Krishna Consciousness Journey

It was year 1997, opening ceremony was going on in ISKCON Bangalore. An intermediate studying girl who was there in that ceremony was astonished to see all the celebrations going on there. That place was jammed with many Indian and foreign visitors. Temple’s vice president was instructing a devotee who was in some place of the temple, over his walkie-talkie. A desire arose in the heart of that girl who was watching all these things. Immediately she prayed, “My dear Lord! Please bless me also such that I can also be part of construction of such a big temple, where devotees need to communicate in Walkie-Talkie”. That girl is none than me, Nitai Sevini Devi Dasi. You will say that Krishna is definitely a desire tree, if you read my story. You please read below to know how Krishna fulfilled my desire.

A childhood filled with devotion

I was born in an opulent Gujarati Business family. My father was a cloth merchant. I have one sister. Mother is an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna. In the year 1984 we migrated from Mumbai to Hyderabad and settled there. I started my studies in the school run by ISKCON Secunderabad. That’s how I came into contact with Krishna Consciousness at very tender age. Our family deity is also Krishna only. Even before coming in contact with ISKCON, since my childhood we were habituated to chant the mantra “Srikrishnam Sharanam Mama”, Going to Krishna’s temple and singing Krishna’s Bhajans. There used to be no onion garlic in our food. Tea and Coffee were not at all there. We used to take the food, only after offering it to Krishna. We used to worship Laddu Gopal at our home.

Devotional Training

I got trained in Devotional since my childhood, by my parents. Not only devotion, they trained me in the life centred around charity and austerity. They taught us the divine activities like chanting names of the rivers while taking bath, feeding grains to the doves on the terrace and attending Mangala Arati in ISKCON. Every day my father used to feed Upma Prasadam to the poor children near Jalaram Temple. On the way to the temple, he used to feed chapatis to the cows. He used to read Ramayan very loudly when he is at home. Even though we don’t understand what he is reading, we used to hear it while walking hither and tither. He taught us to keep all the dishes along with a piece of chapathi in another plate and keep it outside, before taking our prasadam. Crows used to eat that prasadam. He used to say that ancestors come in the form and eat prasadam. He taught us how to offer water to the Sun God and also how to water Tulasi. Like this we got trained by my father in the devotional service.

Unique Birthday Celebrations

Me and my sister used to celebrate our Birthdays in a unique way. We used to go to orphanages, near by hospitals like Gandhi Hospital, Nilopher Hospital, Mahvir Hospital and distribute fruits, biscuits and prasadam to the poor and the patients. That used to make us happy. Ther used to be a competition between me and my sister in how much charity we did. My mother was also a social servant. She used to make us prepare greeting cards and distribute them to the patients in orthopaedic ward along with a fruit. In this way I learnt how to live a life filled with the principle of helping others.

Ekadashi Vrata since Childhood

I learnt to observe Ekadashi and Dwadashi Vrata from my parents. My mother used to feed a Brahmana on every Dwadashi. When that Brahmana turned old and fell sick, his wife used to come and collect swayam paka (ingredients needed to prepare bhoga) from my mother. At that time my mother used to give her cool butter milk and talk to her with affection. That culture has shown lot of effect on me. I am always indebted to my parents who taught us those best values. My mother taught to live a life centred around Krishna. Whenever we purchase new clothes, we used to show it to Krishna first and ask Him if they are good. All this was taught by my mother to us.

Coming in contact with ISKCON

Even though I was a Krishna devotee since childhood, relationship with ISKCON began with one summer camp. I got first prize in a summer camp organised by ISKCON. The gift is a free Mayapur tour to all the family members. That was my first Mayapur tour. I was very much impressed to see hundreds of devotees attending and singing in Mangala Arati. Especially, there was so much influence of Srila Prabupada’s Biography on my life. When I was in class 8, I arranged ISKCON summer camp in my school, by discussing with my head master. In that summer camp, I got Srila Prabhupada’s Biography as first prize. I couldn’t control my tears while reading that book. I completed that book within very short span of time. At that time only I decided to dedicate my life and do something for him.

