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Bhakti Center NYC celebrated its seventh annual Diwali Festival on November 1st, attended by over 1,000 people. The popular evening event included kirtan, food stalls, dance, drama, and children’s activities like henna and face painting.

Several well-known publications, like the Gothamist, list the Bhakti Center as the number one place to celebrate Diwali in the city. Local print and television media covered the event, most notably CBS New York, which broadcast a live report from the event. You

On September 28, 2024, Devotees gathered in NYC to celebrate the grand opening of the “Bhakti Loft” on the second floor of their iconic Brooklyn building. 

“Over the past year, we have been busy renovating our balcony space on the second floor, which was underutilized,” said Aditya Devi Dasi, VP of ISKCON NYC. “Now we have transformed the place, including restoring the arch windows which were an original feature of this 1920’s building. This finally allows light to flood into the space and even

By Atma Tattva Das

In the heart of New York’s concrete jungle, devotee musician Premananda Kirtan Das orchestrates spirituality and creativity into harmonious melodies. With his music, he doesn’t just entertain; he enlightens. In an ISKCON News interview, he shared insights into his creative process, his spiritual journey, and the profound interplay between the two.

Born in South Africa, Premananda draws from his roots in Bhakti yoga to weave devotional themes into his compositions, guiding his

Bloomington devotees celebrate Diwali at local senior center.

Diwali celebrations have been happening worldwide, and for ISKCON devotees, these festivities can often create strong connections with their local communities and even inspire creative service opportunities. We looked at four examples, from Bloomington to Brooklyn and Utah to the UK.

Diwali, or the “Festival of Lights,” is a five-day celebration widely recognized as the Hindu New Year. It is traditionally marked by the illumination o

During the September 6th Krishna Janmashtami festivities at ISKCON NYC, Jenifer Rajkumar, a member of the New York Assembly, 38th District, presented an official proclamation that honored the NYC’s Harinam Sankirtan devotees for their many years of service to the community. Their mission, according to their website, is “the propagation of harinam-sankirtan (the congregational chanting of the holy names of God) in the streets and subways of New York City daily for as many hours as possible.” Thi

Speaking about Ratha Yatra during a July 12, 1973 lecture in London, Srila Prabhupada said, “Organize this all over the world. They will be saved. They will understand Krsna.” For the last fifty years, devotees have taken up this instruction with great success, and this 2023 season has seen record numbers at events across the globe.  New York City, in particular, saw a surprising number of participants at its peaceful procession down Fifth Avenue on June 10th. The event was even covered by a le

An actual pair of shoes worn by Srila Prabhupada that are kept in safe custody in Radha Govinda Mandir (NYC), benedicting HH Radhanath Swami. RGM’s temple President Hansarupa Prabhu is holding them.

Another weekend of uplifting association, in New York City. Kadamba Kanana Swami, Vaisesika prabhu, and my Guru Maharaj Radhanath Swami, among others.

Last night, at the event in Radha Govinda Mandir in Brooklyn, we had the opportunity to obtain a priceless set of Srimad Bhagavatams, with the sig