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By Pavni Gaurangi  
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​The ISKCON Janpath temple in Ludhiana, a beautiful palace for Sri Sri Radha Gopinath, was joyfully inaugurated October 23rd-24th after 15 years of challenges.

The Beginning

Ludhiana is the largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, not only famous for its hosiery and cycle industries but also for its deep religious sentiment. Evidence of this was the 2007 donation to ISKCON of a 4.25-acre space with the hopes a grand temple could be built on the land. Donors included Shr

By Atma Tattva Das

Nestled in the serene heart of Mississippi, the New Talavana community has embarked on an ambitious endeavor to construct a grand new temple, marking a significant milestone in their spiritual journey. This dynamic community, part of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), is well-known for its vibrant culture, devotion to cow protection, and emphasis on sustainable living.

On October 6-8th, 2023, New Talavana celebrated its 17th Annual Cow Festival, a f

I feel that my day is complete when I have delivered at least one class or one presentation. It was my good fortune to give a class to an enthusiastic group at the local Voice, a centre which is set up to house college students who reside there and learn bhakti. What a great program for a generation of men who want to establish a foundation for themselves as they will be (at least most of them) husbands and fathers. Their effort contributes to the wellness of the society.

In the chapter "Questi

By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi

Brajasundari Dasi, a venerable retired educator, has meticulously crafted educational resources called Shastra Sheets designed to engage and enlighten kids. Drawing inspiration from the profound literary works of His Divine Grace, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, these worksheets brim with spiritual wisdom.

Each sheet is like a treasure chest, housing stories and knowledge waiting t

On October 29th, devotees held their first Kirtan Mela in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. “It was very ecstatic and many devotees came,” said Shilpa-Karina Devi Dasi, “The event was arranged by the ISKCON Serbian yatra team and held at the Lotos Yoga Studio, as there is no temple yet in the capital.” The event featured multiple Kirtan leaders and instrumentalists.

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/belgrade-serbia-hosts-first-kirtan-mela/​

Overview 

Bhaktivedanta National School (BVNS) was formed in 2003, with the primary aim of providing comprehensive education to the community children of Mayapur. Mayapur is located in the Nadia District, which is historically a place known for imparting education, and attracting learned scholars from all around India, as well as for learning debates and exchange of knowledge of various kinds. However, over the years, it’s becoming quite rare to find educational institutions, which provide an a

The North American Regional Governing Body (NARGB) eagerly anticipates the opportunity to provide support and service to all temples and centers in North America. As previously discussed during our in-person meeting in Houston, we are in the process of establishing an administrative office to enhance our services. We are delighted to announce several available positions within this new office.

Positions include Administrative Director, Director of Development, Secretary, Communications Manager,

By Thomas Haribol

The 22nd Annual Diwali in London (DiL) celebrations brought thousands of people to Trafalgar Square for the annual “Festival of Lights” on Sunday, October 29th. ISKCON’s Bhaktivedanta Manor was this year’s hosting organization for the joyful event,  a partnership between the DiL Committee and the Greater London Authority (GLA) representing diverse organizations and religious traditions across the city. 

London’s Mayor Sadiq Kahn said of the celebration, “Diwali is a joyous occ

Two chaps, both brahmacharis (monks) from Pune, offered to take me to some kind of trail. Actually, we are looking at a lake called Katraj Lake which takes a mere fourteen minutes to circumambulate. It was at the brahma muhurta hour, the time before dawn, that we walked it, and yet again. I was quite surprised to see a good turn out of people doing their own version of a workout on this lake which has an island in the centre with a stature of Sivaji Maharaja, a defender of the Hindu community,

Sri Virachandra or Virabhadra Prabhu appeared on the ninth day of the dark fortnight of the month of Kartika. Krsna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami has given this description of Him in the C.C. Adi 11.8-12

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura writes in his Anubhāṣya, “Vīrabhadra Gosāñi was the direct son of Śrīla Nityānanda Prabhu and a disciple of Jāhnavā-devī. His real mother was Vasudhā.

