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Statement from the Executive Committee of the ISKCON Governing Body Commission on Vaisnavi Diksa Guru – GBC AGM 2026

At the GBC AGM 2026, the GBC considered and approved a proposal submitted by the GBC – ISKCON Bureau (IB) Committee concerning the topic of Vaisnavi Diksa Guru. The GBC Executive Committee presents the proposal below in its original form, as approved by the GBC. The proposal approved by the GBC is as follows:

Whereas the GBC – ISKCON IB joint committee was given the responsibility

By Kasisvar Das

A new outreach initiative, the Gita Game, is being introduced as a creative tool for community building and book distribution. Developed by a team of ISKCON devotees from the Bhagavad-gītā Institute in Almaty, Kazakhstan, the board game emerged from years of educational work rooted in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. The Institute operates as a branch of the Institute for Applied Spiritual Technology, founded by His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami.

Since 2017, the internat

Q. 1. Lord Krishna told Arjuna: “Those who claim to be directly My devotees are actually not my devotees. But those who are devotees of my servants are factually My devotees.” In Srimad Bhagavatam purports of first canto, Srila Prabhupada mentions that Lord Shiva is a pure devotee of Lord Krishna. According to the above sloka, does it not directly imply that all of us must serve Lord Shiva? How far is this justifiable?

Yes, Lord Shiva is certainly worshipable, as a great devotee, but not indepe

Today, Sivaratri here, we did special worship of our deity of Gopisvara Mahadeva, gifted to us by His Holiness Indradyumna Swami. We prayed to Gopisvara,

vrndavanavani-pate jaya soma soma-maule
  sanaka-sanandana-sanatana-naradedya
gopisvara vraja-vilasi-yuganghri-padme
prema prayaccha nirupadhi namo namaste

“O gatekeeper of Vrindavan! O Soma, all glories to you! O you whose forehead is decorated with the moon (soma), and who is worshipable to the sages headed by Sanaka, Sanandana, and Narada!

Today is the auspicious Maha Sivaratri , a day to honor and pray to lord Siva. Lord Siva is known as Ashutosh, one who is pleased very easily, so somehow if we can please him on this Maha Sivaratri then we can make rapid progress in Krishna consciousness

Who is lord Siva?
He is the greatest of all devotees. Vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh: Sambhu, or Lord Siva, is the ideal Vaisnava. He constantly meditates upon Lord Rama and chants Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Lord Siva has a Visnu-Sv

On February 14, 2026, the Executive Committee of the ISKCON Governing Body Commission (GBC) released the following statement following the 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Mayapur.

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/statement-from-the-executive-committee-of-the-iskcon-gbc-on-vaisnavi-diksa-gurus/

By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi, 

A historic milestone was marked in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur on February 11, 2026, with the grand opening of the TOVP Yajña Śālā, accompanied by an extraordinary celebration that will be remembered for years to come. The Yajña Śālā opening marks another significant step in the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium project. 

Read more: https://iskconnews.org/tovp-yajna-sala-opens-in-sridhama-mayapur-with-grand-celebration/

Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 8, Chapter 7 (texts 36-42) describes the benevolent activities of Lord Siva when the living entities were threatened by the deadliest poison (halahala):

“Srila Sukadeva Gosvami said: ‘Lord Siva is always benevolent toward all living entities. When he saw that the living entities were very much disturbed by the poison, which was spreading everywhere, he was very compassionate. Thus he spoke to his eternal consort, Sati, as follows.

“ ‘Lord Siva said: “My dear Bhavani, ju

When I was young, no one called it Valentines Day, everyone called it Saint Valentines day. You remember? Now they just call it Valentines Day because they don’t want to think about saints (laughter). Because it’s actually totally contradictory to the whole conception of what valentine’s day is all about. Who was saint valentine?
There were 2 saint valentines. And they were both celibate monks how were preachers of God consciousness. One of them was a catholic priest who lived in Rome and who p

Srimad Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami writes: “All glories to Madhavendra Puri, the storehouse of all  Krishna-prema! He is a desire tree of bhakti, and it is to him that the seed of bhakti first fructified. The seed of Krishna-prema next fructified in the for of Sri Ishvara Puri, and then the gardener himself, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, became the main trunk of the tree of bhakti.

