This morning at class time, our studious team of young devotees and I explored the character of Vidura. He was quite the walker. He covered a good chunk of what is know as India, and which for some is called 'Bharat'. The journey entailed trekking from one tirtha to the next. 'Tirtha' refers to a sacred space where some miracle occurred, or a pastime place for God and saints where many yajnas or sacrifices took place.
Vidura was a hero in the sense that he protected the pious Pandava clan, gave
In a letter dated October 10, 1968, Srila Prabhupada wrote,
“Diwali ceremony can be observed in the temple by illuminating hundreds of candles in different parts of the temple and offering special prasada to the Deity. This ceremony was observed by the inhabitants of Ayodhya, the kingdom of Lord Ramachandra. While Lord Ramachandra was out of His kingdom due to His fourteen years’ banishment by the order of His father, His younger stepbrother, Bharata, took charge of the kingdom, and the day on w
The Sanga Initiative (TSI), a grassroots effort led by young devotees to provide sanga and spiritual formation through in-person and online events, aims to create “a network of young devotees that support and empower each other to become leaders for the next and future generations of ISKCON.” One of their latest efforts is the Kartik Immersion online sanga.
Although registration for live participation in the series has closed, the group is sharing recordings of the multi-part program with the g
By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi
“Mayapur Clean & Green” is taking initiatives to plant new trees and protect the ones in the holy Dham. The team, headed by Murari Mohini Devi Dasi, has successfully collaborated with local educational institutions with the requisite space.
Murari said, “We visit and clean the school, give them recycling dustbins, and plant trees. We recently organized a cleaning competition at Sri Mayapur Sishu Niketan School.”
The participation of the schools ensures the bro
I'm back home and after a 16-hour flight direct from Delhi, I felt the need for rest, a shower, and a walk. These are the steps I take to ground myself after a long airy journey. It works. The rest addresses the fatigue the body goes through. The shower counters dryness. Finally, the walk literally gets the feet on the ground and in the ravine where you have dirt on both sides, and plenty of autumn trees.
The squirrels rustle through those moistureless leaves – the type of leaves that hiss when
Highlights of this festival:
Sri Jagannath Darshan, Sri Jagannath Mahaprasadam, Sadhusanga, Chanting, dancing, circumambulating Puridham, bathing in the ocean, and much more, all in the association of more than ten thousand devotees!!
Hearing from expert devotees like HH Bhakti Purushottama Swami, HH Bhakti Ashray Vaishnav Swami, HH Gauranga Prem Swami, HH Bhakti Vijaya Bhagwat Swami, HH Bhakti Gaurav Narayan Swami, And many Srila Prabhupada disciples and senior devotees.
The festival schedule
By Aseem Krishna Das
A wonderful program entitled, "The glory of Bharatvarsha, Sanatan Culture and the man who preached World Over" was organized on 25th October 2023 in Dr. Mangal Sen Auditorium, Karnal, Haryana. The event was held to glorify and highlight the contributions of His Divine Grace A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada in spreading the wisdom of Sanatan Vedic culture throughout the whole world. Taking instructions from his spiritual master His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Siddhant
By Pavni Gaurangi
The ISKCON Janpath temple in Ludhiana, a beautiful palace for Sri Sri Radha Gopinath, was joyfully inaugurated October 23rd-24th after 15 years of challenges.
The Beginning
Ludhiana is the largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, not only famous for its hosiery and cycle industries but also for its deep religious sentiment. Evidence of this was the 2007 donation to ISKCON of a 4.25-acre space with the hopes a grand temple could be built on the land. Donors included Shr
By Atma Tattva Das
Nestled in the serene heart of Mississippi, the New Talavana community has embarked on an ambitious endeavor to construct a grand new temple, marking a significant milestone in their spiritual journey. This dynamic community, part of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), is well-known for its vibrant culture, devotion to cow protection, and emphasis on sustainable living.
On October 6-8th, 2023, New Talavana celebrated its 17th Annual Cow Festival, a f
By Savitri Devi Dasi
The Vrindavan Institute for Higher Education (VIHE) is going to start its fresh batch of the Bhakti-sadacara course from 27 December 2023 to mid-April 2024. The Bhakti-sadacara course is especially designed to give systematic knowledge to new devotees and to train devotees who did not have a chance for such systematic training before.
