Rama and Laxman of Punjab–Haryana Padayatra
By Bhakta Saiprasad Gorde (Padayatra research team)
From the title you might think, “Who are these unique padayatris?” They are none other than the oxen who are serving Sri Sri Nitai-Gaurasundara and acting as the friends of padayatris.
From scriptures to ancient civilizations, cattle have held a significant place in human life. In India, the govansh is treated with reverence—cows as mothers and bulls celebrated through festivals like Pola for thei
By Niranjana Swami
I have a lot I could say but I will try to keep it as brief as possible. First of all I really should say that I came to the Lithuanian padayatra this year because of the persistent requests of Ananda Gaurangi. And I am grateful that she was persistent in her requests. I came here with a sinus infection and it just wasn’t going away, but finally the last couple of days my voice started to come back. That’s why I was relatively quiet for the first part of the festival. But none
Four young devotees from different parts of India recently joined the first-ever experiential learning course organized by the All India Padayatra, offering participants an immersive introduction to one of ISKCON’s longest-running preaching initiatives. For more than four decades, the traveling Padayatra has carried Sri Sri Nitai-Gaurasundara from village to village across India, bringing harinama sankirtana, book distribution, and devotional association to countless communities. The documentary
By Prabhupada Ashraya Dasa
The devotees of ISKCON Aravade recently completed a glorious seven-day padayatra to Shri Dham Pandharpur, carrying the divine forms of Sri Sri Gaur Nitai Sundar and Srila Prabhupada. Nearly 400 devotees joined this sacred journey, transforming the roads of Maharashtra into a moving temple filled with kirtan, katha, and prasadam.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/hundreds-join-padayatra-from-iskcon-arvade-to-pandharpur/
Two newly released reports offer an overview of the 2025 activities of the ISKCON Kirtan Ministry and the ISKCON Padayatra Ministry, as well as the preaching and leadership initiatives of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Swami. Together, they document a year marked by expanding outreach, strengthened coordination among devotional initiatives, and continued efforts to spread the chanting of the Holy Name in line with the mission of ISKCON Founder-Acharya A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada.
The Kirtan
First Padayatra Ministry Meeting at the newly inaugurated Lok Archives Office in Sri Pandharpur Dham.
In a significant milestone for the ISKCON Padayatra movement, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Swami, Global Minister for Padayatra, convened a strategic and heartfelt meeting with key leaders and stakeholders on July 5, 2025. The gathering took place at the newly inaugurated Lok Archives Office in Sri Pandharpur Dham, a serene and spiritually charged venue.
The Padayatra Ministry extends heartfelt grati
Since 2009, our ISKCON Girls’ Forum team in Amravati has been frequenting the Dr Narendra Bhiwapurkar Blind School, engaging the students in kirtan and other spiritual activities. On these occasions, I always had the feeling that the children should be reading Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad-gita As It Is to enlighten their lives. But where to get a Braile Bhagavad-gita was the big question.
For the full story by Jayabhadra Devi Dasi, visit the ISKCON Padayatra website for this and other inspiring n
On February 10th, 2024, the last rites were offered for a beloved padayatra ox, Nandu, who served Nitai Guarasundar for 12 years by carrying Them throughout India. A few years ago, Nandu retired at the goshala in Sri Pandharpur Dham and departed his body in the early morning of February 8th. The antyesti (funeral rites) were held nearby on the banks of the Chandrabhaga River along with Sankirtan and the well wishes of the devotees.
“Nandu served nicely in the padayatra for twelve years. He never
By Jayabhadra devi dasi (Padayatra coordinator)
The Tamil Nadu Padayatra was inaugurated on January 17, 2023, at Tirunelveli, a major city in the state of Tamil Nadu about 75km northeast of Kanyakumari, India’s southernmost point. The padayatra is led by Bhakti Vikas Maharaja disciple Sevananda dasa, who served in the All India Padayatra for five years where he was trained by AIP leader Acarya dasa.
Following the inauguration padayatra headed south before backtracking northwards to Madurai, th
November 4, 2023, marked the first leg of Padayatra Mauritius’ Island-wide Padayatra. Coinciding with the tirobhava tithi (disappearance day) of Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami, Srila Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami and Srila Raghunatha dasa Goswami, the walk was also dedicated to commemorating the forty-eighth anniversary of Srila Prabhupada’s first visit to Mauritius.
The day’s itinerary covered approximately 10km, starting at the Sri Sri Radha Golokananda mandir in Phoenix then heading north th
The inauguration of Sri Rama temple will be a great and once in a life event and the most awaited event. Like our Caitanya Mahaprabhus 500th birth anniversary celebration.