Isvara Puri was born in the town of Kumara Hatta on the full moon day of the month of Jyestha to a family of Brahmins haili

HH Bhaktivaibhava Swami recently suffered a stroke. He is currently under the care of doctors at a hospital in Kolkata. Rehabilitation has already begun.
Please pray for his speedy recovery. A message from him:
My dear devotees, thank you very much for your kindness, for your prayers! Communicating with you is my only refuge. Thank you very much!
… But don’t think that you can get rid of me so easyLy… :-) Hare Krishna! Thank you!

Source: https://www.dandavats.com/?p=117311

By Mathura Lilesvari Devi Dasi 

With heavy hearts, we offer our sincere prayers at the lotus feet of Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga for the family of His Grace Gaura Prema Das, who has so suddenly departed from this world in New Jersey.

May Nitai Prema Dasi, Krishna Prema Dasa, and all their loved ones be blessed with strength, comfort, and deep spiritual shelter during this difficult time.

Gaura Prema, a devoted disciple of Devamrita Swami, lived a life marked by humility, dedication, and unwavering

Over 2,500 people gathered at Balasaheb Kunjir Playground in Pimple Saudagar, Pune, on Sunday, February 8, 2026, to participate in the Run2Feed Marathon. Organized by the Food For Life program of ISKCON BCEC Pune with support from the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), the event utilized the theme “Turning Miles into Meals” to raise awareness and support for hunger relief. The marathon integrated physical fitness with social responsibility, drawing participants from across the city t

Dear Division and Department Heads,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
You are warmly invited to attend the Grand Opening of the TOVP Yajna Shala on Wednesday, February 11, 2026. 
This auspicious event will include yajna ceremonies, kirtan, senior devotees’ speeches, cultural programs, and prasadam throughout the day.
 

Morning Program Highlights
•⁠  ⁠7:00 AM – Darshan Arati
•⁠  ⁠7:45 AM – Procession to the Yajna Shala
•⁠  ⁠8:15–10:00 AM – Speeches by Senior Dev

I went with a few devotees to visit Harihara temple in Godrumadvipa. The main deity is Harihara, representing the unity of Vishnu and Shiva. Other deities in the temple include Lakshmi-devi, Parvati-devi, Shiva (an old Shiva with a moustache/beard), and footprints of Lord Gadadhara.

It is believed that Lord Siva dances and chants “Gaura Gaura” here, offering devotion to Lord Gauranga. It is a key stop during the Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama.

We also went to the Narasimha Palli temple. In Satya-yu

Watch history being made as the TOVP opens the magnificent Yajna Shala in the TOVP Gardens. Daily yajnas for the pleasure of the Supreme Personality will continue here in perpetuity.
Source: https://www.dandavats.com/?p=117302

The speaker expresses deep gratitude for being present and begins by explaining the central message of the Ramayana and Bhagavad-gita: the Supreme Truth, known by many names including Krishna, descends into the world in different forms and times to teach eternal spiritual truths. Real happiness begins with understanding our true identity—not the temporary body and mind, but the eternal soul, a part of God. The soul’s nature is ananda (spiritual happiness), fulfilled through pure love and loving

At the GBC Annual General Meeting 2026 in Mayapur, Madan Mohan Dasa shared a report with the gathered leaders on the “Gift Prabhupada” project, an initiative designed to honor and reconnect with the living disciples of ISKCON’s Founder-Acarya A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Additionally, in an interview with GBC Communications Director Parijata Devi Dasi, Madan Mohan, a GBC deputy and initiating guru, explained that the project’s goal is to present each of Srila Prabhupada’s surviving disci

DAY SIX

Day Six of the GBC AGM 2026 focused on recognition of service, updates on child protection initiatives, and the annual review of proposals, reflecting the GBC’s continued commitment to responsible governance and care.

For more details, click on the video below:



Read more: https://iskconnews.org/daily-video-highlights-of-the-gbc-agm-2026-held-in-mayapur/

Śravaṇa Utsav is one of the most anticipated spiritual gatherings during the Gaura Pūrṇimā Festival in Mayapur. Taking place just before the main festival days, it gently ushers devotees into the festive mood by immersing everyone in the nectar of hearing, association, and reflection.

Held over three days, Śravaṇa Utsav 2026 brings together 21 senior Vaiṣṇava speakers, offering one blissful ocean of hari-kathā. The festival is designed to help devotees step away from the noise of daily life and