The festival of Dussehra, also known as Vijaya dashmi, is one of the fascinating festivals of India and is celebrated with joy and enthusiasm. According to the great scripture, the Ramayana, Lord Rama performed chandi-puja (holy prayer). This was carried out in order to invoke the blessings of Durga for the killing of Ravana, the ten-headed demon king of Sri Lanka who had abducted Sita, wife of Lord Rama.
Durga divulged the secret to Rama on how he could slay the great Ravana. Hence upon vanqui
By Radha Mohan
On the auspicious occasion of Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance day, Srila Prabhupada’s disciples from throughout the UK were invited to Bhaktivedanta Manor to worship Srila Prabhupada, make offerings of gratitude to him, and receive a special gift.
The gift, made by devotees in Russia headed by Madan Mohana das, was a small deity of Srila Prabhupada in a box that opened into an altar.
Srila Prabhupada’s disciples were delighted to receive this treasured form of Srila Prabhupada a
By Atma Tattva Das
Kirtan, the sacred practice of chanting and singing the names of The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna, is a profound tool for meditation and self-expression. For Premanjali Dasi, kirtan is not only a complete devotional activity but also a transformative experience she aims to make accessible to all. Through her innovative Learn Kirtan initiative, she has opened the doors for individuals—particularly those new to bhakti—to embrace the art of kirtan as a means of med
I love to give class. The themes were “Planning”, “Expanding” and “ What we love about Krishna”. I am not always proud of my presentations, like today, but I am basically glad if more of the listeners fell asleep. That’s one way that I gauge success in delivery. Did I make anyone laugh. That to me is another criterion at a class.
Our guru, Srila Prabhupada, was a laughologist, but that did not form the bulk of his presentation. It was a component of a class whether it was based on the Gita, B
“By performance of yajña, the conditioned souls gradually become Krishna conscious and become godly in all respects. In the Age of Kali, the sankirtana-yajña (the chanting of the names of God) is recommended by the Vedic scriptures, and this transcendental system was introduced by Lord Caitanya for the deliverance of all men in this age. Sankirtana-yajña and Krishna consciousness go well together. Lord Krishna in His devotional form (as Lord Caitanya) is mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5
Hare Krsna movement is not a "For Ascetics Only" club.
Five centuries ago Lord Caitanya, who is the Supreme Lord. Krsna, Himself and the founder of the Hare Krsna movement, predicted that in every town and village around the globe God's holy names would be heard. Twenty-four years ago His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, a devoted follower of Lord Caitanya, journeyed from India to the West and began to vigorously introduce Krsna consciousness. As a result, people everywhere hav
By Radha Mohan
Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister of the UK, invited faith leaders from different traditions to join him for breakfast on Thursday, November 14th.
Visakha Dasi, representing ISKCON Bhaktivedanta Manor, was pleased to hear Mr Starmer emphasise the importance of faith to the fabric of UK society. “That was especially evident”, Mr Starmer said, “during the pandemic when great numbers of people turned to places of worship for shelter and solace in a time of international uncertain
Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister of the UK, invited faith leaders from different traditions to join him for breakfast on Thursday, November 14th.
Visakha Dasi, representing ISKCON Bhaktivedanta Manor, was pleased to hear Mr Starmer emphasize the importance of faith to the fabric of UK society. “That was especially evident,” Mr Starmer said, “during the pandemic when great numbers of people turned to places of worship for shelter and solace in a time of international uncertainty.”
For more de
They were on fire. It was unique for me and I’ve been to many weddings. This one – the union of Venkatesh and Mansi, started with a bang! A vintage New York fire truck came along outside the banquet hall with its siren on full blast and then gave way to some bangra number where all the guys friends of Venkatesh , the groom, gyrated atop the vehicle. They were having a blast. Everyone joined into the spirit.
Inside the banquet hall a more grave approach to the ceremony commenced.
