When Jayapataka Maharaja was very inspired by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s descriptions of organized Nama-Hatta preaching, he initiated this program in the villages of West Bengal in the September of 1979. Under his guidance Raghava Pandit Prabhu (now Bhakti Raghava Maharaja) and other devotees from Mayapur worked hard to develop it. Presently there are about 2000 Nama-Hatta centres spread across West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkand and Assam in Eastern India.

Nama-Hatta department

The Nama-hatta department conducts pandal programs in different districts of West Bengal every year. The programs include bhajans, kirtans, Krishna-katha, preaching, drama, video show and prasadam distribution. A team of 50 brahmacharis travel in small groups to arrange these programs. 150,000 people attend these programs. Besides these large programs, the devotees also organize smaller pandal programs periodically.

The department has a large guest house with a capacity of 120 rooms, specifically to provide accommodation for its members. It was constructed in 2004 and has a storeroom and a bookstall.

About 1500 devotees from Nama-Hatta participate in Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama every year. Thereafter they go on Gaura Mandala Parikrama by bus for two weeks.

Future plans include construction of a kitchen and prasadam hall where prasadam can be cooked and served for 1000 devotees at a time.

There are 76 devotees serving in this department. The department also has a stall inside the ISKCON campus that sells devotional paraphernalia.

Head: Gauranga Prema Swami
E-mail: gaurangapremswami@pamho.net
Phones: +91-3472-245045, +91-3472-245227,
+91-3472-245305, +91-9434-055856
Office: Nama-Hatta Bhavan (next to the BBT, outside ISKCON’s main campus)