Pranada Devi joined ISKCON in Los Angeles in 1975 and quickly took up the service of sankirtan. Later she became involved in book production with the Gita Nagari Press. In the late 80s, Pranada became a vocal advocate against the abuse of women that had become a norm in ISKCON, and began promoting the original spirit of women's empowerment that Srila Prabhupada had shown in his dealings with his female disciples-allowing them to lead kirtan, give classes, and preach.
She is the author of The Bhakti Trilogy, three books that introduce the basic teachings of the Gaudiya Vaisnava tradition.
She also compiled the book "The Emergence of Women's Voices in ISKCON," a collection of essays and letters from 1988-2020 that show the history of how women's involvement in the Hare Krishna movement transformed over time.
You can access a free PDF or eBook here: vaishnaviministry.org/the-eme...
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One correction from the interview: Pranada mentions a conversation with Tamal Krishna Maharaja at a conference in which he apologized for his previous stance on women's roles in ISKCON. She says this took place in 1993, but actually it was 1996.
She also mentions a documentary film on the involvement of female devotees in ISKCON's first 24-hour kirtan in Vrindavan, which was started in 1975 on the instruction of Srila Prabhupada. That can be watched here: www.lava-matra.ru/index.php?op...
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To learn more about the ISKCON History Archive, visit bolohari.com
24 июл 2024
