From Radhadesh to Amsterdam, 250 hearts united in ecstatic kirtan.

On King’s Day 2025, Amsterdam’s canals, museums, and bustling vrijmarkt transformed into a vibrant sea of orange as 250 ISKCON devotees led an eight-hour Maha Harinam procession through the city. While nearly one million visitors flooded the streets for the national holiday, it was the impromptu kirtan, chanting, dancing, and prasadam distribution that truly captured hearts and reminded everyone of Kadamba Kanana Swami’s enduring vision to “do something” for spiritual outreach.

From Queen’s Day Stands to City-Wide Procession
In the 1980s, when the holiday was still Queen’s Day, ISKCON’s presence in Amsterdam took the form of stationary stalls on the free market. “We would secure a large spot with stands for saris, books, paraphernalia, prasadam, and a big bhajan podium,” recalled the yatra’s senior Vaishnavi and disciple of Tamal Krsna Das Goswami – Rati-Manjari Devi Dasi, who has served Srila Prabhupada’s mission in Amsterdam for over 40 years. Devotees drew curious crowds with swinging kirtans and personal guidance for newcomers, yet the format remained rooted in a single market square.

It was Kadamba Kanana Swami’s decision, in the late 1990s, to turn his Vyasa-puja celebrations in Radhadesh, Belgium, into a preaching journey – “Why not go to Amsterdam on King’s Day?” – that set the wheels in motion for what would become Maha Harinam. Uddhava Das, who became his disciple in 1999, remembered: “He didn’t want to be worshipped all day; he wanted to engage people in singing and dancing. King’s Day was the perfect opportunity.” From that first busload of devotees, the stationary stand evolved into today’s mobile kirtan party.

Steady Growth and Memorable Moments
What began with fifty chanters has swelled to 250 participants coming from across Europe. Every year, devotees don their orange hats and bits (an homage to the Dutch royal House of Orange) and follow a loosely defined route through Apollolaan, the Rijksmuseum courtyard, Vijzelgracht, Muntplein, and finally into Vondelpark. “We’ve seen steady growth,” Uddhava reflected. “Even after Maharaja’s passing, this year again drew about 250 devotees, proof that his spirit continues through the Harinam.”

Along the way, spontaneous public participation turns ordinary passersby into kirtan partners. Uddhava chuckled as he recalled, “A group of about thirty girls in orange ponchos once danced with us for twenty minutes straight, rolling their ponchos like pom-poms, it felt like Woodstock!” Yet the streets can also be unpredictable. At Leidseplein years ago, a drunk onlooker harassed the procession until a devotee called him to order to protect the ladies and clear the path, an anecdote that highlights both the challenges and the resolve underpinning the outreach.

A Logistical Balancing Act
Organizing Maha Harinam is a complex operation handled primarily by ISKCON Amsterdam’s temple management and volunteer teams:
Transportation: Five-to-six-hour round-trip bus journeys from Radhadesh, complete with breakfast and lunch packs.
Sound and Safety: A powerful PA system ensures kirtan carries over throngs of festival-goers; volunteer marshals guide the procession through road closures, tram tracks, and crowded piazzas.
Catering and Rest: Midday prasadam lunch, delicious dishes prepared in temple kitchens, fuels everyone for the afternoon’s continuation through Vondelpark to the bridge finale.

“The day itself is quite stressful,” Uddhava admitted, “but once the siren signals ‘Let’s go,’ the joy is palpable.”

Drenched in orange joy, devotees light up Amsterdam’s King’s Day with non-stop song and dance.

Promoting the Vision: The Kadamba Foundation’s Role
While a team, in collaboration with ISKCON Amsterdam, organizes and executes every logistical detail, the Kadamba Foundation supports Maha Harinam through visibility efforts, publicizing the event on its website and social channels, sharing Rati-Manjari’s historical insights, and ensuring Kadamba Kanana Swami’s vision remains in the spotlight. As Co-trustee of the Foundation, Uddhava explained, “Our job is to inspire devotees worldwide to join and maintain accountability for ongoing outreach projects.”

Spiritual Outreach and Community Impact
Beyond the spectacle, Maha Harinam serves as a living preaching platform. Along the route, devotees distribute kirtan event posters, books, and Czech-made cookies or fruit, offering festival-goers a taste of prasadam and the Hare Krishna Mahamantra. “People are ready,” said Rati-Manjari. “When they see us in orange, they instantly feel at home and join the chanting. It proves that if we present Krishna consciousness attractively, hearts are open.”

For many participants, both devotees and curious onlookers, the experience is transformative. One visitor remarked, “I’ve never felt such unity and pure joy in the streets before.” Such moments reaffirm Kadamba

Kanana Swami’s belief that spirituality and community can flourish amid vibrant public celebration.

Honoring the Past; Aspiring for the Future
As the sun set and devotees boarded buses at 7 pm, the Maha Harinam party closed another chapter in ISKCON’s King’s Day legacy. Yet plans are already underway to expand participation. “Why not a thousand chanters? Ten buses?” envisions Rati-Manjari. “If we outgrow one group, we can split, but the goal remains the same: to offer the mantra in the most attractive way on that one magical day.”

With ISKCON Amsterdam’s collaborators and dedicated organizers, the Kadamba Foundation’s promotional support, and a Europe-wide devotional community, King’s Day Maha Harinam is poised to grow ever larger, honoring Kadamba Kanana Swami’s pioneering spirit and inviting countless more to chant, dance, and discover the transformative power of kirtan.

To find out more about or participate in the annual King’s Day harinam, devotees can visit the Kadamba Foundation वेबसाइट or contact Rati-Manjari via her Facebook profile.

Photos courtesy of Citralekha Dasi.