At that time, we had Padayatra as a way of celebrating the 500th anniversary of the appearance Of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. We had Dwaraka to Mayapur padayatra that was also a once in a lifetime event and then padayatra never stopped it’s still going on and on.
So aligned to that Ayodhya Padayatra came to my mind. First
Padayatra reached Chitrakoot on 24th June and we stayed at Chitrakoot around 12-13 days. Keeping the padayatra chariot there, we went to Pandharpur for the Vyas Puja of our spiritual master Lokanath Maharaja. When Uttar Pradesh Padayatra visited Chitrakoot they had to struggle a lot for their stay, they had to pay Rs. 1000 per day. So we were little worried, But Lord shows the day. We visited the same dharmashala where we had stayed 10 years back during our last round to Chitrakoot and by
By Acarya dasa (All India Padayatra leader)
Radhastami is a special occasion for padayatris: it is the birthday of Srimati Radharani as well as our All India Padayatra, which has now turned thirty-nine years of age.
Padayatra was inaugurated on Radhastami 1984 at Dwaraka and since then has completed seven rounds of India, walking and preaching all over the subcontinent. It’s going on nonstop, and whatever difficulties are encountered we try to overcome by the mercy of guru and Gauranga. It’s a
Leading up to the much-anticipated temple opening in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024, ISKCON is organizing a series of events in Ayodhya and the rest of the country to take the teachings of Lord Rama to every household.
One notable example is ISKCON’s Sri Rama Padayatra which commenced its 41-day journey to Ayodhya from East of Kailash, Delhi with a grand inauguration in the presence of Smt Meenakshi Lekhi (Union Minister of State for Foreign Affairs & Culture), Shri Ashwini Kumar Chaubey (Union Mi
Padayatra reached Zaregaon on July 17, 2023. It’s a small village in Karmala Taluka and Solapur district. The villagers welcomed us with beautiful garlands. The roads were decorated with rangoli. One of our devotees named Panduranga Jadhav belongs to this village. He invited us for prasadam and prepared Maharashtrian puran poli, a very famous Marathi dish. In all festivals, Maharashtrians make Puran poli. It was offered to our Lordships and we all honored prasadam.
The next day we went for naga
Padayatra in Nepal had started on January 19, 2021. Brahmacari Sahastranam dasa from Ukraine, who had been serving in Nepal for twelve years engaged in community and farm services lead the padayatra.
Another devotee,Premharinamdasa from Pune, Maharashtra, who had participated in the Dindi-yatra and served in Padayatra India, joined Brahmacari Sahastranam. Then Sahastranam Dasa had to go back to Ukraine. Then I by mercy of my spiritual master took up padayatra services. Some devotees joined in be
By Sri Baladeva Dasa (One day padayatra organizer)
On Sunday, July 30th, 2023, a grand and successful one day padayatra with bullock cart was organized in manusmudia village (80km from Jamshedpur). The event was a testament to the community’s unity and enthusiasm, bringing together residents from all walks of life to celebrate a memorable day.
The padayatra commenced at Kadam tala chowk where devotees gathered with all their offerings and bhogas to welcome their Lordships Sri Sri Nitai Gaurach
By Dayal Gopal dasa, Nepal Padayatra leader
The Nepal Padayatra restarted in the Jhapa district in southeast Nepal on November 17, 2022, following a gap of two months while the padayatris went on Vraja-mandala Parikrama.
Our first stop was at Kerkha village near the Kamala River. A family in the village welcomed us and arranged for our accommodation and prasadam at a Shiva temple. We performed nagar sankirtan in Kerkha and had a house programme at the family’s residence. The next day as we were
By Dayal Gopal dasa, Nepal Padayatra leader
Padayatra is continuing in Nepal and we are walking on the Mahendra Highway running the length of the country from east to west, the only major highway in Nepal.
At the eastern tip of Nepal, we came to the Mechi River, a trans-boundary waterway flowing through Nepal and India. A tributary of the Mahananda River, the Mechi originates in the Mahabharat Range in Nepal, flows through Nepal, forms Nepal’s eastern border with India and then flows through th
By Dhirnayak dasa, Utkal-Banga Padayatra leader
The Utkal-Banga Padayatra reached Sheragada village, a former market town in the Ganjam district of Odisha, a few days before Janmashtami, parking our chariot in front of the Jagannath temple.
The padayatris fasted on Janmashtami and during the day were busy with preparations of fifty-six bhoga and decorating the chariot with fruits and flowers. The previous day we had sankirtan in Sheragada and invited the residents for the two-day celebration o
