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By Sunanda Das,

Devotees continuously ask us the million-dollar question, “When is the TOVP opening?” Since construction began in 2009, there have been several opening dates announced, but they have been pushed back for various reasons, such as financial constraints and COVID.

Now, an official and definite date has been scheduled, and Ambarisa Dasa and Braja Vilasa Dasa, Chairman and Vice-Chairman respectively, have made a commitment to this Grand Opening date as a worldwide offering to the lotu

The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) recently presented its annual “Year in Review,” highlighting significant global progress in distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books and outlining new initiatives to expand outreach. The online call, hosted by ISKCON’s Minister of Book Distribution Vaisesika Dasa, emphasized that book distribution remains central to ISKCON’s mission, noting that the Governing Body Commission traditionally begins its annual meetings by reviewing worldwide book distribution results.

Mukunda Goswami is now in recovery following recent brain surgery to relieve pressure caused by internal bleeding, according to an update from his care team. The procedure was successful, and devotees worldwide have been encouraged by early signs of movement as he begins the next phase of healing.

The update follows an earlier report published by ISKCON News, which informed the global community of his hospitalization and the urgent need for prayers ahead of the operation. A senior disciple of A.

Lord Sri Ramacandra is a powerful incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as an ideal king. He appeared in the Treta-yuga, more than two million years ago.

This is a verse from Brahma-samhita in which the incarnation of Lord Ramacandra is described. Ramadi. Not only Rama, but there are many other, innumerable incarnations. They are compared with the waves of a river. As the waves of the river or the waves of the ocean cannot be counted, similarly, how many incarnations are there of the

Lord Rama being the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is fully replete with six opulences and the reservoir of all auspiciousness and thus reading, speaking about or hearing about Lord Rama elevates ones consciousness and cause one to return back home, back to Godhead. We find that throughout the history of Bharat varsha (India), people would gather to discuss and hear about Ramayana and derive great knowledge on dharma, culture and spiritual bliss from its narrations. Indeed the impact of the t

Rishabh Verma: Reflections on the essence of the Valmiki Ramayana

The Vedic scriptures describe many different types of charity or dana. Of these, Srila Ramanujacharya identifies two types of charity as the highest – charity of self-knowledge (Jnana dana) and charity of fearlessness (Abhaya Dana). These forms of charity are not only recognized by Bhakti Yogis, but also by Buddhists. Both schools agree that Abhaya Dana is superior to Jnana dana because it removes the fear of repeated birth and d

By Shyamasundara Dasa

For some people the episode of Rama exiling Sita to the forest, while she was five months pregnant, is one of the most disturbing and incomprehensible events in the Ramayana. It seriously tests their faith; and in some cases actually breaks it, leading some to even offend Lord Rama. They forget it is a divine lila and that the Lord has His own reasons for doing what He does, and that they are not always within the purview of our tiny understanding.

To read the entire artic

I wish to offer my gratitude to everyone who has so kindly assembled today on this auspicious occasion of Dussehra. Today all over the world there are millions and millions of people celebrating this day. But like most spiritual occasions not so many know why? – It is a characteristic of kali yuga that even very sacred things are perceived very superficially. Often times religious festivals of all religions are more of an opportunity for some sort of social entertainment than for genuinely cult

Festival days such as Rama-navami are a prime opportunity for spiritual advancement and purification. Srila Prabhupada stated in a Rama-navami lecture in Hawaii on the 27th March, 1969: 

“There is no difference between His form, His name, His pastimes, and Himself. He’s absolute. Therefore either you chant the holy name of Rama or you see the statue of Rama or you talk of His pastimes, transcendental pastimes, everything, that means you are associating with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

By Srila Vyasadeva

SB 9.10: The Pastimes of the Supreme Lord, Rāmacandra

This Tenth Chapter describes how Lord Ramacandra appeared in the dynasty of Maharaja Khatvanga. It also describes the Lord’s activities, telling how He killed Ravana and returned to Ayodhya, the capital of His kingdom.

