By Parsada dasi
During kartik last year, a very dear friend of mine, Padma visted Sri Vrindavan Dham, and a sincere devotee for many years. She arrived a day after the much celebrated Gopastami festival. As we made our way to the ISKCON goshala that afternoon, I described to her our Gopastami festival, where our Srimati Radharani is dressed as the cowherd boy Subal and at this time Her devotees relish the sweet darshan of Her lotus feet, the only time in the year except Radhastami. On this wo
suklastami karttike tu
smrta gopastami budhaih
tad-dinad vasudevo ‘bhud
gopah purvam tu vatsapah
“The eighth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month of Kartik is known by authorities as Gopastami. From that day, Lord Vasudeva served as a cowherd, whereas previously He had tended the calves.”
-Srimad Bhagavatam 10.15.1, translation
Many important pastimes take place on Gopastami. One pastime takes place on this day a few years after Krishna first started tending the cows. On this day, Jat
Today is Gopastami, the day on which Krishna and Balarama and other boys Their age, who previously had tended the calves, were given charge of the cows. This event is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.15.1):
tatas ca pauganda-vayah-sritau vraje
babhuvatus tau pasu-pala-sammatau
gas carayantau sakhibhih samam padair
vrndavanam punyam ativa cakratuh
“When Lord Rama and Lord Krsna attained the age of pauganda [six to ten] while living in Vrndavana, the cowherd men allowed Them to take up the
Hare Krishna, AGTSP.
Enjoy a wide variety of Sri Damodarastakam prayers from many devotees/temples on this Spotify playlist.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2SMWc8Xw03CxCVYnpqJZBS?si=DZvz-hgeSIOgB-Hgbixh1Q&pi=_sKN3piaQPq1R
A few days left in this month of Katik to be absorbed in this beautiful pastime of the Lord.
(1)namamisvaram sac-cid-ananda-rupamlasat-kundalam gokule bhrajamanamyasoda-bhiyolukhalad dhavamanamparamrstam atyantato drutya gopya
(2)rudantam muhur netra-yugmam mrjantamkarambhoja-yug
In this thoughtful reflection for Religious News Service (RNS), Joshua M. Greene (Yogeshvara Dasa) recalls his memorable 90-minute conversation with Jane Goodall during the 2000 United Nations World Peace Summit. Though surrounded by religious dignitaries in robes and rituals, Goodall stood out by speaking of nature itself as sacred rather than relying on institutional affiliations.
Greene notes that Goodall’s legacy challenges believers of any faith to reconsider how we relate to the natural wo
By Aseem Krishna Das
A grand Sri Sri Krishna Balaram Shobha Yatra Festival was organized in the Karnal district of Haryana from 10th September to 5th October 2025. This year, the Shobha Yatra was held at three different locations across Karnal. The local congregation was fully engaged and absorbed throughout the entire month-long festival, spreading the holy names of the Lord and experiencing divine ecstasy.
The devotees organized a series of events leading up to the auspicious month of Kartik
Sri Mayapur Dham, the spiritual headquarters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), recently witnessed a heart-touching and memorable celebration of Srila Prabhupada’s Disappearance Day — a day that evokes both gratitude and reverence in the hearts of devotees worldwide.
A Morning of Love and Remembrance
The day began early at 7:00 a.m., as hundreds of devotees gathered to participate in a beautiful Harinam procession, carrying Srila Prabhupada’s murti on a gorgeousl
Members of the VHP had invited us to Queen’s Park, the Legislative Assembly Building for the Province of Ontario to a Diwali function. At 8 am, a dozen of us devotees from the temple ashram turned up, including myself, along with delegates, ministers of various portfolios with the government. People with those statuses and services spoke briefly about the importance of Diwali, the festival of lights, carrying the theme of goodness over evil. Certificates were given to those who achieved pro
“The spirit of Govardhan Puja”, The deeper meaning and mood behind the celebration of Govardhan Puja, explained by Radhanath Swami himself. Kartik Yatra 2025: a devotional pilgrimage during the sacred Kartik month celebrated with deep spiritual practices like kirtan (chanting), kathas (spiritual discourses), and parikrama (holy walks).
Source: https://www.dandavats.com/?p=116340
When we sit in kirtan, we can shut out all the other lamps that light our path to the world—our fame, our money, our material attachments and desires, our plans, aspirations, inclinations, etc., and make this a time with Krishna.
