Author Archives: Dandavats

By ISKCON desire tree network

With growing Krishna consciousness all over the world ISKCON has been instrumental in bringing many souls under the shelter of Lord Sri Krishna with its Philosophy, Kirtans, Prasadam, etc., however the villages and tribes located in remote areas remain unaware of the good fortune in Kaliyuga. An initiative was taken by devotees from ISKCON Pune and with dedicated efforts and Krishna’s mercy a new preaching centre ”Bhagavad Darshan Prachar Kendra” was established in Bodhan village, Telangana. It was inaugurated with great pomp on 10th June 2017. Bhakta Manjunath accompanied by two grihastha devotees were invited for the inauguration. Inaugural activities included basic Krishna conscious introduction which further covered the concepts of 4 regulative principles as followed in ISKCON, importance of chanting holy name and community building. This continued for 9 days till 19th June 2017. Nagar Sankirtanas flooded the areas of Pegadapally, Yedapally, Hunsa, Achanpally and Pothangal with the nectarine holy name.

By ISKCON Wellington

Bhakti is ahaituky apratihatā. It can neither be achieved through mundane efforts nor be terminated by any mundane cause (SB 1.2.6). But bhakti can be obtained and nurtured in the association of Lord’s devotees. It can be ignited and spread through the association of Vaishnavas. It was this knowledge, faith and desire to spread the love for Godhead that spurred the outreach Janmashtami program for the greater Wellington urban region. This year, devotees from Wellington’s Journey of Self Discovery (JOSD) group under the guidance of HG Ambarish Maharaj Das and HG Anang Manjari Devi Dasi, chose to celebrate the advent of Lord Sri Krishna with the community in Upper Hutt city. 

By Chandan Yatra Das

Ujjain is an ancient holy city on the bank of the Kshipra River, today part of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. Ujjain is the place where Lord Krishna, along with Balarama and Sudama, received education from Maharishi Sandipani. Ujjain is one of the four sites in India that host the Kumbh Mela (also called the Simhastha Mela), once in 12 years. On the occasion of Simhastha Kumbh Mela the divinity and spiritual aroma of Ujjain meets its highest peak when millions of pilgrims take dips and worship sacred River Kshipra. The Garuda Purana enumerates seven sacred cities (Sapta Moksha Puri) as giver of Moksha (Ayodhya, Mathura, Maya, Kasi, Kanchi, Avantika, Dwarka); Ujjain or Avantika is one among these seven sacred cities. Lord Ramacandra along with Sita-devi and Laxmana also came to Ujjain. Lord Ramacandra performed the ‘Pind-dan’ ceremony for His father Dasaratha at the Ram Ghat on the bank of Kshipra river, which is the famous holy site of Kumbh Mela.

By Gour Govinda Swami It is the causeless mercy of Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga that I came here to meet you all, I am very happy at such causeless mercy of Guru and Gauranga. Unless one gets such mercy, how can one cross over this dreadful ocean of mater…

By Mayapur Sasi dasa For the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada this report contains the following North American results of book distribution for the month of July 2017. North American Totals, Monthly Temples, Monthly Weekend Warriors. Monthly Top 100 Indiv…

By Mahatma das

Can a person with low self-esteem be spiritually advanced? Can a person with healthy self-esteem not be spiritually advanced? Is there an absolute correlation between the two? Yes, to the first two questions. But if one has low self-esteem, it can be an impediment because of the need to pull others down. Of course, high self-esteem doesn’t guarantee spiritual advancement, but generally such persons have an easier time confronting and dealing with their faults. I find that many of the devotee’s problems come from not loving themselves, that is they neglect their sadhana because they don’t care enough about themselves to be strict. Also, they may offend devotees, not always because of spiritual weakness, but because of negative psychological factors.

