By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi
On September 18-26th, ISKCON’s Ministry of Education organized the annual Books Are the Basics Week 2024, a week-long program dedicated to enhancing the culture of reading Srila Prabhupada’s books around the world. This program was approved by the Governing Body Commission (GBC) in 2020. This event unites devotees from around the world with a shared vision of how Srila Prabhupada’s books must be the most-read literature in the world, thus enhancing the foundat
By Sankirtana Das
A companion article to As the US Election Approaches: “Our Original, Constitutional Position.”
Right now, for the upcoming USA election (or wherever elections take place), devotees have a tremendous opportunity to present Krishna Consciousness and help educate citizens in the qualities of good leadership, along with the four principles of dharma: truthfulness, internal and external cleanliness, compassion, and self-sacrifice. These are essential moral principles of all religiou
By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi
On October 26, 2024 at Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh, six devotees lost their lives while returning from Tadipatri. The accident took place near Nayanapalle Cross in Singanamala Mandal when their car, due to a sudden tire burst, went out of control and collided with an oncoming lorry. All six passengers lost their lives at the scene.
The devotees were Sridhar Swamy (30), Shanmukh (26), Santosh (28), Pranav (13), Venkatesh (28), and Prasanna (26). They ha
I have seen time and again how devotees who have undergone brahmacari training, and who later take up the reins of householder life, enter the workplace with skills far above those of the average man or woman. It is not that the skills and mentality of the devotional training have no value in the work theatre. On the contrary, the training as given by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada raises the devotee to a level above that of others.
The first thing that a brahmacari must do is exerci
The video discusses an upcoming book by Professor Kenneth Valpey, also known as Krishna Kshetra Swami, focused on yoga and animal ethics. Through a conversation among animals, viewers learn that the book will explore animal welfare from a yogic perspective, highlighting ancient Indian insights on humanity’s connection with animals and nature. The animals express excitement about the book’s potential to foster compassion and understanding. To make it freely available as an open-access resource,
This video covers the first day of ISKCON Chowpatty’s Kartik Yatra 2024, held in the holy land of Sri Mayapur Dham. The event is filled with ecstatic kirtans, dancing, and the spiritual teachings of HH Radhanath Swami, who reflects on the life and mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the vision of ISKCON’s founder, Srila Prabhupada.
HH Radhanath Swami begins by recounting Srila Prabhupada’s dedication to spreading the message of Krishna Consciousness worldwide. When Srila Prabhupada was esta
ISKCON Tucson was recently featured in the Arizona Daily Star which has a large online readership and over 230,000 print subscribers in the region. The article gave readers a window into the Sunday Feast, a brief history of the community, and highlighted several community members and how they came to Krishna Consciousness.
You can read the full article here. To follow the expanding service of the Tucson community, receive updates on their Temple project, and more, read their latest newsletter,
By Mathura Lilesvari Devi Dasi
Since the launch of our food truck at UCLA, Krishna Lunch So Cal is thrilled to announce that its sales have increased threefold in just six months. This remarkable growth is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, as well as the enthusiastic support from the UCLA community. While sales were never the main objective, the success puts the team in a strong position to expand this devotional project and share their experience with other devotees who
By Savitri Devi Dasi
The Vrindavan Institute for Higher Education (VIHE) is pleased to announce a series of courses for the upcoming year that will allow devotees worldwide to deepen their study of Bhakti texts. These courses offer an opportunity for dedicated sadhakas to immerse themselves in the teachings of the scriptures and to grow in their personal devotional practices.
VIHE has long been a place where devotees come to study sacred texts under the guidance of experienced teachers, and this
On my zoom call with a group from the east coast (I alternate with the west coast each week) we dwell on the concept of giving thanks and how it is instinctively human to do so. It is also a reality for practically every species of life. When the Pilgrims from the U.K. sailed their way to the New World in the 1600’s they established a rapport with the Indigenous people who taught about survival strategies by way of susentance. That noble and kind gesture led to the Thanksgiving feast.
Now, on
ISKCON devotees have been “on the front-line of special Diwali events across Westminster, Central London,” including a visit to the official residence and the office of the British Prime Minister – 10 Downing Street. For more details, click here.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/iskcon-leaders-celebrating-diwali-events-across-london/
Hare Krishna!
