A Revival Of Vedic Arts

From the rustic beauty of terra cotta wall reliefs to the grandeur of temple architecture, India’s ancient culture and art bring us to spiritual self-awareness.

by Visakha-devi dasi

It had seemed like a castle in the sky. For so long I’d been hearing the devotees in the Hare Krsna center in Mayapur, West Bengal, talk about terra cotta panels, terra cotta tiles, terra cotta bas-reliefs, terra cotta statues, terra cotta this, terra cotta that. After seven years I’d developed a kind of apathetic I’ll-believe-it-when-I-see-it attitude.

Once again in Mayapur, on my annual winter pilgrimage, I took an early-morning walk around our grounds to see what had developed while I was away. The air was crisp, and as I approached Srila Prabhupada’s partially completed memorial shrine, I saw kingfishers diving from low branches into the deep green waters of the ornamental lake. I rounded a corner, passed a huge cement statue, and suddenly, to the left of the pathway, caught my first glimpse of a terra cotta panel, splendidly illumined by the rising sun. As I drew closer, my eyes feasted upon the panel’s magnitude, and my mind was transported to centuries past, when, throughout ancient India, entire communities of master artists had worked with intense devotion to decorate temples and shrines.

As I stood there feeling ashamed for having doubted the Mayapur devotees, a sudden voice scattered my thoughts.

“Well, how do you like it?”

I turned around and was surprised to see Surabhi Swami, the minister of architecture for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and chief architect of Srila Prabhupada’s shrine.

“Well, yes. I mean, it’s fantastic,” I stammered. Surabhi was surrounded by a group of young Western men and women—art students, I later learned, studying the project. Surabhi was explaining the overall artistic concept of the building and of future projects. Thinking it a good opportunity for me to find out more, I joined the group.

“We could have used any number of mediums to decorate the samadhi [shrine],” Surabhi was saying, “but we decided on terra cotta over all others because it’s traditional. We’re presenting a traditional message, so we thought it fitting to use the traditional medium.”

“How old is terra cotta?” someone in the group asked.

“It’s as old as civilization. In the Bankura district they’ve discovered a terra cotta figure from the second century B.C. But that’s nothing. Terra cotta was used during Lord Krsna’s time, thirty centuries B.C., and Lord Rama’s time, millions of years before that!”

Terra cotta literally means “baked earth”; it’s a hard ceramic clay used in pottery and construction. Now, as I walked through the artists’ work area with Surabhi Swami and the others, I saw it used in fifteen-foot-square, ten-foot-square, and seven-foot-square bas-relief panels depicting pastimes from the Vedic scriptures Srimad-Bhagavatam and Sri Caitanya-caritamrta.

“Dr. George Michell has done a detailed study of the temples and terra cotta of Bengal,” Surabhi Swami said, “and he explains that here in Bengal in the sixteenth century there was a religious revival because of Lord Caitanya and His followers. At that time the upper classes—nobility, landed gentry, intellectuals—were giving their wealth for constructing temples and were spending much of their time hearing about and discussing Lord Caitanya and His teachings. The result was a remarkable development in Bengali religious literature. “The sculptural decorations on Bengal’s many temples paralleled this development in religious literature. The temple sculpture, generally in terra cotta, served as a kind of permanent record of the dramas, songs, poems, and narratives.

“In the second half of the nineteenth century, temple patronage in Bengal declined as the Indian middle class became Westernized and Calcutta became the capital of British India. Artisans found themselves without work and were forced to turn to other crafts, like wood carving. New materials, like concrete and steel, dealt a final blow to the brick and terra cotta tradition. So for us to use terra cotta here is to revive an important art form.”

By now we had paused before three shabbily dressed Indians who were working on a relief of Laksmi-devi, the goddess of fortune, being offered presentations by various demigods and goddesses gathered around her throne.