The son of Maharaja Khatvanga was Dirghabahu, and his son was Raghu. The son of Raghu was Aja, the son of Aja was Dasaratha, and the son of Dasaratha was Lord Ramacandra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Sri Ram Navami celebrations!

We wish you all a very auspicious filled Rama Navami 💥💥💥💥

Sri Rama Navami is always a bigger festival as it is just before the vyasapuja of HH Jayapataka Swami and thousands and thousands of devotees visiting Mayapur for Vyasapuja, come early to take part in Rama Navami also. In the afternoon, we will have an abhisheka to “Shaligram Shila” and arati, Pushpajali offered to Sri Ramchandra.

A very grand procession of Sri Ram, Lakshman, Sita and Hanuman in bullock chari

The classic ISKCON Television Ramayana, with ISKCON devotee actors (the Vaikuntha and Brijbasi Players), filmed at New Vrindaban and Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold in 1980

Source: https://www.dandavats.com/?p=85328

Hawaii, March 27, 1969

Spoken by His Divine Grace
Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

ramadi murtishu kala-niyamena tishthan
nanavataram akarod bhuvaneshu kintu
krishnah svayam samabhavat paramah puman yo
govindam adi-purusham tam aham bhajami
[Bs. 5.39]

This is a verse from Brahma-samhita in which the incarnation of Lord Ramacandra is described. Ramadi. Not only Rama, but there are many other, innumerable incarnations. They are compared with the waves of a river. As the waves of the rive

From Back to Godhead

Just to attract us to His service, God appeared on earth more than one million years ago as Lord Ramacandra the most benevolent ruler and valiant hero the world has ever known.

The incarnations of Godhead are as numerous as the waves of the sea, yet Krsna, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the source of them all. Just as from one original candle we may light many other candles equal in potency, so Krsna expands Himself in many incarnations, each as powerful as

(These prayers are from the 47th chapter of the Harivamsa Purana which narrates the story of Lord Ramacandra’s visit to the holy place of Ahobalam to see the Deity of Nrisimha, where Lord Nrisimha appeared and saved His devotee Prahlada.)

ahobalam narasimham gatva ramah pratapavan

namaskutya sri nrisimham astaushit kamala patim

The glorious Rama once visited Ahobala where He saw the Deity of Lord Nrisimha. He
offered His obeisances to Lord Kamalapati (husband of the Goddess of Fortune) and
pray

Power of Bad Association: It was a known fact in Ayodhya that Kaikeyi loved Lord Rama more than his own son Bharath, then how could she become so evil. It is by her bad association with Mantara.

Attachment to service & not to the position: Lord Ram was willing to become the king as a service to Maharaj Dasarath and He was also willing to go to the forest as a service to His father.

Mission of Life should be to vanquish the demoniac tendencies in our heart: Lord Ram’s purpose to kill the demon

By Shyamasundara Dasa ACBSP

The name of King Kulasekhara Alvar is well known to the followers of Srila Prabhupada. His Divine Grace used to relish with great ecstasy the Mukunda Mala Stotra written by this great saintly king. This stotra is commonly known in ISKCON as the Prayers of King Kulasekhara.

Though his name is well known, for most devotees, very little is known about Maharaja Kulasekhara. We shall now try to remedy this lacuna by presenting a concise synopsis of his life.

But before we

We read from Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto Two, Chapter Seven: “Scheduled Incarnations.”

TEXT 23

asmat-prasada-sumukhah kalaya kalesa
  iksvaku-vamsa avatirya guror nidese
tisthan vanam sa-dayitanuja avivesa
  yasmin virudhya dasa-kandhara artim arcchat

TRANSLATION

Due to His causeless mercy upon all living entities within the universe, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, along with His plenary extensions, appeared in the family of Maharaja Iksvaku as the Lord of His internal potency, Sita. Under th

                                                                                              Srirama raama rameti rame raame manorame |

                                                                                              Sahasranaama tattulyam raamanaama Varaanane

                                                                                              Shriraama naama varaanana om nama iti |

                                    Meaning the chanting or meditating on Lord Rama's name