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Q.
Dear Bada Haridas,
I led my first kirtan yesterday evening! I was wondering what is the role of the kirtan leader? I know that practically speaking they are playing an instrument and singing the mantra for the group to repeat, but what is their job spiritually?

I felt a little bit nervous to take on the task at first and was wondering if you could share some of your wisdom in that regard. Hare Krishna!

A.
Glad to hear you are leading kirtan. Thank you for asking such a nice question and for

By Sri Nandanandana dasa (Stephen Knapp)

There have been some people who have declared that the worship of Deities or images or the murti in the temples is but a recent invention of Vedic culture. However, that is not an accurate point. It is true that according to the different yugas or ages (such as Satya-yuga, Treta-yuga, Dvapara-yuga, and Kali-yuga) there are different processes for spiritual development that have been more recommended than others. For example, meditation was the recommende

Freedom from painful impediments

In Kingdom of God, there is no hunger, thirst, birth and death, old age, disease, etc. Thus without these sufferings that draw our consciousness in the material world, keeping us absorbed in sorting out problems of life in material world, one can simply focus on service to Supreme Lord without any impediments.

Freedom from material desire

The Vaikuntha residents while travelling in their Airplanes condemn the fragrance of Madhavi flowers in ponds, which indicate

Though Prabhupada was present for only the first eleven years of ISKCON’s fifty-year history, he continues to guide and inspire his followers to expand what he began.

“It’s an astonishing story. If someone told you a story like this, you wouldn’t believe it. Here’s this person, he’s seventy years old, he’s going to a country where he’s never been before, he doesn’t know anybody there, he has no money, has no contacts. He has none of the things, you would say, that make for success. He’s going

ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam
sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam
anandambudhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamrtasvadanam
sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam

“Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Hari, Lord Krishna, which can cleanse the mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon which spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all l

By Thomas Haribol

Devotees worldwide have sent their heartfelt prayers to His Holiness Sivarama Swami Maharaja, who was recently hospitalized in Budapest on Sunday, June 25th. He has faced several health challenges over the last few months, most especially chronic spinal issues, making walking difficult. He successfully underwent minimally invasive surgery on Monday. Despite less-than-ideal conditions, he continues to work on his writing projects.

Today, he hosted nine doctors and nurses for pr

June 28- Tragedy struck during a ‘Phera Rath’ (return chariot) procession in Kumarghat, Tripura, where multiple devotees died of electrocution when a chariot top made contact with a 133kv overhead cable during the parade. The fatal incident occurred around 4:30 pm on Wednesday. Emergency personnel were on hand to help extinguish the flames and give medical aid to victims, many of whom have now been transported to a local hospital.

Different news outlets are reporting the number of deaths betwee

When you pet a cat it gives a purr
Showing there's so much contentment in her
When a cat starts to whine
It is clearly then a sign
She is indeed not flaunting
But expressing she is wanting
I think the Earth is like that
Yes, like that of a cat
When you walk on Earth's surface
It does not make her nervous
Your footsteps are actually a massage
You are treating her like a Maharaja
It is a form of pampering
Something for which she is hankering
Now, I've been doing the walking marathon
And Earth ma

From Back to Godhead

WHAT WOULD modern-day social services make of a man who gives away the food meant for his own children to satisfy the hunger of strangers? How would they judge this man, whose family “shivered for want of food,” while he persisted in his unusual dedication to charitable impulses?

The story of this man, King Rantideva, who lived thousands of years ago, is told in the Ninth Canto of the Srima

The luxurious growth of one of Krishna’s greatest devotees, who appears in a special form, attests to the devotion of two of her dedicated caretakers.

Srila Prabhupada once quoted an atheist as saying, “What is the use of watering the Tulasi plant? It is better to water eggplant. By watering the eggplant one can get some fruits, but what is the use of watering the Tulasi?”

Rudrani Devi Dasi, one of Tulasi’s caretakers at ISKCON Vancouver, responds to this challenge.