The Panditji
By Rupali Chadha, MD
Over the years I have been approached by many a devotee in distress. Though I grew up in ISKCON and have been slowly cultivating my own Krishna consciousness, I am very much a neophyte. I was blessed by Krishna’s will in that I became a physician. I went forward to specialize in general and forensic psychiatric medicine. It is for this reason, I am often approached by devotees when their emotional life becomes overwhelming. Often they are told to chant better rounds or seek
In each of its twelve cantos, Srimad-Bhagavatam, the “flawless ripened fruit of all Vedic scriptures,” tells of miracles and mysticism, of the esoteric and extraterrestrial. We hear a cow, bull, elephant, monkey, and bird speaking deep philosophy. We learn of the four-headed creator who sits atop a lotus flower, of a magnificent aerial mansion, and of a five-year-old who pushes down half the earth with his toe and makes demigods suffocate. We learn of people giving birth to tens of thousands of
I offer my humble obeisances and deepest respect to His Divine Grace Srila Jayapataka Swami Maharaj. I am posting this with a heavy heart, but because it is my duty to share my experience with the assembled devotees for the highest good of all. It is embarrassing and uncomfortable to share this story, but it is so important that I choose to do it anyway. I sincerely pray that you will learn from my mistakes and remain strong in your devotional service to your Spiritual Master. It is the most imp
By Pitambara Das
The 2024 Zone 1 Leadership Conference, held from November 8th to 10th in Edmonton, Alberta, brought together over 60 leaders from more than 25 ISKCON centers across Canada and six northern U.S. states. Under the theme “Think Big, Do Big, Act Small,” the conference focused on a shared vision for ISKCON’s growth and mission, guided by Srila Prabhupada’s principles and the spirit of Krishna Consciousness.
Inspired by Bhaktimarga Swami, this annual gathering highlighted collective p
Sri Namamrta
1. The Holy Name Revives One’s Dormant, Eternal Krsna Consciousness
2. The Role of the Holy Name in the Progression of Devotional Service
3. The Holy Name Frees One from the Reactions to Sins
4. By Chanting the Holy Name, the Mind Becomes Controlled
5. The Holy Name Protects One from Pride
6. By Chanting, One Develops Forbearance
7. The Holy Name Eradicates Material Desires and Sinful Activity
8. The Holy Name Cleanses the Heart and Frees One from Material Contamination
9. The Holy
By Atma Tattva Das
Since 1972, the Prabhupada Book Marathon has inspired ISKCON devotees to share the spiritual wisdom of Srila Prabhupada’s books with the world. Now celebrated as the “Live to Give” campaign, this annual effort aims to “cover the earth” with copies of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, including its recent milestone of even delivering Gitas to Antarctica. This achievement fulfilled a longstanding aspiration of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) to bring Krishna consciousness to every
Hare Krishna
Biggest Vaishnava gathering happening NOW at Sri Kshetra Puri dhama!
On the sea beach shores, Parikrama inauguration took place with sankalpa and Maha arati to Sagar. Many ISKCON sanyasis are taking part in this parikrama.
3 days of Parikrama 18-20 Nov
4 Parikrama Parties ( Hindi, Bengali, Oriya, South Indian- international)!
More than 10000 devotees in Parikrama!
Lots of Jagannath katha & prasad!
Chairman HH Bhakti Purusottam Swami says that to encourage many devotees to take pa
Thanks to AI assistance here’s the first of Chapter One, Bhagavad Gita, sounds like
#1 Dhrtarastra: Yo Sanjaya! So, my squad and the Pandu pulled up at Kurukshetra, ready to throw down. Whats the scoop?
#2 Sanjaya: Ayo, King! Duryodhana took a good look at the Pandu crew, and he sprinted over to his guru like, “Bro we gotta talk starategy”.
#3 Duryodhana: Teacher,check out this army! The Pandus are flexing hard, thanks to your genius disciple. I mean, Drupada’s son is a total vibe!
#4 D
Since the vast majority of our readers are coming to Srila Prabhupada and Krishna Consciousness for the first time through Internet searches, and without access to devotee association or a nearby Hare Krishna temple, many people have inquired about how they can set up an altar in their homes and start practicing Krishna Consciousness at their own pace.
The first and foremost principle of Krishna Consciousness is chanting the Hare Krishna mantra:
“Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Har