“Not only did we revive the art form,” Surabhi said, “we also reinstituted the integrity of the message. When terra cotta was widely used in temple decorations, the terra cotta artists, like the majority of Bengalis, were illiterate. So they could not become familiar with the Sanskrit scriptures that delineated the pastimes they were depicting. Instead, they took the word of the local Bengali poets and dramatists. The problem was that these authors didn’t hesitate to introduce new episodes and add their own interpretations. So oftentimes the artwork isn’t true to the original.

“But all the art we do,” Surabhi said with a wave of his hand, to indicate the many reliefs in the workshop, “and all that we will do are based on the original pastimes described in Srimad-Bhagavatam and Caitanya-caritamrta. No one here adds any interpretations or new episodes. That’s how we’re maintaining the purity and spiritual potency of this art.”

As Surabhi Swami spoke, I watched the men in front of us work. Judging from their appearance, you might think they were ordinary laborers, yet they were fashioning such a beautiful relief of Laksmi-devi. Immediately, I wanted to find out more about these artists, but being an uninvited newcomer, I kept quiet. Then, as we were about to move on, another woman asked the question I had in mind.

“Where are your artists from?” she said, looking at three men who had stopped their work to observe us.

This time, Anakadundubhi dasa, the art director in Mayapur, answered. “We found one family of five talented brothers, and we’ve commissioned them to do this work. This is the eldest and most qualified of them.” He indicated one of the three, a fortyish man in a worn green sweater who had curly, unkempt hair and several days’ growth of beard. “He and two of his brothers do the reliefs from the Srimad-Bhagavatam. The other two brothers work on Caitanya-caritamrta reliefs.

“Srila Prabhupada wanted us to employ local talent,” Anakadundubhi continued, “and this man, the eldest, met Prabhupada here in Mayapur in 1972. Prabhupada told him, ‘You are like my artist disciple. Please work here with us and teach these boys and girls [Prabhupada’s Western disciples].'”

Looking from these men to their work and back again, I impressed upon myself that you can’t tell a man by his looks. For here, hiding behind a common appearance, were three qualified and devotional artists.

It was time for lunch, and as the group dispersed, I walked up to Surabhi Swami. Looking at him, I remembered when I first met him—practically bumped into him—a tall, lanky Dutchman who was strolling around our ISKCON land in Bombay in 1972. He had introduced himself to me as “Hans” and said that his wife and brother were devotees and that he’d been to our temple in Amsterdam. The day after our meeting, he had met Prabhupada, and before long Srila Prabhupada had had him sitting in the room connected to his own, drawing plans for our Bombay temple. That’s where I had seen him for days, sitting at a small round table next to Prabhupada’s door, designing a temple. Eventually he had been initiated. To date he has completed not only the Bombay temple but also the ISKCON Vrndavana temple. (Srila Prabhupada was pleased and declared that as long as these temples stood, Surabhi’s Krsna consciousness would also stand.)

Before I could speak, Surabhi Swami spoke to me, noting how the three artists had immediately gone back to work. “You can tell the artists from the laborers,” he said, “because the artists are absorbed in their work. With the laborers, you have to push them, watch them, and as soon as time’s up, they’re off to their homes. But the artists have pride in their work. They’ll go day and night hardly noticing that the time has passed.”

Surabhi spoke more generally about art. He said that spiritual art, more than being decorative, more than being an expression of artists’ feelings or experiences, was a way to meditate on higher beings—ultimately to invoke the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His incarnations and expansions.

Later I saw a book that Surabhi had referred to: The Hindu Temple, by the world-renowned specialist in ancient Indian art and architecture Stella Kramrisch. She quotes Vedic scriptures, like the Brhat-samhita, which describe in detail specific proportions and features of the incarnations of the Supreme Lord. These texts guide the sculptors, who fashion statues and reliefs that directly convey divinity to the beholder.

Srila Prabhupada has often explained how God is present everywhere by virtue of His diverse energies. In His Deity forms in the temples, however. He is present personally. Pure devotees not only see Him there, they also have conversations and pastimes with Him. (Several of these are recorded in Caitanya-caritamrta.) Hearing Surabhi Swami speak and having read of the exactitudes in Deity sculpturing, I became awestruck by the potency and contribution of Vedic art in society: the artists, by their art, were ushering their viewers into the divine presence of God.

