move to my mother’s native land of El Salvador to take care of some business from my grandparents and, since I still was dependent on them, had to relocate with them for a couple of years. So, I 1978, I formally rejoined ISKCON in the fledging temple in San Salvador; stayed helping Prabhupada’s mission for one year there.
I have served in several ISKCON temples. Mexico City, Miami, Seattle, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal. I also did a stint missionary trip to Brazil. Now I serve in Alachua, Florida.
I have worked in several departments: pujari, help in kitchen, arranging festivals, preaching, conflict resolution facilitator, GBC representative in Montreal for about a year. But what I enjoyed the most has been Harinama Sankirtana leader on the streets of major North American cities; did that for many years. But I can say that, through my 42 years in ISKCON, my most cherished service has been preaching – presenting Krishna Consciousness to others, just as my uncle did with me.
It was Srila Prabhupada’s writings and his powerful commentaries on the Scriptures that brought my stubborn mind to his lotus feet. And that is when I made my lifetime commitment to help spread his preaching mission along side his disciples and grand disciples. To this day, it is his commentaries on the Shastras that keep me engaged in the holy mission of ISKCON to spread the Holy Names and Krishna Consciousness wherever I may be located.
Humbly,
Yugala Kishor dasa
Ernest Monterrosa, MBA