By Dhirnayak dasa, Utkal-Banga Padayatra leader
The Utkal-Banga Padayatra has celebrated its first Gaura-purnima festival, the first appearance day of our beloved Sri Gaurasundar. We were at Dhajhola village about 15km from Odagaon, its nearest service town. The villagers were very accommodating and padayatra stayed there for twenty-five days because some of our party went for Navadvipa-mandala Parikrama while the rest of us remained to serve Sri Sri Nitai-Gaurasundar and our oxen. The village
The heart of any community is not its buildings, however grand; not even in Mayapur, despite the grandest building being raised before our eyes. Mayapur’s heart is not limited to even just the Deities, central though they are and worshipped and loved by all. The real beating heart is the residents, most especially those who have dedicated their lives to serving Srila Prabhupada, the Dhama, the Deities, and the devotees. And for so many of us, HG Pankajanghri Prabhu was half of that heart of May
Today the Earth planet we inhabit, Mother Bhumi, is facing a monumental catastrophe in the form of exploiting her for oil. Though this modern artificial so-called civilization is based around wholesale destruction and pillaging of the environment, there are a few who have arisen to defend Mother Earth though soon it could be too late. The exploiters of the earth who have created a complete and world-wide dependency upon an oil-based economy have no second thoughts about the suffering they cause
Akshaya means complete, never ending and eternal or that which never deteriorates. Akshaya Tritiya is celebrated on the third day of the bright fortnight in the month of Vaishakha (vaisakha-sukla-paksa-tritiya). This day is considered to be most auspicious for starting a new venture. This day also yields unlimited spiritual credit for charitable activities that not only benefit oneself and one’s family but also one’s forefathers. It is the day on which great sage Srila Vyasadeva started to comp
There are no ordinary devotees. Everyone in this movement is empowered. Everyone has purchased Krsna to an extent and Krsna never fails to notice the smallest service done.
Everyone in this movement is becoming empowered. There are no ordinary devotees. Devotees by definition are empowered. There are some who are more empowered, but everyone is empowered. Everyone has purchased Krsna to an extent. Krsna is known as acyuta. Acyuta means that He is infallible. He never fails to notice the small
Varnasrama-dharma is the steppingstone for man’s spiritual understanding, it provides structure for the spiritual advancement. The varnasarama system allows discharging of ones specific or prescribed duty in his filed of action for the elevation to the higher status of life. This system helps the society divide into four divisions based on modes of material nature and work associated with it.
The combination of varan & ashrama is varanashrama:
• Varana: means which provides for one’s material need
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is a worldwide community of devotees practicing bhakti-yoga, the eternal science of loving service to God. The Society was founded in 1966 by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, a pure devotee of God representing an unbroken chain of spiritual masters originating with Lord Krsna Himself. The following eight principles are the basis of the Krsna consciousness movement.
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Some devotees live without running water, electricity and gas. They go to a nearby hand pump and cook on wood. While the bombs fall the devotees continue their devotional service which including cooking lots of Pr
The word question comes from the word quest, which means to search for something. In the etymological dictionary, the verb quest dates to the late 14th century. It refers to the medieval romantic sense of adventure undertaken by a knight, especially a search for the Holy Grail.
When you ask a question, you are embarking on a journey! The Buddha, for example, started his famous journey with a question. One day, he left his father’s protective care, ventured outside the royal palace and saw sick
Many filmmakers and playwrights say that lately, fresh material has been awfully hard to find. Enter a young theatrical troupe, their material so ancient it's brand-new.
In New York City the news is getting around: a group of yoga students have formed an acting troupe and are entering the professional theater world.
Early in 1976, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness purchased a twelve-story building on Manhattan's West 55th Street (in the off-Broadway theater district). When the
By Radhapriya
In 2008, devotees founded the Bhakti Academy in Gainesville, Florida. This live-in space facilitates students to learn and practice bhakti-yoga while in many cases continuing their university studies. Since its inception, over 250 students have attended the Academy and many have made a formal commitment to Krishna consciousness and are actively involved in ISKCON full-time or part-time in America, South America, Europe, and Asia.
