Bhakti Yoga Festival 2003

July 6, 2003

The San Francisco Bay Area Memorial Day Week End - Bhakti Yoga Festival 2003

May 23rd through May 26th with His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja.

Dear Maharajas, Prabhus, and Didis,

Please accept our dandavat pranams. All Glories to Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga! All glories to Sri Sri Radha-Vinodabiharji!

We apologize for the lateness of the announcement. We just received the confirmation for this beautiful retreat center for Srila Gurudeva's visit to the SF Bay area. So here is the news you have all been waiting for.

On behalf of all the devotees in the San Francisco Bay Area including San Jose and Santa Cruz we would like to warmly invite everyone to Northern California for a grand festival with Srila Gurudeva and many senior devotees from around the country and the world. Bring your family and your friends to be part of a wonderful weekend of high-class sadhu-sanga and nectarean pure hari-katha, bhajans and kirtans. Nestled at the center of a warm peaceful valley and surrounded by beautiful rolling hills and mountains is a large conference / retreat facility, the St. Anthony Claret Retreat Center in Clayton, California.

FACILITIES

The Retreat Center is a modern large building with multiple rooms. They are 20 individual sleeping rooms with 4-5 beds in each. Restroom facilities are spacious and clean with many showers and hot water. There are meeting rooms, dining rooms, child care facility during the lectures, and a large carpeted temple hall with a good sound system. The retreat center sits on top of a hill in a semi-rural residential area. Outside are green grassy areas for enjoying the sunny days in late May, taking your prasadam, or taking your children outside for play.

LOCATION

St. Anthony Claret Retreat Center

1 Rialto Rd.

Clayton, California 94517

DAILY PROGRAM

5:30 AM: Mangala Arati

7:00 AM: Harikatha (with guest speakers)

BV Madhava Maharaja, BV Bhakti Sar Maharaja, BV Padmanabha Maharaja, BV Ashram Maharaja, BV Sajan Maharaja, Syamarani dasi, Vishaka dasi and Vrindavan Vilasini dasi

9:00 AM: Prasadam seva

11:30: Harikatha (with guest speakers)

1:00 PM: Lunch Prasadam seva

4:30 PM: Bhajans

6:00 PM: Class by: Srila BV Narayana Maharaja

7:30 PM: Arati

8:00 PM: Prasadam seva

Festival begins Friday, May 23rd in the AM and ends on May 26th with a class at 7:00 AM followed by prasadam at 9:00 at which time festival is finished.

Download Registration form here (Zipped File).

FESTIVAL REGISTRATION AND FEES

Prasadam and overnight accommodation: $80 per person (children 5 and under free). Bring your own sleeping bags or blankets. There is ample space in the facility for overnight accommodation, enough for 120 devotees comfortably. Families may take whole rooms, or split up to stay in the men's or women's rooms. Single persons will share rooms with 3 or 4 others. The main hall for the evening program will hold up to 300 guests.

Check in starts on Thursday, May 22nd at 3 PM. Check out is on Monday, May 26th at 12:00 NOON (Advance registration advised) Please contact: Subal Sakha dasa prabhu 408-377-1632 or bhatium1@ Please download the registration form here or e-mail for one.Local devotees and persons staying outside the retreat center are invited to attend all programs. Donations are graciously appreciated.

NEARBY ACCOMMODATION

Anyone interested in staying in a nearby hotel can contact any of the following:

Best Western Heritage Inn, 4600 Clayton Rd. Concord, CA 94521(925) 686-4466 $69.00/night - 2 queen size beds (3.5 miles from festival site). Holiday Inn Express, 5370 Clayton Rd. Concord, CA 94521, (925) 674-9400 hixpconcord@hotmail.com, $89.00/night - 2 double beds (2.5 miles from festival site).

There are many more motels in Downtown Concord & Walnut Creek (10 mi.) for various rates.

DIRECTIONS AND MAPS

If you are coming from the East Bay, take CA-24 from Telegraph Ave. Stay on CA-24 E. for 11.5 miles and take the I-680 N (left side exit) toward Concord/Sacramento. After 0.40 miles take the exit Ygnacio Valley Rd.. Turn right onto Ygnacio Valley Rd. After 7.50 miles turn right onto Clayton Rd. After 2.50 miles stay straight to go onto Marsh Creek Rd (do not turn onto the first Marsh Creek Rd intersection). After 0.40 miles turn right onto Regency Dr. After 0.37 miles turn left on Rialto Dr. As soon as you turn left, turn left onto the first drive on your left side for: St. Anthony Claret Retreat Center, 1 Rialto Dr., Clayton, Ca 94517. If you are coming from the Bay Bridge or from Badger, just follow I-580 to I-680 N. Then follow directions above.

TRANSPORTATION FROM BADGER OR THE AIRPORT

Devotees will need to arrange their own transportation to the Bay area from Badger. The last program in Badger is the evening of Wednesday, May 21st We suggest that the devotees drive up to the Bay area on Thursday late morning, May 22nd. It takes 4.5 hours to drive from Badger to the retreat center. Check in and registration at the retreat center starts at 3 PM on Thursday. Please arrange your travel plans to arrive no earlier that 3 P.M. There will be light prasadam that night. The full program will begin Friday morning.

If you are coming into San Francisco International Airport (about 40 miles -1.25 hours) or Oakland Airport (closer - about 25 miles - 45 minutes) you can take a shuttle service directly to the retreat center for approximately $30- $45. There are numerous shuttle vans always available when you come out of the airport. Or you can take the B.A.R.T. train from the airport to Concord station ($7) and take a taxi to the center (about $20). Or you can rent a car and share the expense with other devotees.

On the final day of the festival, we will try to arrange for some limited transportation to the airports. Again, the same shuttle service is reliable and will pick you up from the center and drop you at the airport. We will have more information at the retreat.

We look forward to hosting you all during this ecstatic festival with Srila Gurudeva. Please pre register so we can be better prepared to receive you all.