On February 14, 2026, the Executive Committee of the ISKCON Governing Body Commission (GBC) released the following statement following the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Mayapur.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/statement-from-the-executive-committee-of-the-iskcon-gbc-on-vaisnavi-diksa-gurus/
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By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi,
A historic milestone was marked in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur on February 11, 2026, with the grand opening of the TOVP Yajña Śālā, accompanied by an extraordinary celebration that will be remembered for years to come. The Yajña Śālā opening marks another significant step in the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium project.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/tovp-yajna-sala-opens-in-sridhama-mayapur-with-grand-celebration/
Q. 1. Lord Krishna told Arjuna: “Those who claim to be directly My devotees are actually not my devotees. But those who are devotees of my servants are factually My devotees.” In Srimad Bhagavatam purports of first canto, Srila Prabhupada mentions that Lord Shiva is a pure devotee of Lord Krishna. According to the above sloka, does it not directly imply that all of us must serve Lord Shiva? How far is this justifiable?
Yes, Lord Shiva is certainly worshipable, as a great devotee, but not independently. Lord Shiva is one of the four primary spiritual masters (the others being Brahma, Lakshmiji and the Kumaras) and teaches pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord. Therefore, factual service to Lord Shiva is to follow his instructions to worship and chant the Holy names of Lord Vishnu.
Q. 2. Whenever a vaishnava comes, we are eager to take association. Lord Shiva is a senior most vaishnava: “vaishnavanam yatha shambu” and yet we don’t go to his temple. Besides, on the appearance or disappearance days of Vaishnava acaryas we observe a fast till noon but we don’t do so on Shiva-ratri festival day, which marks Lord Shiva’s drinking of the poison. Why is this so?
HH Romapada Swami: This question was asked once before, and here is the answer I gave. = Vaishnavas are not prohibited or discouraged from visiting Lord Shiva’s temples. In fact, Lord Caitanya visited many Shiva temples during His tour of South India, where He chanted Hare Krishna mahamantra and danced in great ecstasy before the Deity of Lord Shiva. But unfortunately, there are hardly any bona fide temples of Lord Shiva today where worship is performed with the right understanding that he is the topmost devotee of Lord Krishna. Therefore, devotees generally do not make it a point to visit such temples, although they don’t specifically avoid them either.
The best way to worship Lord Shiva, in any case, is to chant Hare Krishna and to dedicate our lives to worship Krishna. This would be most pleasing to Lord Shiva, and automatically we receive his blessings. Even in our ISKCON temples, therefore, devotees celebrate Shivaratri by chanting in sankirtan and discussing the glories and the great devotion of Lord Shiva as described in Srimad Bhagavatam and offering a feast in his honor.
Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 8, Chapter 7 (texts 36-42) describes the benevolent activities of Lord Siva when the living entities were threatened by the deadliest poison (halahala):
“Srila Sukadeva Gosvami said: ‘Lord Siva is always benevolent toward all living entities. When he saw that the living entities were very much disturbed by the poison, which was spreading everywhere, he was very compassionate. Thus he spoke to his eternal consort, Sati, as follows.