The next day, when Surabhi Swami invited me to go with the group to a nearby terra cotta temple, I happily accepted. It turned out to be not one temple but three grouped together. The first, built in 1849, was small, single-domed, and covered with intricate and detailed figures in terra cotta, The next two temples were a century older, both with twenty-five domes and less-refined terra cotta work. Surabhi Swami pointed out that the bricks must have been molded while they were still wet, then baked and set in a complex, patterned formation to make the temple walls.

During the jarring two-hour drive back to Mayapur, over innumerable potholes and worn-out roads, we discussed what Vedic art means. “Vedic art,” Surabhi pointed out, “comes from the Vedic culture, which flourished in India five thousand years ago, when society had four social divisions [intellectuals, administrators, merchants and farmers, and laborers] and four spiritual divisions [celibate students, householders, retired men, and renounced monks]. These are natural divisions, just as my head, arms, stomach, and legs are natural divisions of my body. As the parts of the body work harmoniously, so the Vedic society was known for its harmony. Everyone worked according to his propensity and was able to fully develop his individuality while progressing toward life’s highest goal—love of God.

“Vedic art reflected this highly evolved culture. The ultimate goal of this art was to please the Supreme Lord, Krsna. And the artists accomplished that by attracting people to Krsna, by heightening people’s awareness of God.

“But over the centuries, Vedic culture and art declined, until Lord Caitanya’s renaissance, which resulted in temples springing up in all parts of India, like the ones we saw today. After Lord Caitanya, the Vedic culture declined once more. Now, inspired and directed by Srila Prabhupada, we’re offering it again in the form of Krsna conscious culture and art—writing, photography, architecture, sculpture, painting, cinema, music—all meant to bring us to spiritual self-awareness.”

I suddenly realized why going to a Krsna temple in India was so different from going to one in the West. In both cases, the Deities are installed and are the center of the temple and the reason for it. And in both cases the temple vibrates with the sounds of the holy names of the Lord. And in both cases the Lord is worshiped with flowers, incense, ghee lamps, art, drama, ceremonies, and discourses. But in the West, most temples are converted houses or apartments, while in India the temples are designed and built specifically as temples, and the potency of Vedic art is enshrined within them. Often the temple dome will be visible for miles around, and just by seeing it one remembers the Lord. While seeing a temple, we view sacred architecture. While walking through a temple’s halls, we are enclosed in a dim, soothing atmosphere caressing the mind and eye after the fierce daylight and hectic pace outside.

The temple atmosphere derives greatly from the architecture and carvings, which create a harmony of height, breadth, and depth measured by rhythms of graded light and darkness. At first, more than recognizing the identity of the pastimes in relief on the walls, ceiling, and capitals, and more than admiring the perfection of the workmanship, one communes with the images simply through their lyrical grace.

The monument as a whole is dynamic, and as we circumambulate it, taking time to gaze at and identify the art piece by piece, we find a freshness to our devotion and realization. At every turn the ultimate meaning of the temple is brought near to us, and the figures on the walls form the basis of our onward journey beyond the manifested world and toward the massive doors before the altar, where we will greet the Deity. When we are in the presence of the Deity, the power and impact of all the other figures seem to increase.

Before the Deity we halt, our eyes taking in the presence of the Supreme Lord. Having already been impressed by the many transcendental visions within the temple, our minds are arrested by the immortality of God’s form and are moved afresh by the beauty of the Divinity. Such an experience, repeated daily and regularly, cannot but have a lasting effect on us, what to speak of on the artists.

But now the local people have forgotten all this. And as a result the temples are dilapidated, dirty, and poorly attended. Comparing what once was with what now is, I felt a sinking feeling.