The course covers different aspects of the path of devotion and provides not only knowledge but aims to cultivate Vaisnava qualities and
I feel that my day is complete when I have delivered at least one class or one presentation. It was my good fortune to give a class to an enthusiastic group at the local Voice, a centre which is set up to house college students who reside there and learn bhakti. What a great program for a generation of men who want to establish a foundation for themselves as they will be (at least most of them) husbands and fathers. Their effort contributes to the wellness of the society.
In the chapter "Questi
From Back to Godhead
A ten-year-old wonders, “Will Krishna recognize us when we return to Him?”
“Oh, these ropes of desires are strange indeed! A person tightly bound by them runs all around seeking happiness, but one freed from them stays calmly in one place.” (Niti-shastra)
“What’s it like to go back home to Krishna?” wondered ten-year-old Kiran at the weekly gathering for children from our congregation.
I responded by speaking about Goloka Vrindavana, our real home, where we aspire to
Guru Prasad Swami, a member of the Governing Body Commission (GBC) Executive Committee highlights some of the topics and issues discussed at the recent GBC’s Mid-Term Meeting held October 25-29th in Pune, India. You can watch his short summary here.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/gbc-ec-member-guru-prasad-swami-shares-highlights-from-mid-term-mtg-in-pune-india/
By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi
Brajasundari Dasi, a venerable retired educator, has meticulously crafted educational resources called Shastra Sheets designed to engage and enlighten kids. Drawing inspiration from the profound literary works of His Divine Grace, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, these worksheets brim with spiritual wisdom.
Each sheet is like a treasure chest, housing stories and knowledge waiting t
On October 29th, devotees held their first Kirtan Mela in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. “It was very ecstatic and many devotees came,” said Shilpa-Karina Devi Dasi, “The event was arranged by the ISKCON Serbian yatra team and held at the Lotos Yoga Studio, as there is no temple yet in the capital.” The event featured multiple Kirtan leaders and instrumentalists.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/belgrade-serbia-hosts-first-kirtan-mela/
Overview
Bhaktivedanta National School (BVNS) was formed in 2003, with the primary aim of providing comprehensive education to the community children of Mayapur. Mayapur is located in the Nadia District, which is historically a place known for imparting education, and attracting learned scholars from all around India, as well as for learning debates and exchange of knowledge of various kinds. However, over the years, it’s becoming quite rare to find educational institutions, which provide an a
For the last two days I have been designated to table #3 where a group of five are discussing and brainstorming on topics assigned to us. The two top discussion points are 1. guru tattva, or the position of guru (teacher), and 2. nurturing relationships between leaders.
On the first topic, my comment is there is the need to demystify the guru. Without any further explanation on this deep subject, I will defer to the next topic. Before I flew to India, I knew I was going to meet some nice peopl
By Héctor Rosario, PhD
As followers of Srila Prabhupada we all know his prescription to chant a minimum daily quota of 16 rounds of the Hare Krishna mahamantra. This is the minimum standard that he set for his followers and which all ISKCON devotees accept. This standard is actually based on the traditional Gaudiya Vaisnava minimum standard set by Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Of course, that standard is 100,000 names of Krishna daily, roughly equivalent to 64 rounds of Hare Krishna japa, acc
The North American Regional Governing Body (NARGB) eagerly anticipates the opportunity to provide support and service to all temples and centers in North America. As previously discussed during our in-person meeting in Houston, we are in the process of establishing an administrative office to enhance our services. We are delighted to announce several available positions within this new office.
Positions include Administrative Director, Director of Development, Secretary, Communications Manager,
By Thomas Haribol
The 22nd Annual Diwali in London (DiL) celebrations brought thousands of people to Trafalgar Square for the annual “Festival of Lights” on Sunday, October 29th. ISKCON’s Bhaktivedanta Manor was this year’s hosting organization for the joyful event, a partnership between the DiL Committee and the Greater London Authority (GLA) representing diverse organizations and religious traditions across the city.
London’s Mayor Sadiq Kahn said of the celebration, “Diwali is a joyous occ