“ ‘Lord Siva said: “My dear Bhavani, just see how all these living entities have been placed in danger because of the poison produced from the churning of the ocean of milk. It is my duty to give protection and safety to all living entities struggling for existence. Certainly it is the duty of the master to protect his suffering dependents. People in general, being bewildered by the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, are always engaged in animosity toward one another. But devotees, even at the risk of their own temporary lives, try to save them. My dear gentle wife Bhavani, when one performs benevolent activities for others, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is very pleased. And when the Lord is pleased, I am also pleased, along with all other living creatures. Therefore, let me drink this poison, for all the living entities may thus become happy because of me.” ’
“Srila Sukadeva Gosvami continued: ‘After informing Bhavani in this way, Lord Siva began to drink the poison, and Bhavani, who knew perfectly well the capabilities of Lord Siva, gave him her permission to do so. Thereafter, Lord Siva, who is dedicated to auspicious, benevolent work for humanity, compassionately took the whole quantity of poison in his palm and drank it.’ ”
At the chapter’s end, Srila Sukadeva Gosvami concluded,
tapyante loka-tapena
sadhavah prayaso janah
paramaradhanam tad dhi
purusasyakhilatmanah
“It is said that great personalities almost always accept voluntary suffering because of the suffering of people in general. This is considered the highest method of worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is present in everyone’s heart.” (SB 8.7.44)
And Srila Prabhupada elaborates, “Here is an explanation of how those engaged in activities for the welfare of others are very quickly recognized by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord says in Bhagavad-gita (18.68-69), ya idam paramam guhyam mad-bhaktesv abhidhasyati . . . na ca tasman manusyesu kascin me priya-krttamah: ‘One who preaches the message of Bhagavad-gita to My devotees is most dear to Me. No one can excel him in satisfying Me by worship.’ There are different kinds of welfare activities in this material world, but the supreme welfare activity is the spreading of Krsna consciousness. Other welfare activities cannot be effective, for the laws of nature and the results of karma cannot be checked. . . .
“If one tries to spread Krsna consciousness all over the world, he should be understood to be performing the best welfare activity. The Lord is automatically very pleased with him. If the Lord is pleased with him, what is left for him to achieve? If one has been recognized by the Lord, even if he does not ask the Lord for anything, the Lord, who is within everyone, supplies him whatever he wants. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (tesam nityabhiyuktanam yoga-ksemam vahamy aham [Bg 9.22]). Again, as stated here, tapyante loka-tapena sadhavah prayaso janah. The best welfare activity is raising people to the platform of Krsna consciousness, since the conditioned souls are suffering only for want of Krsna consciousness. The Lord Himself also comes to mitigate the suffering of humanity.
yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham
paritranaya sadhunam
vinasaya ca duskrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge
‘Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself. To deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.’ (Bg 4.7-8) All the sastras conclude, therefore, that spreading the Krsna consciousness movement is the best welfare activity in the world. Because of the ultimate benefit this bestows upon people in general, the Lord very quickly recognizes such service performed by a devotee.”
Reflecting on this last verse and purport, I considered how Srila Prabhupada exemplified the statement that “great personalities almost always accept voluntary suffering because of the suffering of people in general.” He certainly did that to establish Hare Krishna Land in Juhu, Bombay—and to establish so many other vehicles for Krishna consciousness in so many other places throughout the world.
I pray that we can continue in the same spirit.
Hare Krishna.
Today, Sivaratri here, we did special worship of our deity of Gopisvara Mahadeva, gifted to us by His Holiness Indradyumna Swami. We prayed to Gopisvara,
vrndavanavani-pate jaya soma soma-maule
sanaka-sanandana-sanatana-naradedya
gopisvara vraja-vilasi-yuganghri-padme
prema prayaccha nirupadhi namo namaste
“O gatekeeper of Vrindavan! O Soma, all glories to you! O you whose forehead is decorated with the moon (soma), and who is worshipable to the sages headed by Sanaka, Sanandana, and Narada! O Gopisvara! Desiring that you bestow upon me pure love for the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna, who perform joyous pastimes in Vraja-dhama, I offer my obeisances unto you again and again.” (Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, Sankalpa-kalpadruma 103)
Lord Siva is in charge of false ego, so I prayed to him to free me from mine and to establish me in my constitutional position of eternal service to Sri Sri Gandhavika-Giridhari and Their divine servants. And I wish the same for all of you.
Hare Krishna
Your servant,
Giriraj Swami
Today is the auspicious Maha Sivaratri , a day to honor and pray to lord Siva. Lord Siva is known as Ashutosh, one who is pleased very easily, so somehow if we can please him on this Maha Sivaratri then we can make rapid progress in Krishna consciousness
Who is lord Siva?
He is the greatest of all devotees. Vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh: Sambhu, or Lord Siva, is the ideal Vaisnava. He constantly meditates upon Lord Rama and chants Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Lord Siva has a Visnu-Svami-sampradaya, which is called the Visnu Svami-sampradaya.