Yet, returning to the ISKCON Mayapur project that afternoon and seeing the temple bustling with guests, I took heart to see Srila Prabhupada’s influence in reviving and repopularizing Vedic culture. In addition to the terra cotta work I had already seen, I also saw the art the devotees were doing for Srila Prabhupada’s books, as well as the murals they were executing throughout ISKCON’s Mayapur community. Other devotees were making jewelry, ornaments, crowns, and elaborately embroidered garments for ISKCON Mayapur’s worshipable Deities. I saw devotees manufacturing karatalas and mrdangas (hand cymbals and clay drums), traditional instruments to accompany devotional chanting. Perhaps it’s not big enough to be called a renaissance, but it is big enough to create a spiritual revival in the lives of thousands throughout the world—who’ve found, through Krsna conscious art, literature, philosophy, and practice, a meaning and purpose to life. Previously, for me at least, such lofty ideals were nothing more than a castle in the sky.

A luminary of Vraja and a stalwart and exemplary Go-sevaka, Shri Ramesh Baba of Maan Mandira left on the most auspicious Indira Ekadasi.

The renowned Padma Shri awardee and ascetic saint of Vraja, Ramesh Baba Maharaj, passed away at the age of 88 on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at the famous Maan Mandira in Barsana, Uttar Pradesh. After a long illness, he left his mortal body and went to Goloka Dhama. The news of his disappearance (tirodhan) has cast a shadow of deep sorrow over the entire Brajbhoomi and his devotees.

His life and major contributions:

Environment and Vraja protection: Ramesh Baba fought a long fight to protect the Vraja hills, sacred water bodies and natural heritage. As a result of his movement against illegal mining in the Braj hills from Varsana to Rajasthan, the Supreme Court banned mining there in 2008.

Cow Service: He dedicated his life to cow service and established the world-famous ‘Mataji Gaushala’, where thousands of cows are served.

Yamuna Mukti Andolan: He led various powerful movements, including a march in Delhi, to make the Yamuna River pollution-free and free.

Acknowledgement: The Government of India awarded him the prestigious Padma Shri in 2019 for his contribution to the culture, environment and selfless social service of Brajbhoomi.

Born in Prayagraj in 1938, this great saint moved to Barsana at the age of just 16, attracted by Srimati Radharani, and devoted himself to the service of Vraja-dhama forever. His departure is a big loss for Sri Vraja-mandala and the Vaisnava community.

Hare Krishna

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Channel: ISKCON Delhi

Morning Srimad Bhagavatam Class by HH Guru Prasad Swami Maharaj || Srimad Bhagavatam 5.9.54 … more

Dear Maharajas, Prabhus, and Matajis,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I just received news from Gaura Gopal das, the son of Sriman Jaya Tirtha Charan Prabhu, that he is preparing to leave his body in New Zealand. He wrote:

“I am informing you that my father is preparing to leave his body in his home. He has been diagnosed his Stage 5 Kidney Failure which is now at the end of life stage. This is putting pressure on other organs in his body, and it appears he is in his final days. He is conscious, but unable to speak, eat, drink, or move pretty much at all.”

Jaya Ttirtha Charana Prabhu was known as the “Saligram Sila acarya,”not only because of his elaborate puja of his large collection of silas, but also because he curated a hidden website for those who were dedicated to the worship of Saligram. It was and still is a valuable resource for all things related to Saligram silas. It is now only available on the “wayback machine” at https://tinyurl.com/2yjcu4ca

In Jaya Tirtha Charan Prabhu’s last days and hours we request the worldwide Vaisnava community, especially those of you who worship Saligram sila, to take a moment and pray that Lord Krsna be merciful to His loyal servant and take Jaya Tirtha Charan Prabhu, back to Godhead, away from the miseries of this horrible material world, and where in his siddha-svarupa he can engage in his eternal service to Sri-Sri Radha Krsna and Sri-Sri Gaura-Nitai.

dasa dasa anu dasa
Shyamasundara Dasa

Channel: ISKCON Vrindavan

Divine LIVE Mangal Āratī Darshan from Sri Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir, ISKCON Vrindavan Hare Krishna! Radhe Radhe!  … more