One good practice that I always like to do is to imagine myself sitting before Krishna. It could be an altar, in a temple. It could be the spiritual world, as I have heard about it. And then I sing for Him and for Srimati Radharani, alone.
By spending this time alone wi
Event Highlight: The post promotes the Kartik Nabadwip Mandal Parikrama 2025, a spiritual pilgrimage organized by ISKCON Mayapur.
Source: https://www.dandavats.com/?p=116398
By Nitai Madhav Das
The ICC Book Distribution Committee successfully organized the Bharat Sankirtan Leaders Sanga on the 23rd and 24th of September 2025 at ISKCON NVCC, Pune. Around 150 devotees — temple sankirtan leaders, senior book distributors, and preachers — gathered from all over India. The atmosphere was filled with devotion, enthusiasm, and gratitude as devotees came together with one purpose: to strengthen Śrīla Prabhupāda’s book distribution mission and keep the sankirtan spirit al
By Atma Tattva Das,
The 12th Annual Bhaktivedanta Swami Lecture (BSL), hosted in partnership between the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Africa (BBTA) and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), marked a milestone in ISKCON’s academic engagement in South Africa. This year’s event took the shape of a full-scale academic conference, celebrating fifty years since His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s arrival in the country.
For the first time, devotees, scholars, and professionals shared
By Prabhavati Gopi Devi Dasi
The Vrindavan Institute for Higher Education (VIHE) in Vṛndāvana has announced new seva opportunities for devotees interested in contributing their professional and devotional skills. The institute seeks qualified candidates for various educational, administrative, and technical services, both onsite and online, to support its expanding educational mission.
The Vrindavan Institute for Higher Education (VIHE) has announced seva opportunities for devotees worldwide to
Barsana – the divine abode of Srimati Radharani. Come, let’s walk together through the enchanting, winding paths of Barsana — a sacred wonderland where the divine mercy of Srimati Radharani showers unconditionally. Our journey takes us through the narrow pass of Sankari Khor, where Krishna playfully stopped the gopis, demanding butter as tax before letting them pass. After joyful harinam sankirtan through the famous village of Chiksauli, we pause at Krishna Kund to hear the delightful pastimes o
Our parikrama group spent several days in Kolkata, visiting the sacred and historic sites associated with Śrīla Prabhupāda. During our stay, we observed Śrīla Prabhupāda’s disappearance day at his birthplace. We also visited Ulta Danga where he first met his spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. The property is now owned by ISKCON, which has renovated it most beautifully. On our last day we visited the Baghbazar temple established by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. The whol
By Yudhisthira Dasa
Honesty and mercy (grace) are foundational to our spiritual growth. When we cultivate these qualities, they can propel us forward on our spiritual journey; when they (kindness and compassion) are absent, our progress can be blocked indefinitely.
Yes, Krishna’s grace is always present, an ever-expanding gift of love, and this grace is available at every moment of our lives. However, to rely entirely on mercy to “save us” – even though God is perfectly capable of immediately pr
Despite recent challenges that have arisen in Bangladesh (see statement below), the Bangladesh yatra continues to do what it can to help those in need, including Food for Life programs that distribute thousands of prasadam meals to needy people and students. Additionally, they offer support and disaster relief efforts during floods and emergencies, as well as promote interfaith and cultural programs which foster peace, unity, and harmony across communities.
Public Statement on False Propaganda a
By Atma Tattva Das,
WITS University, located in Johannesburg, South Africa, hosted its second Student Leadership Conference (SLC) from 3–4 October 2025, bringing together young leaders, academics, and faith representatives from across the country. The event, organized by the Centre for Student Development (CSD), has quickly become one of the university’s most anticipated gatherings. Launched in 2024, the SLC aims to cultivate ethical, reflective, and value-driven leadership among students throug
We humbly invite all ISKCON devotees worldwide to join the 21st Sri Kshetra Parikrama — a sacred journey around the holy land of Sri Jagannath Puri Dham, personally walked by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself.
This special Parikrama is a wonderful opportunity to remember the divine glories of Lord Jagannath and experience the mercy of Lord Gauranga amidst inspiring kirtans, enlightening talks, and the loving association of devotees.
For registerations, please contact your preferred group below!
Co