(SB 3.23.1p)
All devotees are dear to lord Siva
Lord Siva continued: Any person who is surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, the controller of everything — material nature as well as the living entity — is actually very dear to me.
(SB 4.24.28)
You are all devotees of the Lord, and as such I appreciate that you are as respectable as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. I know in this way that the devotees also respect me and that I am dear to them. Thus no one can be as dear to the devotees as I am.
It is said, vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh: Lord Siva is the best of all devotees. Therefore all devotees of Lord Krsna are also devotees of Lord Siva. In Vrndavana there is Lord Siva’s temple called Gopisvara. The gopis used to worship not only Lord Siva but Katyayani, or Durga, as well, but their aim was to attain the favor of Lord Krishna. A devotee of Lord Krsna does not disrespect Lord Siva, but worships Lord Siva as the most exalted devotee of Lord Krsna. Consequently whenever a devotee worships Lord Siva, he prays to Lord Siva to achieve the favor of Krishna, and he does not request material profit.
Because Lord Siva is a great devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he loves all the devotees of the Supreme Lord. Lord Siva told the Pracetas that because they were devotees of the Lord, he loved them very much. Lord Siva was not kind and merciful only to the Pracetas; anyone who is a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very dear to Lord Siva. Not only are the devotees dear to Lord Siva, but he respects them as much as he respects the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Similarly, devotees of the Supreme Lord also worship Lord Siva as the most dear devotee of Lord Krsna. They do not worship him as a separate Personality of Godhead. It is stated in the list of nama-aparadhas that it is an offense to think that the chanting of the name of Hari and the chanting of Hara, or Siva, are the same. The devotees must always know that Lord Visnu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that Lord Siva is His devotee.
A devotee should be offered respect on the level of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and sometimes even more respect. Indeed, Lord Rama, the Personality of Godhead Himself, sometimes worshiped Lord Siva. If a devotee is worshiped by the Lord, why should a devotee not be worshiped by other devotees on the same level with the Lord? This is the conclusion. From this verse it appears that Lord Siva blesses the asuras simply for the sake of formality. Actually he loves one who is devoted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
(SB 4.24.30+p)
Maha Sivaratri
Siva + ratri, ratri means night, so Sivaratri means the night of lord Siva.
Maha Sivaratri comes in the month of Phalgun (February-March). This ceremony is observed in the honor of lord Siva, who was married to mother Parvati ( or Durga) on this day, it culminates in the night.
Vaishnavas pray lord Shiva on this day in order to receive his blessings to become attached to Lord Krishna.
Lord Siva tells mother Parvati as below in Padma Purana-
ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param
tasmāt parataraṁ devi tadīyānāṁ samarcanam
“O Devī, the most exalted system of worship is the worship of Lord Viṣṇu. Greater than that is the worship of tadīya, or anything belonging to Viṣṇu.” Śrī Viṣṇu is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1]. Similarly, the most confidential servant of Kṛṣṇa, the spiritual master, and all devotees of Viṣṇu are tadīya. The sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, guru, Vaiṣṇavas and things used by them must be considered tadīya and without a doubt worshipable by all living beings.
(CC Madhya 12.38p)
How can we please lord Siva on Maha Sivaratri?
By serving Krishna and His devotees, and by chanting extra rounds of Hare Krishna mahā-mantra on Maha Sivaratri.
But another very beautiful way to please lord Siva on Maha Sivaratri is by reciting the prayers lord Siva himself sings in glorification of Krishna in Srimad Bhagavatam, also known as Rudra Gita (song of lord Siva). As per lord Siva this is the best prayer for anyone aspiring for the lotus feet of Krishna.
Now I shall chant one mantra which is not only transcendental, pure and auspicious, but is the best prayer for anyone who is aspiring to attain the ultimate goal of life. When I chant this mantra, please hear it carefully and attentively.
(SB 4.24.31)
There are great benedictions given for those fortunate devotees who will faithfully recite these very sweet verses by lord Siva.
A devotee of Lord Krishna whose mind is always absorbed in Him, who with great attention and reverence chants this stotra [prayer], will achieve the greatest perfection of life without delay.
