Author Archives: Madhava Smullen

Shyamasundar Das, one of ISKCON’s earliest pioneers, has released Volume Two in his two-part series “Chasing Rhinos,” which gives a personal, insider’s account of major events in ISKCON’s history and a sense of t…

“There are so many families in Hungary who are on the edge of homelessness,” says ISKCON Hungary spokesperson Gandharvika Prema Dasi. “They are in debt, have no jobs, and without external help they struggle to maintain their…

Between five and six hundred devotees from all over North America started the New Year as they meant to go on – chanting the Holy Name and associating with devotees – at Kirtan 50 in Dallas this holiday season.

Kaliyaphani Das, an English disciple of Srila Prabhupada known for being multi-talented and always ready to serve – as an actor/director, book distributor, kirtan leader, and groundskeeper to name but a few – passed away in a moto…

Succession is currently a hot topic in ISKCON. So recently we spoke to Janardan Kewin, an Australian alumnus of Vrindavan Gurukula, who now works professionally as a regional manager at the University of Queensland, serves as Vice President a…

Born in the Chicago ISKCON temple in the late 1970s and raised in ISKCON gurukulas, Gaura Mani spent much of her time singing kirtan and chanting Sanskrit verses. As she grew older, she developed a strong desire to take her training further a…

ISKCON Mauritius’ 11thannual Rathayatra at Mahebourg, in the south-east of the island nation, featured a unique offering that truly befit the tropical setting – a boat festival in a vivid blue lagoon.

Srila Prabhupada called Krishna conscious art “Windows to the Spiritual World.” Every once in a while, an artist comes along who is truly blessed with the ability to open those windows for us.

Fifteen people from the North London and Cambridge area participated, many of whom were already interested in yoga and wanted to learn about Bhakti too.

Around one hundred devotees from the New Raman Reti ISKCON community participated in the Alachua Christmas Parade on Saturday December 8th, in Alachua, Florida. All the townspeople turned out for the occasion, packing the sidewalks.&nbsp…

Immersive technologies are a major part of the plan for the still-under-construction TOVP, including a huge 23-meter planetarium theater under one of the temple domes. However, with the temple opening still two to three years away, a smaller,…

Nitaipriya Dasi has to balance many responsibilities in life: she’s a mother of two, serves on the board of the ISKCON Philadelphia temple, and works as vice president of a reputed bank. However she’s found yet another sweet servi…

The Lord’s Holy Names continue to be chanted in every town and village, no matter how exotic or remote. Devotees on Réunion Island held their second annual Rathayatra in the city of St. Pierre on Saturday December 8th, summe…

“What’s a Woman to Do?” a new 32-page booklet written by Srila Prabhupada disciple and author Visakha Dasi, and released on Gita Jayanti day, reflects on women’s services in Srila Prabhupada’s Hare Krishna Moveme…

When she saw the devastation, Barbara Sobel, a New York music promoter and CEO of Sobel Promotions felt she couldn’t sit by and do nothing. So she contacted an eclectic group of artists, including Jayadev and Gaurangi, asking for an unr…

Around six hundred congregation members and newcomers visited ISKCON Philadelphia on December 8thto celebrate as the presiding Deities moved into Their beautiful, spacious new temple room. The move had been planned for several years at ISKCON…

Vedic Stories for Children Volume 2, a CD produced by the world-renowned Bhaktivedanta Players, was launched during the Diwali and Annakut festivals at Bhaktivedanta Manor in England.

In ISKCON today, we typically call everyone who joined the movement “the first generation.” We call all the children of those who joined “second generation,” no matter their age, and all their children &ldquo…

Ofsted (The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills) is the government organization responsible for inspecting all schools and nurseries in the UK.

Cultural appropriation has been a hot topic lately, in society and in particularly on university campuses. At its heart the term refers to disrespectful, offensive and ignorant use of another culture’s sacred symbols and traditions.&nbs…

Two programs are gifting Srila Prabhupada’s books to thousands of people every year and will change lives across North America this Christmas.

About 150 students, professors and others attended a one-day conference at Utah State University on October 18th entitled “God and Smog – The Challenge of Preserving our Planet.”

Argentina saw a unique moment in ISKCON’s history on Thursday November 22nd. Two major Ratha Yatra festivals took place at the same time on both sides of the country – one in its capital city Buenos Aires, on the East Coast, and o…

The giant book is funded by ISKCON Italy through donations and designed by the Mediterranean branch of the BBT, which claims it will be the largest sacred text in the world. 

ISKCON Communications Director Anuttama Das attended the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion (AAR) in Denver, Colorado from November 17thto 20th, as a representative of the Hare Krishna Movement. Representatives of the Bhaktive…

The harinama party bus is the brainchild of husband and wife Prema Rupa Madhava Das and Prema Rupini Madhavi Dasi, who were born in the same year, share the same zodiac sign and were called Paul and Paula before becoming devotees. T…

The temple is in a quiet residential neighborhood on Central Pennsylvania’s East Shore, can occupy 300 to 400 people. The Harrisburg congregation currently comprises of 25 to 30 families, or approximately fifty to sixty people, so there…

After the major success of the recent Bhadra Campaign, in which devotees all over the world distributed thousands of full Srimad-Bhagavatam sets, the BBT Marketing, Communications and Innovations team is launching a new global campaign for th…

The new grant will provide high quality anatomical models of different bodily systems for the students to study, which are normally too expensive for the school to buy.

Nearly 10,000 delegates from 80 countries attended the 2018 Parliament of the World’s Religions from November 1stto 7thin Toronto, Canada. They represented nearly 200 religious, spiritual and indigenous traditions, comprising the single…

An innovative new website, Chantnow.com, was offered to Srila Prabhupada on Radhastami, September 9th, and aims to revolutionize online outreach for ISKCON. 

About 350 people streamed in through the rustic cob entranceway of ISKCON Alachua’s Eco Teaching Farm on October 27th, buzzing and excited to attend its third annual Fall Festival and learn more about simple living and higher thinking.&…

The ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry has released two position papers on perennially debated issues: “Showing Radharani’s lotus feet;” and “Who can participate in public abhisekhas in ISKCON Centers?”

ISKCON book distributors are constantly trying to find new ways to give out Srila Prabhupada’s books, and new people to reach. One of the biggest niche audiences is the Russian-speaking community in North America – some 7 to …

Over 70 devotees from all over the greater New York area – including the Queens and Bhakti Center temples – as well from Connecticut recently participated in the first New York Monthly Sankirtan Festival for many years. 

Around 30 to 50 Russian-speakers from Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Chicago and New York are set to attend. As well as Russia they originally hail from former Soviet Union countries like Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

Established by the late ISKCON guru Bhakti Tirtha Swami, IFAST (Institute for Applied Spiritual Technology) operates on the idea that it’s not enough to simply give people spiritual knowledge – we must teach them how to apply it.
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A pioneer devotee is braving austerity to create a dream retirement home in Colombia’s lush Cauca Valley, for those who have dedicated their lives in service to ISKCON. And Lord Krishna is reciprocating as neighbors embrace the project …

Heartwood Soundstage, an intimate venue in Gainesville, Florida will come alive at 7pm on Wednesday November 7thwith the second annual kirtan dance party and fundraiser by non-profit Bhaktiland Inc.

The epic show of dance, theater, martial arts and live music has been touring Poland for 29 years to great success, and came to the U.S. for the first time last year under the name “Discover India.”