#iskcon #iskconjuhu #harekrishna #iskcontempleFor more information please visit ISKCON Juhu, Hare Krishna, ISKCON Television, Daily Darshan, Daily Bhagavad Gita Class, Spiritual Lectures, Lectures, Srimad Bhagavat Gita classes, Srimad Bhagavad Gita, Hare Krishna Hare Rama, #livedarshan #ISKCONJuhu #srisriradharasbiharitemple

Deena Bandhu Prabhu: Please join us in prayers for a dear friend, Ananta Shakti Prabhu. who left us Dwadasi evening surrounded by devotees in England. A kind sensitive soul who was dedicated for over four decades serving though his art touching the hearts of many devotees. Ananta was tottaly dedicated to the mission who loved the devotess and expressed this deeply through his humility. May Srila Prabhupada take him in his arms and lead to the Lotus feet of the Lord!

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The Divine Form by Ananta Sakti Dasa

An artist realizes his dream of finding the perfect form

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(From Back to Godhead)

During my school days in the 1960s, it wasn’t difficult to see that the modern education system was a kind of slaughterhouse for the mind and intellect, a place where individuals were reduced to packaged goods to be consumed by an exploitative society. At age fourteen I decided to become an artist/ naturalist, which meant spending lots of time absent from school but present in my local library, and exploring riverbanks, shorelines, and wooded areas. In the library I met illustrious teachers every time I opened an art book. Great artists like Picasso, Da Vinci, Gaugin, Raphael, and the Pre- Raphaelites taught me so many lessons in the use of color, tone, composition, and most of all, imaginative expression. In the great outdoors, Mother Nature was a wonderful teacher who introduced me to the miracle of changing seasons, wherein infinite varieties of fascinating creatures coexist in an ecological wonderland.

With so much inspiration available for a budding artist, where would I start? I thought I’d give the educational system another try, and I visited the local art college. The head of the Fine Art section was a waffling intellectual living on cloud nine, so I gave that a miss. The Graphic Design department was all about selling products and making a living, but at least that was practical. I enrolled, but the psychedelic generation I was a part of had a profound effect on my consciousness. I needed answers to the important questions of life: Who am I? Where am I going? What is the purpose of life?

I concluded that art is best when it encapsulates the answers to these questions in a new, exciting way. But what are the answers? The Graphic Design department was just going to engage me in the advancement of consumerism, so I left.

My best friend at that time was Ron Holbeche, a Christian mystic who painted vibrant canvases that were exhibited in the more progressive churches. He always talked to me of God and service to God. He was like my guru and always asserted, “Man was made to serve God.”

Ron and I both craved a vision of a perfect person, and we had our own conceptualizations of what that meant. Ron painted the silhouette of a young Adonis male filled with hundreds of bright rainbow colors, whereas I considered that a perfect person must be seen to contain a harmonious combination of aggressive logic and gentle intuition. I reasoned that to be complete, such a being would be androgynous. I decided to depict this ideal not as a hermaphrodite, but in a symbolic way, with half the body male and the other half female, much like the Siva-Sakti form seen in Indian temples.

Encounter with Lord Rama

At about this time, I built a tepee of the American Indian style, lived in a forest commune, and made an independent living as a portrait artist. I also specialized in designing and making fringed, beaded moccasins for the hippie community. It was a busy, productive life.

Then, as if by divine providence, an art college friend, upon returning from a visit to Bangkok, gave me some rice-paper rubbings taken from bas-reliefs of divinities of the temple of the reclining Buddha. Although I didn’t know it at first, the images depicted the pastimes of Lord Ramachandra. I immediately appreciated the combination of delicate exquisiteness and divine irresistible power that Ramachandra personified while upon His chariot, bow drawn, ready to slay His evil enemy.