By Jagabandhu das Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada perfectly exemplified flawless devotion of the highest order, yet many are his severe cautions and stern admonishments against the impatient and impetuous impudence of those exceeding…

By Lokanath Swami Srila Prabhupada, you mercifully employed me as one of your office boys in this mission to spread Krishna consciousness. It is for this reason that Bombay has special significance for me. It was my spiritual birthplace.I was conceive…

By Vaishnava das It was a beautiful sunny New York afternoon, with a slight cooling breeze and the familiar scent of incense wafting out the front door of the 26 2nd Ave storefront, the birthplace of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness …

By Giriraj Swami

My Vyasa-puja Offering to Srila Prabhupada. Last month your spiritual granddaughter Smriti “Baby” Warrier (now Sravana Dasi) lost her son in a tragic accident at the railroad. When I wrote to offer my condolences, I was wonderstruck by her reply: “Thank you for your kind blessings and prayers for our son Nrsimha Guru. Due to the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, we are all blessed with our journey in Krishna consciousness. In such a situation all we can see is Krishna’s hand and how He orchestrated the whole incident. Though it is the most horrific thing I have experienced, I am at peace, as I see the Lord in it. “Twenty-two years ago Srimati Radharani put two beautiful Vaishnavas in my lap, and now She has asked for one back. I can only be thankful for those twenty-two years with him. I am proud that he was strong on his devotional path. He had just finished his Disciples Course and gotten his recommendation letter and was chanting a chapter of the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. The morning of the accident he had been chanting his japa, so by Srila Prabhupada’s grace he was in good consciousness. I am proud of all his accomplishments, and now that his karma here is over, he has progressed to serving Srila Prabhupada elsewhere.”

By the ISKCON Deity Worship MinistryThe Vaisnava sampradayas mark significant samskaras with various functions and strive to establish in the minds and hearts of all involved the nature of the living entity as an eternal servant of the Supreme Lord. In…

By His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Because of my state of complete foolishness and paucity of pious activities, although the Lord offered me His personal service, I wanted material name, fame and prosperity. The conclusion is that…

By Srutadeva Das The pure devotee is always within the core of My heart, and I am always in the heart of the pure devotee. My devotees do not know anything else but Me, and I do not know anyone else but them.Read More…

By Sanatana Goswami O Krsna, Who descended in the province of Mathura, O Lord Who gives the great gift of pure love for Yourself, O Perfromer of extraordinary pastimes, O great Treasure-house of various kinds of sweetness, O Lord Who is full of transce…

Dravida dasa: O Prabhupada, on this great day When you appeared, just like a ray Of Krsna’s vast effulgence bright, To give this blind world back its sight We thank you from the bottom of Our heart, and pray with deepest love
Read More…

By Radha Mohan Das

Mother Kulangana was always known as a kind and gentle soul with a nature as sweet as her service. She will be missed by so many – the majority of the community cannot even recall a time when she was not present in their lives. Although she leaves this world behind, her legacy lives on. And in every soft mangal arati sweet the devotees of Bhaktivedanta Manor offer to Sri Sri Radha Gokulanada, there will reside the memory of Mother Kulangana’s soft and sweet devotion. Mother Kulangana’s life will remain an inspiration for generations to come. Her dedication to Srila Prabhupada set the highest example. Day and night she read Srila Prabhupada’s books and listened to his lectures. In her departure she only wanted to listen to his chanting. She taught us how to overcome adversity, how to become absorbed in devotional service, how to maintain complete chastity and enthusiasm in our spirituality, and most of all, how to dedicate one’s mind, body and words in the service of the Lord.

Krishna Kanta: We are excited to present the book trailer for a new anthology: “Bhakti Blossoms: A Collection of Contemporary Vaishnavi Poetry”Read More…

By Krishna das Where Vaishnava temples exist, festivities begin before dawn and extend all day until midnight, the exact moment of the anniversary of Krishna’s appearance. Events include kirtan, singing the Lord’s name along with other devotees; and ja…

By Indradyumna Swami

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s exposition was divided into two sections, spiritual and secular, with items collected from every part of India, and the whole extravaganza covering more than one square mile. The secular division demonstrated miscellaneous departments of human endeavour, medical, educational, agricultural, arts and crafts, cattle and livestock, child welfare, athletics, and amusements. Several provincial governments sent materials to be displayed. Other attractions were performances of athletic feats such as gymnastics, wrestling, boxing, sword and stick play, and jujitsu. There were musical competitions, dramas, film shows, a circus, and in the words of the Harmonist, ‘other varieties of innocent amusements.’ Prizes, medals, and certificates were awarded to deserving exhibitors and performers.