Absorption in ISKCON

Once, when I was in the 7th grade, during an ISKCON lecture, they said that loudly chanting the Hare Naam helps to uplift all living entities around us. That day, after the Mangala Aarti at ISKCON Hyderabad, while I was chanting my rounds, I noticed an insect. With the intention of uplifting it, I followed it while chanting. It was wandering here and there and finally went into a room. That was the room for the GBC, where sannyasis stayed. Without noticing it, I was peeking under the door for that insect. Suddenly, a sannyasi opened the door and came out. I got scared and said, “No, Maharaj, an insect came in.” He listened to everything and said, “You will become a good preacher when you grow up.” But at that time, I never imagined that I would preach to so many people in so many languages. Today, I am able to preach in five languages only because of those blessings. I was fully involved in ISKCONs activities by the age of intermediate. I started preaching and teaching Bhagavad Gita in schools. To look big, I used to wear my mother’s saris when I go for preaching. In this way, I was closely associated with ISKCON Hyderabad. During that time only I came in contact with Sriman Sama Das ji and later we married each other.

Marriage and Initiation

After getting married to His Grace Samba Prabhuji in the year 1997, we shifted to Atlanta, USA. There only in the year 1998, His Holiness Jayapataka Swami Maharaj initiated me and gave the spiritual name “Nitai Sevini Dasi.” Later, my Guru Maharaj instructed us to establish an ISKCON temple in Visakhapatnam.

Sankalpa to build Palatial Temple in Visakhapatnam

Following the order of our spiritual master, my husband and I came from America to Delhi. We looked at a map to find out where Visakhapatnam was located. We drove from Delhi to Hyderabad and then reached Visakhapatnam. Here, we didn’t know anyone, so we rented a room in a hotel. While searching for a place to rent to start ISKCON centre, a telephone booth owner said that he had a three-story building and was willing to rent it to ISKCON. Thus, in May 1999, we rented that building in the area called as Sithammadhara and started the ISKCON Visakhapatnam preaching centre there. Gradually, we began our preaching activities. At that time, our Guru Maharaj visited our center, blessed us, and encouraged us greatly. We started our journey with books worth 5000 rupees and a picture of Radha Madana Mohana.

Since then, by Krishna’s mercy, we obtained three acres of land adjacent to the sea. At the time, we had no money in our bank account. However, within the one-month, we managed to collect a substantial amount as donations to purchase the land. Before we could gather this money, Prabhuji had already printed the invitation for the Bhoomi Puja. I was surprised and asked Prabhuji, “We haven’t paid anything yet. Why are you printing the invitation and inviting the minister?” He replied, “Do you think that we are doing this? No, this is Krishna’s work. He will take care of it. We just need to work hard for it, and He will manage the rest.” After that, we faced many challenges. The land fell under the CRZ (Coastal Regulation Zone), and we did not get permission to build a temple here. So, we started constructing a guest house in the back. Eventually, in 2015, after overcoming many obstacles, our Prabhuji, Sriman Samba Prabhuji, obtained permission from the central government to start the temple construction. This is a project worth 100 crores. The project includes a temple, a kalyana mandapam, a restaurant, an underwater meditation hall, a pushkarini, a guest house, and a Vedic planetarium, along with a beautiful Dashavatara garden. Currently, we are completing the first phase of the project. Wood work and Sthapathi works are going on, and we aim to inaugurate the completed first phase in 2025. A 100-room guest house is also nearing completion. This temple will become one of the largest Radha Krishna temples in India, facing the sea. This is the same sea where Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu bathed. Visakhapatnam holds significant importance in history, as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Prabhupada, and many Vaishnava acharyas have visited here. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave very important instructions here. The ancient Simhachalam temple, where Lord Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha manifested, is also located here. Thus, for devotees, Visakhapatnam is a holy place. Now, a magnificent temple is being built here. Krishna guides not just Arjuna but everyone. However, some can see it, while others cannot.

Service as an Educationalist

From the beginning, I have shown enthusiasm for nurturing spirituality in children. That’s why, even though I was busy with services, I started a school called Divine Touch for children. Initially, we began with younger kids, but parents encouraged us to increase the classes, so we extended it up to the 7th grade. The education here is the same as in other schools, but it is combined with Divine Touch. Just as two hands can clap together, education becomes complete by teaching the knowledge of spiritualty alongside A, B, C, D and 1, 2, 3, 4.