I started work on a series of highly detailed color studies based on these rubbings. I became obsessed and addicted to these forms. They represented sweet perfection to me. One of my friends, who had visited Krishna’s holy town of Vrindavan, India, then told me that the divine person was Ramachandra, an incarnation of the Supreme Lord Krishna. He gave me some Spiritual Sky incense (made by Hare Krishna devotees) and advised me to offer a stick a day to the figure of Krishna on the packet, which I did.

Around this time I received a surprise visit from someone who had been given my address. Her name was Carol, and she was from the Hare Krishna temple in Toronto. After introductions, she wanted to teach me a mantra. I responded by closing my eyes tight and repeating over and over again, with rapt attention, the words she gave me: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

As I was doing this, a beautiful bluish person of independent power, much like the figure on the incense packet, entered my consciousness. This person personified bliss and possessed a body of pure energy, just like liquid sapphire. I was stunned, blessed, and totally at a loss for words. Carol had introduced me to the chanting of the holy names, for which I am forever grateful.

Soon after, I visited the Hare Krishna temple in Watford, just outside London, and had darsana with the presiding Radha-Krishna deities, Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda. That was probably the greatest revelation I ever had. It seemed the ultimate deja vu experience, and my intuition made sense when the devotees explained that we all have an eternal loving relationship with God. It simply needs to be awakened by the glorification of His holy names.

I joined the temple shortly after and received formal initiations. In the following years I had many opportunities to study and glorify the divine forms of the Lord in His multifarious aspects and also to do portrait studies of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada.

God’s Unique Spiritual Form

Discovering the actual form of our most ancient of friends, that friend who has been patiently guiding and tolerating us since time immemorial, must surely be the greatest of all discoveries and experiences. Growing up in the patriarchal Christian tradition, I learned through art that God, being the original father, must look like a mighty yet old and bearded Anglo/ European man. He casts stern glances in all directions while sitting on His kingly throne surrounded by angels and light. At slight provocation He hurls flaming thunderbolts at those who dare defy His authority.

This anthropomorphic projection surely strikes fear and reverence into human hearts, but does such a contrivance inspire love? I think not.

I found the Vedic viewpoint to be much more attractive on all levels. It teaches that God is beyond the influence of time, which is subordinate to Him. He therefore possesses an eternally youthful form of incomparable beauty in every detail, from His fine, curling, bluish black hair, to His radiant toenails, which defeat the luster of the most precious gems. Restless lotusshaped eyes adorn His splendorous face. Every aspect of His form intrigues the eyes to an insatiable degree. Therefore the name Krishna, meaning “the all-attractive,” is surely a fitting name for God.

As an artist I am concerned with dimensions. If we examine the dimensions of Krishna’s divine form as revealed in the Vedic scriptures, we discover that many measurements differ from the human form. The most obvious differences are the size of His head in proportion to His body and that His hands reach to His knees. Indian sculptors who carve temple deities use these dimensions, which are delineated in reference books. The measurements are exact and define divine deity forms, thus setting them apart from any type of human form, although obvious similarities are there.

In the sacred Bhagavadgita (9.22) Lord Krishna says, “But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have.” And in the Brahmasamhita Lord Brahma also assures us, “Only a person whose eyes are smeared with the ointment of love can see the beautiful form of Sri Krishna.”

Although I am unqualified to approach Lord Krishna, Srila Prabhupada’s followers have mercifully engaged me in Krishna’s service, in particular by depicting Krishna’s pastimes and writing and illustrating books on the subject. For this blessing I am eternally grateful because a picture of Krishna’s pastimes provides a view into the spiritual world. Therefore, as an ISKCON artist, I would like to offer the following recommendation: Suspend your disbelief, for with faith and an open mind, an apparent statue comes alive and a picture becomes a window to another world. Imagination and the spirit of devotional service give life to what appears to be the dull matter of this world. Therefore, in this mood let us serve Lord Krishna, His devotees, and whomever we can, and be happy forever. Hare Krishna.

Ananta Sakti Dasa, initiated in 1979, lives in Borehamwood, England.

