Devotees at ISKCON’s center in Ludhiana, Punjab celebrated World Holy Name Week with all the enthusiasm they could muster.

From September 13 through 20th, the congregation took turns to chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra at the temple throughout the day.

Festivities were concluded with style on the final Sunday, as five hundred devotees and friends took to the streets to chant the holy names of Krishna in public. The city of Ludhiana, with a population of nearly one and a half million, opened its ears to the transcendental sounds.

Afterwards, co-temple president Vidurpriya dasa spoke to the crowd, emphasizing the need for chanting in this age of darkness. The first and last principle of devotional service, he told the congregation, is to chant Hare Krishna and thus liberate the mind from ignorance.

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the chanting, and acknowledged their debt to Srila Prabhupada, who reached the USA that very day in 1965.