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The ISKCON Congregational Development Ministry (CDM) has released its annual report highlighting the growth and ongoing initiatives supporting devotee communities worldwide. The presentation outlines the ministry’s efforts to strengthen congregational life through education, training, and outreach programs, each designed to help devotees practice and share Krishna consciousness within their local communities.

According to the report, the ministry supports a wide range of initiatives that nurture

By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi, 

In a significant step toward formalising its commitment to prasādam purity, ISKCON Śrīdhām Māyāpur has successfully completed a comprehensive Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) program for its mega kitchens, culminating in an official certificate distribution ceremony.

The training was conducted during a visit by government food safety officers from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) who visited Māyāpur to provide hands-on i

With the Garuda-Dhvaja Flag Lowering Ceremony on March 5th, the auspicious month-long Gaura Purnima Festival 2026 in Sri Mayapur Dham has come to a beautiful close. This sacred period, filled with devotion, kirtan, and service, brought together devotees and well-wishers from all around the world to celebrate the divine appearance of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Over the past weeks, the dham has been vibrant with spiritual activities and celebrations. The festival season began with the Garuda-Dhvaj

By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi, 

Sixth Grader Earns Gold Medal for Memorizing Bhagavad-gita

Srinidhi Senthil Kumar, a sixth-grade student at Boyce Middle School in Pennsylvania, has recently been awarded a gold medal for memorizing all 700 verses of the Bhagavad-gita, reciting it with exceptional clarity and precise Sanskrit pronunciation. She achieved this milestone during a global simultaneous recital held in Allen, Texas, where children from around the world gathered to chant the scriptur

Although his teachings are fundamental to Gaudiya Vaishnavism, the divine incarnation, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, left only a single eight-verse poem.

Known as the Śrī Śikṣāṣṭakam, these verses reveal the essence of his mission and teachings, centred on the chanting of Krishna’s holy names. The third verse, in particular, focuses on the key qualities one must cultivate to chant constantly, the aim of all serious sadhakas. Emphasising its critical importance, the esteemed Vaishnava Acharya Srila Bhakt

Today we continue our celebration of the appearance of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna who descended in the age of Kali in the role of a devotee. He appeared on what we now call Gaura-purnima, in the evening of the full-moon day in the month of Phalguna. At the time, there was a lunar eclipse, and as was the tradition, as was recommended in scripture, Hindus immersed themselves in the Ganges and chanted the holy names. Eclipses are considered inauspicious, a

The day after Gaura Purnima is celebrated as Jagannath Mishra Festival. Just as Nandababa celebrated Nandotsava in joy the appearance of Lord Sri Krishna, similarly, the wonderful appearance of the Lord increased the happiness of everyone in Srimati Sacidevi’s house. Both Sri Jagannatha Misra’s and Srimati Sacidevi’s hearts heaved joyous waves while looking at the Lord’s beautiful face. 

Sri Visvarupa would pick up his brother in his arms and smile gleefully at the Supreme Lord, the abode of a

By Giriraj Swami

Today we are celebrating the appearance of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krishna, who descended in the age of Kali in the role of a devotee. He appeared on what we now call Gaura-purnima, in the evening of the full moon day in the month of Phalguna. At the time, there was a lunar eclipse, and as was the tradition, as recommended in scripture, Hindus immersed themselves in the Ganges and chanted the holy names. Eclipses are considered inauspicious,

Holi or the festival of colors is celebrated about ten days after the spring festival. A delightful visual, this festival combines the gaiety of a carnival and the devotional flavour of a religious festival with the singing of amorous songs as unbridled expressions of youth. This is the time when both feelings and colours run riot. Braj seems to be the only place where one comes across a variety of forms in which the festival of Holi is celebrated. The following account records in brief some of

By Sunanda Das, 

The first Gaura Purnima Festival at ISKCON Mayapur was celebrated on Srila Prabhupada’s order in 1972. Though not widely attended by International devotees, it set the standard for an annual festival that has since become the backbone of annual Vaishnava sanga and celebrations in Mayapur and Vrindaban, attracting hundreds of thousands of devotees from around the world.

1972 is also an important year because three other important events took place in Mayapur:

• Chota Radha Madhava

I attended this year’s Gaura Purnima festival at our newly opened temple of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai In Darra, Brisbane, Queensland. Everyone was ecstatic, chanting and dancing to the holy names of Gaura Hari and Krsna.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born in Mayapur in the town of Nadia, just after sunset on the evening of the 23rd Phalgun, 1407 Advent of Sakabda answering to the 18th February, 1486 of the Christian era.

The moon was eclipsed at the time of His birth and people of Nadia were then engaged,

On the auspicious occasion of Gaur Purnima (3/3/2026), GITA, is releasing Teaser on 'तीर्थ बने महातीर्थ’ (Holy to the Holiest), Mega Docu-Drama Series of more than 10 Hours on Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's visit to South India, showing pastimes, history, glory & how to reach each of the 55 Holy places visited by Him, which became Holiest by His Divine Touch.

A Trailer in Song Form (with English Sub-titles) will be released before Gaur Purnima.

Later, Series will be released in South Indian, Bangala

By Sacinandana Swami

To better understand Sri Chaitanya let us ask the question: What induces the Lord to appear?

The answer to this question will help us benefit the most from this auspicious day.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appears when a devotee sincerely cries for His appearance. It is the urgent call of Draupadi that made the Lord appear and cover her with cloth. Similarly, it was Advaita Acarya’s calling in “a thunderous voice” that shook the Lord’s seat in Vaikuntha and made Him come down t

By Giriraj Swami

We welcome you to the most auspicious celebration of Sri Gaura-purnima, the appearance day of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna Chaitanya. According to Vedic scriptures, the Absolute Truth is realized in three features: Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan. The impersonalist speculators want to merge and become one with God, one with the impersonal brahmajyoti, which is nothing but the transcendental effulgence emanating from the divine body of Sri Krishna. Beyond the

By HH Bhakti Charu Swami

Gaura-purnima day, The purnima, the full moon of the month of phalgun. These two months, phalgun and caitra is the vasanta season, springtime in India. In India there are six seasons and each season consists of two months. Vasanta, spring is considered to be the king of all seasons – rthuraj. This is the best of the times. Of all the six seasons Vasanta or spring is the best because the whole atmosphere at this time becomes very beautiful. The winter is over and the w

Gaura Purnima is the celebration of most auspicious and adorable advent of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu – The Golden Avatara.

The Supreme Lord Sri Krishna appeared as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to establish Sankirtana Movement – the yuga dharma for this age of Kali. He appeared on the full moon day in the month of Phalguna in the year 1486 AD at Sridham Mayapura as the son of Sri Jagannath Mishra and Srimati Sachidevi.

In the revealed scriptures Lord Krsna was predicted to appear as Golden Avatara(in

Paramananda madhavam sri caitanya isvaram. The situation in Navadvip and the whole of India that time was that people were religious but they were not spiritual. They were religious just to show on the outside but actually they did not know the purpose of religion. People spent a lot to marry off their daughter, to put on a big show to show that they were very religious. One such wealthy had no more daughters to marry off then he married a female cat or a female dog or some demigod. So this w

By HG Srutakirti das

I was fortunate to be with Srila Prabhupada in 1975 when Prabhupada was here in Mayapur for Gaura-purnima in March. And what I wanted to try to do, although it’s not so possible to do, but I am going to try anyway to give just a little bit of an idea of being with Prabhupada and some of the things that Srila Prabhupada was seeing. Not that I know how he was seeing them, but what he was seeing. Because what he did was he traveled around the world in two months at the time. H