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Saturday is the day when devotees choose a town, congregate at the centrum, city centre, or city square to share that blessed blast of the Name with the public.  On the way, I saw forests that I wasn’t sure existed in this below-the-sea level country.  Most of the Netherlands was swamp and sea before man grabbed a hold of it.  One thing I notice in the rural areas is the countless number of birds, herons, ducks, geese, swans, doves, pigeons, magpies, and more.

Not too many cows that I’ve seen ex

The Mayapur Institute (MI), the leading educational center dedicated to sharing the timeless wisdom of Vedic scriptures, celebrated its Silver Anniversary recently with a grand pandal program in Sri Mayapur Dham. Guests from all over the world participated in the spiritually uplifting two-day event entitled “Celebrating 25 Years of Spiritual Legacy,” which was held on February 15-16th.  The joyful gathering was not only to honor its legacy and celebrate the devotees, instructors, and students wh

ISKCON leaders cutting the Nityananda Trayodashi cake.

On February 10th, 2025, ISKCON Bhaktivedanta Gita Academy (BGA) Kolkata hosted the world’s largest indoor Nityananda Trayodashi celebrations at the prestigious Nazrul Mancha Indoor Auditorium. The grand event was directed by Bhakti Purushottama Swami and organized by Lakshmi Govinda Das and his team, drawing an overwhelming 4,000+ devotees from across the region. The celebrations lasted the entire day, from 9 AM to 6 PM, marking a spirituall

For some time now, I was wondering if I would ever be able to find someone who might be able to pull of an acting portrayal of Sri Chaitanya, the monk avatar who ignited the culture of kirtan in India, and who, in his latter part of life, demonstrated his ecstasies of bhava.  The performance by Naman (now initiated as Namacharya) was something he nailed quite well at a venue near Amsterdam where the devotees meet weekly.  The drama, which was not named at introduction time, was a special treat f

Nedzad was born in a family of practicing Muslims in the city of Tuzla in present day Bosnia in the year 1965. His father was from Tuzla, but his mother was born in Montenegro. His father was not very strict in his practices and was into music. But his mother was a very strict Muslim and she had attended Muslim school. “My mother was from a strict family tradition wherein the girls were trained in high standards. They were much regulated with no illicit sex even in mind and they knew even as a

It’s natural to be angry with a person who hurts us. If the pain caused by someone’s actions is too severe, one might even consider punishing them. But how appropriate is it to condemn or punish an entire community or family for one person’s mistake? Here are some examples from Srimad Bhagavatam to explore more on this topic.

Overstepping While Avenging Brother’s Death

Once, king Dhruva’s younger brother Uttama went on a hunting excursion and was killed by a powerful Yak?a in the Himalaya Mount

God is one. Moreover, according to Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that one God is Krishna, the cowherd boy of Vrindavan, who chooses to expand Himself unlimitedly still remain the same one Supreme Person, just to increase His own pleasure. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.3.28) designates this original Godhead as svayam bhagavān: Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead has three primary energies. The first is antarańga–śakti, or the internal potency. The second is known as taṭastha–śakti, the m

The 17th Annual Radhadesh Mellows welcomed 1600-1700 Kirtan enthusiasts from over 50 countries and five continents to their annual event, which was held in the new Prasadam Hall at ISKCON Radhadesh Temple. 

In addition to those who were fortunate enough to participate live in the sold-out weekend gathering, over 60K tuned into the livestream. In the coming months, the videos from the event typically get over a million total views. Radhadesh Mellows continues to set the standard for these kinds o

The popular film “HARE KRISHNA! The Mantra, the Movement and the Swami Who Started It All” continues to reach a growing audience worldwide through multiple online platforms. The latest exciting news is that the film is now free on YouTube in a shorter version of just 47 minutes instead of the full 90 minutes. According to co-creators Yadubara Das and Visakha Dasi, it is meant especially for schools, universities, and other venues with limited time slots.

The ground-breaking documentary was first

Today in Sri Mayapur, the air is filled with devotion as Srila Prabhupada Connect Day began with the heartfelt association of his dear disciples, senior devotees, and sannyasis. The Festival Registration Booth is now open, welcoming all who wish to immerse themselves in the upcoming Gaura Purnima celebrations. A special joy filled our hearts as we witnessed the grand opening of the Srila Prabhupada Museum, a sacred space preserving his legacy for generations to come. With every passing day, Maya

When Alexander the Great lead his men through the Gedrosian Desert, the loss of life was colossal. He sent phalanxes of his army in search of water. After many hours they came back with just enough to fill a helmet. The parched army handed over the precious liquid to their commander. He clasped the helmet in both hands and to the dismay of his troops, poured its contents onto the sand. Alexander proclaimed, “If the men don’t drink, then I don’t drink”. This selfless act forever forged an impene

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This event marks Maharaja’s return to the UCL campus after 20 years, and the discussion covers fascinating and pertinent topics including disruption, practical spirituality, problems of modern day religion, stigma and sectarianism, interfaith, gender and discrimination, religious institutions, blind faith, relationships, purpose, monkhood, and Maharaj’s life at university and beyond. This talk is universally accessible and relevant, both for devotees and outsiders.

Source: http://www.dandavats

ISKCON Devotees gathered in Sri Mayapur Dham to inaugurate a beautiful, shaded public shelter at Gada Bhavan near the TOVP, which included a soothing water feature.

Among the speakers was Anuttama Dasa, Global Minister of Communications, who recalled the austere conditions for devotees visiting the dham in the 1970s. “When I first came to Mayapur there was one kitchen…and no shelter. There was the sun, there was the asphalt, and there was the long line waiting for prasadam. That was one of the m

Cremo receiving award at the LA event.

Michael A. Cremo (aka Drutakarma Das) received the Pioneer Award on Friday, February 7, at the 2025 Conscious Life Expo Awards Ceremony from Jimmy Church, a Los Angeles media personality. The event, held at the Los Angeles (LAX) Hilton, featured cutting-edge speakers and authors, including a lecture on Sunday, February 9 by Cremo entitled “Forbidden Archeology and the Consciousness Paradox.” The award honored Cremo for “breaking boundaries in archeology and

At Schipol Airport, Amsterdam, I was greeted by some smiling devotees, and it was Ritam who graced me with a garland of fresh flowers (it’s Holland, you know), accompanied by Namen, wife Violeta, their two kids, and other enthusiasts of the Vaishnava genre.  From there was destination Alpen aan Den Rijn, a town by a canal, by a windmill, and amidst flat, black fields of green.  The greeting meal was kichari and palak panir, Indian dishes.  From that I was fuelled enough to go over the canal by w

For anyone interested in spiritual progress,
gambling is more than just a harmless amusement.

High’s convenience store is bustling with last-minute shoppers picking up odds and ends for a holiday dinner. Having run out of milk, I find myself in the crowded store, standing in a line that wraps around the food aisle. I resign myself to the waiting, and chant the Hare Krsna mantra softly to myself.

An elderly shabbily dressed woman at the counter draws my attention. She’s frantically scratching awa