Additionally, we also run a Sunday school. When we moved to this larger space in 2007, I had an idea: why not have the children stay here for a week and taste spirituality? With that thought, we started a week-long residential summer camp 12 years ago. In the summer camp, when children come on Sunday, they bring their belongings and have no connection with the outside world, including their parents, until the following Sunday. During that week, they live the life of a devotee. They wake up at 3:30 AM, complete their morning rituals, and attend Mangala Aarti. After that, we take them for a walk on the beach (outside). Then, they have Prasadam, and I tell them stories from the Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavatam.

Support from Husband

What has inspired me in my life is my husband, His Grace Samba Prabhuji. He provided me with continuous guidance, love, and affection. I have learned a lot by observing his experiences in life. I was very young at the time of my marriage. I cannot imagine what might have happened if it weren’t for his constant encouragement during such a time. He has supported me in every aspect of my life, not just as a husband but also as a friend, an elder, a father, a guru, and a spiritual guide. He encouraged me wholeheartedly to earn my doctorate. Therefore, what I can say is that I want to be a person who provides spiritual support to everyone, someone who takes us forward spiritually out of the comfort zone of our lives. Just as a skilled sculptor chisels a stone into a beautiful sculpture, they bring out the best results from us.

Multi Taks Handling

When we came to Visakhapatnam, I had to handle multiple roles. When we started the outreach centre, I was a priest, collecting life membership donations, cooking, organizing programs, and promoting Krishna Consciousness among children and women. I had to do all these activities. Devotees would go on a book distribution bus for a month, return, and report their results. I would give them books and review their reports. As a teacher, I taught everyone how to chant and how to perform prayers like Shikshashtakam. After that, as the outreach centre grew, my responsibilities increased with the arrival of more devotees. At the same time, I started publishing a magazine called “Voice of Krishna.” Likewise, I promoted the production of Krishna Conscious short films. I managed printing, advertisements, communication with newspaper reporters, and responsibilities related to the outreach centre’s social media. As the centre grew, my responsibilities kept increasing. Later, we began construction of the temple, started a Goshala, initiated guest house services, and launched an Annadanam (free meal) program etc.

In this way, my husband encouraged me to become proficient in all areas. As a result, I am able to manage all tasks efficiently, whether it is driving a car, cooking, listening to Krishna katha, or performing outreach, traveling to Vrindavan and Mayapur, or managing ISKCON’s Sunday feast programs, organizing large events like Janmashtami, Ratha Yatra, Dasara festivals, fundraising, or looking after life members. It is only because of the freedom and encouragement he has given me that I am able to perform all these services effectively. I will always be indebted to him for that.

Preaching Krishna Consciousness across the globe

Once, my Spiritual Master instructed me to give discourses in Telugu. Following his order, I began delivering Telugu Krishna Chaitanya discourses on several regional TV channels. Furthermore, with the determination to introduce Krishna devotion to as many people as possible worldwide, I launched the ISKCON Visakhapatnam YouTube channel, where we posted many discourses on the Srimad Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam not only in Telugu but also in Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, and English. I sincerely pray to Krishna and Srila Prabhupada that these discourses reach people of all backgrounds and sow the seeds of Krishna Consciousness in their hearts.

During the corona pandemic, as a small effort to awaken Krishna consciousness and instil courage in them, I started conducting numerous online discourses through Zoom for people not only in India but also in North America, South America, Canada, Germany, London, Sri Lanka, South Africa, the Middle Eastern countries, Saudi Arabia, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Now it has became a daily routine of my preaching.

Personal Satisfaction

If I don’t mention my elder son Anirudh Das and younger son Nimai Krishna Das, my devotional journey would not be complete. As a mother, I am very proud to say that both of them have supported me in every way to serve my guru and Krishna. Seeing their mother helping so many people spiritually makes them proud as well. My elder son Anirudh always says, “Everyone has a mother, but I am very proud that my mother is a spiritual mother to many.” That statement always inspires me to do more service for Krishna. Therefore, I sincerely congratulate my two children for the cooperation they have extended me in serving Krishna.

I express my heartfelt gratitude to Sri Prabhupada and my Spiritual Master, who has blessed me with the opportunity to serve Krishna, and to the Vaishnavas who have been supporting me. I also pray to Lord Krishna and Srila Prabhupada for the early completion of the ISKCON Visakhapatnam temple construction, and I request you all to shower your blessings upon me so that I can continue to serve them.

Your humble servant,
Nitai Sevini Dasi
ISKCON Visakhapatnam Temple,
Sagar Nagar, Visakhapatnam