Blog

Chandramauli Swami (left) and Guru Prasad Swami (right) visiting the booth at ILS event.

ISKCON Devotee Healthcare Services, an initiative of Bhaktivedanta Hospital and Research Institute, has witnessed significant growth since its initial launch at the 2023 International Leadership Sanga (ILS), expanding its reach to countries around the world.

The highly respected Mumbai hospital is a 300-bed NABH-accredited (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers) multi-specialty te

Pancadhara Das in his home studio recording instrumental music for meditation.

Jorge Luis Martin, known in the ISKCON community as Pancadhara Das, has dedicated his life to music and spirituality. As a singer-songwriter, music producer, Reiki practitioner, and Bhakti Yoga devotee, his journey—from the streets of Buenos Aires to a quiet forest retreat—reflects his deep connection to Krishna consciousness.

Early Life and Spiritual Awakening

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to a Catholic family, Pa

By Atma Tattva Das

In a recent initiative that merged health care with spiritual support, Bhaktivedanta Manor’s Devotee Care Office hosted a groundbreaking Cancer Workshop. The event, which Mahimarnava Dasa orchestrated in collaboration with One Vision NPO and Macmillan Cancer Support, sought to address a growing need within the devotee community: comprehensive cancer care. Inspired by the increasing number of devotees affected by cancer, Mahimarnava led the charge in bridging the gap between sp

Dear ISKCON Devotees,

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

We are deeply saddened to share the difficult news regarding the health of His Holiness Giriraja Swami. Maharaja has been diagnosed with Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia (bvFTD). This degenerative neurological disorder has been increasingly affecting him over the past three years, with more significant clinical symptoms emerging in the last year.

This cruel disease is characterized by the progre

Anuttama Dasa, ISKCON’s Global Communications Minister and GBC member, recently toured the Bhaktivedanta Hospital and Research Center, a multi-specialty tertiary care hospital located in Mumbai, India, across the street from the ISKCON Mira Road Temple. People come from all over the world to receive treatment here because of the emphasis on the spiritual, physical, and mental well-being of the patient. Beginning as the Bhaktivedanta Polyclinic in 1993 and later the expanded Bhaktivedanta Hospit

In a recent study of 22 sets of twins published in the Journals of the American Medical Association (JAMA Network), researchers found that “a healthy plant-based diet offers a significant protective cardiometabolic advantage compared with a healthy omnivorous diet.”

The results confirm earlier findings from researchers in Norway, which showed a plant-based diet can add up to 10 years to one’s life. You can read the full study here.

ISKCON devotees advocate a lacto-vegetarian diet, strictly avoi

By HH Keshava Swami

Dear Devotees,
Today Maharaja was in good spirits. Yesterday, on his request, we began kirtans in his apartment for two hours in the afternoon (Madhava Prabhu led), and we hope to continue with this kirtana in the coming days.
Overall, however, his health is in a lower phase. Though he does have times when he seems to spring back, the signs of decline are there. Predicting is hard, but realistically it looks as though the duration of Maharaja’s life span is now in the weeks

Camp: Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, New Delhi

Date: 14:05 hrs, 21st January, 2023

We are sure that all of us are continuing to pray to Lord Nrsimhadeva and all local deities.

Maharaja is still in the CICU and Angiography procedure was scheduled for today. In view of the stabilization of his heart condition, the treating team of Cardiologists has decided to postpone the procedure today and carry out few more tests next week.

We will keep you updated regarding any further developments.

HH Gopa

Bhaktivedanta Manor is proud to have so many of its community members who work in the health profession – – and on all levels. The below set of videos includes a variety of such devotees who, based on their knowledge and experience, offer their professional advise on how best to deal with the current challenges due to the Coronavirus. Physically, mentally and spiritually. We ask you to watch them carefully and share them widely:

Health Advice Part 1: Introduction by Visakha Dasi - Click here

H

In this unprecedented period in the world’s history where health has been come a constant source of concern, a pure devotee can give us some secrets of health.

What is the most important secret of health? Srila Prabhupada reveals it in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 1.1.10:

“In Kali-yuga, the duration of life is shortened not so much because of insufficient food but because of irregular habits. By keeping regular habits and eating simple food, any man can maintain his health. Overeating, over

By Shyama Sakhi Devi Dasi 

Diagnosed Covid-19 cases and deaths as of October 30th, 2020.

