Bengaluru, July 11 (IANS): The book 'Sing, Dance and Pray: The Inspirational Story of Srila Prabhupada' (Penguin Random House India) on Founder-Acharya of ISKCON, written by Dr. Hindol Sengupta was launched at ISKCON Bangalore in commemoration of his 125th birth anniversary.
The guests of honour for the launch included Sudha Murty, author, philanthropist and chairperson, Murty Foundation; S. Somanath, Chairman ISRO, Ricky Kej, Grammy Award winner; Milee Aishwarya, Publisher, Penguin Random House India and Dr Hindol Sengupta, author of the book. The event was presided by Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa, President, ISKCON Bangalore, Chairman, The Akshaya Patra Foundation and Sri Chanchalapathi Dasa, Senior Vice-President, ISKCON-Bangalore,
'Sing, Dance and Pray' provides an insight into the life of Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON. He established a worldwide confederation of more than 100 temples, ashrams and cultural centres.
A panel discussion followed the launch, where the dignitaries shared their thoughts on the biography.
Sudha Murty said, "I want to congratulate Hindol for vividly writing about a monk, his difficulties, and why he became successful. When I went through the book, it was so clear who Srila Prabhupada was as a person."
S. Somnath also participated in the discussion and expressed his appreciation for the biography.
Ricky Kej said: "Sing, Dance and Pray portrays a 360-degree approach to life. Swami Prabhupada's life was completely about breaking cultural barriers. He was the greatest cultural and traditional ambassador of India. As a cultural pioneer, he made Indian culture accessible and mainstream through his endeavours all over the world."
The author said: "This book is truly special and it has become possible by divine grace. One of the greatest qualities of Srila Prabhupada was his ability to take his message and transcend history. His eternal message is not confined to a particular time, space or geography."
Speaking on the occasion, Madhu Pandit Dasa said: "I would like to congratulate Dr. Hindol Sengupta for this work where he has brought out the exemplary personality of Srila Prabhupada who transplanted the vibration of India into the midst of Western culture. His movement was a scientific movement, a science without boundaries."