M.Venkaiah Naidu Released The Biography Sing, Dance and Pray: The Inspirational Story of Srila Prabhupada

Vice President of India M.Venkaiah Naidu released the biography Sing, Dance and Pray: The Inspirational Story of Srila Prabhupada, by noted historian Hindol Sengupta at a book launch event held at the Upa Rashtrapati Niwas today, 24th July 2022.

The ancient Indian civilization swears by in achievement of the life goals of the people – self and God realisation. Hon’ble Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu appreciated the inspiring tale of Srila Prabhupada, Founder-Acharya of ISKCON in the form of his biography – Sing, Dance and Pray.

The author of the biography, Hindol Sengupta, along with Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa - President, ISKCON-Bangalore and Chairman, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, Sri Chanchalapathi Dasa - Senior Vice-President, ISKCON-Bangalore and Vice-Chairman, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, were present at the event along with other dignitaries and well-wishers.

Releasing the Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu said, "I feel privileged to host this meeting and launch Sing, Dance and Pray, a book based on the ethereal life of Acharya Srila Prabhupada. His life showed us the unique path of supreme consciousness, ethereal lasting inner peace, and salvation."

Further, Shri Naidu said, "Srila Prabhupada embraced those discarded by society and brought joy and fulfillment to their lives. ISKCON has worked on uplifting the masses through non-sectarian universal methods of worship. We can say bhakti runs through the veins of Indians. It is very important for our younger generation to get back to our roots and follow the path of nonviolence, spirituality, and universal brotherhood. Hindol Sengupta has captured all these aspects in this book that will be a fitting tribute to Srila Prabhupada on his 125th birth anniversary."

“ISKCON Bangalore’s wonderful spirit of service or seva-bhava led to the birth of The Akshaya Patra Foundation, which has become the world’s largest NGO-run school lunch programme. The service rendered by Akshaya Patra to underprivileged children and communities is truly commendable. ‘Share and Care' is the core of our Indian philosophy and we must continue following it for a better tomorrow”, said the Hon'ble Vice President of India while concluding his address.

Sing, Dance and Pray – the life story of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), the greatest ambassador of India’s spiritual culture and heritage to the Western world. He single-handedly took the Vedic philosophy of devotion and love towards God to the West for the first time and successfully initiated thousands of young westerners into the devotion of Lord Krishna. In 1966, at the advanced age of 70, he founded ISKCON to give human society an opportunity for a life of happiness, good health, peace of mind, and all good qualities through God-consciousness. In a short span of 12 years that followed, he established over 100 Krishna temples around the world, authored over 60 volumes of bhakti literature based on Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, and traveled the globe 14 times to preach the ideal of Vasudaiva Kutumbakam – the oneness of the entire human society.

Expressing his gratitude towards the Hon’ble Vice President of India, Madhu Pandit Dasa, President, ISKCON-Bangalore and Chairman, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, said, “I am very thankful to Shri Venkaiah Naidu Ji for releasing this important book. His support will help us to present the spiritual vision and ideals of Srila Prabhupada to a wider audience in India and abroad. I am also honoured by his kind words of encouragement for our humble service to society. We will continue our efforts to provide hope and happiness to people from all walks of life through our various spiritual and social initiatives”.

Speaking during the event, Hindol Sengupta, Author of Sing, Dance and Pray, said, “Srila Prabhupada was one of the greatest figures of global Hinduism. His achievements of taking the message of Hinduism through Sri Krishna and building a truly global movement of Hindu spirituality have never been surpassed. I was delighted to write the definitive biography of Srila Prabhupada, and I am most thrilled that the Hon’ble Vice President of India is releasing this book.”

Sengupta’s painstaking efforts to trace out the journey of Srila Prabhupada, since his childhood and narrative make for compelling reading, one that rekindles the memories of the Indian freedom struggle as he takes the reader through the turmoil the nation was in under British occupation and his own inclination towards the freedom movement.