Sunday Love Feast
Kirtan, darshan of Sri Sri Radha Shyamasundara, a talk you are welcome to ask questions in, and a full vegetarian dinner. Free, and open to everyone.
Welcome
Come and taste a little bhakti with us
At ISKCON Naperville the Sunday Love Feast – or simply the Sunday Feast – begins with melodious kirtan and jubilant dancing, followed by worship of Sri Sri Radha Shyamasundara. The evening continues with a spiritual discourse specifically intended to give newcomers an opportunity to learn about our philosophy and practices, and to engage in a dialogue. Highlights of the programme also include a sumptuous free vegetarian dinner shared over heartfelt exchanges, informal discussions and socialising.
We welcome all with an open heart, and hope to see you this Sunday.
The programme
How the evening unfolds
Arrive at any point — nothing is ticketed and nobody minds a late entry. If it is your first visit, 4:30 PM is the loveliest place to start.
Kirtan
Melodious call-and-response singing of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, with dancing. Join in, or simply sit and listen.
Arotike
The offering of various elements and articles to Their Lordships. Please rise and join in by clapping your hands.
Spiritual discourse
A talk based on Vedic teachings such as the Bhagavad-gita, followed by open questions and dialogue. Sit on a mat on the floor or take a chair, whichever is comfortable.
Free vegetarian feast, and kirtan carries on
Dinner is served in the Barsana Banquet Hall, while kirtan continues in the temple hall right through to the close of the evening. It is not a quiet affair – the singing and dancing often build to a joyful peak. Eat first and come back for kirtan, or sing first and eat later; both are open until the curtains close.
The altar curtains close briefly during this time.Curtains close for the day
The altar curtains are drawn and the temple settles for the night.
Where it began
Srila Prabhupada’s Sunday Love Feast
Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya of the worldwide Hare Krishna Movement, started the “Sunday Love Feast” in 1966 in New York City. He would personally invite guests, cook a variety of tasty Indian vegetarian preparations, and serve the gathering himself.
Along with the vegetarian feast, Srila Prabhupada would sing the Hare Krishna maha-mantra with the guests, dance, give a lecture on the Bhagavad-gita, and answer philosophical questions.
Sixty years on, the same four things happen here every Sunday: singing, dancing, a talk you can argue with, and a meal cooked with affection.
In pictures
Sundays at the temple
Sri Sri Radha Shyamasundara on the altar, dressed for the evening
Kirtan and arotike in the temple hall
Cooks preparing the Sunday Love Feast
The bookstall: browse books on bhakti yoga
Children take the stage
Young performers on a Sunday evening
Kirtan continues while visitors head for dinner
The dinner feast, also called prasadam
Volunteers behind the scenes power the Sunday Love Feast
Everyone eats together, and it is free
Special guests and visiting speakers
Guests from across the suburbs
A full house, week after weekTap any photograph to see it full size.
Visitor tips
First time here?
A few practical things worth knowing before you arrive. If anything else is on your mind, please just ask any of the devotees at the door.
Parking
Ample on-site parking is available both at the front and at the back of the temple.
Footwear
Shoes are left at the entrance near the lobby. Socks are perfectly fine to keep on.
Attire
Comfortable, modest clothing is appreciated, though there is no strict dress code.
Cost
The programme and the vegetarian meal are completely free, and open to people of all backgrounds or beliefs.
Temple etiquette
Your first few minutes, step by step
Nobody will mind if you get any of this wrong. It is simply what most people do on arriving.
Bow from the entrance
Once you enter the main temple room, it is customary to bow and pay your respects to all the assembled people, from the entrance itself.
Greet Srila Prabhupada
Next, proceed to pay your respects to ISKCON’s Founder-Acharya, Srila Prabhupada.
Greet Their Lordships
Then pay your respects to Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Shyamasundara, the main deities of the temple. To your right on the altar are the smaller “Utsava” deities, Sri Sri Radha Madhava. To the left of the altar is Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu.
During arotike, please rise
When the arotike begins, please stand and join in by clapping your hands.
Settle in for the class
During the class and discussion, find whatever seating is comfortable — pick up a seating mat and sit on the floor, or take a chair.
Then head through for dinner
After the discourse, please head to the Barsana Banquet Hall for the free vegetarian dinner. Kirtan continues in the temple room, so you are very welcome to linger and enjoy it.
Sponsorships
Feeding 350 people is a joint effort
The Sunday Love Feast is made possible by generous donations. People sponsor a Sunday Love Feast to celebrate a birthday, an anniversary, or in memory of their loved ones.
On the day of your sponsorship your name and the occasion are announced in the temple, along with the blessings of the Vaishnavas and mahaprasadam.
Volunteering
Lend a hand on a Sunday
The Sunday Love Feast runs on volunteers. Every week a team cooks and plates the prasadam, sets out the hall, welcomes visitors at the door, helps with the children and puts everything back afterwards. No experience is needed and no commitment is too small – an hour on one Sunday is genuinely useful.
Prefer to ask first? Write to [email protected] or call 630-608-0209.
Stay in touch
Two ways to hear about the next Sunday
Plan your visit
We welcome all with an open heart, and hope to see you this Sunday
Sri Sri Radha Shyamasundara Temple, ISKCON Naperville
1505 McDowell Road, Naperville, IL 60563
1-833-447-5266