Although rendering devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and worshiping Him are very difficult, if one vibrates or simply reads this stotra [prayer] composed and sung by me, he will very easily be able to invoke the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the dearmost objective of all auspicious benedictions. A human being who sings this song sung by me can please the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a devotee, being fixed in the Lord’s devotional service, can acquire whatever he wants from the Supreme Lord.
(SB 4.24.74,76,77)
By investing few thoughtful and attentive moments to recite these verse we can easily please lord Siva on maha Sivaratri and get his blessings. Below is the link from where we can read these prayers, they are from verses 33 to verse 68. ( SB 4.24.33-68)
https://www.vedabase.com/en/sb/4/24
All glories to lord Siva
All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada
Your servant,
Giriraj dasa
When I was young, no one called it Valentines Day, everyone called it Saint Valentines day. You remember? Now they just call it Valentines Day because they don’t want to think about saints (laughter). Because it’s actually totally contradictory to the whole conception of what valentine’s day is all about. Who was saint valentine?
There were 2 saint valentines. And they were both celibate monks how were preachers of God consciousness. One of them was a catholic priest who lived in Rome and who preached the message of love of God with such enthusiasm and there was so much opposition against him, he lived in the second half of the 3rd century; that means just two and a half hundred years after Jesus Christ. And even though preaching of Christianity was against the law, it was a criminal activity, he was preaching, he was risking his life and he was brahmachari. He was a priest, he sacrificed family life, any relationship with sex, for the sake of preaching the instructions of love for God and he was captured, he was tortured and he was killed. He’s one of the great martyrs of the Catholic Church.
And then the second saint Valentine, he was a bishop in the catholic church. He was also a celibate monk, who dedicated his whole life to God consciousness, and he was a preacher, and he was also captured tortured and killed because he wouldn’t give up preaching devotion to God. Saint valentine, these 2 great personalities, the sacrificed all the pleasures of this world, life itself to serve God.
So you may be wondering, what that has to do with Valentines day in Bombay today. I don’t see any celibate is giving valentines, at least they are not supposed to. But saint valentine was celibate. He respected every woman as his mother. But a little later because the day, both these saint Valentines were killed, were murdered, was February 14th. So in England and France February 14th is the middle of the second month of the year. It’s like the beginning of spring. Yes?
Tomorrow we’re celebrating basant panchami, beginning of spring. Now what people saw is just in this spring is begging, Feb 14th they saw male and female birds meeting in the trees and mating. It’s the mating season. The inauguration of the mating season for the birds and the beasts. So devotees see it for what it is. But romantic materialists they are very attracted to this when theys see a male bird and a female bird biting each other with their beaks and having sex life. This is considered something very nice. So since the middle of Feb. is the day when the birds mate, they were thinking that we should consecrate this day as the day of showing your passionate love to others because that’s what the birds do on this day, And it happened to be the day on which saint valentine was murdered, so it came to be known as saint valentines day. Hare Krishna. So really what saint valentines day is all about for a religious person is giving up everything, being willing to undergo torture and killing in the service of the lord. That’s what Valentines day means to a vaisnava, or to a devotee. But to a materialistic person Saint Valentine’s Day means following in the footsteps of the lusty birds. Hare Krishna
Source: http://www.dandavats.com/?p=24406
Today, February 14, , I was struck when Srila Prabhupada, at the conclusion of his class on Sri Isopanisad, spoke about love—the love that Krishna wants and the love that will satisfy us:
“Any religion—it doesn’t matter whether Hindu religion, Muslim religion, Christian religion—if you are developing love of God, then you are perfect in your religion. . . .