In the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (67) He is mentioned as an incarnation of Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. Therefore Vīrabhadra

By Srila Krsna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami

Sri Viracandra or Virabhadra Prabhu appeared on the ninth day of the dark fortnight of the month of Kartik. Krsna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami has given this description of Him in the C.c. Adi 11.8-12:

“After Nityananda Prabhu, the greatest branch is Virabhadra Gosani, who also has innumerable branches and sub-branches. It is not possible to describe them all. Although Virabhadra Gosani was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He presented Himself as a great devotee

Here is the much talked about project video for Cardiff’s Tŷ Krishna Cymru Project (means ‘Krishna House Wales’ in Welsh language)!

The project will not only be a first class ISKCON temple housing marble deities of Śrī Śrī Gaura Nitāi on a beautiful altar, but a cutting edge preaching centre, equipped to introduce newcomers to Krishna Consciousness at their own pace.

State of the art facilities will include prasadam restaurant, yoga studio, ayurvedic treatments, guest accommodation, rooftop gard

By Thomas Haribol

Despite the ongoing warfare and shelling, programs for devotees in Tel Aviv are still being held every weekend. According to ISKCON Israel, “Devotees continue to gather almost every day, offer wicks to Lord Damodara and to have kirtan.” In the midst of their travails, they are redoubling their efforts to extend their “Food for Life” programs in the face of overwhelming need.

“The sons and daughters of many devotees have been drafted into the army; we all pray for them, as well

The day four of the GBC Mid Term Meeting, hosted at ISKCON Pune, commenced with Srila Prabhupada Guru Puja prayers followed by a presentation on the new ‘Transcend‘ app from the BBT.  The meeting was presided over by the GBC Executive Committee, consisting of Revati Raman Das (Chair), Guru Prasad Swami, and Tapana Misra Das.

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/day-four-of-the-gbc-mid-term-meeting-in-pune-india/​

I got to the sink and coughed up a green and black gob of phlegm after the traffic trail from Pune's Airport. That's quite common after moving through the dusty streets of anywhere in India. I opened the faucet and let the despicable lump wash down the sink's hole. It was a clear confirmation that I'm in the land of Bharat – India.

I do like India, though. You have to see the bright side. When you are a monk, you get all the hospitality of the sweetest kind, greeted by kirtan, garland, and happ

Chaitanya Charan Das, “The Spiritual Scientist,” is one of ISKCON’s premiere teachers and prolific authors. He graciously agreed to share his two-part reflections on the Damodarashtakam with ISKCON News to help devotees enter this month of spiritual auspiciousness more fully.

“Prayer is the universal language by which the human heart communes with the divine heart. Poetry is an artistic means to verbalize deep emotions. Singing is a popular method to express one’s emotions.

The integration of t

OCTOBER 28 – The Mid-Term (MTM) GBC Meeting is being held this year at ISKCON Pune from October 25-29th to discuss a broad range of topics and proposals.  GBC Communications has shared the following details:
“25 October, 2023 – The GBC Mid Term Meeting, hosted at ISKCON Pune, commenced with Srila Prabhupada Guru Puja prayers followed by a reading from the Srimad Bhagavatam. The meeting was presided over by the GBC Executive Committee, consisting of Revati Raman Das (Chair), Guru Prasad Swami, a

When you are a leader
You are on someone's meter

When your voice is heard
There's analysis on every word

When you simply make a move
Once set, it's hard to remove

You will never satisfy everyone
It's natural for all under the sun

Yet decisions must be made
So one need not be afraid

Just have fixation on duty
​That is a true leader's beauty

Be ready to accept correction
The willingness to take direction

That is the measure of great honour
No personal trait could be stronger

Remember, you are not

An important judgment was announced by the New York State Court on October 25, 2023.

Below is a previous ISKCON News press release from Oct. 16, 2017, which summarizes the case:

“A North American legal case that has lasted almost two decades took a decisive turn in favor of ISKCON this past week. This long-running case, known in ISKCON as the Long Island Court Case, began in 2004 in Freeport, New York. At that time, a group of “ritviks” opposed to the ISKCON Governing Body Commission (GBC) from

(An Excerpt from the book Mysteries of the Ancient Vedic Empire, by Sri Nandanandana dasa–Stephen Knapp)

As we look over the various cultures and religions of the world, we may ask if all religious systems are divine. Though they seem to conflict with each other on various points, still there are many areas of truth in which they all agree. Or you could say that some of the same essential truths can be found within each of them. And by a careful comparison, we can trace the essence of that trut