By Kesava Krsna Dasa

Once, the late Madhudvisa Prabhu asked Srila Prabhupada, “What pleases you the most? Book distribution pleases you. Deity worship pleases you. What really pleases you?” Srila Prabhupada replied, “By struggling for Krishna…,” that was pleasing. This was related to us by HH Giriraja Maharaja. Many things pleased Srila Prabhupada, like doing book distribution, looking after our children, doing deity worship and so on, but to “struggle” for Krishna has a wider concern, because it affects each and every one of us. We all have our own personal Kurukshetra battles to contend with as we practice Krishna consciousness.

By Mayapur Communication

Due to the enthusiasm of the devotees of the Mayapur community, Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa-puja celebration has grown over the years, and has now become a six day festival. Many departments of Mayapur join together to host glorifications of Srila Prabhupada on different days. These festivals are so sweet and personal; they keep the devotees constantly absorbed in gratitude for Srila Prabhupada, and allow them to express that gratitude to him.

Stephanie Sheridan: NYC Harinam needs a small apartment in Manhattan to continue its service. Below is a letter of inspiration from Rama Raya das, who founded the NYC Harinam Ashram. Please read and consider donating to this wonderful project. We hope …

Interviews from the heart of MayapurRead More…

By Indradyumna Swami Krsna’s Village of Peace at this year’s Woodstock festival in Poland exceeded the expectations of everyone. With a steady stream of people passing through our site the lines for prasadam got longer and longer, large crowds spilled …

By Bhusaya dasa Lekhasravanti met with Prabhupada the next day and mentioned how her parents were both killed in a plane crash in 1970. Prabhupada immediately consoled her, quoting a Sanskrit verse that her parents were still alive somewhere, as the s…

By Mayapur.tv The first Chakra of the TOVP to be installed upon the Kalash of the Planetarium Dome (Western Dome) by H.H. Jayapataka Swami. On the auspicious occasion of today’s installation of the first chakra on the planetarium-wing dome, here is a m…

By Jhulan devi dasi

I remember watching a kirtana festival some years ago. I saw a devotee wearing a t-shirt with the wording: ‘This is what we do,’ which was quite impressive. Actually, chanting the holy name in congregation is indeed what Hare Krishna devotees are supposed to do. Now different kirtana events are happening more and more at New Govardhana. Did you know that there is kirtana every night at the temple? Feel free to come to the temple at 7pm for a lively kirtana. Resident brahmachari Suratanatha dasa says, “Bhakta Mark and I used to have kirtana after evening prasadam at the temple. It was Shyamamrita mataji who encouraged us to do so more often. So we started to sing every night in the temple room and more people became involved. Now we have regular devotee attendance. “Kirtana is great for the community because everyone can easily get together through chanting. We want to keep this happening,” he says.

By Aradhikā Radha dasi and Gaurangi dasi

Padayatra is one of the biggest preaching programs of the year in Slovenia. For the past fourteen years Slovenian devotees have been organising a walk every summer. By walking in different sections each year they have covered the entire country, which is not a difficult task since Slovenia is a small coutry of 2 million people (less than 1/6 of Moscow’s population) with a superficy of 20 000 square kms, the size of Costa Rica or Macedonia, and 1/32 the superficy of France.

By Shrinithi Syam Mohini Karthikeyan As the music got louder, the crowd of almost 800 people started to grab the ropes of the rath and began to pull. With organizers in front of the crowd and on top of the cart controlling the speed and course of the c…

By Madhava Smullen

Neither Filippo Paonessa nor his wife-to-be Sukhayanti Dasi had any previous experience in cow protection or agriculture when they met at the Toronto ISKCON temple. But they found that they were both inspired by Srila Prabhupada’s words on simple living and shared a desire to follow them practically. Sukhayanti had grown up in Israel and traveled the world in her twenties, meeting devotees at a Rainbow Gathering in Germany in 2005. Attracted by their authenticity, she visited the farm temple of Simhachalam in the Bavarian forest and decided she wanted to join ISKCON.