And what kind of love? Ahaituki: without any cause. ‘O Lord, I love You, God, because You supply me so many nice things. You are order-supplier.’ No, not that sort of love. Without any exchange. That is taught by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, that ‘Whatever You do . . .’ Aslisya va pada-ratam pinastu mam. ‘Either You trample me under Your feet or You embrace me—what You like. You make me brokenhearted by my not seeing You—that doesn’t matter. Still You are my worshipable Lord.’ That is love. . . . That sort of love Krishna wants. Therefore He was so much fond of the gopis. In the gopis’ love there was no question of business propaganda: ‘Give me this, then I love You.’ No. That is pure love. . . . If you want to love God, there is nothing throughout the whole world which can check you. Simply you have to develop your eagerness: ‘Krishna, I want You.’ That’s all. Then there is no question of checking. In any condition you’ll increase your love, increase your love. . . . If you can develop your love for God, or Krishna, without being checked, without any cause, then you will feel fully satisfied.”
Hare Krishna.
Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami
Source: https://girirajswami.com/blog/?p=19708
Today is the disappearance day of Sri Isvara Puri. He was such a perfect disciple of Sri Madhavendra Puri that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord Krishna Himself, was pleased to accept him as his spiritual master. Later, Lord Chaitanya visited Isvara Puri’s birthplace at Kumara-hatta and collected some earth from the birth site, which He kept very carefully and ate a small portion of daily. Thus He showed us how a faithful disciple worships a spiritual master who has faithfully served his spiritual master perfectly.
On this auspicious occasion, we pray that Sri Isvara Puri and his disciple Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu will bless us with devotion to the spiritual master.
Srimad Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami writes: “All glories to Madhavendra Puri, the storehouse of all Krishna-prema! He is a desire tree of bhakti, and it is to him that the seed of bhakti first fructified. The seed of Krishna-prema next fructified in the for of Sri Ishvara Puri, and then the gardener himself, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, became the main trunk of the tree of bhakti.
Isvara Puri was born in the town of Kumara Hatta on the full moon day of the month of Jyestha to a family of Brahmins hailing from Rarha. Ishvara Puri is a sannyas name. His name prior to taking sannyas is unknown. His father’s name was Shyamasundara Acharya.
Ishvara Puri took initiation from Madhavendra Puri, the embodiment of nectarine devotional love. Madhavendra Puri was pleased with Ishvara Puri’s guileless, sincere and loving service and thus showered him with blessings, so that he too became immersed in the ocean of love for Kṛṣṇa.
Mahaprabhu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and has no need of any teacher. Even so, He wishes to teach the world that it is absolutely necessary to take shelter of a bonafide spiritual master. For this reason, He played the role of a disciple by taking initiation from Ishvara Puri when He met him at Gaya. This in itself shows beyond a doubt Ishvara Puri’s greatness and importance.
Then the Lord went to Gaya where he met Ishvara Puri. After taking initiation from him, He started to display the signs of love of God, and when He returned to His homeland He began to engage in the pastimes of divine love. (Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.17.8-9)
Ishava Puri had met Mahaprabhu in Nabadwip even prior to giving him the ten-syllable mantra in Gaya. He also met with Advaita Acharya, who had similarly played the role of Madhavendra Puri’s disciple. Vrindavan Das Thakur has described this meeting in the Chaitanya Bhagavata.
Once, Ishava Puri passed through Nabadwip when Nimai was still engaged in His pastimes as a student. He stayed there for a few months in the house of Gopinath Acharya as his guest.
One day he saw Nimai and was most impressed and attracted by His bodily beauty. Nimai invited Ishava Puri to his house to eat and had His mother Sachi cook and serve Him Krishna prasad. Then He and Ishvara Puri began talking about Krishna.
Before he left this world, Ishvara Puri sent two of his disciples, Kashisvara and Govinda, to serve Mahaprabhu. Even though they were His godbrothers, Mahaprabhu still obeyed the order of His spiritual master and accepted them as His servants.
Source: http://www.ramaiswami.com/sri-isvara-puri-disappearance/
The Devotee Care Project at ISKCON Vrindavan is dedicated to supporting the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of devotees. Through guidance, counseling, assistance, and community support, we strive to create a nurturing environment where every devotee feels valued, protected, and spiritually inspired.
HH Bhaktivaibhava Swami recently suffered a stroke. He is currently under the care of doctors at a hospital in Kolkata. Rehabilitation has already begun.
Please pray for his speedy recovery. A message from him:
My dear devotees, thank you very much for your kindness, for your prayers! Communicating with you is my only refuge. Thank you very much!