Wishing you all a joyful and blessed Deepawali! 🌟🙏
Yesterday, we had the wonderful Jvala Nrismha Lamp Lighting to celebrate the completion of the new Narasimha Wing. The procession began at 3:30 pm, with Lord Lakshmi Narasimha and Garuda Vahana gracing the way from the Pancha Tattva courtyard to the TOVP temple. The air was filled with the sounds of ecstatic kirtan, drums, and conches, creating a truly uplifting atmosphere. At 4:00 pm, we gathered for bhajans, heard a short messa
One time some mad elephants attacked Rasikananda. Calmly, he chanted "Gauranga, Gauranga, Krishna, Krishna" while sprinkling water on the rampaging beasts. The elephants immeditately stopped charging, humbly bowed their heads, raised their trunks, and bellowed "Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna!" (In the wallpaper: Rasikananda Prabhu, and some elephants).
Krishna Lifts the Govardhan Hill.
Once in the beautiful land of Vraja,
For Lord Indra they wanted to do a puja
Begging to Indra to supply them rain
So that in time they can harvest their grain
Seeing this Krishna was not happy,
He told his father this is unnecessary,
‘You should worship Govardhana hill,
This is what I really feel’
The gopas and gopis were all so happy,
To worship Govardhan they were all ready,
With laddu, halava, pakora and puri
They offered it all to Govardhana joyfully
Hearin
Govardhana Puja is celebrated in the month of Kartika (October – November) to commemorate the pastime of Lord Sri Krishna lifting the Govardhana Hill to protect the residents of Vrindavana from the wrath of Indra.
When the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna saw the residents of Vrindavana preparing for Indra-yajna, He suggested that they should forgo the worship of Indra and instead worship the Govardhana Hill. On coming to know of this, Indra became angry and sent a devastating rainfall over Vrindavana
The tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam relates many of Krishna’s pastimes. Of these, “The Lifting of Govardhan Hill” is one of our most important. It tells the story of how Krishna lifted Govardhan Hill in Vrindavan for seven days and seven nights, balancing it on the tip of his small finger and thus providing a huge umbrella under which all the residents and animals of Vrindavan could find shelter from the devastating rainstorm sent by Lord Indra (god of rain and king of h
DIWALI FESTIVAL: 10th October. 1968,
(Letter from Srila Prabhupada to Hamsadutta dasa written from Seattle., Letters book Vol 1. p.549.)
Diwali ceremony can be observed in the temple by illuminating 100’s of candles, indifferent parts of the temple, and offering a special Prasad to the Deity. This ceremony was observed by the inhabitants of Ayodhya, the Kingdom of Lord Ramachandra, while Lord Ramachandra was out of His Kingdom due to His 14 years banishment by the order of His father. His young
The meanings of Dipavali, its symbols and rituals, and the reasons for celebration are innumerable. Dipavali celebrates Lord Rama’s glorious and long-awaited return to His Kingdom of Ayodhya after his fourteen long years of exile in the forests.
It commemorates Lord Krsna’s victory over the demon Narakasura who had kidnapped and terrorized the gopis of Vrndavana. Before the evil Naraka was finally killed by Bhagavan Krsna in the presence of Satyabhama, he begged pitifully for mercy; thus, upon
“Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, quoting from the Vaisnava-tosani of Srila Sanatana Gosvami, says that the incident of Krsna’s breaking the pot of yogurt and being bound by Mother Yasoda took place on the Dipavali Day, or Dipa-malika. Even today in India, this festival is generally celebrated very gorgeously in the month of Kartika by fireworks and lights, especially in Bombay.” —Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.9.1 purport
“My dear Krsna, Yasoda took up a rope to bind You when You committed an offense
On the auspicious occasion of Diwali, I share with you a description by Smriti “Baby” Warrier (later initiated as Sravana dasi), whose family were tenants at Hare Krishna Land in Juhu, of how when she was a child she and her brothers wanted to set off fireworks, and how Srila Prabhupada responded.
One Diwali, in the evening, Mother Kanta was in the women’s ashram above our flat and we were outside setting off fireworks. It was around 9:00, and I guess she wanted to take rest, but we weren’t fin