By Vijaya das Among Small Temples, ISKCON Silicon Valley was again No. 1, with a whopping 522% increase and 27,102 book points, making it the No. 1 temple in the USA. The leader, Vaisesika Prabhu, is now extending his time at other temples worldwide to…

By Sunanda Das

15 days, 11 temples and $1 million U.S. in pledges! This was the amazing result of the first tour to the small temples of the Maharashtra region of Western India. Inspired by the amazing success of his recent Vyasa Puja TOVP fundraising event which also raised $1 million U.S., His Holiness Lokanath Maharaja, Chairman of the Western India District Council, personally orchestrated the recent first leg of the Maharashtra tour, calling temple leaders on the phone every day and creating a transcendental competition to give more to the TOVP. Every single devotee enthusiastically responded to this ‘Call to Action’. Even devotees who had given at his Vyasa Puja celebration upgraded their pledges, being overwhelmed by the ecstatic mood of the competition and festival of kirtan and abhisheka for Lord Nityananda’s Padukas and Lord Nrsimha’s Sitari.

By Tara Duggan

Troupes of neon-vested Segway riders and strolling tourist families exploring Golden Gate Park on Sunday made way for an especially vibrant interruption: the Festival of Chariots, an annual Hindu parade and celebration with roots going back millennia in India. Held since 1967 in San Francisco, the festival drew hundreds of smiling worshipers who helped pull three large chariots along John F. Kennedy Drive that carried likenesses of Lord Jagannath — who to many Hindus is known as Lord of the Universe or Krishna — his brother, Lord Baladeva, and his sister, Subhadra. Men knelt to touch their forehead to the ground and women in jewel-toned saris danced with the procession. The large wooden carts were painted with elephants and swans, draped with garlands of carnations, and capped by tall red tents meant to resemble temples. “This is a way to bring the lord outside and into the park,” said Haladhara Rupa of Dublin, who wore a traditional purple-blue kurta, or long shirt, and billowing white dhoti pants over bright green running shoes. “You can bring the lord in a joyous way.”

By Brahma Muhurta das

“Whenever I get report of my books selling, I feel strength. Regarding book sales figures, please endeavor in this way. This is the only solace of my life. When I hear that my books are selling so nicely, I become energetic like a young man.” – Srila Prabhu pada, September 2, 1974

By Iskcon Dublin Heart Felt Thank You And Prannams for the effort and all the wonderful devotees and volunteers for making this year Ratha Yatra festival a huge success!!! Your service personally, financially, or by just attending was much appreciated….

By Indradyumna Swami

“Be satisfied and pleased with what thou art, Act cheerfully and well thy allotted part, Enjoy the present hour, be thankful for the past, And neither fear, nor wish, the approaches of the last.” [Marcus Valerius Martialis: Roman poet, 41 – 102 AD]

By Chaitanya Charan das

My tour to the West in 2017 was the longest till date, lasting for three months and extending across forty cities in five countries: USA, Canada, Trinidad, Panama and UK. During the tour, by Krishna’s mercy, I gave around 132 classes and answered around 1000 questions. Here I share some of the highlights of the tour.

By Dayal Mora das

After last years success in contributing towards 50 padyatra’s worldwide as part of the ISKCON50 campaign, ISKCON London agreed to help in continuing this program as an addition to the already vibrant festival season in the UK. This year’s vision was that by organising a Padyatra event and walking between two of our satellite centres we could bring together the devotees from this region for an offering to Guru and Gauranga in an alternative yet highly traditional presentation of Krishna Consciousness, not only for the public but also for the devotees, and in this way draw the attention of the mass of people to our work in the South East of England. The main emphasis this year was intended to explain to the general public the definitive link between the mass slaughter of cows and the violence in modern society, especially in light of recent terror attacks.