Now, after months of planning and coordination, Bha
On April 3rd, 2022 an international event took place for a worldwide puja invoking the blessings from Lord Narasimha’s divine protection towards the devastating conflict happening in Ukraine. This conflict has affected the lives of thousands of Ukrainians and the number is growing every day. The conflict not only impacts Ukrainians but is impacting all of us globally. The event felt like a must to help Ukrainians and pray for the protection of all during these chaotic times. Organizers and help
My assistant with the plays, Dhruv Patel, has begun to submit our short film, “The Embassy,” to film festivals. I am anticipating that there will be takers to this production, which is well acted and overall well-assembled with camera and lighting.
The film is about the dialogue between Krishna and Duryodhan. It is an interesting character study about two persons so diametrically opposed. The play on mind games is fascinating.
The script is rich. Playwright, Bhasa, was committed to a language o
“There is no other alternative in this age.”
These events are historic in the annals of Vaisnava history, since the whole town of Surat was situated on the sankirtana platform. Everywhere we went, people chanted with us, and at nighttime they would construct a large planked stage on a street, and thousands of devotees would come and hear Srila Prabhupada and chant with us. We would chant, weaving through the streets of the town, which seemed to be broken up into little villages.
In Nagar our sa
In today’s world, many people in both the younger and older generations have individual Facebook accounts. For devotees, this is useful as a platform to preach the glories of harinam sankirtana.
I posted on Facebook an excerpt from a lecture by Srila Prabhupada at the University of Nairobi, in 1972, from the book Science of Self Realization. Therein Srila Prabhupada mentioned that knowledge of the soul is the most important knowledge, and this intrigued the heart of a Muslim colleague of mine a
By Saranagati dasi
Vrindavan Garden in Mayapur is a project where we hope to offer visitors, and residents an opportunity to experience Vrindavan Dham within Mayapur Dham; revealing Krsna’s pastimes; its connection to Mahaprabhu, the 6 Goswamis, and Srila Prabhupada. To deepen visitors’ understanding of Krsna’s childhood pastimes, and to present Krsna Lila in a fun, educational way so that visitors leave the park with a lasting spiritual impression, that will assist them in their spiritual journ
April 22—Aligned with the world celebration of Earth Day 2022, ISKCON is launching a global environmental initiative to assist local temples, communities, and families in better ‘walking our talk” by living more environmentally conscious and sustainable lifestyles.
“Many devotees think that because we’re strict vegetarians, we’ve done all we need to do for the environment,” said Shyamananda Krishna das (Dr. Sreenivasulu Chadalavada), an environmental scientist and Co-Director of the ISKCON Envi
I was forwarded a photo, one I’d not seen before, a precious piece, of a seed planter making his way on foot along Manhattan’s lower east side on Second Avenue. For sure it’s a vintage shot and takes you back to the mid-sixties – judging by the elaborate build of automobiles at the time. Included in the pic is a Mobil gas station. You can catch the corner of a building with crude magic marker writing by the window, promoting kirtan.
The seed planter is none other than His Divine Grace A.C. Bhak
Today is the disappearance day festival of Srila Vrindavan das Thakur, the author of Sri Caitnaya Bhagavata. At MODADRUMA DVIPA of Navadvipa dham is the birthplace and ancestral home of Srimati Malini devi, wife of Srivasa Pandit. Sri Vrindavan Das Thakura’s mother’s name was Sri Narayani Devi. Narayani Devi was the daughter of Srivas Thakura’s brother. When Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu revealed his divinity in the house of Srivasa, showing his true self to the assembled devotees there, Narayan
Shri Abhirama Gopal Thakura was also known as Shri Rama Das. He was a great Devotee of Lord Nityananda. On the order of Shri Nityananda Prabhu, he became a great acharya and preacher of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.
He was a very influential personality, and atheists and blasphemers were very much afraid of him. Empowered by Shri Nityananda Prabhu, he was always in ecstasy and was kind to all fallen souls. It is said that if he offered obeisances to any stone other than a shalagram-shila, it would imm