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Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya | Ramai Swami

bhattacaryah sarvabhaumah purasid gishpatir divi

Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya was formerly Brihaspati, the guru of the gods.
(Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 119)
 
Sarvabhauma’s Scholarship
 
When Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami lists the branches of Sri Chaitanya, after listing those devotees like Paramananda Puri and Svarupa Damodar who came to join the Lord in Jagannath Puri, he enumerates those Bengali devotees who were already living in Puri when the Lord arrived there and who then met him for the very first time. Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya is considered the most important of these devotees.
 
One of the biggest branches of the Lord was Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya. Another was his brother-in-law, Gopinath Acharya.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.10.130)

Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya had tremendous learning in both Nyaya and Vedanta. Although he was a grihastha, he took the kshetra-sannyasa, vowing never to set foot outside of Jagannath Puri, and he taught Vedanta to students there. He gave discourses on Shankaracrya’s commentary on the Vedanta to Mahaprabhu himself until he came to understand its real meaning by his grace.

Mahaprabhu delivered the Mayavadi Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya. Both Vrindavan Das Thakur, not different from Vedavyasa himself, and Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami have described how this took place in their biographies of the Lord. 

🌸 Divine LIVE Mangal Āratī Darshan from Sri Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir, ISKCON Vrindavan 🌸

HOUSTON, TX — On Saturday, October 3rd, 75 devotees gathered with joyful enthusiasm in Houston, to celebrate the 61st anniversary of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s historic arrival in the United States. Organized by the Houston Harinam Sankirtan group as part of their weekly street chanting program, the landmark occasion took to the local waters on a riverboat in League City, Texas echoing the momentous 1965 Jaladuta voyage that brought the teachings of Lord Chaitanya to the Western world.

This special celebration marks League City as the second location covered by the Houston Harinam Team, following Katy, as part of their inspiring initiative to spread the holy names to every town and village across the greater Houston metropolitan area.

The event commenced with a spirited kirtan that reverberated across the water as devotees chanted and danced in deep gratitude. Attendees gathered to listen attentively to narration detailing Srila Prabhupada’s perilous voyage from Kolkata to Boston, reflecting on the immense faith and sacrifices he made to establish the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). To connect more deeply with Srila Prabhupada’s mood and the inner intent of his mission, the devotees collectively sang his heartfelt prayer, “Krsna Tava Punya Habe Bhai” (Bhagavan Krsner Pada Padme Prarthana). Singing Verse 2 especially reminded the devotees of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s prophecy coming to fulfillment before their very eyes that the holy names would be heard in every town, village, river, ocean, and stream.

In the days leading up to the gathering, weather channels issued warnings of severe storms and potential flooding. Recalling how Lord Krishna miraculously calmed the Atlantic Ocean during Srila Prabhupada’s journey, the organizing team prayed earnestly to Houston’s presiding deities, Sri Sri Radha Nilamadhava, for clear weather. Krishna mercifully answered their prayers: not a single drop of rain fell during the event, and a pleasant blanket of clouds kept the scorching Texas sun at bay throughout the afternoon.

As a token of appreciation for their hospitality on the water, the devotees presented boat Captain Jake and crew members Michelle and Cameron with copies of Srila Prabhupada’s books alongside sacred Maha-garlands from the deities.

The celebration concluded with a sumptuous prasadam feast featuring veggie burgers, potato chips, and carob cake. Energized by the voyage’s spiritual bliss, participating devotees expressed excitement about making this boat-based anniversary celebration an annual Houston tradition.

Watch videos of the celebrations on the water – https://www.instagram.com/houstonharinam/

bhattacaryah sarvabhaumah purasid gishpatir divi

Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya was formerly Brihaspati, the guru of the gods.
(Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 119)
 
Sarvabhauma’s Scholarship
 
When Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami lists the branches of Sri Chaitanya, after listing those devotees like Paramananda Puri and Svarupa Damodar who came to join the Lord in Jagannath Puri, he enumerates those Bengali devotees who were already living in Puri when the Lord arrived there and who then met him for the very first time. Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya is considered the most important of these devotees.
 
