Yuga Dharma Ashram

Press inquiries, please contact:

Stephanie Sheridan
202.660.3306
stephanie@stephaniesheridan.com

August 11, 2017, New York City - The Yuga Dharma Harinam Ashram in New York City recently
launched a fundraising campaign to finance additional housing for full time monks that serve
growing interest in daily kirtan located in and around Union Square Park, a major public square
in New York City hosting millions of visitors each year. Harinam takes place 365 days per year
from 1:30-7:30pm. Yuga Dharma Ashram is independently supported and currently the
organization is in a period of expansion.

Rama Raya Das, founder of the Yuga Dharma Ashram, has led the organization for over five
years since its inception. Through hurricanes and snowstorms, daily harinam takes place in New
York City under his leadership. Our biggest problem is housing the devotees who want to join
us. Presently, I have men cramped into an apartment on the lower east side. For the next year
we desperately need to expand, Rama Raya said.

The Ashram is using every square inch of space given the current budget from donations. The
ability to meet devotees basic needs is at risk of not being met. As a result, devotees who wish
to join and be of full time service have little likelihood of being able to join, although no one has
ever been turned away. Currently, the Ashram is raising twenty thousand dollars to fund a new
apartment.

The ashram receives income from donations towards spiritual books, as well as monthly
recurring and one-time donations. Seventy percent of the income is from book distribution
donations. About thirty people currently support the Ashram as monthly donors. The goal of the
current fundraising campaign is to educate the broader Hare Krishna global community about
the Yuga Dharma Ashram and widen the participation in donors to many thousands.

The Yuga Dharma Ashram is inspired from the disciples of Srila Prabhupada, a spiritual leader
from India who first came to New York City in 1965. Srila Prabhupada founded ISKCON, the
International Society of Krishna Consciousness, also known as the Hare Krishnas.

At one point, daily kirtan was so popular and so supported through book, individual donation
and other spiritually motivated entrepreneurial activities that the organization owned an eight
story building on the west side of Manhattan. However, until the last several years, interest in
New York City devotional activities declined. Through the perseverance of the Harinam Ashram,
Bhakti Yoga is increasing in popularity. Rama Raya hopes to see the Ashram own a building
again one day. This fundraising effort to finance an additional apartment is a step towards
securing permanent housing in New York City.
Recently, the Harinam Ashram gathered endorsements from senior spiritual leaders. A senior
disciple of Srila Prabhupada, His Holiness Satsvarupa Dasa Gosvami, notes the importance of
supporting Rama Rayas Harinam Ashram, People should support his program, and they
should join the Harinama party and make donations.

Ananda Sankirtan Das first started attending the Harinam during undergraduate studies at New
York University in 2012. Now having passed the New York State CPA exam, he manages the
finances of the Ashram as a full time resident who also works for a secular company, These
devotees are very brave and resilient. We should all come together to support them as they are
working so hard every day with so much dedication in order to share Krishna Consciousness
and help others find true happiness.

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Yuga Dharma Ashram is a non-profit religious organization. For further information, please visit
nycharinam.org

Hari Nama Sankirtana is the congregational chanting of the Holy Names of God and the
distribution of Vedic literature that teaches the philosophy of the Bhagavad Gita As It Is and the
Srimad Bhagavatam. Books available are authored by Srila Prabhupada and his disciples. The
specific activity of chanting kirtan in public is said to be of extreme spiritual benefit during this
current historical period. The Ashram is appealing to people who are new to the kirtan
experience as well as people who normally attend a temple or other spiritual or religious place
of worship. By providing a spiritual experience, the Harinam Ashram is helping to support
individuals commitment to spiritual life.