Other Activities
Āśrama Life
Besides the students of the Bhāgavata-śāstrī Program, the Govardhana āśrama of the Vidyāpīṭham also houses the teachers, managerial staff, and post-graduate students. All participate in the following activities of the āśrama.
Just as in most ISKCON āśramas, the day begins before dawn. At 5:00 am, the āśrama’s Deities, Śrī Nimāi-Nitāi, are worshiped with maṅgala āratī. Time is put aside for japa chanting until 6:30, the time for Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam class. At 7:15 comes the Deity greeting and guru-pūjā for Śrīla Prabhupāda. At 7:45 the devotees join in reciting in Sanskrit a chapter of the Bhāgavatam. Then breakfast prasādam is at 8:00, and classes begin at 9:00.
Classes end at 1:00 pm, time for lunch prasādam. From then until the evening, the students are free to prepare for the next day’s classes or to do whatever else they need. Starting at 6:30 pm there is an informal meeting for kīrtanas and occasionally hearing from guest lecturers.
Students are expected to keep their own rooms and the rest of the āśrama clean, and may volunteer to help with various aspects of management.
Although the students are mostly too busy to find time for preaching during the week, there is organized a weekly hari-nāma party which goes nearby around Govardhana. And once a month, there is a trip to some holy place in the Vraja area or further.