“Tulasi is not an or

By Dayal Gopal dasa (Nepal Padayatra leader)

I had a nice experience when a group of Noida’s full-time devotees recently spent seven days with the Nepal Padayatra.

It was a precious time. Where would I get such an opportunity to be with full-time devotees for a week? By the mercy of Sri Guru and Gauranga, I got their association and liked it very much! I felt good as there was no duplicity, no reservation, we were all brahmacaris together as a team – new devotees, senior devotees and also exper

By Mathura Lilesvari Devi Dasi

HARRISBURG, June 27, 2023 – The International Society for Krishna Consciousness of Harrisburg (ISKCON of Harrisburg) is gearing up to celebrate its 13th Annual Hare Krishna Festival of India on Saturday, July 8, 2022, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at City Island in Harrisburg. Harrisburg is only a short drive from most major cities on the East Coast – 3 hours from New York City and 2 hours from most towns in New Jersey, Baltimore, and Washington D.C.

On June 7th, 2023, hundreds of devotees gathered in “Old Vrindaban” at the historic original farmhouse temple to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the installation of the Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Nath Deities there in 1973. Five years earlier, in 1968, this wood-framed farmhouse was the only homestead on the 133 acres devotees leased. A year later, in 1969, Srila Prabhupada stayed in this farmhouse for over a month. This extended stay was the first of four visits he made to the fledgling farm co

Jaya Govinda and I slept in a tight but true 10 feet by 10 feet cabin, as are the other two off-the-grid cabins, one is a washroom. I took my shower early and headed for one of the best trails you can find in the Saltair district. The passenger train is no more, but next to the old rail is a finely shaped trail that links some of the towns on Vancouver Island together. Slugs and bunnies crossed the trail while I simply stepped clearly in its rather straight direction.

Back we go to return to th

By Saroj Kumar Panda

Sri Jagannath is the Lord of the Universe. His Kitchen is considered as the largest and the biggest Kitchen in the world. It is situated south-east direction of the outer compound of Srimandir. The length of the Kitchen is 150 feet, breadth is 100 feet and height is about 20 feet. It consists of 32 rooms with 250 earthen ovens within these. Around 600cooks(Suaras) and 400 assistants serve here everyday for preparing Lord’s food.

These are three types of hearths in the Ki

On the 20th of June, 2023, the city of Jhenaidah in Bangladesh celebrated the three grand Ratha Yatra, a vibrant and significant event in the Gaudiya Vaishnavism tradition.

Rath Yatra, the grand procession of Lord Jagannath, is a momentous spiritual event celebrated annually in the city of Jhenaidah, Bangladesh. Jhenaidah District, located in southwestern Bangladesh as part of the Khulna Division, holds special significance in the Gaudiya Vaishnavism tradition due to its connections with renown

GBC Annual General Meeting (passed on February 11, 2023)

[Category] – Administrative Order

Whereas the GBC body has encouraged the establishment of continental committees (GBC Resolution 404/2002. Regional and Continental Governing Bodies)

Whereas North America has been designated as a ’Region’ with 5 ’Zones’ encompassing the United States and Canada.

Whereas the North American GBC members and other leaders have been functioning as a continental governance group prior to the 2002 resolution but

During the weekend of June 3-4, 2023, the Vaishnavas Care Team (Mexico) presented their Second Holistic Health Fair at the ISKCON Mexico City temple. 

Vaishnava healthcare professionals and well-wishers participated in the two-day event by offering their skills to congregational members and guests from neighboring areas. Free services included reiki sessions, acupuncture treatments, physiotherapy, homeopathic treatments/demonstrations, medical check-ups by a physician, and dental care by a devo

By Thomas Haribol

This year, Surat witnessed the largest and grandest Rath Yatra in the past 25 years. “The city was filled with devotees rushing to catch a glimpse of Lord Jagannatha,” said Jagannath Damodar Das, “There was a very heavy rush throughout the path to see the Lords of the Universe on the chariot.” Surat is a district in Gujarat, India, about 180 miles north of Mumbai.

Lord Jagannath embarked on a 15 km-long journey with committed book distributors serving the enthusiastic crowds.