By Atma Tattva Das
Alachua, Florida – The Bhakti Recovery Group (BRG) Convention, held recently in Alachua, Florida, has emerged as a beacon of hope for individuals navigating the challenging path of addiction recovery within the devotee community. The convention, spearheaded by Jiva Gaurangi Dasi, “Jiva G,” the founder of BRG, and co-organized by Namamrita Das, brought together devotees from diverse backgrounds to explore the powerful fusion of Bhakti spirituality and the 12-step recovery prog
By Thomas Haribol
On Saturday, April 22nd, the Eco Teaching Farm at New Raman Reti in Alachua, FL, celebrated its sixth annual Earth Day Eco Festival. Established in 2017, the Eco Teaching Farm’s mission is to develop, through hands-on learning opportunities, a fully functional and dynamic, self-sustaining, ecologically sound farm project. The Festival is a beautiful way to showcase that aim for devotees and the public.
“We invite people to witness and experience the simple means of fulfilling
By Krishna Lila Dasi
– Sample ‘Art for Peace’ collage
Over the past week, more than a million Ukrainian refugees crossed the borders to the neighboring countries, fleeing war. Most of them are women and children, like their husbands, fathers, and sons, —all men between the ages of 18-60 — had to stay back to defend their country, not knowing if they would ever see their loved ones again.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/art-for-peace-initiative-to-help-ukrainian-refugee-children-cope/
By Madhava Smullen
With this holiday season upon us, devotees from Alachua as well as from Gainesville’s Krishna House, Jacksonville, and St. Augustine participated in the St. Augustine Christmas Parade in Florida on December 4th.
Hare Krishna devotees were the first part of the parade in 2012, for which they received the first prize trophy for best float. After receiving a trophy in 2013 as well, they have participated annually since only missing three years including 2019 and 2020.
The parade
By Madhava Smullen
The Bhaktivedanta Academy in Alachua, Florida, a thriving spiritually-centered Pre-K through 10th grade Montessori and International Baccalaureate school, is seeking applicants for its new internship program for Pre-K and Elementary teachers.
An informal internship program has already been running for some time; however, with the school now looking to double its capacity over the next several years, a formalized program is being launched to prepare for future growth. Beyond b
By Madhava Smullen
On June 4th, Bhaktivedanta Academy – a Montessori school serving the New Raman Reti community in Alachua, Florida – will reach a successful end to its most challenging school year so far. The heroic effort from teachers and staff has provided primary to high school age students with a safe environment in which their education and social and mental health has been cared for during the pandemic.
It all began in March 2020 when Covid first hit and the State of Florida kept schoo
By Madhava Smullen
A Hare Krishna Community Radio station based in Alachua, Florida had a soft launch on Christmas Day, broadcasting a series of devotional programs on the holiday as well as over four days at New Year’s. The project, run by Sudharma Dasi, aims to grow into a full-time digital radio station and eventually to reach out to listeners beyond the ISKCON community with devotional music, interviews, discussions, meditations and more.
Sudharma Dasi, a Srila Prabhupada disciple, previousl
The project’s coordinator Krishna Lila Dasi (Krisztina Danka, Ph.D.) filmmaker and BANA Visual Arts teacher explained that by giving them exciting creative challenges, the purpose of thi
By Madhava Smullen
A devotee men’s group started in Alachua, Florida in 1992 has offered both spiritual and practical support, as well as close friendships, for members over the past 28 years.
Several current members have been part of the group – named Sadhu Sanga Men’s Group – from the very beginning, while the rest joined between fifteen and twenty-five years ago. Starting when they were young men, the group of householder devotees (both Prabhupada disciples and grand disciples) now range
Gaura Mandali, a new Kirtan Academy for children – with plans to introduce adult classes soon – has launched in the New Raman Reti ISKCON community in Alachua, Florida.
The project’s director and, so far, sole teacher Thakura Das, grew up in a setting perfect for meditating on the Holy Names, and had a strong attraction to kirtan from early on.
Born and raised on the Nova Gokula farm in Brazil, simple living and high thinking was the norm for Thakura.
“My dad was the cow
The Festival of the Holy Name, an annual community staple in Alachua, Florida is celebrating its tenth anniversary starting this week with an incredible ten days of kirtan.
The festival began in 2010, when second generation devotees Govinda Syer, Gaura Shakti Allin and Govinda Cordua decided to create an immersive experience for Alachua community members who couldn’t make it to kirtan events around the country.
The team, under the banner of the Kuli Mela Association (KMA)