… But don’t think that you can get rid of me so easyLy… :-) Hare Krishna! Thank you!
Source: https://www.dandavats.com/?p=117311
By Mathura Lilesvari Devi Dasi
With heavy hearts, we offer our sincere prayers at the lotus feet of Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga for the family of His Grace Gaura Prema Das, who has so suddenly departed from this world in New Jersey.
May Nitai Prema Dasi, Krishna Prema Dasa, and all their loved ones be blessed with strength, comfort, and deep spiritual shelter during this difficult time.
Gaura Prema, a devoted disciple of Devamrita Swami, lived a life marked by humility, dedication, and unwavering service. He was actively engaged in Deity seva at ISKCON Central New Jersey, offering his heart and energy in ways that uplifted the entire community.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/remembering-his-grace-gaura-prema-das/
Over 2,500 people gathered at Balasaheb Kunjir Playground in Pimple Saudagar, Pune, on Sunday, February 8, 2026, to participate in the Run2Feed Marathon. Organized by the Food For Life program of ISKCON BCEC Pune with support from the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), the event utilized the theme “Turning Miles into Meals” to raise awareness and support for hunger relief. The marathon integrated physical fitness with social responsibility, drawing participants from across the city to support its mission to provide sanctified food to those in need.
The event began early in the morning with the collective chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra by participants, volunteers, and organizers. This congregational chanting helped establish a meditative atmosphere before the races began. The program was designed to align with the spiritual mission of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) by combining community activity with the traditional practice of kirtan.
The marathon featured inclusive distance categories to accommodate various fitness levels and age groups, including 1 km, 2 km, 3 km, 5 km, and 10 km routes, as well as a 21 km Half Marathon. The diverse field of runners included school children, senior citizens, and professional athletes. A specific category titled “SHE RUNS” was also highlighted during the event, focusing on health and self-care for women.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/over-2500-participants-join-run2feed-marathon-in-pimpri/
Dear Division and Department Heads,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
You are warmly invited to attend the Grand Opening of the TOVP Yajna Shala on Wednesday, February 11, 2026.
This auspicious event will include yajna ceremonies, kirtan, senior devotees’ speeches, cultural programs, and prasadam throughout the day.
Morning Program Highlights
• 7:00 AM – Darshan Arati
• 7:45 AM – Procession to the Yajna Shala
• 8:15–10:00 AM – Speeches by Senior Devotees
• 10:00–10:53 AM – Vastu Puja and Vastu Homa
• 12:00 PM – Purna Huti
• 12:30 PM – Prasadam
Evening Program Highlights
• 4:00 PM – Sankirtan Yajna / Kirtan
• 4:30 PM – Speeches by Sannyasis and Disciples of Śrīla Prabhupāda
• 5:16–5:40 PM – Beginning of Nitya Homa
• Cultural programs, drama, kirtans, and film screening
• 8:30 PM – Prasadam distribution
Your presence will greatly enhance the auspiciousness of this historic occasion. Kindly attend and encourage your team members to participate as well. Please find the detailed schedule attached.
Your servant,
Braja Vilasa Das
Source: https://www.mayapur.com/en/blog/another-milestone---yajna-shala-opening-ceremony
I went with a few devotees to visit Harihara temple in Godrumadvipa. The main deity is Harihara, representing the unity of Vishnu and Shiva. Other deities in the temple include Lakshmi-devi, Parvati-devi, Shiva (an old Shiva with a moustache/beard), and footprints of Lord Gadadhara.
It is believed that Lord Siva dances and chants “Gaura Gaura” here, offering devotion to Lord Gauranga. It is a key stop during the Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama.
We also went to the Narasimha Palli temple. In Satya-yuga Lord Nrsimhadeva came here to take rest and wash the blood from His hands after bestowing His mercy on Prahlada by killing his demoniac father Hiranyakasipu. Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates used to come here regularly to discuss Lord Nrsimha-katha and perform harinam sankirtan.