Shyama Sakhi Devi Dasi (Shivani Agarwal, PhD Biotechnology, MSc Biochemistry) She is a Research Assistant Professor at the Department of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Illinois (UIC), Chicago, Illinois.

277 days ago, none of us had heard of coronavirus and everything we did was not shrouded with the specter of COVID-19. We welcomed the new decade, filled calendars, planned events and t

By Rishi Kumara Das

October 31st, 2020

This is an emergency health update of HH Bhakti Madhurya Govinda Goswami Maharaja. Maharaja was admitted to Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Hospital, New Delhi for a critical surgery recently. Dr. HG Krishna Priya Pr who has been constantly coordinating with the Doctors has sent in this update.

The nerve blockage near the spine has now extended to the upper region of the spine. Maharaja continues to be unable to move both his arms and legs and the situation is critical.

Krishna Consciousness 101 is that we are not our bodies. We may not be our bodies, but our bodies are our vehicles, we use them to get around this world, and just like vehicles it’s important that we maintain them. Simple understanding but we tend to forget this. Even Srila Prabhupada emphasized health from time to time. "It is important to keep the body fit and healthy so that we will not meet the obstacle of ill health while serving Krishna. Ill health may hinder one's service, so, we want to

With the coronavirus death toll now exceeding one million people worldwide, the World Health Organization reported a record one-day rise in global coronavirus cases on Thursday October 8th,saying the total rose by 338,779 in 24 hours. 

In this environment more ISKCON devotees are also falling ill with COVID-19 around the world. Most recently, senior Russian sannyasi Nitai Chaitanya Goswami was admitted to the ICU with severe symptoms. Yadunandana Swami, president of New Vrajamandala, Spain, has

As a medical doctor and a practicing devotee, I sometimes happen to help devotees with their medical illnesses in my community. And it is saddening to see how devotees neglect their health and pay a much higher price later.

There are many reasons why devotees suffer from health problems. Some of these reasons are unavoidable – like old age, genetic causes (diseases running in families), unexpected incidents like injuries, accidents etc.

But many times, devotees get diseases which can be totally

This is to inform that HH Bhakti Nityananda Maharaj

has not been keeping well of late. He was afflicted with viral infection severely and he also got a secondary bacterial infection. His sugar levels were also very high. A team of doctors in Mayapur including HH Jayapataka Swami Maharaja’s personal doctor are closely monitoring his health here in Mayapur. Maharaj has come out of Viral infection. He is now getting treated for Bacterial infection with IV anti-biotics. Also his sugar level is now b

Dear Devotees

The medical team has reviewed Maharaja’s progress in the last 12 hours.
Maharaj remains continuously stable.
At this time the next milestone we are looking forward to is waking up of Maharaja as he has been on some medications to help him rest. This is a long process generally and during this, some fluctuations are expected.

Please pray intensely and wholeheartedly with intent for His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami during this time.

With devotion,

HH BCS Health care Team

Source: htt

By Gita Duncan

****UPDATE AS OF 8:30PM EST 06/18/20****

Another positive update:

We had been requesting the team of doctors at the hospital to give Maharaj convalescent plasma, which is plasma that contains antibodies from people who have recovered from COVID19. Patients who received this convalescent plasma are usually taken off the ventilator within 3-4 days.

The doctors managing Maharaj’s condition informed us that there are 3 patients ahead of Maharaj. It takes 4-5 days to get the plasma fo

Maharaja was hospitalized Sunday 3 May 2020 and diagnosed with encephalitis on Tuesday 5 May. According to the physician, his present condition is not life-threatening, and his health has significantly improved. He went into rehab Friday 15 this week. The rehab may take a prolonged time of therapy.

Maharaja had been living at his disciples’ house near ISKCON Abentheuer Goloka Dham since 17 March. From then on to the time Maharaja went to the hospital, he complained of increasing weakness of the

Today was an important day in regards to my health situation, and I want to hereby clarify the situation, as I know many of you are concerned about it.

Biopsies and a PET Scan performed around March 5th showed clearly that there was some cancer in my prostate. Before a decision was made on a longer term course of action against it, I was given a special anti-cancer injection, the effect of which lasts 3 months, to stop the cancer growing until it was decided what to do. Such an injection usuall