WATCH: All 54 ISKCON temples open doors for stranded people; provides shelter, food to them
All 54 ISKCON temples have ensured safety and are providing basic facilities who are in the need of it.
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Kyiv, Feb 28: In a war-torn country, people are left in a situation where they have nowhere to go due to Russian aggression against Ukraine. Destruction has hit the country with missiles being exploded, Russian military forces invading and civilians getting killed. Amid this escalating tensions in Ukraine, ISKCON has opened the temple gates for needy people in the Eastern European country. The authorities of ISKCON temples have ensured safety and are ready to provide basic facilities who are in the need of it.
Several videos are surfacing on Twitter where people are given shelter and food. The temple devotees along with some devotee families living nearby are chanting together, having kirtan together, and discussing Krsna katha while missiles are flying overhead, and explosions and gunfire can be heard from a distance. But they seem to be happy. evotees are in good spirits, although, understandably so, many of those living outside the temples are quite scared. There are devotees from outside Ukraine who are asking what they can do to help. However, it seems difficult as all transactions for basics in Ukraine are currently taking place on a “cash only” basis.
Raju Gopal Das, a devotee of Kyiv's Hare Krishna temple shared a video on the situation in the city. He said, "The situation among the devotees is stable. Everyone is afraid and disturbed. We have prepared the temple for devotees."
On the other hand in India Vice-President of ISKCON, Kolkata, Radharaman Das has assured that devotees and temples are committed to serving those in distress. He said, "ISKCON temples all over Ukraine are ready to serve people in need. Our devotees and temples are committed to serving those in distress. Our temple doors are open for service."
ISKCON has over 54 temples in Ukraine and our devotees and the temples are trying to serve others in whatever way they can serve. Today morning we got an update from our devotees in Kyiv and by Lord Krishna's grace, all of them are safe and our 54 temples are safe too, said Radharaman. "When life gives you lemons make lemonade. Our ISKCON devotees in Ukraine are in fact one step ahead. When life throws lemons at them, they make lemonade and share it with others. In these difficult times, our devotees are busy serving others, risking their own lives", stated Vice-President of ISKCON Kolkata.
"In the past also, during the Chechnya war, our devotees served those in distress, specially old people who are stranded in their flats and no one is there to take care of them. Risking their life, the ISCKON devotees have reached out to people. Many have even died serving during the Chechnya war. The same spirit is there during these difficult times and the devotees are working out how best they can serve people stranded in war zones in Ukraine", informed Radharaman Das.
To find the nearest temples around you in Ukraine, please visit:https://centres.iskcon.org/centre-region/ukraine/