Source: https://ramaiswami.com/harihara-and-narasimha-palli/
Watch history being made as the TOVP opens the magnificent Yajna Shala in the TOVP Gardens. Daily yajnas for the pleasure of the Supreme Personality will continue here in perpetuity.
Source: https://www.dandavats.com/?p=117302
The speaker expresses deep gratitude for being present and begins by explaining the central message of the Ramayana and Bhagavad-gita: the Supreme Truth, known by many names including Krishna, descends into the world in different forms and times to teach eternal spiritual truths. Real happiness begins with understanding our true identity—not the temporary body and mind, but the eternal soul, a part of God. The soul’s nature is ananda (spiritual happiness), fulfilled through pure love and loving reciprocation with the Divine.
Religion, or dharma, is described as learning how to live in all circumstances—success or failure, joy or sorrow—in a way that cultivates this loving relationship with God. The story of Lord Ram and Sita illustrates this teaching. Though born as royal figures destined to rule, they were exiled to the forest due to envy and insecurity within the kingdom. Instead of resentment, they accepted exile as an opportunity for spiritual growth and service.
Living simply among sages, wearing tree bark and surviving on forest provisions, Ram and Sita found profound joy in serving devotees—collecting flowers and offering them for worship. Their happiness came not from power or luxury, but from loving exchanges rooted in devotion (bhakti). The speaker emphasizes that bhakti means offering whatever we have—whether sawing stone or plucking flowers—as an act of love for God. The value lies not in the external act but in the intention behind it.
Stories such as Vishnu Chitta and his daughter Andal, as well as the garland-maker Sudama who served Krishna with devotion, further illustrate that sincere love outweighs material wealth or status. When Krishna offered Sudama any blessing, he asked only for unshakable devotion, friendship with devotees, and compassion for all beings. These three qualities are presented as the true perfection of life.
The speaker explains that everything in creation—air, intelligence, abilities, resources—is a gift meant to facilitate loving reciprocation with God. Like offering a handful of Ganges water back to the Ganges, what matters is not quantity but heartfelt devotion. Even Krishna, in His intimate pastimes, is described as longing for the love of His devotees.
The lecture concludes by connecting these teachings to the Flower Festival. Devotees from diverse backgrounds work together—growing, transporting, preparing, and offering flowers to Krishna. Regardless of social status or nationality, all participate equally in service. Once offered, the flowers become maha-prasad, divine grace shared among all. The festival symbolizes unity, humility, gratitude, and the joy of collective devotion.
True happiness, the speaker concludes, comes from grateful service, loving community, and offering one’s heart to God in every circumstance.
Source: https://www.dandavats.com/?p=117305
At the GBC Annual General Meeting 2026 in Mayapur, Madan Mohan Dasa shared a report with the gathered leaders on the “Gift Prabhupada” project, an initiative designed to honor and reconnect with the living disciples of ISKCON’s Founder-Acarya A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Additionally, in an interview with GBC Communications Director Parijata Devi Dasi, Madan Mohan, a GBC deputy and initiating guru, explained that the project’s goal is to present each of Srila Prabhupada’s surviving disciples with a small, lifelike brass murti of their spiritual master as a token of gratitude for their lifetime of dedication and service.
Approximately 2,500 disciples of Srila Prabhupada are still living, and the project has already distributed around 1,800 of these murtis. Each murti is crafted from alloy brass made with coins donated for Prabhupada’s books in the 25 countries he personally visited. The presentation box, which also serves as a small altar, includes a piece of the jackfruit tree from under which Srila Prabhupada was born in Kolkata.
The initiative, supported by the GBC, was presented at the AGM as it nears completion, with plans to continue making the murtis available at Prabhupada’s birthplace in Kolkata and to maintain contact with his disciples through the database created during the project.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/gift-prabhupada-project-already-reaches-1800-srila-prabhupadas-disciples/
DAY SIX
Day Six of the GBC AGM 2026 focused on recognition of service, updates on child protection initiatives, and the annual review of proposals, reflecting the GBC’s continued commitment to responsible governance and care.
For more details, click on the video below:
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/daily-video-highlights-of-the-gbc-agm-2026-held-in-mayapur/
