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Lionel Messi, the Argentine football icon widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history, visited India this month as part of the “GOAT India Tour 2025,” a fan-engagement and promotional tour spanning four major cities—Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi. The visit marked Messi’s first trip to India in 14 years and drew widespread attention from fans and media across the country.

During his Mumbai visit, a brief interaction between Messi and ISKCON leader Guru Prasad Swami was a

By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi, 

On December 5, 2025, the Bhaktivedanta Research Center (BRC), Kolkata, collaborated with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar in a three-day Dharma Studies Conference (DSC 2025), marking a milestone in establishing Dharma Studies as a legitimate interdisciplinary academic field. The event brought together scholars, researchers, and spiritual practitioners from India and around the world to explore the contemporary relevance and application of

The Wellington temple’s Higher Taste restaurant has gone through some challenges over the last few years, especially during the Covid period where the whole city was practically shut down and right after when a lot of people still worked from home.

Somehow, it has managed to survive, albeit in a new location, not far from the old premises. I went there for lunch and there was a fine menu combination of Bain-Marie preparations like rice, dhal, subji, pakora etc. and an a la carte menu of more spe

A Talk by Giriraj Swami December 17, 2000 Ojai, California

In the West this is the holiday season, with Christmas and Hanukkah both coming up. As Srila Prabhupada explained, the Lord comes to this world to enlighten people with transcendental knowledge. Sometimes He comes personally, and sometimes He sends His son or His prophet or His representative, but they all come with the same message. They may speak in different languages according to the circumstances and the audience, but the essence

Rasananda Das, aka Happy Jack (in black), with GEV monks and retreat participants.

A group of 42 yoga practitioners from six continents recently completed a deeply transformative pilgrimage to Govardhan EcoVillage (GEV)—an experience that many described as the most soul-nourishing week of their lives. Immersed in daily yoga, satsang, service opportunities, sacred ceremonies, and the uplifting association of GEV’s devotees, participants encountered bhakti yoga in its lived, practical form. From

Submitted by Visnu Murti Das, Founder of Vanipedia. A collaborative wiki invoking and manifesting Srila Prabhupada’s Vani presence.

A Chronicle of December 3rd, 2025

For 18 years, Vanipedia has been a fortress of transcendental sound—a massive, meticulously categorized library of Srila Prabhupada’s teachings. But for 18 years, a challenge remained: How do we take this mountain of data and turn it into flowing rivers of readable articles that the whole world can drink from?

Vanipedia dreamed of

By Radhika Kripa Mataji

Gurugram, earlier known as Gur-goan, carries a sacred place in India’s ancient history. The name itself means “the village of the Guru”, referring to Guru Dronacharya, the revered teacher of the Pandavas and Kauravas in the Mahabharata. According to tradition, this land was offered to Guru Dronacharya by King Dhritarashtra as a token of respect for his wisdom and guidance.

Over time, “Gur goan” evolved into “Gurugram”, yet the spiritual essence of the name remained. Thoug

From Beckham to Bhagavad-gita: How a Tattoo Trend Turned Into Bhakti

There’s an old saying in the Hare Krishna movement: “Give someone one of Srila Prabhupada’s book, and you’re actually giving them Krishna.”
Not just a story about Krishna — not even a souvenir related to Krishna — but Krishna Himself, packed into every syllable like a divine USB drive. Srila Prabhupada would say that Krishna is fully present in every word of His books. Which means, by this logic, distributing a Bhagavad-gita is

Sixty years after Srila Prabhupada arrived in the West, it is really astonishing to see what he has achieved. Worldwide there are now people from all walks of life taking up the process of bhakti yoga. When travelling and visiting Vaishnava centres, we become more aware of the immensity of what Srila Prabhupada did. I filmed devotees in the London area some time ago but their stories and activities are still relevant today. The spiritual message is eternal.

Source: https://www.dandavats.com/?p=

By Atma Tattva Das,

When Balram Thanki speaks about the mridanga, his voice settles into a steady rhythm of its own. The drum has shaped most of his life, and the memories tied to it come easily to mind when he talks. Personally, the mridanga is history, service, identity, and a teacher all at once for him. That connection sits at the heart of The Mridanga Circle, an online training and community platform that teaches devotees how to play the Mridanga with proper technique, heritage, and devotio

By Radha Mohan Dasa 

As part of outreach preaching efforts beyond the UK, Maha Prasad Govinda Das, who lived as a monk at Bhaktivedanta Manor from 1983 to 1990, recently traveled to three prestigious universities across India as a delegate to a Bhagavad Gita conference.

Entitled the “International Gita Mahotsav” conference in India, he, along with other BBT and ISKCON international devotees from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Bahrain, Hungary, and China, spoke on topics relating to the Bhagavad-gita and t

Greetings from the sacred forest of Vrindavan. I feel in my heart very strongly that Krishna keeps on calling everyone in many, many ways. The question is — do we respond to the call of the Lord, or do we allow ourselves to be held back by our fears?

Source: https://www.dandavats.com/?p=116786

Indradyumna Swami and organizers of the US Sadhu Sanga Kirtan Retreat have announced that the 2026 gathering will take place in New Orleans, Louisiana, over Memorial Day Weekend, May 22–25, 2026. The annual event, known for drawing thousands of devotees for immersive kirtan and fellowship, will be held at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, a 4-star hotel on the banks of the Mississippi River.

The venue offers 1,200 onsite rooms and more than 75,000 square feet of hall space across three large rooms,

By Yudhisthira Dasa

“The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and a dog-eater [outcaste]” (Bhagavad-gita 5.18).

In Srila Prabhupada’s Purport, he states, “A Kṛiṣhṇa conscious person does not make any distinction between species or castes. The brāhmaṇa and the outcaste may be different from the social point of view, or a dog, a cow, and an elephant may be different from the point of view of species, but these di

During his state visit to India, Russian President Vladimir Putin was presented with a copy of the Bhagavad‑gītā translated into Russian. In a post on X, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote: “The teachings of the Gita give inspiration to millions across the world.”

Source: https://iskconnews.org/pm-modi-gifts-russian-language-bhagavad-gita-to-president-putin-during-state-visit/