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Sri Nandanandana Dasa (center) after giving lectures at the Vivekananda School in Warangal, India on a lecture tour organized by the RSS in 2008.

By Atma Tattva Das

Stephen Knapp, also known as Sri Nandanandana Dasa, is a disciple of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and a prolific author who has made it his life’s mission to share the wisdom of Krishna consciousness and Vedic culture around the world. Recently honored with two prestigious Lifetime Achievement Awards, his work

Seeing the vast canopy of stars that ornament the night sky, one naturally wonders about the creation and their place in it. While theories on the topics abound, those who follow Vedic teachings turn to these teachings for clues, and indeed find no shortage of explanations there. The Fifth Canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the ripened fruit of all Vedic literature, for one example, devotes eleven chapters to the structure and inhabitants of the universe.

The challenge is that the Bhagavatam’s elab

A Vaishnava, a pure devotee of the Lord, is unhappy to see the suffering of others. Therefore, Lord Jesus Christ agreed to be crucified—to free others from their suffering. But his followers are often so unfaithful that they have decided, “Let Christ suffer for us, and we’ll go on committing sin.” They love Christ, but they think, “My dear Christ, we are very weak. We cannot give up our sinful activities. So you please suffer for us.”

Srimad-Bhagavatam states that any bona fide preacher of God c

Grateful to Forttuna Global Excellence Awards for Healthcare and Wellness for conferring the ‘Mentor of the Year’ award at the awards function Dubai. Was fortunate to meet some hard hitters in healthcare sector from across the world and was delighted that the contribution of the spiritual practices of chanting and studying the Bhagavat Gita is being recognised in the healthcare and wellness sector. Dedicating this award to His Divine Grace Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada the Founder Acha

One of my favorite Christmas stories over the years was O’Henry’s The Gift of the Magi, about a poor couple struggling to maintain themselves in the big city. At Christmas time, neither of them had the money to buy the other a gift. Not telling the other, they each made a great sacrifice and sold what was most dear to them to obtain the money. This seems to be the essence of Christmas: sacrifice as an expression of love and offering a gift to the beloved.

The gift-giving started with the Magi, t

‘Srila Prabhupada’s Kirtana Standards: A Handbook’ by Jayadvaita Swami

A review by Krsna-katha das

Whether you are a kirtana leader and / or an Iskcon leader, this is a useful and interesting book to read. As the title suggests, it shows us how Srila Prabhupada wanted us to engage in kirtan. Jayadvaita Swami lets us know what Prabhupada wanted, what he would tolerate and what he didn’t want.

Maharaja points out many kirtana fashions that are now the norm but that Prabhupada never did himself. Di

Devotees,
 
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
 
The Annual General Meeting of the ISKCON GBC Society will begin in February 2025. Following the ISKCON GBC Society’s Rules of Order, the GBC Secretariat requests proposals, duly sponsored by two GBC members, to be submitted by December 31, 2024. Note that no proposals will be entertained after this date.
 
Please follow the format for GBC Proposals, found as a fillable PDF here:
https://gbc.iskcon.org/wp-content/

We are pleased to present the 13 November and 27 November 2024 GBC Meeting Highlights Report. This combined report presents the highlights of two consecutive GBC meetings: the 13 November online meeting and the 27 November 2024 online meeting. This report aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the online GBC meeting highlighting the key topics discussed.

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The 13 November 2024 meeting began with an invocation of prayers led by Anuttama Dasa, followed by Bir Krishna Swami reading the

UMANG 3.0 Mega Youth Festival
Date: November 30, 2024
Venue: ISKCON Youth Forum, Kudupu Katte, Mangalore

ISKCON Mangalore hosted the UMANG 3.0 Mega Youth Festival with the inspiring theme: “Making India Addiction-Free.” The event marked the inauguration of the Deaddiction Campaign 2025 and was held at the Town Hall in the heart of Mangalore city.

Event Highlights
Attendance: Approximately 1,200 students and residents participated.
Collaborations: Major colleges and universities including:
St Alo

By Dr. Prasanna Tadi

Professionals from across the nation will be gathering at the serene Veda Foundation in DeLand, Florida, January 17 -20, 2025, Martin Luther King Jr. long weekend, for the 7th Annual Conference of the BMA NA, inspired by the divine instructions and desire of HDG A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and HH Bhakti Charu Swami. The event will span four days, beginning with registration on Friday evening (January 17th) to Monday (January 20th). This retreat is for everyone, not

By Gokula Devi Dasi

South Africa is experiencing a spiritual renaissance as African devotees embrace Krishna consciousness, adapting it to their unique cultural context. This revival is deeply inspired by the vision of His Holiness Kadamba Kanana Swami, who left an enduring legacy of compassion and unwavering dedication to Krishna-conscious preaching in Africa.

The Kadamba Foundation, established under Kadamba Kanana Swami’s guidance, continues to champion his mission to nurture and grow Krishna

By Kulavati Krishnapriya Devi Dasi

Pranada Comtois, the award-winning author of the Bhakti Trilogy, will be conducting an online seminar titled “Basking in the Rays of the Benediction Moon: 7 Keys to Experiencing the Full Potency of the Hare Krishna Mantra.” This seminar will focus on Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s Siksastakam and offer valuable guidance for devotees seeking to enhance their chanting practice. The seminar is scheduled to take place on consecutive Thursdays from January 9 to January 3

By Sutapa Das

On November 30, 2024, the ISKCON Youth Forum, Kudupu Katte, Mangalore, held the Mega Youth Festival UMANG 3.0 in the vibrant city of Mangalore with the theme: Making India Addiction Free. The event was coupled with the inaugural event of the Deaddiction Campaign 2025.

The festival was held at the town hall in the heart of Mangalore. Around 1,200 students and residents attended the celebration. All the major colleges and universities locally collaborated with the ISKCON youth forum

I had been careful with my footsteps as Yonge Street was quite slippery last evening when a First Nations woman saw me.  She was lost and asked, “Where is the Eaton’s Centre?”

When describing the length of the yugas or ages, and which yuga we are in and how far along we are in it, there is sometimes confusion about how to calculate them. Some people think we are already in the next Satya-yuga, known as the Golden Age. The problem is when the yugas are figured only according to the years in earth’s time, in which case any calculations will never be accurate. They are described in the Vedic literature according to the celestial years, or years of the devas, not accordi