One of the biggest branches of the Lord was Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya. Another was his brother-in-law, Gopinath Acharya.
(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.10.130)

Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya had tremendous learning in both Nyaya and Vedanta. Although he was a grihastha, he took the kshetra-sannyasa, vowing never to set foot outside of Jagannath Puri, and he taught Vedanta to students there. He gave discourses on Shankaracrya’s commentary on the Vedanta to Mahaprabhu himself until he came to understand its real meaning by his grace.

Mahaprabhu delivered the Mayavadi Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya. Both Vrindavan Das Thakur, not different from Vedavyasa himself, and Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami have described how this took place in their biographies of the Lord. 

By Yogesvara Gopinath das

On Sunday, 4 October 2026, approximately 3,500 people gathered in Ilford, East London, to celebrate the Ratha Yatra of Their Lordships Sri Jagannatha, Sri Baladeva and Srimati Subhadra Maharani.

The festival began at Valentines Park, where the beautifully decorated Ratha cart set off towards Ilford High Street, passing through Ilford Station. As the chariot moved through the streets, devotees led the chanting of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra, followed by the beautiful recitation of Jagannathastakam. People of all ages and backgrounds joined the procession, taking turns to pull the Ratha and participate in Lord Jagannatha’s service.

A classical dance was performed before the chariot as the procession began, adding to the devotional and cultural atmosphere. The celebration continued at Ilford High Street, where a range of activities welcomed the wider community.

The Bhakti Corner provided an opportunity for visitors to connect with the East London community and learn more about devotional activities. The Kids Corner offered crafts and games for children, while the Sankirtan team distributed books by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The Main Tent hosted a vibrant programme of cultural and devotional performances. The audience particularly enjoyed a delightful dance by the toddlers, while the Pandava Sena presented a drama.

The festival was honoured by the presence of Cllr Bert Jones, Mayor of Redbridge; Cllr Sunny Brar, Cabinet Secretary for Policing; and Cllr Yogesh Saini, Councillor. Senior ISKCON representatives HG Dayal Mora Dasa, Temple President of ISKCON London; HG Parusuram Dasa, Director of Food for All; and HG Tribhangananda Dasa also participated in the celebrations.

A special highlight was the launch of Damodar Puja by the dignitaries, introducing the wider community to the devotional celebrations of the Damodara season.

The spirit of service continued with the distribution of 3,500 plates of prasadam.

Ratha Yatra is a festival in which Lord Jagannatha comes out onto the streets to offer His darshan and mercy to everyone. The Ilford celebration beautifully reflected this spirit. Children, families, young people, elderly guests, devotees, local residents and civic representatives all came together in an atmosphere of devotion, joy and community.

The 2026 Ilford Ratha Yatra was therefore much more than a procession. It was an opportunity to share the chanting of the Holy Names, Srila Prabhupada’s teachings, prasadam and the spirit of devotional service with the people of East London.May the mercy of Sri Jagannatha, Sri Baladeva and Srimati Subhadra Maharani continue to bless the people of Ilford and beyond.

A continuously updated stream of Vaishnava and devotional content, combining original articles from Dandavats.com with daily posts. Covers Krishna consciousness teachings, scripture classes (Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam), devotee news, and community events from across the global ISKCON. Our desire is to promote the development of Krishna bhakti, to nurture well-informed thought, and to support sustainable bonds between devotees engaged in all varieties of services and social relationships.
 

Friday, October 9, 2026

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Wednesday, October 7, 2026

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Tuesday, October 6, 2026

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Sunday, October 4, 2026

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The highlight of our visit to Skopje, Macedonia, was our Soul Culture Festival, held in the city’s main square.

The evening featured a Ramayana drama, an inspiring philosophical talk, beautiful dances and uplifting kirtan. We also gifted the guests traditional saris, adding a special cultural touch. The audience relished every moment!

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